On Christmas day 1998, I tore into the wrapping paper on a big ol’ box to find a brand new Nintendo 64 console packaged with Super Mario 64. Little did I know that exactly 12 years later I would still be playing that same game, and it would stand up as one of the greatest video games of all time.
And little did I care either, as I was busy opening the cardboard box the game came in, shoving the cartridge into the slot, and being faced by the mustachioed fizzog of everyone’s favourite Italian plumber rendered in three glorius dimensions.
The game was instant fun. You could tweak and play with Mario’s face and spin him around, all before you got to the main menu! And then, as you clicked new game with that tri-pronged controller you whizzed around the castle grounds and leapt into the mushroom kingdom with a joyous ya-hoo!
That sense of wonder really set the tone for the whole experience. From the first experiments bounding around the enormous environments, to swinging Bowser round and round by the tail having only collected a handful of power stars.
I was totally addicted to that game, and I’m pleased to say I’m addicted all over again after a 10 year hiatus.
Late to the party on this one, but the Wii’s virtual console function is glorious. How had I overlooked it for so long? But now I’ve discovered it and the first game on my list to download was Mario 64. I had to. But I was also quite worried. Would it stand the test of time? Had nostalgia rose-tinted my view of the game? Would I play it for five minutes and forget about it all over again?
Thankfully, my concerns were utterely unfounded. It still looks and feels incredible. The physics engine is sublime and the gameplay is not only totally intuitive but rewarding, inventive and well… quite magical. I can safely say it is a better game than any I’ve played in the last 10 years on any platform.
So, thanks Nintendo. I’ve rediscovered my favourite game and get to play it in all its glory over again. I’m genuinely looking forward to meeting Yoshi on the roof of the castle. Ya-hoo!
