The 1st Chapter - Super Mario 64
Weâre back once again with the first chapter! And this time weâre stepping into the realm of the Nintendo 64!
Thatâs right the N64! Once codenamed the Ultra 64, this badboy brought us some of the greatest games alongside the SNES!
Plenty of good gems, and what better place to start than the king of gems himself:
Once upon a time, Nintendo crafted a masterpiece... A lot of them, actually. This is just one.
And here on The First Chapter we like to dissect the opening sections of a game and identify how well they did.
What will surprise you about this particular deep dive, is that for Mario 64âČs first chapter.... we never enter a actual level.
Thatâs right! lets find out how!
Early on, one of the best game decisions I ever seen was the title screen.
Hearkening back to the days of Mario Paint with an interactive title screen, Mario 64 allows you to tug and manipulate Marioâs face in often hilarious broken ways.
What a awesome way to show off the then, new age technology!
And honestly, how many others besides myself gave Mario cool shades with his own mustache?
The game takes little time setting up your reasoning for being at the castle. Peach is bakin you a cake and wants you to enjoy it with her!
....Hhhhhokay then.
Now for the second fantastic thing that this game does to set up the first chapter, a fantastic flyby of the castle.
This beautifully done cutscene perfectly sets up the expansive playground youâll have at your disposal, getting you excited for you first 3D romp in the mushroom kingdom!
It also gives you an introduction to your camera companion, a Lakitu!Â
Once upon a time these dastardly Koopaâs threw spiny shells at you or tempted you with delicious 1ups. Now theyâre content following you around on your adventure.
With a quick explanation of the basic controls, youâre suddenly free to begin doing... whatever you want!
Really anything!
Start flipping around!
Dive over the landscape!
Fight invisible foes!
Climb the nearest tree!
Or maybe go for a swim!
The world is your oyster!
If you should need some help with the controls or ideas of neat moves, there are handy signs littered about that will assist you.
The sign messages never seem overwhelming or lengthy, always giving JUST enough info to get you going.
As you approach the castle you meet your new companion, the fore mentioned Lakitu. He gives you the lowdown on camera controls, as well as his purpose in your adventure.
A clever explanation for camera controls in a 3D adventure, one that would never really be revisited after this.
But soon you do make it inside, an a threatening Bowser voice warns you to beat it!
The look on Marioâs face says it all... here we go again!
And then here you are, now free to explore the castle interior!
While the game does give you freedom, youâll notice some restrictions right away.
Some doors require star power to access, others require keys.
This helps drive you to want to find out what could be behind those doors?
Thereâs also a basement with a backside courtyard to explore.
The backyard is filled with signs that hint at creatures called âBoosâ setting you up for encounters you will have later!
The only door accessible is on the left side of the main lobby.
Going inside leads you to the first world entrance.
Whatâs brilliant here is that the painting on the wall, the way you access levels, is the very first thing shown to you. The game is smartly guiding you by focusing on the object youâll be interacting with.
When you push against the wall, the painting shimmers... alerting you to the strange magical property it holds.
Bravely, you take the leap forward, and are whisked away immediately to a new world... full of exploration, freedom, and challenges.
However, thatâs where the first chapter ends. What lies behind the painting? You can only sit and wonder...
Mario 64 is the perfect example of introducing your player to a game. Youâre given a brief concept of the story, freedom to learn the control and moves, and while the game is very open, it smartly locks off certain areas to help funnel you towards how youâll begin unlocking those areas.
All this done in bright colorful environments that were, at the time, a beauty to behold.
Lets not forget the cute little interactions Mario does if left alone too long...
The First Chapter of Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 gets a:
