Super Mario 64

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This article is about the Nintendo 64 game. For other uses, see Super Mario 64 (disambiguation).
Super Mario 64
North American box art of Super Mario 64.
For alternate box art, see the related gallery.
Developer Nintendo EAD
Publisher Nintendo
Platforms Nintendo 64, 64DD, iQue Player, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U), Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics
Release dates Nintendo 64:
Japan June 23, 1996[1]
USA September 29, 1996[2]
Europe March 1, 1997[3]
Australia March 1, 1997[4]
Japan July 18, 1997 (Rumble Pak Compatible Version)[5]
iQue Player:
China November 18, 2003[6]
Player's Choice:
USA January 26, 1998[7]
Virtual Console (Wii):
USA November 19, 2006[8]
Japan December 2, 2006[9]
Australia December 7, 2006[10]
Europe December 8, 2006[11]
Virtual Console (Wii U):
USA April 1, 2015[12]
Europe April 1, 2015[11]
Australia April 2, 2015[13]
South Africa April 2, 2015[14]
Japan April 8, 2015[15]
Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics:
USA October 25, 2021[16]
Japan October 26, 2021[17]
Europe October 26, 2021[18]
Australia October 26, 2021[19]
HK October 26, 2021[20]
South Korea October 26, 2021[21]
Languages English
Japanese
Chinese (Simplified)
French (Europe)
German
Genres 3D platformer, action-adventure
Ratings Original release:
ESRB:K-A - Kids to Adults[22]
CERO:A - All ages[?]
PEGI:3 - Three years and older[?]
ELSPA:3+ - Three years and older[?]
USK:0 - All ages[?]
GRAC:All - All ages[?]
ACB:G - General[?]
Virtual Console:
ESRB:E - Everyone[?]
Mode Single player
Format
Game Pak
Digital download
Magneto-optical drive
Digital download
Digital download
Input
Joy-Con (horizontal)
Serial codes Japan NUS-NSMJ-JPN
USA NUS-NSME-USA
Europe NUS-NSMP-EUR
China 11011[23]
HK NUS-NSME-HKG[24]

Super Mario 64 is a 3D action-adventure platform game released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996 in NTSC regions and in 1997 in PAL regions. It is the eighth entry in the Super Mario series.[25][26] This game was one of two (three in Japan and four in Europe) launch titles for the Nintendo 64, along with Pilotwings 64, which helped drive initial sales of the console. Since its release, Super Mario 64 has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest and most important games of all time.[27][28][29]

In entering the third dimension, Super Mario 64 largely eschews the obstacle course–based design of the 2D platformers in the Super Mario franchise for a mission structure and gameplay focused on exploring a larger area. Though not the first 3D platform game, Super Mario 64 codified many of the controls and design conventions of the genre.[30] Being the first 3D game of the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario 64 has introduced several moves, including triple-jumping, ground-pounding, long-jumping, diving, and side-somersaulting, which would be used in most subsequent installments of the Super Mario series. Punching and kicking were also introduced but would not appear in any later title other than its DS remake. The game popularized Charles Martinet's portrayal as Mario (being the first game of the Super Mario series to feature his voice) and Princess Toadstool's name as Peach in the West, and made them both series standards.

In 1996, a 64DD version of the game was shown at Shoshinkai 1996.[31] A sequel, named Super Mario 64 2, was being developed for the 64DD, but it was canceled due to the 64DD's commercial failure. In 2000, another sequel, named Super Mario 128, was shown at Space World 2000, but the game would remain unreleased.

On November 17, 2003, Super Mario 64 was rereleased for the iQue Player as one of the launch titles, and a timed demo of the game was bundled with every iQue Player. The game was digitally rereleased for the Wii's Virtual Console service in November 2006 and for the Wii U's Virtual Console service in April 2015. Super Mario 64 was among the first games released on both Virtual Console services.

A sequel titled Super Mario Sunshine was developed for the Nintendo GameCube and released in 2002. In 2004, a remake was released for the Nintendo DS, titled Super Mario 64 DS. It has several differences, especially the inclusion of Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario as playable characters. An emulation of the Rumble Pak Compatible Version rerelase of the game is bundled in with Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch, though with upscaled graphics and a redrawn HUD. The original game is one of the launch titles for Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics.

As of 2015, Super Mario 64 has sold over 11 million copies worldwide[32] and is the best-selling Nintendo 64 game. The game became the second-best-selling game on the Wii's Virtual Console after Super Mario Bros., as of June 2007.[33]

Storyline

Princess Peach's letter from Super Mario 64
The Princess's letter
Mario facing the picture of Bob-omb Battlefield
Mario in front of a painting, which serves as an entrance to a level

The following is the story given on pages 4 and 5 of the Super Mario 64 instruction booklet. The colors given in the instruction booklet signify who is talking: Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Toad, with black being narration.

"Mario, please come to the castle. I've baked a cake for you. Yours truly, Princess Toadstool".

"Wow, an invitation from Peach! I'll head out right away. I hope she can wait for me!"
Mario is so excited to receive the invitation from the Princess, who lives in the Mushroom Castle, that he quickly dresses in his best and leaves right away.

"Hmmm, something's not quite right here... It's so quiet..".
Shaking off his uneasy premonition, Mario steps into the silent castle, where he is greeted by the gruff words,

"No one's home! Now scram! Bwa, ha, ha".
The sound seems to come from everywhere.

"Who's there?! I've heard that voice somewhere before..".
Mario begins searching all over the castle. Most of the doors are locked, but finding one open, he peeks inside. Hanging on the wall is the largest painting he has ever seen, and from behind the painting comes the strangest sound that he has ever heard...

"I think I hear someone calling. What secrets does this painting hold?"
Without a second thought, Mario jumps at the painting. As he is drawn into it, another world opens before his very eyes.

And so begins the grandest of all adventures!

Once inside the painting, Mario finds himself in the midst of battling Bob-ombs. According to the Bob-omb Buddies, someone...or something...has suddenly attacked the castle and stolen the "Power Stars". These stars protect the castle; with the stars in his control, the beast plans to take over the Mushroom Castle.

To help him accomplish this, he plans to convert the residents of the painting world into monsters as well. If nothing is done, all those monsters will soon begin to overflow from inside the painting.

"A plan this maniacal, this cunning...this must be the work of Bowser!"
Princess Toadstool and Toad are missing, too. Bowser must have taken them and sealed them inside the painting. Unless Mario recovers the Power Stars immediately, the inhabitants of this world will become Bowser's army.

"Well, Bowser's not going to get away with it, not as long as I'm around!"
Stolen Power Stars are hidden throughout the painting world. Use your wisdom and strength to recover the Power Stars and restore peace to the Mushroom Castle.

"Mario! You are the only one we can count on".

Gameplay

The player controls Mario. In addition to his jump and a basic punch string, Mario's repertoire includes a variety of advanced acrobatic moves (many of them carried over from the 1994 game Donkey Kong) accomplished through precise timing and various combinations of the analog stick and the jump button, such as the somersaulting Triple Jump and the low but far-ranged Long Jump. Eschewing the "Super Mario to Small Mario" mechanic found in most of the previous mainline games, Super Mario 64 employs an eight-sided health meter called the Power Meter, which is depleted when Mario makes contact with enemies or obstacles, and is replenished by collecting coins, running through Spinning Hearts, or submerging Mario in a body of water. Like the previous games, Super Mario 64 employs a life system, although as the game saves after most progression tasks, the effect of a Game Over is marginal, simply booting the player to the starting menu with a defeated Mario.

When the player starts a game, Mario is situated outside the Mushroom Castle, a hub with minimal obstacles and no enemies. Inside the castle is a multi-story hub containing rooms with paintings and other surfaces serving as portals to the game's various courses. The main goal of the game is to collect Power Stars. There is a total of 120 Power Stars in the game, though only 70 need to be collected in order to complete the game. The Power Stars are split between the fifteen main courses, nine secret courses that are smaller and usually contain only one or two Stars, and various secrets inside the Mushroom Castle. The main courses contain six numbered missions each plus a hidden Power Star for collecting 100 coins. Only a limited portion of the castle is explorable at first, but as Mario collects more Stars, he can open more rooms and unlock Bowser levels. Defeating Bowser in his first level on the ground floor opens the castle's basement, and defeating him in the second level in the basement unlocks top floor.

The game employs a mission-based structure. When the player enters a main course, a screen shows them the Stars they have collected and the newest mission unlocked, each having a title hinting at the mission tasks. Missions vary widely in nature, ranging from defeating enemies to reaching a point of interest on the map to racing friendly characters, though every course features a mission that requires collecting eight Red Coins scattered around the map. Accomplishing a mission rewards the player with a Power Star; collecting it boots Mario back to the room he came from, although collecting 100-Coin Stars allows him to stay on the map. The fifteen main courses consist of large open worlds, with many points of interest and paths, and as such, many of the missions can be completed out of order. Some missions, however, can be completed only by selecting a specific scenario from the course-selection screen, as to prompt the appearance or disappearance of a character or object needed to complete the task.

The courses feature various enemies, most who chase or attack Mario on sight. Most enemies can be defeated by kicking, punching, or jumping on them and leave coins when defeated; some missions also require Mario to defeat a specific type of enemy. Multiple missions involve fighting a large boss, whose defeat usually involves a puzzle or more advanced maneuvering than standard enemies. Not all NPCs are hostile, however. Friendly NPCs include Toads sealed inside the castle's walls who give hints or backstory when spoken to, Bob-omb Buddies who give clearance to use a cannon on the course, and mission-specific characters who challenge Mario to a race or ask him to fetch an object in exchange for a Power Star.

Various power-ups can help Mario on his adventure. Koopa Shells can be ridden on land, water, lava, or quicksand to provide temporary invincibility, and by hitting Cap Switches found in the secret courses, Mario can activate blocks containing the Wing Cap, Vanish Cap, and Metal Cap, whose powers are necessary to complete many of the missions. As the game is a showcase title for a new console and the first 3D Super Mario game, many aspects of the game showcase the Nintendo 64's features. The various cutscenes of the game use the camera to pan and show off the environments. One of the Lakitu Bros. controls the camera to augment these graphics and assist Mario on navigating and platforming the world. Multiple sections take advantage of the analog stick's precision requiring Mario to walk slowly over narrow passageways or tiptoe to sneak up on enemies. Some bridges and platforms sway under Mario's weight.

Controls

The charts below refer to the original game and subsequent ports, such as those released through Virtual Consoles and Nintendo Switch Online. For the control scheme of the remake released for the Nintendo DS, see Super Mario 64 DS § Controls. For the iteration included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch systems, see Super Mario 3D All-Stars § Super Mario 64. A "→" (right arrow) conveys buttons to press in succession, and a "+" (plus sign) conveys buttons to press simultaneously. A "/" (slash) conveys an alternative combination of button presses for the action. The controls for the Wii U and Nintendo Switch can be customized in the emulator settings, with the respective columns displaying the default mappings.

Nintendo 64, iQue, Wii, and Wii U controls

Action(s) Input(s)
Nintendo 64 Controller / iQue Player Nintendo GameCube Controller Classic Controller Wii U controllers
Mario controls
Move Control Stick Control Stick Classic Controller Left Stick Left Stick
Sidestep ◀Control Stick▶ along a wall ◀Control Stick▶ along a wall ◀Classic Controller Left Stick▶ along a wall ◀Left Stick▶ along a wall
Jump, swim, fire cannon A Button A Button Classic Controller a Button A Button
Double-jump Jump when making contact with the ground while moving (do twice)
Triple-jump, take off in Wing form Jump when making contact with the ground while running (do thrice)
Side-somersault ◀Control Stick → (Control Stick▶ + A Button) ◀Control Stick → (Control Stick▶ + A Button) ◀Classic Controller Left Stick → (Classic Controller Left Stick▶ + Classic Controller a Button) ◀Left Stick → (Left Stick▶ + A Button)
Wall-kick A Button → A Button against a wall A Button → A Button against a wall Classic Controller a Button → Classic Controller a Button against a wall A Button → A Button against a wall
Backward-somersault Z Button + A Button L Button + A Button Classic Controller L Button + Classic Controller a Button L Button + A Button
Long-jump Z Button + A Button while running L Button + A Button while running Classic Controller L Button + Classic Controller a Button while running L Button + A Button while running
Climb up ledge A Button + Control Stick while hanging from ledge A Button + Control Stick while hanging from ledge Classic Controller a Button + Classic Controller Left Stick while hanging from ledge A Button + Left Stick while hanging from ledge
Hang on to wire net A Button + hold A Button A Button + hold A Button Classic Controller a Button + hold Classic Controller a Button A Button + hold A Button
Grab or release pole A Button alongside a pole A Button alongside a pole Classic Controller a Button alongside a pole A Button alongside a pole
Talk, read, engage object, punch B Button B Button Classic Controller b Button B Button
Scroll text A Button / B Button A Button / B Button Classic Controller a Button / Classic Controller b Button A Button / B Button
Kick B Button + B Button + B Button B Button + B Button + B Button Classic Controller b Button + Classic Controller b Button + Classic Controller b Button B Button + B Button + B Button
Jump-kick B Button in midair B Button in midair Classic Controller b Button in midair B Button in midair
Throw item Control Stick + B Button Control Stick + B Button Classic Controller Left Stick + Classic Controller b Button Left Stick + B Button
Swing and toss Bowser by the tail B Button → ↻Control Stick → B Button B Button → ↻Control Stick → B Button Classic Controller b Button → ↻Classic Controller Left Stick → Classic Controller b Button B Button → ↻