In 1997, I was five-years-old and I was over at my cousin’s place, a common occurrence in the early years of my life. Hanging around in his basement, he introduced me to the Nintendo 64, a game console that my mom would buy for me later and started me down a long path of exasperating her with how much I loved video games. A big reason for all of this is that Super Mario 64 was so damn good.
Is it normal for people who play video games to remember their first exposure to games? I’m not talking about just your first console, but the literal first time you held a controller in your hands and you legitimately were playing the game (sorry to the younger siblings that were given the unplugged controller). When I think back through my life, I can’t remember the first song I heard or the first movie I watched, but I can remember vividly my first video game being Super Mario 64. It was an adventure that sticks with me to this day, and I think the biggest factor in why I became so enamored with video games overall. The thing is, though, it’s not the star hunting that I think of. It’s the little moments on the side that really make this the gem that it is.
Super Mario 64’s Iconic Opening and the Moments that Stuck with Me
Starting with that iconic pop-up with Mario’s face, I remember loving dragging around his jaw, ears, and hat to make him look quite goofy. Then you want to bring up that iconic music in the file select screen? To this day, that song eats at my nostalgia receptors. I don’t think there are many games that start off with as much charm that Mario 64 gives before you even start playing. It’s incredibly simple, but maybe this is nostalgia speaking; it sets the player up for a fun time ahead. Even deleting a save file and hearing Mario scream as if you ejected him into the aether is such a small thing that gives life to a start menu.
All of those are nothing more than just set dressing for the true magic of Super Mario 64. Moving Mario around this world feels amazing, even to this day, but I didn’t even know how revolutionary the game was at the time. I was just so happy to control this plumber and have him jump into trees and latch onto them.
Not everything in this game was met with joy and wonder right off the bat, though. I was terrified of Bowser in those early days (also the piano, but I wouldn’t reach that point of the game for a long time). Opening the front door of Peach’s Castle and being met with his laugh definitely gave me the heebie jeebies. I had never seen him before, but he sounded menacing and like a true threat. When I saw it later, the artwork below, in particular, was what really scared me when I saw it in the gaming manual. Regardless, I enjoyed doing flips, long jumps, and interacting with this world so much that even cowardly five-year-old Johnny was willing to push through and keep playing.
Jumping through paintings was always such a fantastical thing to me. It was ridiculous, but it got my young mind buzzing. Anytime I came across a new painting, I was ready to dive deep into that world, even fruitlessly bouncing off the real paintings lining the walls that didn’t hide new stages. Yeah, one of the worst things about Super Mario 64 to young me was that there were sometimes paintings that you could jump at that wouldn’t be a new level.
Bob-omb Battlefield is such a perfect level to start with. There was so much to play with in this area that it felt like a playground with new discoveries around every corner. Surfing the koopa shell was something I always wanted to be able to do longer, but I would get frustrated losing it when I ran into something. Even better than riding the shell, though, was knocking the koopa out and watching him try to dive back in. Easy entertainment for my young mind. I remember being very nervous of the chain chomp, which pushed me to nervously slide along the edge of the fence until I got on the other side. Then you have the (iconic to me) battle with King Bob-omb. This guy was essentially just a big black ball to me, so he didn’t scare me. Yeah, I absolutely love Bob-omb Battlefield. To this day, it’s one of my favorite levels in all video games.
It’s Not Just the Early Moments
Sure, the early moments of Super Mario 64 reeled me in, but it was the overall emergent moments you get by experimenting off the intended path that hooked me on gaming. In my mind, there was so much to do. On snowy and desert levels, I loved getting as high up as I could and jumping to see what Mario would do when he got stuck in the snow or sand. Sure, there were only three possible animations to see, but I would do this endlessly to see this plumber pull himself out of some snow. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I also was a part of the many who would grab the baby penguin in Cool, Cool Mountain and drop them off the map.
Wet Dry World is a unique case for levels that were etched in my memory. It was featured in an old Got Milk? commercial that makes me laugh when I look back on it now. First, this is a level that happens about halfway through the game, and supposedly these kids forgot that there are multiple ways to make Mario jump higher. Besides that, though, I always wondered why my Mario wouldn’t face plant into the block like in the commercial. Obviously, the footage in the commercial is a pre-rendered bit, but to me, that was what the game looked like. I would launch myself at that block constantly to see if I could replicate that animation, before eventually getting fed up and moving on with my life.
The eel in Jolly Roger Bay was another element of Super Mario 64 that gave me anxiety. I was already terrified of Mario losing all of his air and drowning – which really was quite the sight for my young mind – but that creature of the deep popping out of its hiding hole? No thanks. To this day, I’m not really sure what you’re supposed to do to make him come out. Even now, I’ll just kind of swim around and hope that he eventually decides to bring that star out.
I was always enamored with making Mario lose his hat. There are only three instances in Super Mario 64 where he goes hatless, and when he does, he takes more damage, but I didn’t care about that. It’s not like I noticed it anyway. Whether it was the vulture, monkey, or cloud that made me lose my hat, I would love to see how funny Mario’s hairdo looked and how strange it was to see him with no hat.
Super Mario 64 is a Game I Can’t Let Go
All of these Super Mario 64 memories add up to an experience that I hold very close to my heart. Sure, the game has aged poorly in some respects, most notably the camera, but there isn’t a single flaw in this game that I’m not willing to overlook. In my mind, it’s always been a perfect video game that gives a unique sense of joy, even outside of the constant hunt for stars. It’s the little moments baked into these unique levels that stand out to me and made me want to explore every inch of it. I love Super Mario 64, and with it being my first video game ever, it gave me the wonder of wanting to explore more video games for decades to come.
