Ranking the Super Mario 64 Levels

One of the main criteria I use to judge a Mario 64 level is how fun it is to just run around aimlessly. Mario 64 is one of those rare games where mere movement and exploration is its own fun, without even having a goal in mind. Some of these levels are really conducive to just having fun and jumping around, while others aren't. So what this list ultimately comes down to is how much fun I have just playing around in any given level, and how likely I am to look forward to replaying them.

20. Dire Dire Docks - The water levels in this game are, unfortunately, the low point, with this one being the lowest by a good margin. It feels unfinished, with the submarine not being explorable, and the level itself is very small compared to most of the other levels. The swim controls aren't fun to deal with, and none of the stars stand out to me as being a fun time to get. It feels like a level that was just kinda thrown in at the last minute to extend the mid-game a bit. Heck, it almost feels like a B-Team designed it, like the new stages in Mario 64 DS do. (Wasn't a fan of that port, personally)

19. Hazy Maze Cave - A lot of people really like this level. It's big and mysterious. Personally, I'm not that into it. It's easy to get lost in here and none of the challenges are all that interesting. Going for 100 coins is a particular chore, and that poison gas maze is one of the most annoying locales in the game. The best part hands-down is riding around a lake on Nessie, which saves this from the lowest spot.

18. Jolly Roger Bay - This is the level that isn't as good as what you remember. Unfortunately, most of what it has going for it is the music and nostalgia. Both are pretty great. However, the actual content here is lacking, the zone itself is tiny, and if I never have to grab another star away from an eel, it'll be too soon.

17. Rainbow Ride - The game's final regular level, this one should have been amazing. Matter of fact, as a kid, I would have rated this level near the top just because of the idea of riding magic carpets around on rainbows. However, playing the game again now, it just isn't a fun level. The various carpet challenges bring back the worst aspects of autoscrolling levels in the old Mario games. Also not crazy about how the level just uses the Secret Slide music, which is one of the more chaotic/silly tunes from the game and feels like it belongs in a minigame. This should have had a wondrous, mystical, unique track.

16. Bowser in the Fire Sea - The second of the three Bowser levels is the lowest one on the list for me. This level LOOKS quite nice, but I never really found it fun to play. The lava is annoying (rather than just killing you after a slip-up, it always makes you feel like you can salvage it, even though 90% of the time you can't). While the Dark World is a solid early-game trial and The Sky challenges everything you've learned at the end, the Fire Sea just sorta lurks in the middle of the game playing the role of speed bump before you go to the last set of levels. It's just...there.

15. Tiny-Huge Island - As someone who really liked World 4 of Super Mario Bros 3, I should have liked this level, right? Well, I didn't. I actually kinda hate this one, and often skip right over it. The level gimmick is kind of cool (Mario's size in relation to the level can either be tiny or gigantic, which completely changes the level) but it doesn't do a whole lot with said gimmick, and the abundance of cliffs / how easy it is to fall off the level (especially in gigantic form) drains a lot of the fun out of it. I like the fight with Wiggler at the top of the level and that's about it.

14. Wing Mario Over the Rainbow - Technically a bonus level, and one of two that I'm going to include on this list due to them being a bit more memorable / meaty than most of the side-content. This is a red coin challenge with one star to get. It's a great idea for a level, and I've actually seen it ranked as #1 on a list of levels in this game. However, from my perspective, it's a frustrating level and the Wing Cap controls just aren't great. What really kills this level is that every time you fall down / fail, you land outside the castle and have to run all the way back up to the top floor to try again. It's more fun than Rainbow Ride, at least. I wish it had better music. This and Rainbow Ride (and Tick Tock Clock) all having the minigame music seems kind of out of place and lazy. Maybe by that point in development they were rushed.

13. Tall Tall Mountain - It's a great big mountain. I've noticed this level tends to get ranked pretty low on people's Mario 64 lists, and isn't very popular at all. Well, I think it's an okay level. It's basically a much harder version of Bob-Omb Battlefield, combined with elements of Cool Cool Mountain. There's a lot to it, with a hidden slide sub-level (that is considerably tougher than the other two slides in the game), various warp zones, and some hard-to-get stars. Not a level for folks with a fear of heights, that's for sure.

12. Snowman's Land - A much smaller ice level than Cool Cool Mountain, and a lot less memorable. The first star, which requires climbing to the top of the level, is the hardest one by far. This level probably scares people off by how tough that one is to get, yet everything after that is super-easy and quick. As a snow level fan, I enjoy the look and feel of this level. Just wish there was more to it. It feels pretty rushed, which makes sense given how late in the game it is. Heck, the snowman itself (the centerpiece of the level) only figures into the first star.

11. Tick Tock Clock - The hardest level in the game, and absolutely the "challenge level" in that regard. Can be entirely skipped, and there are ways to nerf it (jumping into the clock at 12 stops time, jumping in at 3 slows time, both of which help a lot with various stars). The un-nerfed version of the level, or worse yet the fast version, are pretty much only for elite players. All of that said, I'm not really a fan of this one and find it to be a very frustrating level, even though it serves a purpose. A lot of the mechanics here aren't actually fun, like the conveyor belts and the weird platforms for the red coin star. On the bright side, this is the end of the "levels I'm not that crazy about" portion of the list and everything from here on is pretty great.

10. Bowser in the Dark World - The first time you hear the incredible Bowser stage theme. This was actually the first Mario 64 level that I ever saw in action, at a store display during the launch week. It's a fun obstacle course and a good place to do practice runs to get gud for the rest of the game. Pretty much every type of Mario 64 obstacle is thrown your way in some form here, and as you get better at the level, you get better at the game (and that feels real good). In short, it's a good teaching level and never gets old due to the music and the tough-but-fair challenge.

9. Bob-Omb Battlefield - Technically the game's first level, this is one of the great first levels of that era of gaming. It does what first levels are supposed to do and teaches you the ropes in a fairly safe environment. Throw in some really fun later stars involving the Wing Cap and getting shot out of cannons, and this level has a lot to offer. Most of all, it hits you with those waves of nostalgia of playing the game for the first time and diving into it. Every new game of Mario 64 you're guaranteed to have fun right off the bat jumping into this level.

8. The Princess' Secret Slide - The other "bonus area" I'm gonna include as a level, this one is actually a ton of fun to play through a few times. You slide down a slide at high speed, that's it. There's a star for getting to the end without falling off, and another for doing it in under 21 seconds. The cool thing about this, compared to the slides in Cool Cool Mountain and Tall Tall Mountain, is that there are guardrails for a lot of the slide to keep you from falling off and fewer tight turns. So it ends up being more fun than difficult. I'd love to rank this higher, except there isn't much to it. You play it a few times and move on. If an entire level were made out of this slide, with a bunch of stars to get, it would have no doubt been near the top of the list.

7. Wet-Dry World - The only level from the last third or so of the game that I'd give a fairly high ranking to. This one is just fun, and the level layout is basically a giant puzzle with lots of ways to interact with it. I like how you can control the water level by where you jump into the painting (so jumping into the highest part of the painting will fill the level up with water and make most of the stars significantly quicker to get). There's also an interesting sub-zone where you run around what appears to be a diorama of a town, collecting red coins and finding ways onto the rooftops. This level just feels mysterious and that counts for a lot.

6. Shifting Sand Land - Probably my personal favorite level out of all of them, but not the one I think is the best. This is a neat playground, with a Wing Cap, a surfing shell, and lots of high things to jump off of. I just wish the outdoor part were bigger, and had less quicksand. There's quicksand EVERYWHERE here. It also has the largest sub-level of any level in the game, with a sprawling pyramid. Last but not least, my favorite level music outside of the Bowser stage music. The perfect soundtrack punctuates this level in a way that could have really helped the likes of Rainbow Ride.

5. Whomp's Fortress - Bob-Omb Battlefield might be the first level and the one where you learn your way, but Whomp's Fortress is second and the place where Mario 64 really kicks into gear. This game feels very much like a classic Mario level of yesteryear, with tricky jumps and lots of piranha plants. The climb to the top of the fortress is the first time the game tests you, and it's fun the whole way. Later, to find the 6th star, you get to fly around the level on an owl; it's probably one of the game's most fun/memorable stars.

4. Bowser in the Sky - The game's final level, and a pretty steep challenge (though not as rough as Tick Tock Clock or Rainbow Ride, as all you have to do here is just get through one linear path). This level is GORGEOUS and of course it has the amazing Bowser theme. You get tested with a lot of the game's mechanics one last time, leading up to a treacherous final fight. One thing that vaults this level up about 5 positions is that there's a checkpoint right before said boss, and you get unlimited tries at the fight. It's a fun level and a great culmination to the game.

3. Cool Cool Mountain - Another personal favorite, this one is early enough in the game that it really felt magical at the launch of the N64. It's a gorgeous snow level with lots of fun sliding around. You can practically feel the joy of millions of kids playing the game for the first time, with the N64 barely out of the box and still exuding new car smell. There are some treacherous icy areas and a particularly fun 100-coin star. And of course, who can forget rescuing baby penguins? This is a great level, with soul.

2. Big Boo's Haunt - The only level in the game that doesn't share music with any others. This one feels more serious than most of the rest of the game, and almost seems like something out of Ocarina of Time. That giant chomping killer piano will haunt your nightmares. The music and ambient sounds are what make this level and cause it to stand out from the pack so much. It's a unique locale that doesn't really fit with the rest of the game, adding to how unsettling it is. All of the stars are fun to get, and hell, just exploring the house to begin with is fun.

1. Lethal Lava Land - This level is just a blast from start to finish. It's a great big playground of a level, with various obstacle courses, a sub-area in the volcano, fun star challenges, and everything you could want to play around with. It didn't need to have a Wing Cap or a surfing shell, but it does, just to give you more fun tools to use. And of course, it has that great desert music that adds a layer of feeling mystical. If I was stuck on a desert island and could only play a single level from Mario 64, this is the level I'd choose. The six main stars are fairly easy to get, while the 100-coin star keeps you busy for a while.