Super Mario 64 - Act II

 

The second act of this game is hands-down my favorite part. Going back to 1996, by this part, the sheer novelty of having the game and running around in a 3D space had worn off a bit, so the levels had to step their game up to keep the hype going. And step up they did, with most of my favorite levels in this next section.

The music for the desert is among my favorite tracks, and gets used for the lava level as well. It's got the same Middle-Eastern sound as Ocarina of Time's Fire Temple music.

Speaking of music, Super Mario 3D All-Stars has soundtracks for all of the games on it, which is a great bonus. I just wish this had Super Mario Galaxy 2, and that game being trapped on the Wii is kinda baffling at this point. Maybe they're going to double-dip and put out another one of these with that game plus Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World.

Shifting Sand Land is probably the best level in the game from a pure "mystical" perspective, but from a level design perspective, it's only mid-tier. One of the more memorable things about it is how rather than just a simple pit around the level, there's a terrifying quicksand slide.

First thing I do is nab the star from this damn buzzard. The buzzard in question might be the single worst thing in this entire game, as he can steal Mario's hat and it's a PITA to get it back.

This is one of my favorite levels, but I'm gonna save it for the end of this section of the game. I'll be back.

There's an infamous star here where you have to chase down this rabbit in the basement. It's super annoying and almost seems to come down to luck (that he doesn't change directions as you tackle him). I found that changing the camera perspective to a direct behind-the-back with R helps with this, for some reason. There's another star from catching the rabbit that appears around 50 Stars in, as well.

The first Bowser door took 8 stars to open, the second takes 30. In the castle's upper floors there are two star doors that require 50 stars and 70 stars respectively, with the third and final Bowser stage behind the 70 star door while the 50 star door just...leads to the last section.

Was another Bowser stage originally supposed to be behind the 50 star door? Four "worlds" would make more sense with the Mario lineage than three. This game never struck me as one with very much cut content, but it wouldn't be surprising if a Bowser stage was cut, along with two stages from the Tower (which has two fewer stages than the other areas).

Cut content would also explain why a number of stars are just sorta given to the player by random Toads throughout the castle.

Next step: Hit the two remaining cap switches. One is through this door in the basement, which leads to...

...two pillars that can be stomped, which drains the castle moat. Go through a door and we're back out here, which leads to...

...a hole in the floor which contains the Vanish Cap Course, seen here. This is a memorable slide down a wall where you try to nab red coins along the way, leading to...

...the Vanish Cap switch. This is my least-favorite of the three caps by a longshot, and only has rare situational use. Specifically, it lets you walk through porous gratings like fences, and specific walls. It also lets you easily spy on women in the girl's changing room at the YMCA, but don't do that. DON'T BE LIKE MARIO! What a weirdo.

Next level is one of my least-favorite in the game, Hazy Maze Cave. This is a level that people either really like or really don't like. It's a sprawling area with lots of mysteries (and a legit maze), but it's also kinda dull compared to most of the game.

One cool thing about it is a lake with LOCH NESS. You can ride around on it, Earthbound-style. Something something tree fiddy.

This level also contains the third cap course, which surprisingly isn't accessed via the castle like the other two. This is my favorite cap, and turns Mario into the T-1000. (For young people just tuning in, that's the new fighter with the blade arms in Mortal Kombat 1)

He's totally invincible in this form, like the Vanish Cap, except here he actually wipes out enemies by bumping into them as is tradition.

Also, there's a different music for this one compared to the other two caps, and it's AWESOME.

Aside from that, I spend as little time in Hazy Maze Cave as I can. The red coin course is kind of cool because of how similar it is to earlier Mario games, riding this platform around while avoiding obstacles. It's good practice for the Rainbow Ride level much later.

Going through the 30-star door unlocks the next Bowser level, but first you've got to get the first star from Dire Dire Docks. Which makes this the only star in the game that you HAVE to get, as far as I know.

DDD is my least-favorite level in the game, but it has its moments, like chasing a stingray around to get a star.

The level itself is really small and dull, and swimming isn't this game's strong point at all. The only part that HAS to be done is "Board Bowser's Sub", which involves climbing onto this sub and getting a star. I was hoping you could go inside the sub and it'd be another area, but apparently not. Maybe cut content?

I'm going to get in some cut content speculation in Part 3, once I've finished the game.

Big Boo's Haunt is another level I like, and requires chasing Big Boo down a hallway and jumping into a tiny birdcage. Technically you can do this level while still on "world 1" because the only pre-req is 12 stars (it's outside the Bowser key door). Because of that, this is kind of a level "between worlds" that doesn't neatly fall into either of the world level sets.

...which is fitting, given how spooky and "off" this place is. One of my favorite levels in the game, and it always felt really mysterious to me as a kid.

One of the better tracks in the game too, or at least, spookiest.

Boo's Merry-Go-Round is a place that I always felt had something to it. Feels like there's something hidden here beyond what we know about.

Boos and occasionally Big Boo himself menace our hero throughout the mansion, and defeating them is a matter of facing away (to make them corporeal) and backflipping into a stomp. Defeating all of 'em is a requirement to get one of the stars, plus they drop blue coins which helps a lot in farming 100 (this is one of the most fun levels to go for 100 coins in).

Here's something that was truly terrifying in 1996: A KILLER PIANO. It chomps around the room making a horrendous racket.

I was unlucky enough to get my 100th coin right under this guy. Luckily I had the Vanish Cap on...but it didn't matter, because the cap wore off while the text was onscreen, so I got chomped on as soon as the text disappeared.

The big boss of the level is Big Boo (again), who you fight on this tiny balcony. He takes 3 hits, as is tradition. The main issue is fighting him on this tiny balcony, and if you fall down you have to climb all the way back up. Worst thing is, when you defeat him, the star goes up on the roof:

Yeah, good luck getting that star without falling off. It involves long-jumping across and balancing on this tiny flat area.

All of that said, this level is freaking fantastic. I particularly like the 100 coin star, because it's just a matter of going all around the house and doing everything. I used to despise the 100 coin stars (back when I was going for 100%) but now I enjoy them, they're a way to spend some real time on a level in one go and explore everything. Also, it isn't like the levels only have 100 coins in them and you have to find everything. They usually have 120-150 coins, so 100 isn't a problem.

This horrifying portrait is the main centerpiece of the basement, and leads to...

...Lethal Lava Land, another of my favorite levels. This place is an absolute playground of platforming.

There's even a wing cap close to the beginning, so this is another level where you can really play around with it.

Hell, you can use it to completely circumvent some of the level's mechanics, like this log-rolling obstacle course.

I like these "bully" fights with giant orb-men, where you're rewarded by being aggressive and jump-kicking them repeatedly. Only way to win is to knock them into the lava, and it isn't easy with them constantly trying to push YOU into the lava.

Another fun thing about this level is that you can jump inside the volcano at the center, which gives you a whole other sub-level (though a much shorter one than it initially appears).

The volcano is a largely-vertical obstacle course leading to more stars. Yeah, Lethal Lava Land has a lot to it and is a masterfully-designed level. They're on a roll here in the midgame.

Back to Shifting Sand Land to cap off this world. The level is hidden behind this blank wall that you have to jump through. It's pretty easy to find by accident, but I wonder how many people missed out on this level entirely their first time through.

This is another fantastic level that functions as basically a playground. You've got wing caps, shells to zip around on, and a damn nice environment here. One of the more fun things to do is barrel into these yellow guys with the shell until you knock off all their blocks, which results in a blue coin.

The inside of the pyramid is another, more substantial sub-level, basically making this two levels in one. The pyramid's a little annoying because the bottom floor is covered in this sand that's really hard to get out of.

After getting the 100-coin star (my new favorite thing) it popped in a really difficult to reach spot, but I got it. That's the one issue with the coin stars, they often spawn in a non-optimal location.

Climbing to the top of the pyramid interior gets me the 51st star. I'm well beyond what I need to continue beyond this world (30 stars, lol)

Anotha one is on the outside of the pyramid exterior, and easily obtained with the Wing Cap. Particularly fun one to nab.

But wait! The level isn't over yet. Stomping on the four pillars causes the top of the pyramid to launch into space, allowing you to climb inside and find something new.

That something? A boss fight with these two stone hands. It's a fairly simple fight where you punch 'em in their eyes and avoid their slams (which can knock you off the platform).

Noteworthy thing about this boss is that it's probably the boss that the fewest players have seen. Most people miss this entirely on their first go through Mario 64. This and the Wiggler boss later tend to completely fly under the radar for this game's zeitgeist.

Another "chase the rabbit" minigame shows up after 55 stars if you got the other one. These chases are a bit tedious (he's too damn agile) but either way, they're easy stars to nab.

Second Bowser level is probably the most foreboding out of all of them. The music makes a big return here, and instead of a huge pit we get a much less threatening lava pool that allows for mistakes.

Even with the lava factored in, the level is rougher than the Dark World by a good margin. Back in 1996 I remember this being the first level that I really had legitimate trouble getting past.

It's just a big obstacle course leading to this strange portal. There's nothing else quite like it in the game, and you can slide back and forth around it like a Tony Hawk half-pipe.

Bowser...can now jump.

Aside from being able to jump and tip the platform (which doesn't do too much besides look really cool and give you panic attacks), it's the same Bowser, and again he's defeated in one hit from a bomb.

This unlocks the upper floors of the castle, which, unfortunately, are my least-liked parts of Mario 64. I love the first floor for the nostalgia and novelty of it, I love the second floor for having some of the best levels. This last part, though, feels a bit unfinished and you've got some tedious/difficult levels in here that aren't very much fun.

The good news is that you pretty much don't even need to play anything else beyond this point, as getting the 70 stars required to beat the game can be done by 100%ing everything up to here. However, that would be kind of silly, and it's worth playing all of these levels to see what they're about.

Next time: The last third.

I mentioned that Mario Galaxy is the only 3D Mario game I might like more than Mario 64. That game uses a lot of the same tropes, and I love how golden and three-dimensional the stars look. It actually punches way above its weight graphically and is one of the best-looking games of the entire Wii/PS2 generation of hardware. Proof that art direction and use of colors can overcome hardware limitations, as the game is prettier than pretty much everything on the more-powerful PS3.

I never actually completed Mario Galaxy, looks like I got to 107/120 stars.

Mario Galaxy is a game with tons of soul, like this picture book about the life of Rosalina.

Basically, she's Doctor Who, except she only returns to Earth once every hundred years. Like Dracula.

This game does some weird things with stars, and it's the one thing I prefer Mario 64 to this on. I like that Mario 64 keeps things simple, with six stars to a level and everything clear and accessible. Mario Galaxy on the other hand gets all cute with it, having secret stars hidden in the levels of other stars (denoted by a ? like here), and even more annoyingly, Comet Stars that come and go.

Here's the star that pretty much ended my run at getting 120. One of the toughest stars in any 3D Mario game. However, not as bad as I thought it was, since it turns out there are 150 coins here (and you only need 100), so you don't need every single one. Maybe I ought to go back and try to finish this up.