Gaming Super Mario 64 DS

[James]

[color=#707875]Recently, at the Nintendo Gamer's Summit, Nintendo unveiled the launch lineup for Nintendo DS.

Prior to this event, the only thing that we had seen was various technology demos at the E3 show. Some of those demos have been turned into complete games, whilst others have not (although some announced games actually do feature certain gameplay elements from different demos).

Anyway, one demo that was shown at E3 was a game called [i]Super Mario 64x4[/i]. This game was essentially a remake of Super Mario 64, but with a four player mode included.

Now, I have to admit, the E3 version didn't really impress me at all. Yes, it was really cool to see a remake of Super Mario 64 (a game that I really love), but it definitely felt like a token contribution to the Nintendo DS, rather than being something fundamentally worthwhile.

However, at the Nintendo Gamer's Summit, Nintendo revealed a much more complete version of the title, which is now known as Super Mario 64 DS.

I watched the entire video demonstration of the game by NoA and I must admit, I'm pretty excited about it.

Basically, the game is not only like a remake of Super Mario 64...but it's also as if Nintendo have thrown in a couple of DS-specific expansion packs for good measure.

As with the E3 demo, Super Mario 64 DS allows you to play with one of four characters (Mario, Luigi, Yoshi or Wario). The key difference is that the E3 demo was multiplayer-centric. Super Mario 64 DS -- while still including a full multiplayer mode -- was only demonstrated with the single player mode.

The coolest thing about the new characters is that they actually have a significant impact on gameplay. In the E3 demo, each character more or less controlled the same. In SM64DS, each character actually has unique capabilities. For instance, Mario is your typical all-rounder, Luigi can jump higher and perform some unique moves, Yoshi can flutter in the air and gulp down enemies (he can also throw eggs) and Wario can use his weight to his advantage.

Another very cool thing about this game is that it doesn't just take the Super Mario 64 levels and throw new characters in. The levels themselves feature specific updates (for example, you'll now see a whole lot more enemies in each level than you ever saw previously). There are also new power-ups and there are stars for specific characters (ie: only Mario can race Koopa the Quick in the first level).

Changing characters mid-game is also pretty easy. In the demo that I saw, the NoA guy was playing as Yoshi in the first level. He ran around for a little while and demonstrated Yoshi's capabilities and then he found Mario's cap. Yoshi picked it up, put it on, and became Mario.

Also, do you remember those red, green and blue switches in Super Mario 64? These switches can still be used in Super Mario 64 DS, however, they have very different consequences.

For instance, in the demo, Mario used one of the switches to grow very large...which allowed him to become invincible for a certain amount of time. And Yoshi can use the red switch to gain a fire-breathing capability.

In addition to all of the above, there are several [i]new [/i]levels in Super Mario 64 DS (bringing the number of stars up from 120 to 150). Only one of these new levels was shown in the video, but it definitely looked very cool. It appeared as though it took place within a swamp, with harmful gas floating around.

So the raw game itself has been significantly updated. But Nintendo have also added a number of other really cool little elements.

For instance, Super Mario 64 DS allows you to play a large variety of mini-games. Each character has some specific mini-games that they can access.

For the most part, the games were relatively simple. One game involved using a slingshot type mechanism on the lower screen, to fire off projecticles at falling enemies from the top screen. What's cool about this is that both screens are used together, to form one very tall screen (so objects can move between screens seamlessly, which looks really great in motion).

Also, the famous title sequence in Super Mario 64 has been updated. The top screen now shows the logo, with a "Touch the picture!" message underneath. On the bottom screen, you'll see a drawing of a particular character, which you can manipulate with the stylus.

The really interesting thing is that this feature seems to incorporate one of the E3 demos into it. That is, you can rotate the head around, manipulate it in various specific ways and change its texturing (like giving it a cel-shaded appearance for example). You can do this not just with Mario's face, but also with all of the other three characters.

The NoA representative at the show also demonstrated an additional element to this feature; he wrote a message on the bottom screen in his own handwriting, which the game then saved and animated. I'm not sure what the point of that is, though it's possible that you could draw and animate your own welcome message in the game (but that wasn't confirmed, it's just something that seems possible based on what I saw).

All in all, I must admit that I'm pretty impressed with the overall package. Unlike the Mario remakes on GBA, Super Mario 64 DS is almost a complete re-interpretation of Super Mario 64. You've got better graphics, all-new characters, new levels, mini-game additions and fundamental changes to existing elements (like switches, enemies and so on).

As a fan of Super Mario 64, I feel that this game is really providing me with a compelling reason to buy Nintendo DS at launch. I'm somewhat interested in a couple of other games that were shown, but things are still in the early stages, and I don't think we'll see the really killer software until a few months after launch.

Oh, and, before I go, I should briefly mention controls.

The game can be played in a left or right-handed configuration (so you can use the D-pad to run around with the buttons on the left for actions, or you can reverse that). You can also use the stylus to make the characters move around with analog control, but this seems a bit odd and difficult.

Nintendo have apparently provided a solution for this, though. They showed it in the video, but for some reason it wasn't working, so they weren't able to really demonstrate it correctly.

The solution involves a small strap that you put on your thumb, which contains a little nub on the bottom. You select a particular control method from the menu, and the lower screen creates a circle on it. You can then put your thumb on the circle and tilt it around on the nub. According to Nintendo, the screen is so precise that it will interpret these small movements and this will accurately simulate analog-stick control. I thought it was a pretty cool idea and I'm really hoping it works in practice (I'm also hoping that other games have that as an option).

As it stands, most DS games appear to have multiple control options, which is definitely a good thing.

[b][quote][/b]
[b]Screenshots:[/b]

(Note: For some reason these screens are very large; much larger than the actual DS screen. So as a result they look quite pixelated.)

[url="http://www.1up.com/media?id=1232810&type=lg"]Title Screen[/url]

[url="http://www.1up.com/media?id=1232811&type=lg"]Fighting Bowser (Note the arrows at the bottom, these are used for camera adjustment)[/url]

[url="http://www.1up.com/media?id=1232817&type=lg"]Yoshi in Sand Level[/url]

[url="http://www.1up.com/media?id=1232818&type=lg"]Mario Balloon![/url]

[url="http://www.1up.com/media?id=1232819&type=lg"]Mini-Game[/url]
[/quote][/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Right, that clinches it; I'm definitely getting a DS. Not at launch, just because I won't have the money to spare, but probably not too long after Christmas. Nothing that had been shown before made me really want the system, but hearing about this has sparked my interest quite a lot. I've actually been wanting to play through Super Mario 64 again for a while now but I think I'll wait and get a DS and Super Mario 64 DS.

The new additions sound like they'll be really good for refreshing the game for people that have already played through the original SM64 (three times in my case) and give them enough incentive to pick the game up again. Personally, I can easily see myself playing through Super Mario 64 DS at least four times, once for each character. Maybe not all in a row, but it sounds like the new stuff will add a good amount of replay value beyond what the original SM64 already has, so I won't be at all surprised if I end up eventually playing through it four times in addition to the three playthroughs I've given the original SM64.

I hope I'll be able to find someone to play multiplayer mode with, though. I've always missed not having any multiplayer in Super Mario 64, so that aspect of SM64DS really interests me. I can just imagine running through the Bowser levels with multiple people, and all the trouble someone could cause if they decided to be evil for a moment. ... Providing they let you do things to the other players, anyway, like picking them up and whatnot.

But I have one question: If Yoshi is a playable character, who'll be up on top of the castle when you collect all the Power Stars?[/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]Although the multiplayer mode was not shown at the recent summit, my impression at this stage is that multiplayer should be just as involved and well-rounded as what I've described with single player.

Apart from a simple "race to get the star" style mode, I am currently under the impression that some stars may require teamwork. But don't quote me on that. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what we see.

In regard to your question...I really don't know. Maybe Nintendo will do something interesting with that. ~_^

One thing I saw that I really loved was when Yoshi fought the first boss. The boss threw a bomb at him and he caught it in his mouth, and then burped it back at the boss. ~_^

When Yoshi catches it, his cheeks go fat and you can even see smoke coming from his mouth. It's all very cool; Super Mario 64 DS seems to have a hell of a lot more detail than that very scratchy early demo at E3. So I think you will be most pleased with it.

On a somewhat unrelated note (but not entirely, as SM64DS [i]will [/i]have multiplayer), N-Sider will be exclusively breaking a very cool story related to Nintendo DS and online gameplay soon. I think it's going to be very exciting.[/color]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

I watched the 16-min video available at Gamespot and I must say, the game does look great. It seems to retain the feel of the original, and that's enough for me. But the minigames, the multiplayer, it's all very welcome (although I don't *need* it, heh).

The only thing is that analog thumb-thing. It looks terrible; hopefully it'll work well enough, but if you ask me it doesn't replace a decent analog joystick. That's definitely one thing I am surprised at Nintendo for--the decision to not include an analog joystick on the DS. Sure, the touch-screen can duplicate a lot of things analog can do, but I'm not gonna play wireless Smash Bros. with a friggin stylus nearly as well as with a joystick, heh. And racing, well, I don't wanna talk about it.

[S9per]

This game looks fantastic.

I would've been happy if it were just Super Mario 64!
But this! Yoshi, Luigi, etc, all with special moves and stuff! New levels and minigames. This game is going to be amazing!

My only concerns (for now) are with the analog control as Sciros mentioned. I don't know how exactly they'll pull it off, but I have my hopes, and my concerns.
But then again, I don't really care about that...I think the control will be fine and I think I will love the game.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Eh, I don't see why the control cross won't work well enough. Yeah, full analog control is nice, but I think eight-way control will be good enough. I really can't think of many times in Super Mario 64 where I needed the precision of the analog stick, so I'm sure I'll be able to make do with the control cross.

Personally, I'm more concerned about camera control. What I'm hoping is that they'll let you use two of the face buttons for left/right adjustment of the camera, since only two of them are needed for jump and punch ... unless they include a run/walk button to make up for the lack of analog control. Using the touch screen for camera control just seems like it would be kind of awkward; looking at a picture of the DS, it looks like reaching your thumb over to tap the arrows on the touch screen would be about like playing with a SNES controller and using the Start and Select buttons for camera control. I'm thinking that could get uncomfortable if you have to reach your thumb too far. Also, not having actual buttons could lead to your accidentally moving the camera in the wrong direction if you don't look where you're pressing.[/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]Desbreko, Super Mario 64 DS does have a seperate button for walk/run (I'm not quite sure, but I think you have to hold it down to walk).

As far as camera control goes, it looked pretty smooth and easy at the press conference. It seems to me that the auto-camera has been updated anyway, to make it a little friendlier than the original version.

In terms of control specifically though, I'm really interested to hear more about this thumb-nub thing. If pulled off correctly, it could work just as well as an analog stick.[/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Bleh. I really hope run is the default and you hold in the button to walk. Or I hope they at least give you the option to change it to that. Walking is another thing I don't think I'd miss much with the lack of an analog stick. In the few situations where I'd want to move slowly and carefully, I'd think just tapping the control cross would work well enough.

And I'm hoping the camera works better than the impression I have of it now. I really can't tell how easy it is to use with the touch screen without having used it myself, so I'm still optimistic that they'll make sure it's easy enough. Though I'm a bit wary of any changes they're going to make to the automation of the camera. If they just make it better in general (not as jerky and harder to get stuck), that would be great, but I really hope they don't make it any more automated. I really loved the fully manual camera in Super Mario Sunshine, and after playing that, not even having the level of control that you do in the original SM64 would be annoying.

The thumb nub thing with the touch screen is interesting, and if it does work well it would be nice. But the main thing that could put me off from it is that it sounds like it would be another thing I'd have to carry around with the DS and game. Usually when I take my SP somewhere I only take it and one game in the cartridge slot, and that's it; having to carry around an extra little piece to get analog control would be annoying and I think I'd be more inclined just to stick with the control cross. Though for playing at home, which I also use my SP for a lot, it would be great.[/color]

[James]

[QUOTE=Desbreko][color=#4b0082]
The thumb nub thing with the touch screen is interesting, and if it does work well it would be nice. But the main thing that could put me off from it is that it sounds like it would be another thing I'd have to carry around with the DS and game. Usually when I take my SP somewhere I only take it and one game in the cartridge slot, and that's it; having to carry around an extra little piece to get analog control would be annoying and I think I'd be more inclined just to stick with the control cross. Though for playing at home, which I also use my SP for a lot, it would be great.[/color][/QUOTE]
[color=#707875]Well really, I don't know if you've seen the little nub...but it's quite small. You could very easily slip it into your pocket, or into whatever you use to carry the games (like if you buy a pouch or something).

In regard to run/walk, I do believe that run is default and walk is the option (since you'd mostly run -- you'd only use walk to cross small planks of wood and stuff).

Based on everything I've seen, camera control should be fine. It's a lot more fine-tuned than in the original game and camera rotation looks pretty quick and easy.[/color]

[KarmaOfChaos]

[color=deeppink][size=1]Super Mario 64 was one of my favorite mario games ever (outdone only by Paper Mario, lol), so I'm really excited about the DS and both SM64 DS and Paper Mario 2 coming out. Definitely going to be on my Christmas list.

I agree with Des though...here's hoping the camera's not gonna be a pain in the ***. God knows it was on the original (at least for me.) I always used to get stuck facing a corner and my little brother would have to get it unstuck.

I'm so excited!

-Karma[/size][/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Yeah, that's the main thing I hope they change with the camera. It was way too hard to get the right angle (and way too easy to get stuck) in tight spaces, like in the ghost house. Of course, that just meant I had to get good enough to wall jump (I love that move, and I hope they don't make it uber-easy to do like they did in SMS) around even with bad camera angles ... but that's beside the point. :toothy: It really needed to be more flexible in zooming in and out to move around things as it rotated, instead of just hitting something and refusing to go any farther.

Eventually I was able to master the camera well enough that I could get at least a decent angle in any situation (except in the ghost house where, like I said, I was just screwed), but it took pretty much the entire game to do it, and it's still awkward at first whenever I go back and pick the game up again. And it really shouldn't be that way; with Super Mario Sunshine, I had camera control down within my first ten minutes of play. So a better camera will be very welcome in SM64DS.[/color]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

I had NO problems with Mario 64's camera controls. I think it's one of the best camera systems ever created. I rarely had any trouble with getting the "right angle," maybe even never now that I think about it.

Now, the DS has the camera controls on the lower screen for Mario 64 DS, which is probably ok, but it's not gonna beat the c-buttons obviously. The camera itself though is most likely overhauled.

Camera issues are the last thing I worry about in games. The ONLY game where the camera was too crappy for me was Resident Evil, and that's because the controls were relative to the character and not to me (which is stupid). Ninja Gaiden's camera was awesome, and people who bashed it were just wimps looking for problems in that game.

Anyway, the only thing about Mario 64 DS which I'm concerned about for now are the analog controls and the *possibly* sub-par music capabilities. I don't know how good DS audio is yet, to be honest, but judging from Nintendo's track record it's likely tons worse than PSP's.

[James]

[color=#707875]I think it's logical to assume that the DS won't have the sound capabilities of PSP. But again, that's a comparison between apples and oranges. Remember, PSP is significantly more expensive and it is designed to play movies and MP3s as well as games.

[i]However[/i], I do believe that DS will outdo Nintendo 64 in regard to sound. From what I've heard, the DS has a very crisp sound quality that soundly thrashes GBA SP (not least because it has two relatively powerful speakers, rather than one weaker mono speaker). I don't think sound will be an issue and I think that we'll probably see sound quality that is very much on-par with N64, if not superior.

But to get back on topic, I think it has to be recognized that the camera system has to undergo some natural changes for various reasons.

For one, you have a different control system now. Secondly, you have some situations that are going to require the camera to be more intelligent (ie: when Mario grows huge and so on). In other words, the camera is potentially dealing with things that it never had to deal with before.

Having said that, I always found Mario 64's camera to be very good. In fact, I find it to be better than most new games. The only level where I had problems was the ghost house level, as Desbreko mentioned. But that level had very tight, confined spaces...and the camera could get very freaky in there. The other levels, though, really had no issues.

So I'm hoping (and I'm assuming) that Nintendo will correct camera problems in that level and potentially others.

Also, in regard to wall-jump...it may be necessary for Nintendo to make it easier, if only because the controls are different. I've heard nothing about it, but...I wouldn't be surprised if the action was a little more intuitive in Super Mario 64 DS (as it was in Super Mario Sunshine, when compared to Mario 64).[/color]

[S9per]

x

Edited October 22, 2016 by S9per

[Desbreko]

[quote name='AnujSuper9'](even though I know this will explode into some big long arguement between me and Sciros...seriously dude, why do you say stuff that you know will cause controversy and arguement...again?)[/quote]
[color=#4B0082]If it does, keep it to PMs, please. Or at the very least, keep it in the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=37744][u]Ninja Gaiden[/u][/url] thread if it's a worthwhile discussion and not just a straight-out argument. But ranting about Ninja Gaiden's camera doesn't belong in the Super Mario 64 DS thread, and any off topic posts will be deleted.

That said, I wasn't saying the original SM64's camera was bad, just not as good as I would've liked. And when I say "in any situation," I don't just mean "in any location." I mean running through levels without stopping to adjust the camera for particular areas; adjusting the camera on the fly. So sure, if I want to take my time, I can get a good angle without any trouble. But trying to adjust the camera while running and jumping through levels such as the Bowser in the Sky level, which I loved running through as fast as I could ... that requires a better grasp of the camera and was something that took me a while to get really good at. (Believe me, I spent a lot of extra lives plummeting to my death in that level from not being able to get the angle I needed fast enough and ending up jumping off the edge.) Whereas, like I said, it barely took any time at all before I was doing the same sorts of things in Super Mario Sunshine.

So I do think Super Mario 64's camera is a good, especially considering it was pretty much the first of its kind, but compared to Super Mario Sunshine's camera, I just don't think it holds up. And what I was saying is that I hope they bring the camera in SM64DS up to par with that.

As for the wall jump, I mainly just don't want them to make it so you can slide down walls like in Super Mario Sunshine and then jump off at any time. For me, that took away a lot of the fun of the wall jump because it made it so that it took very little skill. In Super Mario 64, doing cool wall jump tricks was actually impressive because they required good timing and skill, but it was just sort of "eh" in SMS. In SM64, I remember spending hours just playing around with wall jumping in that Red Coin maze on the Rainbow Ride level, but I never got any fun out of that sort of thing in SMS.

Now, I wouldn't mind them tweaking the wall jump in other ways, though. Like not having to hit the wall as exactly straight on to be able to kick off it would be nice (you could only be angled a tiny bit, it seemed like, or else you wouldn't be able to do it), and maybe make the timing a little more forgiving. As long as they don't make it so you can just jump at a wall, slide down five feet, and [i]then[/i] decide to wall jump. I mean, not only did the sliding thing annoy me because it made the wall jump too easy, but it also messed me up sometimes when I'd be trying to jump along next a wall and it would make me stop and start sliding down it.[/color]

[Guest Red Tigress]

Ok, I know this is still realtively new, but I just got a NDS and anybody else have one and know how to find Luigi in it? It would be a great help if anyone does. Thanks! :D

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]Sorry, I won't actually know until Christmas unfortunately. How is Super Mario 64 DS though? I'm really looking foward to it so getting some info before hand should help ^_^[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=#0000ff]Anyway, I'll try to find out how to find Luigi and get back to you though someone will probably tell you before I find out anyway.[/color][/font]

[Guest Red Tigress]

The DS has awsome sound. It has surround sound, standard, and headphone mode. It's about the same size as a GBA, and easily portable. However, because of the lack of accessories at this point in time, I had to get a GBA case to carry it around in, which does absolutely nothing for its self esteem. And if you do get one, and let people borrow it, make sure they're trustworthy so they're not fudging up the screen with their fingerprints. That's my advice.

[James]

[color=#707875]Please try to confine your comments to Super Mario 64 DS, rather than DS in general. If you'd like to talk about DS itself, I strongly recommend checking out the "Nintendo DS" thread. ^_^[/color]

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][size=2][color=blue]Problem solved Red. But for anyone else who is curious how to get Luigi, this is what you have to do:[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=blue] [/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=blue][spoiler]Go to the courtyard with the fountain and the ghosts. Look for one ghost that is larger than the others. Use Mario to stomp him. Enter the small object that it drops to reach Boo's mansion. Get the first Star. On the second one, go up to the second floor. Continue on to defeat Big Boo and get Luigi's key.[/spoiler][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=blue][/color][/size][/font]

[Semjaza]

It's a bit more difficult than that, I think... [spoiler]You have to go to a specific room and jump up to the next floor. I remember it being in a room with books. You jump off a small, angular platform that has a red block floating over it. Once you're up there, Luigi's painting is close at hand.[/spoiler]

I personally did it on the mission to Boo's Balcony. I don't know if it matters when you do.

[Guest cherri]

Nintendo DS rocks! We got one right after Thanksgiving and all my friends are jealous! Super Mario 64 DS is an awesome game! It's exactly like the original game for N64 except you can play as Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario, and they have super cool mini games! I really didn't like having to press the Y button to run. But it's a great game, you shuld check it out if you haven't played it yet.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Well, I finally went out and got myself a Nintendo DS today, with Super Mario 64 DS as my first game. So far I'm pretty happy with my purchase, though I can't wait to get some of the upcoming games like Animal Crossing DS.

But about Mario 64 DS, the first thing I really noticed about the game was the control. At first I thought it was just that Yoshi "handles" a bit different from Mario -- which he does -- but once I rescued Mario it still didn't feel quite the same as the N64 version. By now I've gotten pretty used to using the control cross instead of the N64's analog stick, but it's almost like the game's physics have been tweaked. (Before I adjusted, there was much swearing going on during the first Bowser level as I tried to collect all eight Red Coins. Pissed me off that I died something like a dozen times before getting it, since that was something I could do with no problem on the N64 version.) The movement, mainly with momentum and how fast you can stop/turn, still seems a bit odd to me. I think I'm going to have to try and find a copy of the N64 version to check the DS version against.

I also tried the touch screen control with the thumb nub thing, but like I thought, I prefer using the control cross. Maybe if you could place the "analog stick" area on the screen and have it stay there, I'd like it more. But as it is, with it always moving the area around when I slide my thumb a bit too far, I never really know where or how far to slide it to move how I want. There should've been an option to have a static circle for the sensitivity range, where if you were to slide your thumb outside the circle a bit, it would just register as it being at the edge of the circle.

I dunno. ... I think I'll play around with the touch screen control some more, but I really doubt I'll ever prefer it over the control cross. At least not for Mario 64. Though that reminds me, I still need to try out the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo.

As for actual gameplay additions, I've gotten 50 stars so far, so I'm a decent ways. I've rescued Mario and Luigi so far, and the characters' various abilities are neat. I just wish you could bend Yoshi's yongue like you could in Super Mario Sunshine. As it is, you have to be facing straight at something to catch it with his tongue, which can be a bit hard while using the control cross for movement. I've still mainly just been using Mario, though; I love the wall jump and Wing Cap too much to give them up. Though I'm disappointed that they noobified the wall jump like they did in SMS -- it used to actually take skill to pull off cool wall jump acrobatics, and I liked it that way, dangit!

Oh, and though I've caught a few rabbits, I haven't tried out any of the minigames yet. I'll probably end up getting all 150 stars before even bothering with them, since it's been way too long since I played through Mario 64. ... I actually ended up playing through Super Mario World on the GBA twice in about a week's time before getting my DS today. A nice temporary fix, but what I really wanted was Mario 64.[/color]

[Semjaza]

Using the touch pad is actually easy and far better, in my opinion. The game is not made for digital control, plain and simple. The D-pad is absolutely awful for it.

I use the stylus, although I can see why someone would want to use the thumb pad. When you press down on the screen it makes this sort of bull's eye target. That acts as basically your guide for how far to move your stylus/thumb pad. Different colors on the bull's eye show how fast your character will run. Once I got that down, I had no real problems. It's no stick replacement, but it's definitely far better than using the d-pad.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Well, after reading your post there, I sat down and forced myself to use the touch screen. It was horribly unituitive for a while, but eventually I got used to it. Now I've beaten the game with 144 stars and I'm using the touch screen pretty much exclusively with little problem, except for a few things. It really is way better than the control cross once you get used to it; especially considering the fact that you get manual camera control with the X/Y buttons while using the touch mode.

I do still have a couple gripes with the touch control, though. The main thing is that there's a huge area of "slow/walk" area with only a narrow little rim for "fast/run." Now, considering that 95% of the time I want to be running, that gettings annoying. But even worse, it makes small, quick, and precise movements a pain in the butt since you have to move over so much "walk" area before you get to the "run" area. Mainly this is a problem in levels such as Rainbow Ride, where you need to quickly go from a standstill to running/jumping quite often. With a control stick, you can snap it all the way over in the blink of an eye with no problem, but you can't do that with the touch screen.

Another little annoyance, mostly unrelated to control issues, is the fact that they made the end Bowser fight way easier. I say mostly unrelated since I could see them making Bowser turn a little slower to make up for the control cross/touch screen being harder to use for running in tight circles. ... Except that you're still limited more by your running speed than anything else, which didn't change from the original game. So basically they made it a piece of cake to grab Bowser's tail before he ever gets a chance to attack.

Overall, though, I've had a lot of fun with the game. I'm not sure whether I prefer the N64 or DS version yet (I need to play through once or twice more and use the other three characters more before being able to make a choice), but dealing with the DS version's quirks hasn't been any worse than my struggling with the camera when I first played the N64 version. Mario 64 is still as fun as ever, despite the change in hardware.[/color]