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The main way to control the camera in Mario 64 is to use C> and C< to pan the camera around Mario. There are many places where this either is not possible or the camera will not stay put. If you press C^ you will zoom in to Mario (if the camera was zoomed out), or you will be able to use the control stick to look around (you do not control Mario while doing this). Press Cv to zoom out or to stop looking around.
The above controls are the basics, but there are advanced options crucial to getting the proper viewpoint. If you let Mario stand still and pause the game, you will see the option "Set camera with R." Move the cursor to this to present your two options: Lakitu<->Mario and Lakitu<->Fixed. This is the mode you will use the most. When this mode is active, pressing R will give you an almost 1st person view of Mario's movements. This is helpful when the camera won't go directly behind Mario. This up close view can be hard to control because the camera pans wildly at the slightest nudge to the side. If you have to cross a narrow beam, your best bet is to choose this view by pressing R, and then press Cv to zoom out. This helps keep the camera directly behind Mario (most of the time). While zoomed out you can use C< and C> to pan left or right for better views. This mode is great to use when moving at odd angles because it can often line the camera up at a 90 degree angle with the action, making it easier to control. Lakitu<->Fixed This mode is good if you can't get the camera to hold still where you would like it to. By pressing and holding R, you can freeze the camera wherever it is. Be warned though, this may give you a good view to begin with, but as Mario moves, he simply scales into the distance leaving the camera behind. You probably won't need to use this camera mode very often. It will take practice before the camera controls become natural, and even then you may not find the angle you were hoping for. This is because the world is so real that the camera can't follow you without running into a wall or other physical boundary. It's just another testament to N64's power. Back to Review Contents...
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