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Graphics: 5 out of 5: The graphics in Mario 64 are mind blowing. You'll be wondering where you should put quarters in your new N64 arcade machine. 'Nuff said. Music: 3 out of 5: While the music isn't bad, its not all that good. with the exception of the music in the castle, the final battle with Bowser, the ending, the water level and the select screen, keep the volume low. Some of the sound patches are scratchy or staticy. The music is also quite repetitive. There is a "headphones" sound mode for playing with headphones, but I couldn't tell any difference between the this mode and stereo when played through a sound system. Sound FX: 4 out of 5: Most of the sounds are quite good. Mario's exclamations don't get annoying unless you just stand in one place and jump like crazy. As with the music, some of the sounds have a metallic canned or scratchy sound to them. Good explosions. Play Control: 6 out of 10: The controls in Mario 64 can often frustrate and take time to master. For an in-depth look at the camera controls click here. Once you get the controls down, you will start to really enjoy the game and you'll find yourself automatically adjusting the camera as Mario crosses an obstacle. Mario's responses can be unpredictable in areas with close quarters, and aiming your throw of Bowser can be a real pain. Despite these flaws, you can pull off an amazing number of moves, and successfully cross all types of terrain. Frustration Factor: 4 out of 10 (10 being the worst): Mario 64 requires patience and curiosity to master. Repeating a long climb only to fall back to ground zero can be frustrating. The play control can also add to the frustration. The nice thing about the game is that the designers realized people might have trouble learning to play this new game, and as a result, you don't get stuck doing a frustrating task to the point of having to shut off the game with anger. And in any stage you can simply make Mario stand still, pause the game, exit the stage and go chill out in the castle courtyard. There are enough good points to this game to overshadow its frustrating parts. Most people should be able to get the 70 stars needed to get the regular end to the game -- which is well worth the effort.
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