Super Mario 64 DS

2004 platform video game developed by Nintendo

Super Mario 64 DS is a 2004 platform game by Nintendo, and an enhanced remake of the 1996 video game Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64. A cancelled sequel, Super Mario 64 2 for the Nintendo 64DD (N64 Disk Drive) was planned, but it was cancelled, because of the commercial failure of the Disk Drive. Luigi was planned to appear in it too. It was first shown at E3 in 2004 and released for the Nintendo DS in Japan and in the United States in 2004, and in the PAL region in early 2005. The game received positive reviews and was the fifth best-selling video game on the weekly sales chart of the week of December 2004.[1] It has rec room mini-games which are attained by catching rabbits and a multiplayer wireless VS. Mode, where 4 players can play to get the most stars and coins in 30 seconds, taken from 4 levels and there's three different colored Yoshis (red, blue, and yellow) the one with the card is Green Yoshi and other characters can get wings to fly. In the main game, only Mario can get wings.

Super Mario 64 DS
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Shinichi Ikematsu
Producer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Composer(s)Koji Kondo
Kenta Nagata
SeriesMario
Platform(s)Nintendo DS, Virtual Console (Wii U)
ReleaseNintendo DS:
  • NA: November 21, 2004
  • CAN: November 25, 2004
  • JP: December 2, 2004
  • ROC: December 2, 2004
  • AU: February 24, 2005
  • BRA: February 28, 2005
  • EU: March 11, 2005
  • CHN: June 21, 2007
  • KOR: July 26, 2007
Virtual Console (Wii U):
  • EU: December 24, 2015
  • AU: December 25, 2015
  • JP: January 6, 2016
  • NA: August 25, 2016
Genre(s)Platforming
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The game begins with a letter from Princess Peach inviting Mario to come to her castle for a cake she has baked for him.[2] Mario travels to her castle, and is followed by his younger, twin brother Luigi and Mario's greedy counterpart rival Wario. Luigi accidentally starts a fight and after entering the castle, the three disappear, and Lakitu, the game's camera operator, finds Yoshi to inform him of the disappearance.

Yoshi eats a rabbit and unlocks a door to the castle and explores the castle and its courses to find his friends.[3] Scattered throughout the castle are paintings and secret walls, which act as portals to other worlds where Bowser's minions guard Power Stars. By recovering the stars and defeating bosses, Yoshi acquires keys to other areas of the castle and rooms holding his friends captive. He first defeats Goomboss to free Mario who assists him as the two continue searching the castle and collecting Power Stars. Mario then defeats King Boo to free Luigi who then uses his invisibility power to get to Wario's key by defeating Chief Chilly. During the course of the adventure, they tackle three obstacle courses leading to a battle with Bowser.

Defeating him the first two times earns them a key that opens other levels of the castle. After collecting 80 stars and solving the mystery of the endless stairs, Mario accesses the top room of the castle to defeat Bowser. Once he is defeated, Peach is freed and appears in front of the castle. To thank the four protagonists, she kisses Mario and bakes them the cake that she had originally promised. The game finishes with Mario, Luigi, Wario, Yoshi, and Peach standing at the front of the castle waving goodbye to the player as Lakitu films and then flies away.

Characters

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Each of the characters have special abilities and their own strength and weaknesses.

Name Description Unlock Stats
Yoshi
The first and default character of the game, Yoshi cannot punch, kick, destroy bricks, or grab large enemies/objects, but he can eat small enemies and turn them into throwable eggs and has the highest jump of the four and has average speed at both running and swimming. When he gets a Power Flower, he can breathe fire, which can damage almost anything. Default Power 0/3
Speed (run) 2/3
Speed (swim) 2/3
Jump 3/3
Mario
Mario is locked by Goomboss for troubling him in the past and Yoshi is the only one who can save him. Once Goomboss is defeated, Mario becomes a playable character. Mario is the most balanced of all the characters in all stats and plays the same way he did in the original game, with good all-round capabilities. Only he can perform the wall-jump and he is also the only character who can enter the final level with Bowser. When he gets a Power Flower, he turns into a balloon and float to reach higher places. Defeat Goomboss in Goomboss Battle as Yoshi. Power 2/3
Speed (run) 2/3
Speed (swim) 2/3
Jump 2/3
Luigi
Mario's younger twin brother Luigi, is optional to find, but is required to obtain some Power Stars, as well as Wario. The player must go to the third floor of the fifth level Big Boo's Haunt and enter the Big Boo Battle painting. Once Mario reaches there, he has to fight King Boo for the key to unlock Luigi. Luigi has the same amount of power as his brother, except he moves a bit slower when carrying enemies, but is the fastest in both running and swimming and can scuttle jump (which is similar to Yoshi's Flutter Kick), can hover down from a backflip, and even run on water briefly. When he gets a Power Flower, he can turn invisible and walk through certain things, like how when Mario gets a Vanish Cap in the original game. Defeat King Boo in Big Boo Battle as Mario. Power 1/3
Speed (run) 3/3
Speed (swim) 3/3
Jump 3/3
Wario
Like Luigi, Wario is optional to find, but is needed to grab Stars that the others cannot retrieve. Once the large door at the head of the stairs is unlocked, Luigi has to go inside, then get past another door leading to the tenth level Snowman's Land. There are two Power Flowers, so the player has to use Luigi to go transparent into the mirror room by the Snowman's Land wall, and he has to fight Chief Chilly to unlock Wario. Wario is the strongest of the four characters, but is also the slowest at both running and swimming and has the lowest jump. He is the only character that can break Black Bricks and other heavy objects and hit enemies harder. When he gets a Power Flower, he can turn metal and walk under water, like how when Mario gets a Metal Cap in the original game. In VS. Mode, Wario has the unique ability to pick up stunned opponents, spin, and throw them, like how the player does to Bowser. Defeat Chief Chilly in Chief Chilly Challenge as Luigi Power 3/3
Speed (run) 1/3
Speed (swim) 1/3
Jump 1/3

Waluigi

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Just like how there were many rumors of Luigi and Wario (who are now playable in this game) being playable in the original game, but did not appear, there were rumors of Waluigi being in this game, but he did not appear in either game. Yoshi makes an unplayable cameo appearance on the roof after the original game is finished giving Mario 100 lives and a sparkling triple jump.

References

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  1. IGN Staff (2004-12-23). "DS Wario and Mario Lap PSP Ridge Racers". IGN. Archived from the original on 2013-02-14. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  2. Nintendo EAD (2004-11-21). Super Mario 64 DS. Vol. Nintendo DS. Nintendo. Princess Peach's note: Dear Mario: Please come to the castle. I've baked a cake for you. Yours truly-- Princess Toadstool, Peach
  3. Thomas, Lucas (2010-05-24). "Yoshi: Evolution of a Dinosaur". IGN. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-08-23.