Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

Something I've realized is how "off brand" SM64 feels in places. "!" Blocks instead of "?" Blocks, breakable blocks have a completely different design compared to the brick style elsewhere in the series, and (so far) no series standard items like Fire Flowers or Super Mushrooms.

Not that it really bothers me, I've actually gotten more into it than I thought I would, just interesting to note.

@Octane Yes - my frustration finally came on the last leg when I mistimed a jump and then just lost it.

@Rudy_Manchego Yesterday I fell from the very top of Tick Tock Clock. Nothing Sunshine throws at me could top that frustration, even the pachinko level.

Couldn't agree more. Anyone who says Sunshine doesn't control well, or is unfair, hasn't played 64.

@nessisonett @Octane Hey hey hey... no sunshine shaming please. I would suck equally at 64!

@Octane I don't know how I'm going to beat that level with the wing cap and the six red coins opposite of Rainbow Ride.

And the fact that falling dumps you OUTSIDE OF THE CASTLE, making each return trip take a minute or two?

muah

Chef's kiss. This game is a nightmare.

@Ralizah I tried that twice and then banged my head against a wall and called it a day. Why on earth do they need to chuck you outside the castle?

@Ralizah The wing cap level unlocks the wing cap in other levels, which makes it even more annoying cause it's pretty much mandatory. I remember collecting all 8 red coins on N64, but failing to make it back to the platform. It's absolutely the worst, because it's also on a timer.

@Octane This is the other one on the top floor. It’s evil

@nessisonett I remember that one being easier for some reason.

@Octane It would be if it didn’t kick you outside the castle every time you lost. Yuck yuck yuck

@nessisonett Well, I beat it... somehow. And then went on to Tick Tock Clock. I didn't think I'd find a level I hate more than Shifty Sand Land or Rainbow Ride, but this level is pure evil. This isn't a video game; it's an endurance test. Somehow I managed to secure the first five stars, but I've been stuck on the final star, Stomp on a Thwomp, for a while now. I FINALLY got to the stupid thwomp at the very tippy top of the level, only to somehow misjudge my jump slightly, which caused the thwomp to catapult me ALLLLLLLLLL the way down to the bottom of the level.

Screw this stupid game.

@Ralizah I managed the thwomp one, it’s the 4th star I haven’t done yet. It just fills me with dread so I played some Hollow Knight instead today 😅

I can't believe I was actually scared of Big Boo's Haunt in 64 as a kid. Got all 7 of it's Stars tonight, and truth be told it may have been the easiest world yet (I honestly had the hardest time just finding my way to the balcony for the 5th mission. I probably ran through the mansion 5 times before noticing the platform you have to get up on to get to the attic, lol, and don't get me started on climbing the roof to claim that Star, as I fell off another 5 times trying to actually get the Star, lol 😂).

Up to 46 Stars now.

@RR529 They didn't make it obvious at all where you needed to go to get to the roof star, IMO.

Otherwise, yeah, the world was a nice break from... well, from the rest of the game. I also like how atmospheric it is.

@Ralizah, yeah, Big Boo's Haunt and Jolly Roger Bay (which I didn't have much issue with either, outside of the eel Star, and the fact that I felt it should have been a tad more colorful, as it felt a bit drab for a Mario world) have seemed like the most coherent and well designed worlds in the game so far, and felt good to explore.

Bob-omb's Battlefield and Whomp's Fortress are also pretty easy.

In 64 tonight I started up Hazy Maze Cave and got a few Stars (the one with the dinosaur in the water, the red coin one, and one you get after traversing a poison maze & hanging from a grate), but the next mission seemed to require the Metal Cap (which I don't have yet), so I decided to move on and tackle Shifting Sand Land...

...I wasted so many lives trying to get the Star from the bird. Granted, actually getting the Star from it was easy once you're on top of the pillar it's flying around, but the problem was that it kept spawning above a pillar that's in the middle of quicksand, and even if I managed to scale it and touch the Star (which flew to the other side of the pyramid after the bird let it go), a shy guy kept circling me overhead chucking fireballs, causing me to fall into the quicksand. Luckily the last time I tried it the bird had spawned near a different pillar, one which wasn't near quicksand (and was right next to where the Star lands when you touch the bird), so it was super easy.

I decided to call it quits for the night after that, however I noticed the rabbit was back so I got another Star from him (up to 51 now, I may yet beat Bowser).

Tonight in 64 I got the other 5 Stars in Shifting Sand Land. It was absolutely infuriating at first until I realized what items around the world make certain tasks easier. The Koopa shell makes getting to the top of the pillars (and up the pyramid) relatively easy as it can safely go over quicksand), and the with the cannon made getting the red coins pretty painless, for example. I didn't mind getting the Stars inside the pyramid, because it was pretty straightforward platforming stuff (just take it slow & steady). I think I'll ignore the 100 coin Star, but I never planned on 100% completing the game, so no biggie.

Just beat the final Bowser level in 64! Surprisingly the platforming gauntlet beforehand didn't trouble me (got through it on my first try, and pretty quickly at that), but I swear it took me like 10 tries to beat the big guy himself, as I just couldn't get the hang of throwing him into the bombs (I could maybe hit one for every 10 times I threw him), and he kept wearing me down. I started doing a bit better every time I fought him though, and finally prevailed.

I may go back to check out Snowman Land & Tiny Huge Island, but am so ready to move on to Sunshine, which will be completely new to me.