3D Platforming Nostalgia

My favorite gaming nostalgia memory is playing the original classic 3D platformers.

Super Mario 64 gameplay

The Beginning

The N64 was released in 1996 when I was a freshman in high school. That Christmas, I received an N64, which included Super Mario 64, as a gift from my parents. Super Mario 64 was the first 3D game that I ever played and was well ahead of its time. Being able to run around and explore in a 3D environment felt like a totally new experience. I very quickly preferred the experience and feel of Super Mario 64 compared to my vast collection of 2D platformer Mario games for the NES and Super NES.

The goal of Super Mario 64 was all about collecting stars. They could be earned in a variety of ways, from racing a rabbit to reaching the end of a world. I had a buddy at school who also owned the game. Everyday we would ask each other how many stars the other person was up to. Beating the game only required collecting 80 stars which I accomplished in a few months. However, it took me around a year and a half to collect all 120.

Source: pixabay

Why The Nostalgia For Old 3D Platformers?

First, because I have always found them to be more engaging than 2D platformers which were my first love.

But also because exploring a 3D environment and collecting stuff is addictive. I actually prefer the simplistic, solid, blocky look that the old platformers had compared to the more realistic look that many of them have today.

Finally, I’ve always preferred games that are easy to pick up and play even when you’ve gone a long time without playing the game. Most RPG type games as well as modern games are way too complex for my taste. They almost feel like jobs. I like my video game experience to feel like a fun break or activity, not a chore. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the N64 is beloved by so many gamers but personally I could not make it through the game without taking notes and/or using a walkthrough guide. However, to me using a guide takes away a lot of the excitement and suspense away from the game. Of course, 3D platformers are not the only genre that is easy to pick up and play. But to me out of all the genres that are easy to pick up and play, 3D platformers are the most fun and engaging.

My 3D Platforming Preferences

Over the years, some of my favorite 3D platformers include Pac-Man World 2, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, and of course Super Mario 64. Some 3D platformers have a very linear or set path environment (ex: Super Mario Galaxy, Crash Bandicoot) while others have a more open world feel (ex: Super Mario 64). In my opinion, the more open the world the better.

Pac-Man World 2 gameplay

Current Status of 3D Platformers

There are very few 3D platformers made today and the high quality ones end up spread out across the different systems. PS4 has Rachet and Clank, Xbox One has Super Lucky Tale, and Nintendo Switch has Super Mario Odyssey. But I only own a PS4 and thus I can only play Rachet and Clank. The video game industry does not seem to have much desire to create innovative new 3D platformers. Increasingly, they seem content to just take the older classics, update the graphics, and release them as trilogies. Examples include Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy which was recently released and Spyro Reignited Trilogy which is set to be released in a couple months.

Conclusion

Super Mario 64 was the original 3D platformer and it still seems like the best. Perhaps the reason 3D platformers are being re-released is because there are not enough innovations left to be made. When technology is new, there is often a lot of energy and passion behind projects that make use of it. As a result, the originals end up being the best. In this case, it was caused by gaming systems becoming powerful enough to support 3D graphics for the first time.