What changed in LETHAL LAVA LAND, SHIFTING SAND LAND & DIRE, DIRE DOCKS DS?

[@itsamiianastasis5786]

Fun fact. In sifting sand land, using warrio you can knock out these boxes in the maze. Its really funny and makes the switch star potentially easier

[@michaelr3077]

i have to imagine it was intended that you were supposed to use Wario to break all the tox boxes so its easier to run all the way over the maze, but I cant imagine how anyone is supposed to know you can even knock them around. I do enjoy punching them into the sand so i can see them stuck there as a setpiece for my amusement.

[@djinnspalace2119]

@@michaelr3077 i think its more of "we have wario in the game, we have to give him something special" rather than something that we were supposed to do for the star. 99% of players or even playtesters likely didnt do this lol

[@Arial55555]

You know what else makes it easier? The teleport on the same platform as the cannon/switch which teleports you directly under the palm tree of the oasis, which is feet away from the star.

[@itsamiianastasis5786]

@Arial55555 I haven't noticed it. I'll try it later

[@Arial55555]

@@itsamiianastasis5786 If you can't find it, it's two-way, so just stand under the palm tree and you'll see how ridiculous it is.

[@Gamebuilder2000]

4:52 I was thinking about exactly that When I played as a kid I just thought it's another one of the stars in every level

[@andreaquadrati]

I prefer DS's LLL simply because... it looks brighter. Like, it makes sense. It's literally molten rock all over, that stuff is glowing from heat! It should be blinding.

[@solidzack]

True. The original lava texture is not the best. This is one aspect, where the DS aesthetics look more pleasing

[@warioland523]

There are some major changes to Dire Dire Docks. In the level the Bill Blaster/Turtle Cannon enemy is now used more frequently after arriving at the dock for the first time. This makes Bullet Bills quite common and makes boarding the sub a bit more challenging since the Bullet Bills can somewhat track your movements. After clearing the first star and defeating the second Bowser boss the Bill Blasters vanish and are replaced with Flamethrowers which in this game now resemble Fire Chomps without the fire chain behind them. These were present in the original version of the level. Also notable is the surface of the water is patrolled by Skeeters in the first section. This was probably done to make the Switch Star more challenging but it doesn't make much a difference since Wario can just plow through them while riding the shell and the coin spoils they drop make collecting the secret coin star for this course easier. Either way it is nice the Bullet Bill enemy was used more especially after only one Bill Blaster that shoots them only appeared once in the original game.

[@NintenDeen]

Good points, I should've definitely mentioned the added enemies but I haven't been mentioning them as much in general. But I didn't think they drastically altered the experience which is why I glossed over them. Like it might make a jump easier, but in general when I'm playing through the stage a bullet bill isn't changing the stars for me that much

[@KingYoshi93]

Apart from the more popping colors, what I like about 64DS is that generally the textures are in a higher resolution and therefore have more detail. The DS had more VRAM than the N64. The only downside is that the DS doesn't have texture filtering like the N64, so while N64 textures up close will look blurrier, DS ones will look more pixelated.

[@cecillewolters1995]

Oh wow I didn’t knew that, thank you ^-^ I prefer the blurriness from the N64 version instead of pixels for this game specifically. It’s kinda similar to crt tv’s and how they display pixels vs pixels on modern tv’s, I like the old one more. Dunno if that is nostalgia or not tho, pixel art is amazing, just not for Mario 64 imo

[@joshslater2426]

I’ve always thought the 2003-2008 Pokey design with the flower was the best version. It’s sort of counterproductive since the flower makes it look like they aren’t hazardous, but I just always thought the design was more appealing overall.

[@NintenDeen]

I lean towards their SNES look lol. In 3D I like their galaxy look but they're just the wrong color

[@CoralCopperHead]

Dammit, wish you hadn't pointed out the boswer JPEG. Somehow I never noticed it until now. Also, maybe it's just me, but Luigi's backflip completely trivialized the volcano. EDIT: Pyramid puzzle gave you trouble? It's one of my favourite stars on the 64 and the DS version putting the stars on the map just makes it feel like "yet another Red Coin star."

[@devonm042690]

I discovered the objective of Pyramid Puzzle because I was curious about the little 'sand aqueduct' thing. While there was some enjoyment to be had in discovering its purpose, it didn't last long and was ruined by the long search for the other two secrets that were on the ledges designed to be footholds to get down there (I investigated the 'sand aqueduct' thing the first time from where it runs right up alongside part of the climb up), so overall I agree with Deen that it's rather obscure. Also, I still remember the frustration I felt the _one time_ over 10 years ago that I missed the star and had to climb back up, and while not nearly as bad as it would have been if you had to climb _all the way_ back up, it still allows me to appreciate the bigger hitbox in the DS version. I'm not sure it's possible to miss it there, and if it is possible, certainly not by accident.

[@MLWJ1993]

Meh, both are bad in different ways. The OG has this white outline that's equally hideous to the white background on the DS. A bit of a wash if you ask me, neither is a "good" texture...

[@NintenDeen]

Pyramid Puzzle is unnecessarily obscure lol. So yes, it gave me a ton of trouble way back when I was 6 or 7 haha. I think if the first coin was on the upper edge then it might have been better. Also the whole process of following the flowing sand can be tedious and may require re-climbing the inside of the pyramid a handful of times

[@VenusFeuerFalle]

Another improvement (I think you forgot this one): The flames erupting from the volcano actually hit you in the DS version. In 64 they are more or less just decoration. Edit: I would also point out in Dire Dire Docks two more improvements: The Sub-Marine now has some Bill-Blasters. Not only were they under utilized in the 64 version, but they also add some unique obstacles to the otherwise forgetable world. On the otherhand, the fact you seem to have forgotten about them, did not make it more memorable, but still I think it is good that Bowser's submarine feels actualyl guarded. The little beaches shown yet not mentioned along with the skeeters do improve the first area, in my opinion, insofar that they slightly change the feeling of the first area. In N64, the area was almost like 99% underwater. There was nothign except the surface itself in the first area. Eveything you did was under water. Now, there is some sort of 10% water-surface section to do above-water-stuff. I like that!

[@NintenDeen]

I actually didn't even know about that lol.

[@victinistar8968]

Watching these videos is making me wanna replay SM64DS again.

[@GhabulousGhoti]

I just watched through this entire series so far and have really enjoyed your analysis. I wanted to comment here about Pyramid Puzzle - this might just be a me-thing, but I thought the OG was cleverly hidden. I see a lot of people playing the game as an adult for the first time rushing through all the stars and getting frustrated with this one, but I think people forget how the game was originally intended to be played by kids with a lot of time and patience. At least when I played as a kid, I rarely had an actual objective, and usually just ran around and explored stuff. I figured out Pyramid Puzzle by just exploring inside the Pyramid and finding the sand flow by the hanging cage bit, around where the stat spawns. I worked my way against the flow and found the coins alongside it, and when I got to the end it clicked with me that I probably had to go up to where the sand was coming from to find the other coins. I worked my way up and sure enough, there was a platform with coins below me there. I don't think most kids did missions in order or found stars using mission names, I think, just based on my own playthrough and a lot of other people's experiences, that it was very common to just explore and accidentally find things while playing around with Mario's moveset. I also think this was the intention for the game. That's a big part of why the DS version's map showing you where the Star is greatly changes the game IMO. It encourages players to target the next objective, which I think makes it such a different experience. A player can still explore of course, but I still think that pointing out the objectives makes the entire focus of the game shift. It's no longer about the controls or exploration, it's about reaching a destination now. At the very least, I know I would have played the game in a completely different way if I knew where the Stars were right away. Sorry for this comment being a bit rambly, I just have very strong thoughts on this :P

[@NintenDeen]

No need to apologize for the ramble lol. I enjoy these comments, half the reason I make these videos is because I want to hear others' perspectives lol. I agree with your statement as a whole but I also think there's a bit of a line for some stars that the OG version either crosses or REALLY flirted with. Stars like Pyramid Puzzle, Blast away the Wall, TTM's Secret Slide, and probably even Itty Bitty Secrets in THI... Those stars were really getting close to the threshold lol. So while I personally wouldn't trade the experience I had growing up and figuring those stars out, I also understand why some of them are hated and why they were adapted on DS

[@GhabulousGhoti]

@NintenDeen The only one I personally thought was unfairly hidden was Blast Away the Wall, only because the game never established that those walls were breakable or that you needed a cannon shot to break them.

[@fatalfrostbyte]

Oh wow the rest of the basement levels summarized up in record time.

[@NintenDeen]

Lol I don't like to artificially lengthen my content. If there isn't much to talk about i rather just move on!

[@brandoncampbell7274]

Okay I will admit that I was wrong about tall tall mountain, with enough coins outside of the slide in the OG SM64. However one thing I'm definitely not wrong about is that they did actually have enough coins outside of the volcano in OG SM64 Lethal Lava Land. This is 100% true. And in OG SM64 you didn't even need the shell tho get 100 outside of the volcano either. I went around the stage on "Bully the Bullies," and collected 97 coins and thought I wasn't gonna have enough but there's 3 coins on the ring around the volcano. Got those last 3 and the 100 coin star and then grabbed the "Bully the Bullies," star.

[@NintenDeen]

I think it was possible outside of the volcano but it was also cutting it close. So a lot of players would have to go into the volcano

[@derekrequiem4359]

I watched a vid of the N64 100 coin star and the player got 98 coins before jumping in the volcano - although this was due to missing a few coins from the bullies that fell into lava and not collecting the coins under the bridge. It's definitely possible to get that star before entering the volcano but there's little room for error. And there's definitely a lot more coins outside of the volcano for the DS version.

[@seanrrr]

I guess I'm the only one who likes the DS LLL Bowser png...?

[@mavrickindigo]

Yes

[@caleb1413]

It objectively has far lower resolution than the original...

[@Gamebuilder2000]

​@@caleb1413I mean Everything in 64 DS is lower resolution it has a smaller screen, so not really a fair comparison Probably why they used something without outlines

[@seanrrr]

@@caleb1413 What, higher resolution means objectively better? I think the look of bowser and the pixelation is more fitting for this version.

[@blocks4857]

You can collect the 100 coin star without the volcano in the original

[@NintenDeen]

Yes but I think it was easier to go into the volcano? Maybe in misremembering

[@ed94ro99]

I though you where ment to use the cannon to shoot in to the switch star from the corner platform.

[@NintenDeen]

Lol, if it works it works

[@solidzack]

There's even a warp there next to the power flower box that leads to under the tree of the oasis

[@thatradiogeek]

I don't understand what makes the star at the top of the pyramid a "puzzle". Same way hunting for switches in Hexen is a "puzzle" I guess.

[@ResurrectedElvenMonk]

Happy New Year 2025 NintenDeen. Still looking forward to your future Super Mario 64 content. Question, compared to Sunshine and 64, which has the better experience to you?

[@NintenDeen]

Happy New Year! After this week I'm gonna start working on Sunshine so I might end up taking a week or 2 off while I finish those vids up. I've always been a 64 > Sunshine person but I also barely played Sunshine as a kid so that's why. I don't hate Sunshine, in fact I think it has many aspects better than 64, but naturally 64 just holds more value for me

[@ResurrectedElvenMonk]

I hear ya. I'm also pretty nostalgic for Super Mario 64.

[@derekrequiem4359]

For DDD, the blue coins in the DS version appear higher above the ground, so the character has to jump to get them. In the original version they just appear on the ground. This is a minor change but still noticeable to me as it makes the 100 coin star in the DS version a little trickier.

[@NintenDeen]

Yeah but the coin count also went from like 104 to 150 or something like that. Still much easier as a whole for the stage

[@derekrequiem4359]

@@NintenDeen I was curious so I looked it up - per MarioWiki, N64 version has 106 coins but they don't have the total coin count for DS version. I agree with you that there are more total coins in the DS version regardless. I just watched a vid for the DS version 100 coin star and the player collected 91 coins before hitting the blue coin switch - they finished with 121 coins, but there's definitely more in the stage since they didn't break any black brick blocks or kill any skeeters.

[@andreworders7305]

3:37 were they the only sprite based enemy in the original game?

[@NintenDeen]

That's actually a good question. Maybe the Eyeball too and that's it?

[@andreworders7305]

1:50 could you walk on the lava with metal in the original? And also, there are fire flowers in 64?

[@NintenDeen]

There was no metal cap around lava in Mario 64 that I know of. The only thing in LLL was a flying wing cap. And in 2nd Bowser stage I don't think there were any caps either

[@solidzack]

In SM64 ROM hacks people put the Metal Cap next to lava sections all the time. Mario still acts the same way as when he normally touches lava, though he loses no health.

[@solidzack]

It should be mentioned the switch star for Dire Dire Docks requires Wario. Meaning if you don't enter the level as him or Yoshi with his cap, you first have to swim all the way to the other side of the level, grab the Wario cap underwater, then swim all the way back to the beginning as Wario. And Wario's swim speed is actually atrocious, it's MUCH slower than Luigi's. The star feels like pointless filler as well, so I don't think it adds any value to the experience. A pro for the DS version in the other hand is the power flower in the red coin section that allows for Mario to hover to the missing red coins and the red coins above that giant hole underwater now have a platform underneath them. In the original these coins are frustrating to get since missing the jump could lead to getting sucked into the hole all the way back to the castle moat. That alone makes the DS version the better one.

[@jasohavents]

I hate to admit it but Lethal Lava Land is my favorite Mario 64 map. It might be because it's a nice flat map or because it's at a point in the game where I'm hitting my stride but also not sick of the game yet either. That and I usually do Hazey Maze Cave last of the Downstairs maps... So thats probably why Hazey Maze is my second most disliked behind Cool Cool Mountain and all of its slides. Oh also as a kid the Painting for Lethal Lava Land used to scare me. Overcoming that fear likely helped lol.

[@NintenDeen]

I like LLL. Strangely enough that and Rainbow Ride keep getting criticisms from commenters because people say they're just made up of random geometric pieces. But I don't find that too be an issue lol

[@suroguner]

I think they updated bowser's image because of the artifacts on the edges.

[@smansam]

These are the first levels I aesthetically like more in the DS, like you said, colors just pop more. Some of the rocks in lava look like theyre being heated, and the sand is vibrant! Did they change the skybox/backgrounds intensely for the DS? The one for SSL looks so immersive its trippy

[@NintenDeen]

Yeah I think the ground and sky textures were updated in DS. Just looks cleaner

[@cecillewolters1995]

The ds version of Shifting Sand Land also makes the star on the pyramid less chees-able, which could be considered better game design. By the old one you could jump over the sandy hill at the start of the level, make a triple jump amd get the star. This does takes skill and feels good to pull off, but it also takes the skill and adventure of climbing the pyramid itself away. Climbing the pyramid was the intended design, so Nintendo made it like that again and I can kinda respect that.

[@derekrequiem4359]

You can still fly directly to it with Mario or use a koopa shell though.

[@cecillewolters1995]

@@derekrequiem4359 Yeah fair

[@piratebear3126]

I’ve always had the preference for the DS version, so I’ve barely seen the N64 enemies outside watching B3313 let’s plays. I assumed the Pokey was an intentionally creepy attempt at a “beta” sprite because I hadn’t seen N64 Shifting Sand Land in a while.

[@NintenDeen]

I think Pokeys and the Eyeballs are the only sprite based enemies in the game for some reason

[@AprilTeniente-eu1mj]

Sounds like a tanpura droning!!

[@eslwgpg1226]

It’s funny. Most of your points to the DS version seem to be “they made this thing easier than it was in the original so therefore it’s now better”

[@NintenDeen]

Lol the DS by far is the easier version, but a lot of the reason it's easier is from the QoL improvements. But I think for the most part I've found the additions to the new stars to make it "better". Like if those same stars were added to the OG I would welcome it, even if all other changes stayed the same

[@andreworders7305]

So do the silver stars make the 100 coin star slightly harder?

[@derekrequiem4359]

I don't think it makes much of a difference since the 100 coin star in both versions of SSL is pretty easy.

[@NintenDeen]

That's funny because I consider SSL the worst 100 coin collection (at least on N64). But I never used to collect those 5 coins as part of the 100 coin star collection anyway, so the Silver Stars don't change much

[@arconisthewolf4430]

Will you do a video on mario kart 64 tracks? Including battle mode

[@NintenDeen]

Eventually, but probably not any time soon. I'll be doing the whole MK series

[@BryantheArchivist]

Daily Mario 64 videos are like crack. Thank you 😊

[@NintenDeen]

No problem! Will unfortunately be wrapping them up Saturday so I can start working on Mario Sunshine though

[@michaelr3077]

i think avoiding the wing cap is a net positive considering its not the most fun to control. Luigi being able to glide all over the stage for free and collect everything on his own sounds like he absolutely breaks SSL. It takes no effort, makes getting atop the pyramid and the pillars into a joke, and i believe he can grab every red coin. Why waste time grabbing wings when you can backflip immediately and get everything done easily.

[@NintenDeen]

So I personally find the flying super easy and simpler to control than Luigi's backflip lol. But if someone feels the backflip is easier I can see how that would change the perspective

[@Winter_Fan_01]

ah yes, a sm64 conneiseur. I'll be binging

[@NintenDeen]

Enjoy!

[@SluggLuver]

I like the ds version mostly for the textures. More easy on the eyes in terms of colors, and the much better fidelity which stops the maps from looking so liminal and odd, though thats probably a downside for a lot of people- i personally just hate the way sm64 looks normally. The otherworldly look just made my eyes bleed

[@NintenDeen]

The charm to the low poly of the original is definitely an acquired taste tbh. DS looks more how a modern game should look