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Retro Battle of the 3D debuts: Mario 64 vs Ocarina of Time vs Metroid Prime

Which is the best?

  • Mario 64

    Votes: 47 30.5%

  • Ocarina of Time

    Votes: 58 37.7%

  • Metroid Prime

    Votes: 49 31.8%
  • Total voters
    154
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Chain Chomp
Which of these three beloved games, each of which transitioned their series to the third dimension, do you think is the best, and why?
 
Mario 64 no question

OoT is brilliant, but it’s basically LttP in 3D

Metroid Prime is also brilliant, but it doesn’t too Mario 64 for me
 
It's a bit unfair because it was a generation later so it benefitted from a lot of technical progress but Prime is my favourite of these three. OoT and especially SM64 are of course way more impactful, each in their own way.
 
I played all of these for the first time in the 10s decade.

From that point of view, personally my favorite of the 3 is Metroid Prime and it’s not even close. I’m not even being hyperbolic.

I consider Prime the best game I’ve ever played, whilst OoT and 64 have personally been surpassed by all of their successors with no exceptions except 3D Land bc it’s kinda basic.

As for which I think transitioned the best, that’s hard to answer. They all did a great job in their own way. Mario deviated from the 2D structure and created the whole collectathon genre, while OOT perfectly transitioned it’s 2D structure into 3D, Prime transitioned the level design but upped the immersion with first person view and radically shifted the gameplay pacing to be more slow and exploratory.
 
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This is moderately unfair due to Prime being on the second Nintendo 3D console, where the industry had kinda ironed out a lot of the issues that came with the initial transition to 3D. Like, I don't like Mario 64 at all but that's mostly because it suffers from (imo) somewhat wonky controls and physics that came about from it being one of the first major forays into the third dimension.

With that in mind, still voted for Prime since it's my favorite of the three, but I like Ocarina a lot too. I played all of these games well after their releases so that colors my opinion a lot.
 
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Metroid Prime, far and away. That game was more or less tied with Dark Souls for my favorite game ever, till I played another GameCube masterpiece. I actually considered it above DS as my favorite game for years, though I'll admit it's been a long time since I played it and I played it only once.

Ocarina of Time is great stuff. Might be weird to say, but I feel like of the dungeon-oriented ALTTP-formula Zelda games, it's the only one that can pretty consistently hold my attention based on the strength of the dungeons alone. The child link ones aren't too great but the adult ones are so fun. Haven't played Twilight Princess though.

Mario 64 ... meh
 
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That's a quite selection of near flawless games you got OP. And all of those were also industry-chaging 3D debuts of their IPs. That being said, my choice is Mario 64 thanks to the fact it was the trailblazer where others followed the blueprint, which is something quite hard to do given that the 2D -> 3D jump was a paradigm change.
 
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Prime was and is fantastic.

OoT and Mario 64 were noticeably flawed designs even at launch, and their technological limitations have only become more glaring over time.
 
Ocarina Of Time is probably the most faithful translation to 3D, but Mario 64 is my favorite game of the three. Mario 64 also laid the foundation for the 3D action game in general; it's much more impactful than OOT or Prime and probably any game released since.
 
The problem is, even if Metroid Prime has tank controls, it came out much later than the others, os many 3D conventions were already established.
Mario and Zelda had to make up many of those things themselves.
So from an innovation standpoint they did so much more.

On the other hand Metroid Prime holds up the best in its original form, even if its controls are weird.
Everyone of these game had a rerelease that modernized them though and Iwould say Ocarina of time 3D is the best of those, even if I love the motion controls from the Wii version of Metroid, they are also kind of a barrier to entry for some people, just like the tank controls of the original.

Also screw the haters, Mario 64 DS is the best version of that game.
 
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Oot is my favorite game ever. I played Mario 64 near it's release but I never liked it that much. I started liking 3d Mario with Galaxy.
 
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AllEchse said:
The problem is, even if Metroid Prime has tank controls, it came out much later than the others, os many 3D conventions were already established.
Mario and Zelda had to make up many of those things themselves.
So from an innovation standpoint they did so much more.

On the other hand Metroid Prime holds up the best in its original form, even if its controls are weird.
Everyone of these game had a rerelease that modernized them though and Iwould say Ocarina of time 3D is the best of those, even if I love the motion controls from the Wii version of Metroid, they are also kind of a barrier to entry for some people, just like the tank controls of the original.

Also screw the hates, Mario 64 DS is the best version of that game.
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64DS is such a bizarre thing to me, something modern Nintendo would never ever do. But I kinda have a curiosity of how they’d tackle another 3D Mario in that way (the weird character switching stuff, adding stuff to the hub and new stars to the levels, new bosses).
 
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Brock Reiher said:
prime the clear loser here, an 8 hanging with 11s
Click to expand...

Not really its a game that still stands the test of time, and honestly all these games are takes from their 2D counterparts into 3d, but Super Mario 64 was clearly the exception, it became a game about exploration and not platforming...

And the question is about debut, so I will go with Prime, at this point Nintendo was already more familiar with their goals and Retro did a fantastic job.

I'll share John's excellent video:


 
AR15mex said:
Not really its a game that still stands the test of time, and honestly all these games are takes from their 2D counterparts into 3d, but Super Mario 64 was clearly the exception, it became a game about exploration and not platforming...

And the question is about debut, so I will go with Prime, at this point Nintendo was already more familiar with their goals and Retro did a fantastic job.

I'll share John's excellent video:


Click to expand...

It the game that's aged the most since it's release and the game with the smallest legacy. Even the soundtrack is mostly Super Remixes. Only argument I can see for it is that it exceeded expectations considering the studio, but it would be better to compare Prime to games like Wind Waker and Sunshine than OoT and Mario 64.
 
Ocarina of Time. Loved it when it came out, and still enjoy it now, although my only way to play it is on the 3DS.

I can see the quality of Mario 64, but even at the time the levels felt a bit empty to me.

Metroid Prime never really clicked with me.
 
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Ocarina of Time is probably my favorite game of the three, but...

Mario 64 is my vote. 3D Mario titles might have exceeded Mario 64, but I still want them to control fundamentally the same. I still want more of those big sandbox levels to jump around in, and I still want 120+ stars (or moons or whatever) to collect throughout.

I was on the same page for Ocarina of Time's formula in the past, but something's changed and I'm dead tired of it. Breath of the Wild was an extremely necessary game for the franchise to me.

Metroid Prime was a very good game, but I just don't see it as having quite the same impact as the other two.
 
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Mario 64 cemented my love of video games forever. Both Ocarina of Time and Metroid Prime are incredible all time classics too.
 
I think Prime is the best game of all of these, but Mario 64 is the most impressive for its time for being the first (or one of?) successful adaption of a series into 3D and laying the template/groundwork for other series and developers to follow.
 
Ocarina and Prime are such great masterpieces that it's a really good head to head. For me personally a very close call, but I am giving it to Prime. Game has a special place for me. Yeah very special.
 
Red Monster said:
Mario 64 no question

OoT is brilliant, but it’s basically LttP in 3D

Metroid Prime is also brilliant, but it doesn’t too Mario 64 for me
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Not really sure how OOT is LTTP in 3D beyond the same kind of simplification you can apply to Mario. I mean, yeah, there’s dungeons and puzzles and keys and a hub map and they are all in 3D. But if you’re reducing it to the core elements, Mario is platforming and bowser and jumping on enemies and a level select area but it’s now in 3D too. OoT has a wildly expanded focus on music, NPCs and their stories and sidequests across both time periods compared to LTTP where most upgrades are down to you finding them with the dungeon tools. All great games though.
 
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I have never played Metroid Prime, but having played both Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time for the first time in my life last year, I can say without hesitation Ocarina of Time. I was really surprised at how mature it is mechanically. How it's designed, how it works, how it plays. I really liked it and I normally have a bad time playing old 3D games. Mario 64 felt clunky and the camera kept on making me fail. I see the importance, but the joy I feel playing Galaxy, Odyssey or Bowser's Fury has nothing to do with it. On the other hand, I recognized many of the things I love about Zelda in Ocarina of Time. Many of the dungeons for example are amazing.
 
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Metroid Prime for me. As I never experienced Ocarina of Time or Mario 64 when they came out. I also think both games ain't as good compared to Metroid Prime in my opinion.
 
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YoboD said:
I think Prime is the best game of all of these, but Mario 64 is the most impressive for its time for being the first (or one of?) successful adaption of a series into 3D and laying the template/groundwork for other series and developers to follow.
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I would say it was a good transition to 3D, cause the game is still good, especially compared to other franchises 3D transitions, but I wouldn't call it a good adaption.
The gameplay loop is just very different and much more exploration focussed than the 2D games.
I would argue Mario 3D World and Land were better adaptions, as they are much closer to the source level structure wise.
All the other 3D Mario games might aswell be a whole new series.
 
It's nuts how well OoT holds up.

It truly is timeless.

I've played it once a year since 2001, and every time I play it, I get touched by its story, challenged by its battles and stumped by its puzzles, and I always, always have a magical time.

It being Nintendo's first attempt at a 3D Zelda is just bonkers. They did so much right. I even hold it above some of its successors.

It's also nuts how well Metroid Prime holds up. It, too, is timeless. I even prefer it to OoT.

I play it every once in a while, and it's nothing short of amazing how it nails everything that is so important in game development: difficulty, pacing, atmosphere, level design, progression ...

Super Mario 64 is the one game I might say that while it did a lot for the industry, it does show some age, and it's the only game out of the three whose successors has vastly outdone it.
 
Its Metroid prime
Back in the day You kind of understood what they were pitching for Mario 64 you could understand it would work
OOT was slightly more intriguing on a "how are they gonna do this" level but the formula was basically there
But Metroid prime?

There was no WAY they would not only translate the Metroid feel and formula to 3D but ALSO make it FIRST PERSON... and somehow make it the greatest game of all time? NO WAY

and yet ... they did.

It's Metroid Prime
 
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It's Mario 64. While I possibly like the other two even more, they couldn't exist without Mario 64. It had to solve the problems of going into 3D first, which if you've played any of its PlayStation compatriots, were numerous.

Despite that, it's still a masterwork. Possibly the most impressive work Nintendo have ever done.
 
This is why Ocarina of Time is better:




(Listen to the whole thing in another tab or at least take breaks; it's well worth it.)
 
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Ocarina of Time changed video games forever for me. Was never that fully immersed in a 3D game before that. Super Mario 64 was legendary in how much it changed gaming for me but I wasn't as 'immersed' in any world as I was with OoT when that came out. But man was Mario 64 the shit, I instantly wanted an N64 so bad when I played it in Toys 'R Us back in the day.

Rooster said:
Right... but you'll notice the topic is about 3D debuts, not games that played like SM64.
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Wasn't Kirby 64 the 3D debut? I genuinely don't know, Kirby as a franchise has always been one of my biggest blindspots.
 
AllEchse said:
I would say it was a good transition to 3D, cause the game is still good, especially compared to other franchises 3D transitions, but I wouldn't call it a good adaption.
The gameplay loop is just very different and much more exploration focussed than the 2D games.
I would argue Mario 3D World and Land were better adaptions, as they are much closer to the source level structure wise.
All the other 3D Mario games might aswell be a whole new series.
Click to expand...

I do get what you’re saying, but the main Mario series had been getting more and more exploration focused even before 64. World with its secret exits and switch palaces meant there was a lot more combing all the levels for secrets. Then there was Yoshi’s Island, which stuffed every level full of collectibles, then mini games and secret rooms to discover on top of it. It also had the red coins which 64 would then take.

I honestly think World > Yoshi’s Island > 64 is a surprisingly natural progression when you look at it. Where’s as 3D Land and World have always felt much more like 3D versions of mainly SMB3 (with a bit of 2 thrown in for 3D World).
 
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Ocarina is my favorite game of the three so I voted for it, but I think Mario 64 is the most impressive jump to 3D. It's insane how they made a game that feels better to control than 99% of modern games on their first try.
 
I would say Mario 64 following by OoT. While OoT inspired a lot of third person adventure games Mario 64 is still, to this day, the defacto blueprint for 3D platforming game. It’s impact can’t really be overstated. If you’re making a 3D platformer today you’re still using the foundation set by Mario 64.

Metroid Prime is an amazingly well crafted first person adventure game but it doesn’t have the impact of the other two as while it’s on a pedestal of near perfection for a first person adventure it didn’t really make such big waves that it shifted the entire genre like the other two.
 
Sumio Mondo said:
Wasn't Kirby 64 the 3D debut? I genuinely don't know, Kirby as a franchise has always been one of my biggest blindspots.
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Well the graphics were in 3D, but there wasn't a true z-axis. Some stages scrolled cylindrically and the camera took atypical angles for the genre to give a sort of 3D-esque impression, but it was still just a 2.5D platformer.
 
Sumio Mondo said:
Ocarina of Time changed video games forever for me. Was never that fully immersed in a 3D game before that. Super Mario 64 was legendary in how much it changed gaming for me but I wasn't as 'immersed' in any world as I was with OoT when that came out. But man was Mario 64 the shit, I instantly wanted an N64 so bad when I played it in Toys 'R Us back in the day.


Wasn't Kirby 64 the 3D debut? I genuinely don't know, Kirby as a franchise has always been one of my biggest blindspots.
Click to expand...
It's difficult to describe exactly why but the same happened to me. Oot was released on 1998 and I just played it on early 2000, after playing a good amount of some other 3d N64 and PC games. One day I rented it because I liked the catridge logo and had the impression of hearing about the name Zelda before. I remember getting stuck on Deku Tree because I never imagined that I could put fire on a deku stick(didn't know english by the time).
After that I talked about this game I rented and was stuck within a circle of friends and then I discovered how popular it was. One of them lended me his catridge for a few months and I discovered bliss...XD. Game was pure magic. What impressed me the most was the gap between my expectations about what is possible within a game before and after Oot. After that no game brought me this feeling again, they always feel like an evolution in small steps.

Curiously I bought his Oot copy some years later.
 
For me personally, Ocarina of Time takes the throne.

All three are amazing, earth-shattering works of creative genius that set new standards in the medium, but for me, Ocarina stands apart for its sheer epic splendor.

It's like the video game equivalent of The Lord of the Rings; a grand journey through an unforgettable world of mind-blowing scope and ambition, from humble beginnings through to an apocalyptic climax, with countless memorable encounters, challenges, characters, and places along the way.

Few moments in my nearly 30 years as a gamer can compare to the highlights of playing through it for the first time, and few games have imprinted themselves on my memory so powerfully.
 
OoT.

While Prime to this day still looks fantastic upon a replay, OoT still has amazing dungeons that hold up well to this day and are as impactful.

I replayed the 3DS version, which yes, had some nicely redone textures, but the dungeons were unchanged and still just amazing.
 
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Mario 64. Both OOT and Prime are brilliant, but they're aping the formulas of their previous entries heavily. Mario 64 had revolutionary innovations and completely remixed it's established formula.
 
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