I hope you don't mind repurposing this thread into the Super Mario 3D All-Stars/Mario 35th Anniversary official thread. I really don't want to split the discussion into a different thread, and I'm too lazy to write a nice opening post.
I'm not even bothering with the Game & Watch. I was a little put out by the pin set fiasco and considered putting a complaint into Nintendo but I'm not feeling it to be worth the effort even if I can finagle something out of it.
I'm going to try. I want it for the novelty. Ever since Uncle Bob mentioned the original Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch, I haven't been able to shake what a missed opportunity that was.
And I'll have to eat some words from earlier because the camera is WAY worse than I remember, and the controls are much more finicky as well. I have died so much already because of challenges with the cameras and walking controls. There have been times where the camera has flat out killed me. One early one was a long jump I attempted to do on Whomp's Fortress and the camera would spin all the way around, changing what my input meant and I would go from running forward to pulling back mid-jump.
Hot take: Super Mario 64 is not a good game anymore. It isn't bad per se, and I can appreciate it for what it means from a historic context. However, it isn't a game I will likely play again in its original form after this play through. I'm not sure I'm going to finish it this time. That depends on how much patience I have.
The game is just so janky, like Sega levels of jank. In addition to the camera and controls, the level design leaves a lot to be desired. I don't mean the entire courses themselves. Rather things like narrow corridors such as in Peach's castle that make the camera spaz if you try to adjust it and the sheer amount of slopes that Mario will inevitable, unintentionally slide down. Nintendo learned so much between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey. The latter is so polished, and rightly doesn't have many of these issues.
I have to take back something I said earlier. A mere graphics update would not have sufficed. Playing through Super Mario 64 again made it abundantly clear how much the game needs a complete remake. Personally, I'd probably keep the graphics closer to the original. It doesn't need Odyssey-level detail, simply better textures and geometry. Peach's castle and the courses themselves are mostly fine. Maybe make certain areas larger so the camera has somewhere to go without clipping into the wall. Some of the platforms are infuriatingly small, but maybe they would be fine with more precise controls. 🤷â€â™€ï¸
I'm about half-way through Mario 64 at 55 stars, attempting to get to 100% without looking at any hints or guides, just relying on my memory and playing the game. Won't beat the game until I'm at 100% this time around. Also going to attempt to 100% the other two games, though those will surely be longer affairs.
You're a little further than me. I have 37 Stars. I don't think I can get any Stars requiring heavy flying. I can't get the hang of the controls (pointers are welcome). I tried getting the Red Coins in the Wing Cap Course like five times before wanting to throw my controller into the sun.