Nintendo is arguably the greatest video game company of all time. Not only have they released some of the most successful consoles, such as the Switch and the Wii, but they also have a lot of great games. Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda are two of Nintendo’s most beloved franchise.
Though they aren’t as big of a deal today, 3D graphics were huge when they were first made. Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are the first 3D games in their respective series. They both released on the Nintendo 64 and were the inspiration for many other games, even today. But which one of these titles is better? Here are five examples of how each one is better than the other.
10 Zelda: Gameplay
Gameplay is one of the most important things when it comes to a video game. In fact, it is the reason why many people will decide to play it. Though Super Mario 64 is fun, the gameplay in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is better. The combat, puzzles, and other mechanics were amazing when the title first released, and fans still enjoy to this day. Super Mario 64’s gameplay was much simpler and there wasn’t as much to do, while The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time provided a greater challenge.
9 Mario: Level Design
There are few games that have more iconic levels than Super Mario 64. Players were able to explore Peach’s Castle and discover paintings that brought them to unique and iconic sandbox areas that most gamers can easily recognize.
While The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s dungeons are also great, they are too big and complex to remember compared to courses like Bob-Omb Battlefield and Whomp’s Fortress. Few games’ levels will ever be more popular than those from Super Mario 64.
8 Zelda: Bosses
Besides Ganondorf, many bosses from The Legend of Zelda are incredibly underrated. The bosses were part of the gameplay’s challenges in Ocarina of Time. Though they don’t always get the recognition that they deserve, they are much more difficult than the bosses in Super Mario 64, with the final battle against Bowser being the only one that was really hard to beat. Bosses from The Legend of Zelda aren’t defeated as easily as some may think, and the ones from Ocarina of Time are just as fun and brutal now as they were back in 1998.
7 Mario: Art Style
One of the things about The Legend of Zelda that every gamer should know is how unique the art style of the games are. In fact, there are few times when two games in the series look the same. Ocarina of Time, however, is one of the games that don’t have an art style exclusively for that installment. On the other hand, there are no other games in the Super Mario series that look like Super Mario 64. The art styles of the other 3D games are basically the same, with only the quality improving over the years. Due to how unique this installment looks compared to the others, Super Mario 64 seems even more special.
6 Zelda: Plot
As stated earlier, gameplay is one of the main reasons why someone would play a game. Besides the gameplay, story tends to be a huge deal for most players. While Nintendo doesn’t usually give the Super Mario games much of a plot, The Legend of Zelda has compelling characters, lore, multiple timelines, and great stories, with Ocarina of Time being one of the best.
After Link finally gets his own fairy, Navi, he goes to Hyrule Castle and meets Princess Zelda. She sends the two of them on a quest to obtain the Spiritual Stones in order to stop Ganondorf from getting the Triforce, but there is a lot more to do in order to truly defeat him.
5 Mario: Decisions
The first course that players have to go to in Super Mario 64 is Bob-Omb Battlefield. After obtaining the first star there, players can decide which levels they want to play for the rest of the game. It isn’t mandatory to get the rest of the stars in Bob-Omb Battlefield and there are other courses that players don’t even need to go to, as long as they get enough stars to unlock other areas of the castle and eventually defeat Bowser. Because the amount of stars needed aren’t nearly as many as the amount of stars in the game, players can make a lot of decisions on how they want to play the game.
4 Zelda: Soundtrack
Though Super Mario 64 has an amazing and nostalgic soundtrack, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s music is better. Many of the most memorable songs throughout the franchise are from this installment and the use of the ocarina makes the music in this game feel more important than others. Playing the ocarina was part of the game and players wouldn’t be able to progress without it. The music in Super Mario 64, however, isn’t needed. It simply makes the experience better.
3 Mario: Easier
There are many different types of gamers and Super Mario 64 is a game that can be played by nearly all of them. Even the youngest gamers would not have much difficulty understanding how they are supposed to play it. Because of this, Super Mario 64 is more appealing to most audiences and can possibly even better if they have not played a lot of video games.
2 Zelda: Harder
On the other hand, there are a lot of gamers that want to be challenged and may get bored if the game is too easy for them. There are a lot of competitive and insanely difficult games, specifically made to please these types of players. Though The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time isn’t anywhere near that difficult and can still be fun for many types of gamers, it does provide a greater challenge than Super Mario 64.
1 Mario: Legacy
Both of these games have made a huge impact on their respective franchises, and gaming in general, but there is no doubt that Super Mario 64 is one of the most revolutionary games of all time. It was the first 3D game, setting up the stage for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and all other 3D games to follow. Without this amazing title, who knows what video games would be like today and how successful Nintendo would be?
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