Author Archives: Tiffany Dominguez

The game’s development started with the creation of the characters and viewing system. The main designer and the other creative designers were initially unsure of which direction the game should take; months had been spent selecting a camera view and layout that would be appropriate. An original concept involved the game having fixed path much like a different type of game, before the choice was developed to decide on a free-roaming 3D design. Although the majority of Super Mario 64 would end up featuring the free-roaming design, elements of the original fixed path concept would remain in certain parts of the game, particularly in the three Bowser encounters. One of the programmers of Super Mario 64, Giles Goddard, discussed these few linear elements survived as a technique to force players into Bowser’s lair as opposed to to encourage exploration. Continue reading →