Reviewing N64-Era Mario Renders
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- The first video in a new series (potentially)! This thing has existed in various stages of production for over a year, but I kept stopping to rewrite the script or redo the voiceover or play whatever new game found its way into my Steam library. I finally managed to push the video into a state of "good enough" and wanted to publish it before I could second-guess myself. It isn't a perfect specimen (my microphone quality leaves a lot to be desired), but I could either see what people think of the concept or wring my hands for another six months and continue to get nothing done. I think this is the right choice.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:50 Super Mario 64
08:03 Mario Kart 64
10:39 Mario Party
13:25 Mario Golf
15:22 Mario Party 2
16:55 Mario Tennis
20:27 Mario Party 3
24:23 Mario Artist (Nintendo 64DD) and Extras
26:44 Outro
Thanks to the Super Mario Wiki (www.mariowiki.com/) for compiling all of these renders into their respective games' "Gallery" sections. Also shoutouts to Render Archive ( / render_archive ) for hunting down obscure renders and Render96 ( / render96 ) for being a cool project in general.
Some neat render-adjacent videos related to the pinned comment below:
• Alias | wavefront Powe...
• Alias | wavefront Powe... 
Игры
Just a heads up, those promotional renders were modeled using NURBS (Non Uniform Rational B-Splines), which didn't use polygons. It's akin to modeling with plastic sheets and mathematical calculations, and the harsh lighting algorithms of the time combined with the primitive modeling techniques give the CGI that "uncanny" plastic toy look that it's known for (not to mention it is HARD to get an organic look into NURBS modelling). They were the industry standard in movies and animation for years until they started being phased out around the 2000s due to techniques like sub surface scattering (crucial to CG realism) were found to work better with polygonal models. Presumably, they used Alias Poweranimator (the precursor to Maya) to create these renders like Rare did with Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country. NURBS are still regularly used in the engineering and architectural industry though, because their precise nature makes them very useful for precise planning and modeling.
That's absolutely fascinating! It's oddly relieving to have a better understanding of what makes these models tick. And now I have several new render-related rabbit holes to explore whenever I get the free time. Thanks a bunch for sharing!
@@Kirbunny My pleasure! Try looking up demo reels for Alias Poweranimator to get a good idea of the state of CG animation in general in the 90s, especially in commercial work! In fact, I'll link a couple of em to ya!
@@Kirbunny A 1995 reel...
ruclips.net/video/2PS5zRFiSwQ/видео.html
@@Kirbunny A 1996 reel...
ruclips.net/video/RpOklZptrMI/видео.html
@@Kirbunny A 1997 reel...
ruclips.net/video/FTAjxISTpZ4/видео.html
I love how Daisy looked in her N64 era, though I prefer her current design, I do appreciate that Nintendo has made an effort to give her a tan in the more recent Mario spin offs on the switch like she used to have in n64. it'd be nice if they referenced her original dress color scheme with the red crown in games like smash where she has alt colors, sadly ultimate didnt deliver on that lol
I like her 3rd eye
Agreed, the compromise they've aimed for in recent games has been great! Although I'll never fully get over the loss of the red crown.
@@Kirbunny fr, if rosalina gets a silver crown, Daisy should get her red one back 🤞🤞
Tans are goofy but she cool
I feel the same. Dark Daisy is the real stuff
N64 daisy is peak Daisy design. Definitely my favorite iteration of her character
Totally agreed
I disagree, I like current Daisy more
Correct
You just know Daisy pegs Luigi on the reg.
@@seronymus Daisy is definitely the dom in the relationship, pegging included
The Mario leaning on the golf club render looks like he’s trying to hide a smirk while watching someone failing at playing
That's a 0retty good interpretation
It looks like Mario's trying to hold back the funniest joke known to man and failing badly at concealing it.
The mic quality makes me feel like I'm on an airplane and Kirbunny is my captain guiding me through this journey
I literally cannot hear what he is saying
@@rogerlost5851 Was thinking the same thing. Seems like a well put together vid, except for that TERRIBLE microphone!
6:00 I remember this render scaring me as a kid. I was terrified at the thought of bowser just showing up in some random grassy field and chasing me down without warning.
Looking at early renders from the N64 and early GameCube era is always a trip. I feel like it was after Melee where that era of those renders ended.
Yes :(
It’s definitely a certain era where these exist and they do have a weird but also comforting feeling about them. Must be the nostalgia. The group renders especially make me feel nostalgic and remind me of my childhood friends cuz it makes me think of playing those games with them
well yeah because gamecube is when the games could actually start looking like their box art lol
(donkey kong country was an exception)
That is correct. I love that Melee basically has all of the artwork in-game
I would look at melee trophy collections for hours felt like
21:16 bro VIOLATED waluigi there 💀
I really love Daisy's design from this era
Wow I didn’t realize how awesome daisy looked with those renders! Soo much better than what we have now. Also I think it might be interested to do GameCube renders but you do you!
GameCube games are definitely on the docket!
She kind of reminds me of a doll in the thumbnail
@@GemdationShe is a true babe doll, yeah... 😏
@@zerogyoro4521 😆
i think the best thing about them is the overly detailed shadows, makes them look very surreal and otherworldly
Back then, using shadows that way was similar to treating you like a man instead of a kid. It was more serious and realistic. They also took seriously the sgi workstations. Now we have more power and unfortunately we use it for cartoonish stuff
@@gizaha dang what a shame
I will say this, as an 80s kid, we viewed these renders as artwork. Much in the same way we did when looking at hand drawn box art of video games from the 8bit and 16bit era.
That's a super interesting perspective actually, considering what people say about CGI nowadays
90''s kid here have to agree with you there. Myself I never wondered why the graphics werent the same so I just assumed the were artworks made on a pc or by the magazines themselves. It was a jump to 3D that had me entraced first time I booted 64 i spent hours messing with mario's face as thought that was part of the game too not just a tech feature
Same here on my ps1 demo disc i just played the dino walking tech demo for no reason other then it was a cool thing i found XD
They were absolutely beautiful, I agree. I was particularly impressed by the N64 Mario Party box arts.
Indeed. I never saw anything odd about it as a kid. Both these renders and the hand drawn artwork were meant to represent the characters and environments of the games in a way not bound by the limitations of the game consoles at the time. We obviously knew from magazine screenshots that the games didn't look like this, and it was okay. People are too spoiled by fancy graphics nowadays.
9:49 This art totally is reminiscent of the cover art for Super Mario Kart. The shape/color of the grass and sky, as well as the track, are almost identical. Mario's pose is very similar too.
Great video! I love this type of deep dive into Mario history
Wow, those *are* pretty similar! Good catch. I never would've thought to look for something like that. And thank you! I quite like this subject as well, so I aimed to make the kind of video that I would like to see.
I was just thinking that. They look very similar
I love how they reference the poses the characters were in older renders in the new ones they make, especially with Mario Party Superstar. It even amazes me that renders since Wii era were still reused in newer games for many years until now as the style of them has changed even more. I really miss the older renders and the style though.
I want to see Yoshi's pre-rendered model from the Nintendo 64 era as an alternate variant of Yoshi in being brought back but used *_in-game_* in new mainline and spinoff Mario video game entries - complete with very high polygon counts (no blockiness, please!) but much more realistic-looking/less plastic-looking textures and lighting.
The zelda ones are my fav especially majoras mask or the dk country ones just scream amazing whrn i look at the box art.
I love how charming these are. It's so childlike and playful and colorful. I just love how sincere and like humbly improv a lot of the resources are. Also rip when characters had some color :(.
I can maybe almost say it's plasticy like early pixar but it is too fluent and alive looking for it to me. And I definitely wouldn't say it's wooden. Also shoutouts to the Smash 64 character select screen.
Oh hello there again, Wilfred!
ruclips.net/video/4Dh_C9qKshg/видео.html
These drawings remind me of those pictures you see on the walls of Chuck E Cheese
25:12 im telling you, its the beret. the offcentered m, the lack of brim on mario... it feels like one of those mistakes an ai would make. and his head is tilted so far from his body while simultaneously looking like its clipping in his shoulder. gives me the weirds.
Love the video, I really like the style of the early 3D modeling era, it looks so clunky yet has so much feeling to it. Also really love the clouds on the Mario64 cover art :). Keep it up!
Will do! The encouragement is highly appreciated.
With real-time raytracing now being a thing, I'm just waiting for some nostalgic millennials to make an actual game with this aesthetic. The shiny, plasticky look, the slightly awkward mix of flat colors and photorealistic textures on smooth surfaces, everything either flat or rounded... I want to see it in motion. I want to play with it.
👀
Render 96?
I feel like "Amid Evil" got kind of close, although it wasn't aiming for this particular style, it did capture the surrealness of early 3d art
Yess
n64 had ray tracing too suprisngly
I think the Bomberman games take the cake when it comes to the most striking promo renders from the N64 days. They really have this insane dynamism and otherworldly atmosphere to them.
I think the reason I love these renders and their plastic like look is the same reason the Rankin-Bass animations have such an unique charm. It’s just such a childlike magical appearance it’s like these are plastic toys out of a child’s room.
On a similar subject, I love the Mario RPG renders because they remind me of George Pal's stop motion animation.
really fit into the "story" of the first 2 super smash bros., in the original ssb the opening cutscene was the master hand taking mario out of a toy box
Yeah, I honestly don't mind the plastic-y look here. It's definitely not as bad as the SMB Wonder plastic-y-ness.
@@tweer64 Honestly I'm fine with Wonder's artstyle. I think it looks kinda' neat almost like claymation.
Looks like a fever dream...
@ 21:15
"This render depicts a character who became playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ... and Waluigi."
Dude, that is cold.
I would absolutely love to see a similar video for GameCube Era renders, especially the Mario Party franchise !
I'm definitely excited to get around to GameCube renders in the near(-ish) future. They're the ones I truly grew up with, so I'm sure it'll end up being a blast.
Same! Just keep going with it! Great content, btw.
@@Kirbunny Great - I look forward to it!
Luigi's Mansion had great renders. The lighting and textures sold the uncanny creepy vibe of the game
@@TheJanny Luigi's Mansion is a beautiful work of art. Incredible direction & absurd attention to detail. Perfect example of a game that feels crafted & lived in.
5:11 glad I'm not the only one who thought Bowsers in game design is just adorable. He's so chunky and stubby. He looks like a plush.
“Wario is the standout crackhead of the group” that line will always get me lol
Why the hell does stuff like this fascinate me so much?????
Yes, this is honestly a beautiful era in technology, and I fell In love with how games looked in promotional art, it was born out of limitations so we won't ever see this style again unless created intentionally, but It has inspired some of my own art pieces and a sustain investigation (a collection of art pieces for a course). A game in this style would have a lot of potential to be an incredibly looking game.
This is so ridiculously interesting to me. Thanks for making this. I think Daisy is my favorite, along with toad with legs…
As someone old enough to have started gaming on an Atari 2600 - these renders were mind-blowing at the time. The leap the PlayStation and N64 made were just so incredibly exciting. It's hard to convey it but the NINTENDO6444444444 kid does a great job of it! I could say gaming back then was better but it's not that simple. Gaming was still seen as really nerdy and for losers back then. It's great that gaming is so accepted now and we have all these incredible creative games and a rich archive of fantastic games that still stand up today. I think the reason why people look back on eras like this as the golden era is because it truly was new - none of this had been done before and so it exploded creatively. But you look at modern masterpieces from From Software, Rockstar, Naughty Dog etc. and a vast array of fantastic indie games - it's just such a wonderful creative medium that keeps on giving. Thanks for taking a look at these.
7:51 His camera looks like a fast food toy
That made stock pose of Mario looking up to a side is forever ingrained into my mind and I see it every where.
I've seen artists use it as a reference for drawing
The N64 came out when I was 13. I remember playing Super Mario 64 and telling my family that I couldn't imagine how graphics could be improved after that. My sister, who was reading the manual, pointed to the specific render of the sidestep move (3:07) and said: "How about this?" That was the moment I realized that graphics could become much better in the future. Sadly, we never actually had a game that looked like those renders. Thank God for Render 96 on PC.
I simply adore the rubbery plastic cgi aesthetic
21:15 the best part of the video
I love the eerie yet mystical vibes that come with the these renders. The new ones look more polished sure but the low poly 90s CGI just hits different (And I didn’t even grow up in the N64 era)
Great video, I found it interesting
Bro how are they low poly they are tens of thousands of polygons
Well they’re certainly lower poly compared to the modern stuff.
@@paulgilbert5278 but the thing is they aren’t low poly low poly would be like 700 polygons models that are in Mario games now are the same polygon count as these renders or lower and ofcourse new promo models are going to be really high poly but that doesn’t make these low poly these are still very high poly
"Errm... if you ACTAULLY knew anything about 3d models you would know that these are NURB models. Which don't use polygons. Get smart IDOIT!"🤓
This render style is aesthetically pleasing
Growing up with the Nintendo 64, I have a soft spot for this generation of Super Mario.
What I especially dig are the bright colors used for the cast. It is my firm stance that Bowser and Luigi look perfect in this time frame; Bowser's orange skin and Luigi's bright blue pants are gorgeous.
Yoshi is another character whose N64 look I am partial to. Specifically, I love his design from Yoshi's Story, with the light green skin and red shoes. That coloration was previously seen in Super Mario 64 and reused for the first Super Smash Bros. game. Lovely!
Many people like Daisy's tanned complexion in the N64 games. Me? I actually prefer her modern design and proportions, but her dress looked pretty back then. Daisy may have been perceived as a clone of Peach, but otherwise offered a nice, distinct identity back in the Nintendo 64.
I am still a big fan of Mario even today, but the Nintendo 64 is a special time of pleasant memories.
16:18 YES please do, it and it’s bizarre character choices (MP2 Luigi, adult Link but young Zelda only, and Wario’s head but no full body art like the other characters) are sooooooo nostalgic for me
Not to mention calling Bowser "Kerog" for some reason
I love these styles of renders. Something about them is so appealing to me. The color palettes, the glossy finish
Great video! I've also been fascinated by old N64 era renders, too, so this video meets that niche I like. Would love to see more videos on old nintendo renders (like Zelda or Kirby).
Happy to oblige! Both of those series are on the to-do list.
These early renders always look more mysterious and uncanny and I love it. The fan created ones for Super Mario 64 Beta encapsulate this perfectly
The odd thing about those renders is that they're basically how I remember the actual games looking when I was a kid.
20:08, the reviewer looks like a mix of waluigi and the troll face.
2:42 i love the reference
15:05 if that boo is that big at that distance, how giant is it up close?
Saw that MP2 Luigi render and instantly thought "Oh, I remember seeing that render in an art book I had as a kid. I guess that's why he wasn't wearing his normal outfit." Then you brought up the exact art book that I was thinking about.
Love how it looks like Peach is looking down in shock at her foot getting impaled by the steering column in her MK64 render lol (also the steering wheel is clipping through her dress)
I remember looking in awe at Mario 64's instruction booklet. I was 8 at the time, dreaming of a day when graphics would get to that level.
9:08 is it me or does it look like peach's foot cliping in the stering weel's rod?
90's kid here, I first saw the Mario 64 renders in Gamepro magazine sometime in 1996 and the one with the flight cap set my imagination on FIRE, the idea of flying Mario in 3D completely blew my mind - almost an incomprehensable amount of freedom.
Such an interesting video! I’ve always obsessed over these renders so I’m glad to see there’s a video of it out there. Good quality, interesting, well-paced. Very nice!
20:05 After doing some quick searching on that proto-trollface, it looks like that was magazine editor Karen Hollocks. She's still active in marketing in the Dorset UK area
Maybe that Toad render for Mario 64 wasn't him ground pounding, but going down the castle's secret slide.
Those could've been actual toys/figures.
It's interesting that none of the "normal people" characters in Mario Golf have no renders
8:26 The fur on DK's right arm disturbingly resembles a sleeve... The more you think about it the worse it gets.
Cool video, but the editing gave me headaches due to how long some completely fullscreen blurry images went on. They should stay in focus up until the cut-out renders show up on top. Look at 15:20 for an example.
You mentioning the NintendoCapriSun meme of ''So happy'' was a nice nod.
Goods stuff! It is always interesting what kind of renders have existed.
I love the style of these renders so much, I’d love to try recreating the style in 2d or even in blender. I’ve seen people recreate a low poly model aesthetic in programs like ibisPaint and also in blender, but I’m yet to see someone try to copy the look of renders and models like these. The shading and stylization is just so beautiful and charming, probably one of my favorite art styles from nintendo
The character winning screens from Mario party 1 are probably the cutest! I can totally see the vision behind each one, I can only wonder where the concept art and sketches for those are.
These renders are extremely nostalgic for me, especially since they were used on those gameboy advance gummies
17:55 APPLAUSE
The box art Wing Cap Mario is the best render of Mario. There's something so special about it that makes me so emotional that I tear up when I look at him. He looks so happy and lovely, I just wanna hug him. I also love Bowser's renders, especially the ones where you can see his eyes very clearly. His eyes look so intense and bloodshot with veins, it's crazy.
I really enjoyed seeing these crazy renders! I hadn't seen any of these before and they are much more interesting than anything Nintendo would make today. Anyways good job with the video, I thought it was pretty entertaining!
Thank you so much! I'm happy to have presented this bit of history to a wider audience.
I also remember seeing a lot of renders back in the day on the Nintendo website along with some flash based games, some of which were similar to some minigames from Mario Party. All of these games had their particular website with a lot of cool material like wallpapers in high resolution as well as a lot of information about the characters, games, etc.
I remember playing some Mario Party 2 minigames online on the Nintendo website before the game launch. Two of them that I clearly remember was Rakin' 'em In and Speed Hockey, which didn't have those names, but were exactly the same except that the characters were absent. The crane and the hockey platforms had no characters on them.
I’m obsessed with this era of pre rendered content. Like the ff7 graphics are my ish
Born in 85, I got a N64 for Christmas the year it came out and I'm telling you that back then we were AMAZED at how good it looked and how cool it was seeing the characters in 3d. Today's graphics make it look blurry and blocky but back then it seemed crystal clear and round because we had no reference. We need a complete remake of this game.
I love all this early 3d stuff, I was born in 97 and my brothers were into games so I saw all this stuff as a toddler and thought it looked so cool. My favs are the FF7&8 pre rendered bgs
This video really cheered me up after a tough day. Thank you, I'm looking forward to whatever you plan to make in the future :)
Then the time and effort it took to put this thing together was completely worthwhile. Happy to have been of service, and best of luck out there!
Beautiful vid! Keep it up with the nostalgia!!
8:54, I think she looks this way, cause she is in great pain. I would also be if my feet clipped trough my steering axle
The Gamecube era of Daisy's face may be uncanny valley but lets be honest it fits the weird "HI IM DAISY" personality they gave her.
great video! i enjoyed going over the renders! i was surprised to see i never saw some of them! thank you!
14:48 Mario's definetly laughing at someone else's blunder and trying to cover it up
Great video man this was a joy to watch. I love your commentary style, you hit the nail on the head for most of your points. As someone born in 94 this mid to late 90s Mario era is really nostalgic and almost dreamy feeling for me when I look back on it. Boy I wish I could go back
ive honestly always liked Daisy N64 models and renders. I can get why they changed it, since before she just looked like a reskinned peach, but something about the longer hair, and dress looks cool compared to her newer design
This is super interesting video! Could watch hours of this stuff
14:23 DreamWorks face.
The Luigi render at 15:43 makes me smile a little because the dice wasn't altered to specifically show off the 64 here.
Normal 6-sided die are made with a "rule": The numbers that are on each other's opposite side must make 7 when added up to each other. So that meant if 1 was facing up, 6 was facing down. If 2 was facing right, 5 was facing left. If 3 was facing forwards, 4 was facing backwards.
Not only it spells 64 but also 2 on the top because it's Mario Party 2
@@vittosphonecollection4134 You're right. But I feel like that was just a byproduct of the intended 64 thing.
@@stargazersdance Or maybe a both!
Like a coincidence but they noticed that and kept it as a joke?
10:15 Yeah he is. Wario’s always been an absolute unit compared to Mario. The only exception is his “normal” state after you defeat him in Super Mario Land 2. Where he shrinks like Mario does after taking damage.
In SML 2, his small form looks closer to his eventual canon design while Super Wario looks like a precursor to the Bee Sting transformation with his swolled head.
9:01 If you look closely, you can see that Peach’s right foot clips through the pole that’s connected to the steering wheel.
Was born in 89, grew up in the 90's and early 2000's. As a kid, seeing these things blew my mind lol. Even the blocky N64 models were impressive to me and my friends.
This is a fantastic idea/video. Really loved the deep dive. N64 was my first console so I read so much of the manuals, and these models always hold a special place in my heart. I LOVE how the original renders from the silicon graphics computers look.
3:15 i think in mario 64, in whomps fortress, you’re supposed to sneak on the wall past piranha plants
Gosh, I've always loved how these renders have looked. Old video game renders in general just have this unbeatable charm to them, and I'm glad that videos like this are here to give them their due. Great work on this!
Great idea for a video bud, really appreciated the work you put into producing & researching this video.
There's also a clipping mistake in Peach's MK64 render. Her foot clips through the steering wheel rod.
This was a wonderful video to watch and learn from, Luigi seems to have never recovered from those early renders in my opinion
14:39 They also flipped his mouth to look like a frown.
7:05 Woah peach actually looks very similar to her modern design
God I love these, they're so nostalgic despite the fact I wasn't born until around the time the N64 was discontinued. I don't remember it well but I know I loved playing with my dad's N64 and thumbing through our strategy guide for Mario 64. The renders for Mario 64, Mario Party 1/3, as well as Mario Kart & Mario Tennis to a lesser extent, are all incredibly nostalgic to me
A funny story about the players guide: my parents tell me I would sit with my dad while he played Mario 64 and point to where he needed to go in the guide, before I even knew how to read. I find that hard to believe, but I think it's a cute image regardless
This renders are a treat to me. Im in similar position, by the time I was a kid the N64 was old news and the gamecube was the new hot console, but there a certain charm I find in old CGI/renders, like how now Sprites or 2D animation in general is treated.
Man the Renders were something back in the day.
Concerning the Wario render, there was an old game theory video claiming that Wario is 10ft tall...
I never expected that many renders from Mario games off the N64 era, more than half of these I've never saw, thank you for the video.
Great video! I too am nostalgic for those late 90's, early 2000's renders. I love how they maintain the trademark colorful, cartoony feel that embodies childhood fun & imagination. Some of these shots are downright beautiful! In many ways, because of the limitations, they were forced to make things expressive and creative. Modern renders are a lot more realistic, but often less personable and memorable.
had this video show up in my recommended feed by chance and i love these types of videos! as someone who has spent way more time than i need to looking at older game renders, i appreciate the analysis!
I do the same thing lol. Especially for the N64 era ones.
Excellent video would love to see and in depth video on the Wii era mario renders since I grew up with a lot of those
14:44 To me it looks like Mario is holding in a laugh, like he's seen something funny happen but is also trying to keep his composure. (also your mic is so quiet I had to turn my volume almost to 100, no offense but you may want to consider turning it up at least a little)
17:26 Give me gyaru Daisy again!
Nothing can ever beat 90s and early 2000s era 3D renders
Theres do much charm in them
Great stuff man! Brings back memories.