Is Super Mario 64 DS still worth playing in 2026? Today we revisit one of the Nintendo DS launch titles that brought a legendary Nintendo 64 classic to handhelds with new characters, extra stars, multiplayer, minigames and more. But do the controversial controls hold the game back all these years later?
In this video, we take a deep dive into what still works, what doesn’t, and whether Super Mario 64 DS remains worth your time in 2026.
If you enjoy retro gaming discussions, classic Nintendo reviews, and looking back at older games to see if they still hold up today, make sure to like the video, subscribe, and ring the notification bell so you never miss an upload.
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In this video, we take a deep dive into what still works, what doesn’t, and whether Super Mario 64 DS remains worth your time in 2026.
If you enjoy retro gaming discussions, classic Nintendo reviews, and looking back at older games to see if they still hold up today, make sure to like the video, subscribe, and ring the notification bell so you never miss an upload.
Support the channel on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/JamesSchierer
Latest Patreon Exclusive:
Why Survival Games Keep Captivating Players
#SuperMario64DS #NintendoDS #RetroGaming #Mario64
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GamingTranscript
00:00Back in 1996, the gaming industry changed forever when Nintendo released Super Mario
00:0464 on the Nintendo 64.
00:07It wasn't just another sequel starring Mario.
00:10It was a complete reinvention of what platforming games could be.
00:13For a lot of gamers, this was the first time they truly felt freedom in a 3D world.
00:18You weren't just running left and right anymore.
00:20You were exploring giant open environments, experimenting with movement, and discovering
00:25secrets hidden in every corner of Peach's castle.
00:27Super Mario 64 became one of the most influential games ever made, inspiring generations of 3D
00:34platformers that followed.
00:36Then nearly a decade later, Nintendo decided to revisit that legendary game in a way that
00:41nobody really expected.
00:42In 2004, alongside the launch of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo released Super Mario 64 DS.
00:49On the surface, it looked like a simple handheld port of a Nintendo 64 classic, but once people
00:54actually got their hands on it, they realized this was something much bigger.
00:58This wasn't just Mario 64 squeezed onto a portable system.
01:03Nintendo added new characters, new stars, multiplayer, minigames, improved visuals, and entirely new content.
01:10At the same time, the game introduced one massive issue that has followed it for over 20 years,
01:16the controls.
01:17So now in 2026, with modern hardware, emulation, remasters, and countless ways to experience
01:23classic Nintendo games, the big question is this.
01:26Is Super Mario 64 DS still worth playing today?
01:30Or is it simply a relic of the early Nintendo DS era that's been surpassed by better ways
01:35to play Mario 64?
01:38Before we dive deep into this video, if you enjoy retro gaming discussions, revisiting classic
01:43games, modern gaming commentary, and figuring out whether older titles still hold up years
01:48later, make sure to give this video a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel, and ring the notification
01:53bell so you don't miss any future videos.
01:56Also, if you want even more gaming content from me, check out my Patreon, where my latest
02:01Patreon exclusive video is Why Survival Games Keep Captivating Players.
02:05Your support there helps support the channel, and allows me to continue making more content
02:10like this.
02:11To really understand why Super Mario 64 DS mattered so much, you have to remember what
02:16gaming looked like in 2004.
02:18The Nintendo DS itself was a huge gamble.
02:21Nintendo was entering the handheld market with this strange dual screen device that looked nothing
02:26like the Game Boy.
02:27It had a touch screen, a microphone, wireless functionality, and a completely different design
02:33philosophy from anything else on the market.
02:35At the time, many people thought the Nintendo DS was going to fail.
02:39Even Nintendo fans were entirely sure about it.
02:42The PlayStation Portable looked far more powerful and modern, while the DS looked experimental
02:47and weird.
02:48Nintendo needed a launch title that would instantly grab people's attention and show off what the
02:53system could do.
02:54That's where Super Mario 64 DS came in.
02:58On paper, bringing Mario 64 to a handheld system sounded almost impossible.
03:03The original game was heavily designed around the Nintendo 64 controller and its analog stick.
03:08The DS didn't have an analog stick at all.
03:11It only had a D-pad.
03:13That alone sounded like a recipe for disaster.
03:16But Nintendo didn't just port the game over anyway.
03:19They actually rebuilt huge portions of it.
03:21The graphics were improved with cleaner character models and sharper textures.
03:25The castle now contained more secrets and unlockables.
03:28Instead of starting as Mario, players actually began the game as Yoshi and Mario himself became
03:34a character you had to rescue.
03:36Luigi and Wario were also added as fully playable characters, each with their own unique abilities
03:41and exclusive stars.
03:43Nintendo even added dozens of touch screen mini games that became one of the most memorable
03:48parts of the experience for many DS owners.
03:52At the time, this was honestly one of the most impressive handheld games ever made.
03:56Seeing a fully 3D Mario game running on a portable system felt unbelievable in 2004.
04:02A lot of people who were too young to own a Nintendo 64 experienced Mario 64 for the
04:08very first time through this DS remake.
04:10For an entire generation of players, this wasn't the weird handheld version.
04:15This was their Mario 64.
04:17That's important because nostalgia for this game often depends on which version people
04:21grew up with first.
04:23If you played the original Nintendo 64 release back in the day, Super Mario 64 DS can feel
04:28awkward and compromised, but if you grew up with the DS version, many of its differences
04:33feel completely natural.
04:36One of the biggest reasons this game still remains worth playing in 2026 is because the
04:41foundation underneath everything is still phenomenal.
04:43At its core, this is still Super Mario 64, and Super Mario 64 remains one of the greatest
04:49platformers ever created.
04:51The level design still holds up incredibly well.
04:53Bob-omb Battlefield remains one of the best introductory levels in gaming history because it immediately
04:59teaches the player how 3D movement works while still rewarding exploration.
05:04Cool Cool Mountain perfectly balances platforming and experimentation.
05:09Hazy Maze Cave feels mysterious and unpredictable.
05:12Big Boo's Haunt creates an atmosphere that still stands out decades later.
05:16Tick Tock Clock remains one of the most stressful and brilliantly designed platforming stages ever
05:21made.
05:22These levels still feel like playgrounds rather than linear obstacle courses.
05:26Modern games often guide players very carefully from point A to point B, but Mario 64 gives
05:32players freedom.
05:33It encourages curiosity.
05:35Sometimes you'll enter a level intending to grab one specific star and end up spending
05:3930 minutes just messing around because the movement and exploration are fun on their
05:44own.
05:45That sense of freedom is a huge reason why Mario 64 has survived for so long.
05:50Even today, many modern 3D platformers still borrow ideas from it.
05:54You can see Mario 64's DNA in games like A Hat in Time, Astro Bot, and even parts of Super
06:01Mario Odyssey.
06:02The structure of entering a world, discovering objects organically, and experimenting with
06:07movement still feels timeless.
06:09Super Mario 64 DS preserves all of that.
06:12The game still captures the feeling of entering a giant sandbox and simply seeing what you can
06:17discover.
06:19Where the DS version really starts to separate itself from the original game is with its expanded
06:24content.
06:25Nintendo could have just released a straightforward portable port and called it a day, but instead,
06:29they treated this game almost like a reimagining.
06:32The addition of Luigi and Wario dramatically changes how certain levels play.
06:37Luigi's backflip gives him incredible vertical movement, while Wario strength allows him to
06:42break objects that nobody else can.
06:44Yoshi's unique abilities also make early sections of the game feel very different from the original
06:49release.
06:50Certain stars can only be collected with specific characters, which gives the game more replay value,
06:55because you're encouraged to revisit levels from different perspectives.
07:00Then there's the star count itself.
07:02The original Mario 64 had 120 stars.
07:06Super Mario 64 DS increases that number to 150.
07:10There's a substantial amount of additional content.
07:13Some of the new stars are excellent additions that naturally fit into the game world, while
07:17others can feel a little repetitive, but overall the expanded content gives longtime Mario 64
07:23fans new reasons to explore familiar environments again.
07:27There's something genuinely satisfying about revisiting levels you already know and discovering
07:32completely new objectives hidden inside them.
07:35The minigames are another major part of why this game still has value today.
07:39It's honestly easy to forget just how addictive these minigames were during the DS era.
07:44Luigi's poker game, Yoshi's puzzle challenges, Mario's card matching games, and Wario's reflex-based
07:51activities became perfect time killers for road trips, school breaks, or short gaming sessions.
07:57In many ways, the minigames felt like Nintendo experimenting with concepts that would later
08:02influence games like New Super Mario Bros., Mario Party DS, and even some touch screen mechanics
08:08in future Nintendo titles.
08:09While the minigames obviously aren't deep experiences on their own, they add charm and variety to the
08:16overall package.
08:16They also represent a very specific movement in Nintendo history, where the company was
08:21aggressively experimenting with touch screen gaming before smartphones completely changed
08:26portable gaming forever.
08:30Visually Super Mario 64 DS still holds up surprisingly well considering the hardware limitations.
08:36Obviously nobody is going to mistake this for a modern game, but Nintendo did a fantastic
08:40job updating the original Nintendo 64 visuals for the DS hardware.
08:44Character models are smoother, environments are cleaner, and the art direction still shines
08:49through.
08:50The game retains that colorful, toy-like Nintendo charm that ages far better than many realistic
08:56games from the same era.
08:57While some textures are still simplistic and the frame rate can occasionally feel rough by
09:02modern standards, the game remains very playable visually.
09:05In fact, playing it on a Nintendo 3DS, or through modern emulation, often makes the visuals look
09:12even sharper.
09:14Now, unfortunately, we need to talk about the biggest issue with Super Mario 64 DS, because
09:19this is the thing that will determine whether or not the game clicks with you in 2026, the
09:24controls.
09:24The original Mario 64 was revolutionary partly because of how well it used the Nintendo 64
09:30analog stick.
09:32Mario's movement felt smooth, flexible, and responsive in a way that was groundbreaking for
09:373D gaming.
09:38The DS version had to somehow recreate that movement using only a D-pad, and while Nintendo tried their
09:44best, there's no escaping the fact that the controls feel compromised.
09:48Precise platforming becomes significantly harder, small adjustments during jumps feel less natural,
09:55turning can feel stiff, certain sections that were easy in the original game suddenly become
10:00frustrating because the movement lacks the same fluidity.
10:04Back in 2004, Nintendo attempted to solve this issue with touchscreen controls.
10:09Players could use the touchscreen as a virtual analog pad using the stylus or thumbstrap that
10:14came packaged with the system.
10:16The problem is that this method never really felt comfortable for many players.
10:20Some people adapted to it over time, but for others, it always felt awkward.
10:24In 2026, after years of smooth, dual analog controls becoming the standard across gaming,
10:30these control limitations feel even more noticeable.
10:34What makes this issue especially frustrating is that underneath these controls is still an incredible
10:38game.
10:39There are moments in Super Mario 64 DS where you can clearly see how amazing the experience
10:44could have been with proper analog movement.
10:47That's actually why many modern players now turn to alternative ways of playing the game.
10:52On modded systems and emulators, players can use analog stick patches that dramatically
10:57improve the experience.
10:59Suddenly, movement becomes smoother, platforming feels more natural, and many of the frustrations
11:04disappear.
11:05The existence of these modern enhancements actually helped Super Mario 64 DS tremendously in 2026,
11:11because they allow players to experience the game closer to the way it probably should have
11:15controlled from the start.
11:18Another interesting thing about revisiting this game today is how ambitious it feels compared
11:22to many modern remasters.
11:24Nowadays, companies often release very basic ports with minimal effort put into them.
11:29Super Mario 64 DS wasn't content with being a simple re-release.
11:33Nintendo genuinely tried to create a new experience.
11:36Even when some ideas didn't fully work, you could still appreciate the ambition behind
11:41them.
11:41Multiplayer mode, while fairly limited, was still impressive for a handheld launch title
11:46in 2004.
11:47The additional characters, stars, and minigames gave players a reason to revisit a game many
11:53had already played countless times before.
11:55Nintendo could have taken the easy route, but instead they experimented.
11:59That experimental feeling is honestly part of what makes the Nintendo DS era so memorable.
12:05The DS library was filled with weird ideas, touch screen experiments, and unconventional
12:10design choices.
12:11Some worked brilliantly, while others didn't.
12:13But the era itself felt creative in a way that's sometimes missing from modern gaming.
12:18Super Mario 64 DS perfectly represents that mindset.
12:22It's flawed, but it's also fascinating.
12:25One thing I think modern players will appreciate more in 2026 is just how much content is packed
12:31into this game.
12:32Compared to many modern releases filled with microtransactions, season passes, and constant
12:37monetization, Super Mario 64 DS feels refreshingly complete.
12:42You buy the game and immediately have access to a huge amount of content.
12:47Multiple playable characters, dozens of stars, minigames, multiplayer secrets, unlockables, and replayability
12:54are all included from the start.
12:56There's something refreshing about revisiting older Nintendo games and remembering how focused
13:01they were on pure gameplay value.
13:03The soundtrack also deserves credit because it remains incredibly memorable.
13:08Most of the music comes directly from the original Mario 64, which means you still have
13:13legendary tracks like Dire Dire Docks, Slider, and Bob-omb Battlefield.
13:18These songs remain instantly recognizable to generations of gamers.
13:22Even decades later, hearing these tracks immediately transports people back to their childhoods.
13:28Nintendo's music from this era had an incredible ability to create atmosphere, while also becoming
13:33permanently burned into players' memories.
13:36Now the big question becomes whether Super Mario 64 DS is worth playing specifically over
13:41the original version in 2026.
13:44Personally, I don't think the DS version replaces the original game.
13:47The Nintendo 64 version still delivers the purest form of Mario 64's movement and design philosophy.
13:54Mario controls better there, and that alone matters a lot in a platformer.
13:58But the DS version offers enough unique content that I don't think it should be dismissed as
14:03inferior either.
14:04Instead, I see these games as companion experiences.
14:07The original is the tighter, more focused classic, while the DS version is the expanded remix,
14:13packed with extra ideas and experimentation.
14:16For players who have already played the original Mario 64 multiple times, Super Mario 64 DS can
14:22actually feel refreshing because of how different it is.
14:26Familiar levels suddenly contain new objectives, different characters create alternate strategies,
14:31hidden content encourages deeper exploration.
14:34It gives longtime fans a reason to revisit a game they may already know by heart.
14:39At the same time, I think new players should understand exactly what they're getting into.
14:43If someone has never played Mario 64 before, and wants the smoothest possible introduction
14:49to the game, I'd probably recommend the original version, or Super Mario 3D All-Stars first.
14:54But if someone is curious about Nintendo history, loves the DS era, or wants to experience one
15:00of the most ambitious handheld remakes ever made, then Super Mario 64 DS is absolutely still
15:06worth playing.
15:07What's fascinating about this game in 2026 is that it almost feels like an alternate timeline
15:12version of Mario 64.
15:14It's familiar enough to trigger nostalgia, but different enough to feel fresh.
15:19That balance made it stand out from many other remakes and remasters.
15:23Even with its flaws, it has its own identity.
15:26And honestly, I think that identity matters more now than ever.
15:29In an era where so many remasters feel safe and predictable, there's something admirable
15:34about a remake that took risk.
15:36Not every risk paid off, but Nintendo clearly wanted Super Mario 64 DS to feel meaningful rather
15:42than disposable.
15:44More than 20 years later, people are still debating this version because it left an impression.
15:49So is Super Mario 64 DS worth playing in 2026?
15:53I'd say yes, absolutely, but with some important caveats.
15:57If you can play with modern enhancements like analog stick support, the experience becomes
16:02significantly better.
16:04If you're willing to accept slightly awkward controls in exchange for a ton of extra content,
16:09you'll probably have a great time.
16:11And if you love Nintendo history or the Nintendo DS era specifically, this game feels essential.
16:17Super Mario 64 DS is not the definitive version of Mario 64.
16:22But it was never really trying to be.
16:25Instead, it stands as a strange, ambitious, content-packed reimagining of one of gaming's
16:30greatest masterpieces.
16:32It's flawed, experimental, occasionally frustrating, but also incredibly charming and surprisingly
16:38impressive even decades later.
16:40In many ways, that makes it one of the most interesting Nintendo remakes ever made.
16:45If you enjoyed this video and want to see more discussions about classic games and whether
16:50they still hold up today, make sure to give the video a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel,
16:55and ring the notification bell so you don't miss any future uploads.
16:59And again, if you'd like to support the channel even further, check out my Patreon, where my
17:03latest Patreon exclusive video is Why Survival Games Keep Captivating Players.
17:08Thank you all so much for watching, and until next time, Game On!
17:14We'll see you in the next one.
17:16Bye!
17:16Bye!
17:17Bye!
17:17Bye!
17:25Bye!
17:26Bye!
17:27Bye!
17:27Bye!
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