I always had the feeling Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride where remnants of early stages when they where going for a more linear platforming intensive levels. But as they neared the end of development they just kinda threw them in at the end just to have more levels.
And add the fact that you bounce off walls and get stunned when you jump into them just a little and even slide a bit when you are on a slope, and you have my stroke personified...
I haven't touched tick tock clock or the other levels it shares a room with in years, specially after learning how to do the wacky stair wahoo, thank you BLJ for saving the third half of this game
I definitely relate to the frustration in this video a lot. I really love how you can feel your own skill progress in SM64. When I started playing SM64 hacks it was miserable to do super basic stuff and everything was frustrating. Though I'm still pretty bad at the game, It's satisfying to go back to earlier levels and find yourself beating them quicker and with less thought put into it.
Oooh could you do this for other games? " X level is X game at its absolute worst." I think On a Rail in Half Life would be low-hanging fruit though (and I actually don't personally mind it).
Extremely well made video once again Colonel, Though my opinion of this stage is radically different, if you want a real pace breaker. I point you to Dire Dire Docks! I still love that stage too, however It feels extremely cramped and actually requires re-entry for multiple stars and the Swimming path is the same every single time. I feel that Tick Tock Clock is entirely appropriate for its place in the game, it has asked you to be patient and wait in the prior Rainbow Ride. Whilst Tick Tock Clock is indeed linear I feel like its approach to pure platforming is what always made it my favorite stage in the game, I like that I can choose to make things harder for myself by entering the clock at double speed if I want to. I don't find any of the goals obtuse to reach and I like the dichotomy between the higher speed platforming and the slower more methodical timing. I think it feels so different to play compared to the other levels because it centers on a single gimmick. Timing but I can say it's likely more an acquired taste than anything! (●´ω`●)
@@logicphile6207 I think that's largely a personal thing. But the clock is up in your face. I can see why it would be like that for some people. Personally when given a choice of path I always go left first! Just a psychological thing probably! 〈(´。´◕ ω ◕` 。) /
The one good thing about Tick Tock Clock is that it doesn't send you all the way back to the castle yard when you die. To this day I have not completed Mario Over the Rainbow...ever. I believe I've obtained every other star in this game at least once.
That star's not so bad. All you have to do is go to the red platforms, which is where the cannons are, and there's enough wing cap boxes to where you'll be very unlikely to run out of power.
It's my favorite level in the game for several reasons. Climbing to the top and getting certain stars on different floors feels like a skill level test and higher stars show more skill. SOT is the most satisfying star in the level for sure and maybe the whole game. Furthermore, having the time-mechanic is an interesting twist that makes the level more interesting to me. The level design itself is the most unique stage in my opinion and the portal entering it is the coolest entry to the level in the game, hands down! Now, for all the reasons it's my favorite, it's mainly because it's the most satisfying to win in my opinion. Every single thing you stated in this video is completely fair. I've gotten Stomp on Thwomp on 12 before, so it's a lot of fun for me to admit the mechanic doesn't effect me, but that's more or less because I learned to use this level's weaknesses to my advantage, which takes a LOT of time to do! So while I completely oppose you on this level being the worst of the game, you're objections are totally sound. And the camera thing you mentioned isn't something I can defend, that part is objectively a problem even for such a TTC fan like me!
I personally prefer Mario 64’s linear stages over the more “open” ones. Both are good but I want my platforming to be tested and the linear stages are best at that. That being said, I can agree with more or less all your points. Funnily enough half this level’s problems would be solved if it just started you at the first clock once you’ve collected you first star, but instead it insists on always starting you at the bottom which is frustrating. There are some things in Tick Tock clock that are cheap. One thing I can think of is that the game doesn’t communicate to you whether or not there’s a gap between the wall and the platform you’re trying to jump on. The camera can’t rotate in a way that makes this clear so it’s one of those things you just have to know. Another thing that’s cheap is in my opinion the fact that you can land on a rotating block, then the block rotates as Mario is trying to stand up basically booting you out of the level. The camera in general can make this level a ton harder than it needs to be, but that holds true for more or less every M64 level except Bowser’s levels where the camera somehow works wonderfully. With all of that being said, I still enjoy Tick Tock Clock. I can’t say the same for Rainbow Ride. Rainbow Ride is almost as hard as TTC, but all of the difficulty is condensed into the final stretches. Not to mention that you’re forced to move slowly on a moving platform every time you want to play. It’s just not fun imo and doesn’t lean into M64’s strengths. At least TTC, for all its flaws, leans into M64’s strengths.
The whole third floor of Peach's Castle feels like ideas they had for bonus stages but made into full stages. Legit, I thought Rainbow Ride was always one of those in-the-clouds bonus levels until I played the game. Every stage from before has a theme consistent with the Mario franchise and unique enough to stand out, however the two on the top floor feel very much like the dessert, with the final stage being the bill, something you don't have to go through however it's always there if you chose to.
The worst part of TTC for me is the song. It's used in so many levels, which sucks because a clock-themed song would be such an obvious and great addition.
Back in the early 2000s, my brother actually figured out how to stop the stuff in that level. I didn't know how because I was a kid. At least now I know.
this stage is literally the bane of my existance, i seriously fucking hated this stage especially with the fact my n64 controller had a bit of stick drift which made this even worse, and i literally got my first couple of game overs in my 100% playthough when i decided i wanted to properly play this game for once.
You are just young to appreciate this masterpiece level, Tik tok clock and rainbow ride were the ultimate skill challenge it made you feel larger that life beating them, we didn’t have strategy guides and the internet to cheat every challenge the game had to offer
Honestly ... thinking back at how hellish and un-natural we decided early life and parenting of the 21st century is supposed to be ... ... all of this suffering pales in comparison. It might get processed as a safe place even ... thqt's why the love for the game and people still talking about it
at least mario 64 DS has more forgiving controls because of mario wall-sliding, yoshi flutter jumping, and whatever the fuck luigi does when you hold down A
Glad to sort by new and see folks criticizing the video, camera complaint is the only really valid one. Zoomers ALWAYS have the same complaints for older games, they HATE anything that isn't spelled out for them, as if figuring out how the clock works can't be fun and approached as a mystery to solve.
tick tock clock was always one of my favorites second only to wet dry world. i never knew people felt this way about it. rainbow ride on the other hand, hooo boy that one was bad. well actually, i didnt hate it i was just incapable of getting anywhere in it.
Honestly, this is the ONE stage I'd say the DS remake fixes almost 100%. The controls? The stage seems somehow build for them, with most turns you do being directions in your moveset. The camera? Again, the stage seems to be built for 8 directions in mind, it's amazing how well it works. The bottomless pit? It has been reduced greatly with is own little area at the beggining almost teasing you with what's to come. The only thing it doesn't fix is the linear structure of the level, but to do that it would have to remake the entire stage, wich would feel off considering it would be the only one with that treatment. Sadly, most players these days never come close to that level, so they can't see how it's been changed
Imo Rainbow Ride is even worse, but for diffrent reasons Mainly Waiting, Falling of the Stage, Waiting, Falling of the Stage, Waiting, Waiting, W A I T I N G (Because doing nothing is the best part right?) Get Star after 3 L O N G Tries, [repeat]
I like TTC, I have a lot of fun trying to push Mario’s moves to his limits here. Looking down and finding new places where you may be able to wallkick up from is loads of fun. Also idk what you are talking about with sm64 not having precise controls, I feel the controls are part of why the game held up for so long. They are tight.
I started playing the OG version on the NSO emulator on Switch last week and the first time as an adult... Bro, how are the controls tight? I have 108 Stars at the moment and every single one of them was a nightmare. Mario feels like he's running on ice at all times. Mario doesn't stop moving when "I" stop moving the stick so he's constantly sliding off edges. Combine that with getting stunned when you hit a wall in the air just a little, belly/ass sliding whenever Mario feels like it, god awful camera control (or lack thereof) and dogshit single stick controls... I don't think I've ever died in a game more than this, especially to falling off. Every stage that has some sort of fall hazard or restricted movement is awful for me as I can't stop Mario from sliding everwhere. SM 64 is making games like Dark Souls look like Minecraft on Peaceful. It's to the point that I think I would have a better chance winning against every boss in Elden Ring, fighting them all at the same time over getting all 120 stars from TTC and Rainbow Ride.
Honestly man, I really hate to be that guy, but TTC isn't that bad. They took a risk for a level instead of playing it safe and thats entirely fine. It may not be your cup of tea but its far from the worst of 64
another point against kicking you out of the level after obtaining the star is that if you could just collect a star in tick tock clock and keep progressing through the stage it wouldn't be nearly as bad. The only time you would have to replay parts of the stage are when you die (which feels like a fair enough punishment if it weren't for the difficulty) and for changing the time but you go over that in the video
Camera is jank, no lie, but this whole video is hyperbole, Tik Tok Clock might actually be my favorite level in the entire game. The idea behind it is that the replay value comes from the different speeds, and while random mode is pretty much guaranteed death, it's still a fun way to mix it up. You get 4 stars on frozen mode in short time and minimal effort (or 5 if you decide to cheese one of the stars), then you have one of the most challenging stars in the game where you have to get to the top, and you HAVE to do it with moving parts. The idea is that it's challenging precision platforming in a linear fashion, which is... classic Mario, but as I said,with the different modes it adds variety. Oh, and you're not even supposed to really start grabbing 100 coin stars on a casual play through, it's mainly a backtrack challenge to 100% the game and re-explore levels, that's the design purpose. I think gamers just hate even moderate challenge in casual games these days, people wants games that are absolutely trivial to beat, slightly to moderately difficult to 100%, then the no-lifers want something they can speedrun.
Another youtuber once said Mario 64 has a control choice that seems questionable when it comes to make a 180 turn, either its a snap turn or Mario walks. However I never played Mario 64 but I can't help but noticed some questionable design decisions, like in the desert there are 4 pillars or columns around a pyramid and you can walk up them normally. Not sure what tells you about that. So yea, a level with questionable controls and camera angle but it makes me wonder if testers got really use to the controls.
A lot of Super Mario 64 levels feel like experiments. There's things like random ceilings being able to be climbed on even though they look like they couldn't. The devs were probably just "wow look i can make this wall do this and this" since the technology was new
@@KingMetalMario Yea, it is probably that 64 was so new and so experimental as its notable with ocarina of time as some things felt strange and questionable so yea, all experiemntal
I'd agree if the first wing cap level didn't exist. Side note: Extremely loud sounds aren't funny or original. They're just physically painful. This is one of the very rare cases that I don't give a video a dislike for that.
TTC is simultaneously the best and worst level of the A Button Challenge. Its layout about lack of slopes make it by far the most A-button intensive level of the run, but as a result it has the most bizarre strategies
My best guess is that this level was Nintendo experimenting with a level that's a lot more vertical than the rest of the game? I have no other ideas on how this would have even happened.
Many of these criticisms also apply to Tiny Huge Island, especially the camera and the gaps/instant death/platforming. The final few levels of Mario 64 feel underdeveloped, possibly even not tested and revised for long enough, which is ironic given Nintendo significantly delayed the entire console launch for this game. Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride in particular make it difficult to judge distance and don’t care about you missing slightly. TTC also tricks the player by having some outer platforms attached to the wall, then further up there’s a gap between the platform and the wall. Rainbow Ride has lots of designed problems leading to losing sight of Mario entirely in numerous places and having to manually manipulate the camera while also jumping over obstacles while trying not to grab them and also getting back on the moving carpet, a total headache. It’s still an incredible game in the context of its release, but the last few worlds were and are an absolute chore.
I think another issue is the (re)use of very frenetic music. If the track was something quiet, slow, mysterious, it would do more to encourage the player to be patient, careful, and more thoughtful with their movements. Instead the pace of the beat encourages the player to gun it which inevitably leads to error. After multiple failed runs the music starts to come off as incredibly annoying, even taunting. This isn't to mention that the same track is found in Rainbow Ride, which not only suffers a similar problem with player patience but also is placed in a way that players are given these levels almost back to back, making the track even more repetitive
You should play Mario 64 plus. It's just the same game, but you get analog camera, tighter controls, features backported from the newer game, and it's all configurable to suit your preference.
I clicked on this not seeing it was you and thought, I’ll probably click off early on but as soon as I heard your voice I knew I was in for a good video
"Tick-Tock Clock is Mario 64 at its absolute worst... but what exactly does that mean?" Let me see if I can be the big brain and answer this before the video. -the unavoidable bottomless pit that every Goddamn obstacle and failed jump WILL drop you into, even from the highest point in the level -Tick-Tock Clock is probably the most linear level in the game, offering very little to explore and no really exciting secrets to find -the background music in Tick-Tock Clock is probably the worst song in the game; the zany, wacky-ass cartoon music fits more fast-paced levels like the various slides and the fantastic scenery of Rainbow Ride, but it feels REALLY out of place in a precisely-tuned clock tower -being an early 3-D game, Super Mario 64 on the whole does suffer now and then from 'this landscape is clearly just a bunch of random geometric shapes floating in a void' syndrome, but not very often... except in Tick-Tock Clock (and the Bowser levels), where it's REALLY obvious -the Tick-Tock Clock Red Coin Star sucks and we all know it How'd I do? EDIT: Nailed the first 2 gripes and the last one. Go, me! Alas, I didn't account for PurpleColonel being a zoomer and therefore a casual babby mode gamer who can't handle any remotely unfair challenge and who's too dopamine-fried to do things like talk to nearby NPC's for clues about how the thing that the developers intentionally placed them right next to works in detail. Oh, well, you win some and you lose some.
its not that it's hard, rainbow ride is harder, it's that the challenge of TTC is to redo the exact same platforming sections over and over and just go higher each time and that's lame
@@PurpleColonel I never used the word 'hard.' I'm not calling you a casual babby mode gamer because you think the level is hard or tedious. I'm using that phrase because your complaints include the camera, difficulty controlling Mario, and lack of information about Tick-Tock Clock's hour hand gimmick. In other words, things that a modern gamer that's used to 30 years of game developer experience (and handholding) is much more likely to complain about than someone who grew up with the game.
I haven’t watched this video but how about you all go cry about it? It’s better than anything in Super Mario Sunshine… I just beat all six stars on Tick Tock Clock and didn’t find them all that hard. That Rainbow course with the magic carpets is harder, along with that mission on top of a giant snowman who tries to blow you off. You can control the speed of the platforms and therefore the difficulty by jumping into the clock when the big hand is at different times. -Having the big hand on 12 stops all the platforms from rotating. The hand needs to be within 15° of the centre of the “12” for this to work. -Having the big hand within 67.5° of the centre of the “3” keeps the platforms moving slowly so you can get across without too much trouble. Doing the same with the “9” moves them quickly if you want a challenge. -Having the big hand within 30° of the “6” will randomize the movements of the platforms. Probably harder than the fast mode, honestly. Would not recommend. -You will never need either the fast mode or random mode to complete all of the stars, they’re only there to spice things up for experienced players who want more of a challenge. You will need the slow moving one most of the time, because some areas are inaccessible without at least some platform movement. But you will definitely need to stop all the platforming for the red coin star. It’s impossible to traverse those platforms otherwise. I’ve also noticed Mario can’t grip on to the platforms and pull himself up where the red coins are unless you’re coming down off a ledge from above so you’ll need to tread carefully and land on top every time. It’s not impossible; don’t pull your hair out over it. I also recommend stopping the clock for the 100 coin star if you’re going after that. Then you can get the red coins.
It's not bad, it's different. Linear and repetitive was the norm in old video games. I have no ill memory of this level from when I was a kid. It's just difficult in a way you don't understand. You sound young, so I assume you've never finished a 'lives and game overs' -based old game without savestates, so you lack the mental discipline for that context to appreciate that type of design.
1) I've finished dozens of those, I had an nes as a kid and I've done all those Nintendo classic games. 2) the game over thing does absolutely nothing for any of those games. Even by World they were getting away from it by only making you start at a save point. It's a relic from arcade games but pointless because there are no quarters to suck out of you on a console. 3) Every other part of this game is great, it's literally just this one level lol
@@PurpleColonel It's not pointless. The point is, if you fail too much, the game makes you replay a familiar section so you learn to play better. The point is, it raises the stakes of failure, thus enhancing the riskiness of unknown content (often laid with traps and gotchas). I've observed people play the same game with and without savestates, and the ones that savestate always play way more recklessly than the game's design intended, don't actually learn how to play (they just keep trying until they luck through), and grow way more frustrated as they do. Knowing that failure results in a serious backtrack makes the experience more careful and deliberate, and replaying the same sections builds zen discipline and character.
Linear and repetitive was the norm for old games because they wanted to artificially stretch the playtime. Games were extremely expensive back then, but disk space was limited. Hence why they had these brutal checkpoints so that a player would spend more time on a single level. It’s not that “he doesn’t understand because he’s young” it’s that Nintendo themselves have learnt from these design decisions in their future games and improved upon them. Congrats for being one of the people who could beat this level as a kid, but I strongly doubt a large fraction of this game’s young playerbase would ever even get close to beating Stomp the Thwomp. There are things that M64 does better than its sequels but making you do the same level 6 times for stars is not one of them.
Ah, Mario screaming while falling off of Tick Tock Clock will forever remain ingrained in my head
WUAAAAAAaAAAAaAAAAAaaaAaaaaAaa
I always had the feeling Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride where remnants of early stages when they where going for a more linear platforming intensive levels. But as they neared the end of development they just kinda threw them in at the end just to have more levels.
55 seconds without a half life reference. good job.
And add the fact that you bounce off walls and get stunned when you jump into them just a little and even slide a bit when you are on a slope, and you have my stroke personified...
1:09 It was at this moment Mario knew, he fucked up
Frrr
I haven't touched tick tock clock or the other levels it shares a room with in years, specially after learning how to do the wacky stair wahoo, thank you BLJ for saving the third half of this game
I definitely relate to the frustration in this video a lot. I really love how you can feel your own skill progress in SM64. When I started playing SM64 hacks it was miserable to do super basic stuff and everything was frustrating. Though I'm still pretty bad at the game, It's satisfying to go back to earlier levels and find yourself beating them quicker and with less thought put into it.
Oooh could you do this for other games? " X level is X game at its absolute worst." I think On a Rail in Half Life would be low-hanging fruit though (and I actually don't personally mind it).
Made an On a Rail video a while ago, I like it :)
On a rail is fun
On a Rail isn't bad. I personally always liked it. However, Interloper...
@@sulejmaniapologist which one interloper
@@sulejmaniapologist Yeah, Interloper is bad
Interesting to see your style applied to a more conventional console game.
That is the most insulting true statement.
Tick Tock clock gave us one of the best Mario Kart Tracks.
Absolutely baffled how few views your non-half life videos get
I hope it doesn't discourage you, because I love these!
Extremely well made video once again Colonel, Though my opinion of this stage is radically different, if you want a real pace breaker. I point you to Dire Dire Docks! I still love that stage too, however It feels extremely cramped and actually requires re-entry for multiple stars and the Swimming path is the same every single time. I feel that Tick Tock Clock is entirely appropriate for its place in the game, it has asked you to be patient and wait in the prior Rainbow Ride.
Whilst Tick Tock Clock is indeed linear I feel like its approach to pure platforming is what always made it my favorite stage in the game, I like that I can choose to make things harder for myself by entering the clock at double speed if I want to. I don't find any of the goals obtuse to reach and I like the dichotomy between the higher speed platforming and the slower more methodical timing. I think it feels so different to play compared to the other levels because it centers on a single gimmick. Timing but I can say it's likely more an acquired taste than anything! (●´ω`●)
Rainbow ride is not prior. Your first instinct is to jump directly ahead.
@@logicphile6207 I think that's largely a personal thing. But the clock is up in your face. I can see why it would be like that for some people. Personally when given a choice of path I always go left first! Just a psychological thing probably!
〈(´。´◕ ω ◕` 。) /
Well, Dire Dire Docks’ cramped feeling is part of what makes Super Mario 64 very unsettling.
Tick Tock Clock in Mario kart: 😃
Tick Tock Clock in Mario 64: 💀
I always found tick tock clock to be rather decent. It's the rainbow ride stage that was the bane of my existance when I played this game.
I do not care what you talk about, as long as you make it the same way you have every other video I'll watch it start to finish.
The one good thing about Tick Tock Clock is that it doesn't send you all the way back to the castle yard when you die.
To this day I have not completed Mario Over the Rainbow...ever. I believe I've obtained every other star in this game at least once.
I just had done that star last night, took me like 2 straight hours, made me wanna tear my hair out
That star's not so bad. All you have to do is go to the red platforms, which is where the cannons are, and there's enough wing cap boxes to where you'll be very unlikely to run out of power.
Tick Tock Clock is like the engine room in Banjo-Kazooie, but stretched throughout the entire level
god yeah its like that
It's my favorite level in the game for several reasons. Climbing to the top and getting certain stars on different floors feels like a skill level test and higher stars show more skill. SOT is the most satisfying star in the level for sure and maybe the whole game. Furthermore, having the time-mechanic is an interesting twist that makes the level more interesting to me. The level design itself is the most unique stage in my opinion and the portal entering it is the coolest entry to the level in the game, hands down!
Now, for all the reasons it's my favorite, it's mainly because it's the most satisfying to win in my opinion. Every single thing you stated in this video is completely fair. I've gotten Stomp on Thwomp on 12 before, so it's a lot of fun for me to admit the mechanic doesn't effect me, but that's more or less because I learned to use this level's weaknesses to my advantage, which takes a LOT of time to do!
So while I completely oppose you on this level being the worst of the game, you're objections are totally sound. And the camera thing you mentioned isn't something I can defend, that part is objectively a problem even for such a TTC fan like me!
Stomp on the Thwomp is extra fun to do when the clock is stopped
it's so weird to see sm64 run at a smooth framerate
I swear, when you upload, it's never bad
I personally prefer Mario 64’s linear stages over the more “open” ones. Both are good but I want my platforming to be tested and the linear stages are best at that. That being said, I can agree with more or less all your points. Funnily enough half this level’s problems would be solved if it just started you at the first clock once you’ve collected you first star, but instead it insists on always starting you at the bottom which is frustrating.
There are some things in Tick Tock clock that are cheap. One thing I can think of is that the game doesn’t communicate to you whether or not there’s a gap between the wall and the platform you’re trying to jump on. The camera can’t rotate in a way that makes this clear so it’s one of those things you just have to know. Another thing that’s cheap is in my opinion the fact that you can land on a rotating block, then the block rotates as Mario is trying to stand up basically booting you out of the level. The camera in general can make this level a ton harder than it needs to be, but that holds true for more or less every M64 level except Bowser’s levels where the camera somehow works wonderfully.
With all of that being said, I still enjoy Tick Tock Clock. I can’t say the same for Rainbow Ride. Rainbow Ride is almost as hard as TTC, but all of the difficulty is condensed into the final stretches. Not to mention that you’re forced to move slowly on a moving platform every time you want to play. It’s just not fun imo and doesn’t lean into M64’s strengths. At least TTC, for all its flaws, leans into M64’s strengths.
The whole third floor of Peach's Castle feels like ideas they had for bonus stages but made into full stages. Legit, I thought Rainbow Ride was always one of those in-the-clouds bonus levels until I played the game. Every stage from before has a theme consistent with the Mario franchise and unique enough to stand out, however the two on the top floor feel very much like the dessert, with the final stage being the bill, something you don't have to go through however it's always there if you chose to.
um, i played 64 on ds when i was young, didn't even play that desert map and I remember the time mechanic
3:41 Tick Tock Clock is just built different, your honor.
5:15 This is the best thing I have ever heard
The worst part of TTC for me is the song. It's used in so many levels, which sucks because a clock-themed song would be such an obvious and great addition.
Unfortunately had to do with the hardware limitations of the N64. I too hate hearing the slide music for all of the hardest stars in the game
Back in the early 2000s, my brother actually figured out how to stop the stuff in that level. I didn't know how because I was a kid. At least now I know.
this stage is literally the bane of my existance, i seriously fucking hated this stage especially with the fact my n64 controller had a bit of stick drift which made this even worse, and i literally got my first couple of game overs in my 100% playthough when i decided i wanted to properly play this game for once.
2:56 this meme ... I haven't seen this one.
You are just young to appreciate this masterpiece level, Tik tok clock and rainbow ride were the ultimate skill challenge it made you feel larger that life beating them, we didn’t have strategy guides and the internet to cheat every challenge the game had to offer
I love Super Mario 64, but god, I'm tired of hearing the Slide music. I hate that I can't stand it.
Honestly ... thinking back at how hellish and un-natural we decided early life and parenting of the 21st century is supposed to be ...
... all of this suffering pales in comparison. It might get processed as a safe place even ... thqt's why the love for the game and people still talking about it
Idk why everyone says tick tock clock is hard, like I just froze the time for half the stars
Holy shit please do more content like Mario and Sonic, this shit is bussin respectfully.
I have a ton of videos planned for all kinda series. A particularly big one has kept me from working on any other ones for months now :)
lol I managed to get all 7 stars with the moving hazards turned off
When I tried to 120 star SM64DS my last three stars were all TTC
at least mario 64 DS has more forgiving controls because of mario wall-sliding, yoshi flutter jumping, and whatever the fuck luigi does when you hold down A
@@DannyCheezits still is not fun at all
Genuine skill issue. Best course in the game
I agree with a lot of this, but I will say that I don’t recall having issues figuring out how the entry mechanic worked even as a kid.
at least this stage inspired one of the best duel minigames in mario party 3
Enjoying watching this video while suffering through Tick Tock Clock
Glad to sort by new and see folks criticizing the video, camera complaint is the only really valid one. Zoomers ALWAYS have the same complaints for older games, they HATE anything that isn't spelled out for them, as if figuring out how the clock works can't be fun and approached as a mystery to solve.
tick tock clock was always one of my favorites second only to wet dry world. i never knew people felt this way about it. rainbow ride on the other hand, hooo boy that one was bad. well actually, i didnt hate it i was just incapable of getting anywhere in it.
The DS remake improved this level significantly
Honestly, this is the ONE stage I'd say the DS remake fixes almost 100%. The controls? The stage seems somehow build for them, with most turns you do being directions in your moveset. The camera? Again, the stage seems to be built for 8 directions in mind, it's amazing how well it works. The bottomless pit? It has been reduced greatly with is own little area at the beggining almost teasing you with what's to come. The only thing it doesn't fix is the linear structure of the level, but to do that it would have to remake the entire stage, wich would feel off considering it would be the only one with that treatment. Sadly, most players these days never come close to that level, so they can't see how it's been changed
Imo Rainbow Ride is even worse, but for diffrent reasons
Mainly Waiting, Falling of the Stage, Waiting, Falling of the Stage, Waiting, Waiting, W A I T I N G (Because doing nothing is the best part right?) Get Star after 3 L O N G Tries, [repeat]
And then it repeated itself with Sunshine's platforming levels
I like TTC, I have a lot of fun trying to push Mario’s moves to his limits here. Looking down and finding new places where you may be able to wallkick up from is loads of fun.
Also idk what you are talking about with sm64 not having precise controls, I feel the controls are part of why the game held up for so long. They are tight.
I started playing the OG version on the NSO emulator on Switch last week and the first time as an adult...
Bro, how are the controls tight? I have 108 Stars at the moment and every single one of them was a nightmare. Mario feels like he's running on ice at all times. Mario doesn't stop moving when "I" stop moving the stick so he's constantly sliding off edges. Combine that with getting stunned when you hit a wall in the air just a little, belly/ass sliding whenever Mario feels like it, god awful camera control (or lack thereof) and dogshit single stick controls...
I don't think I've ever died in a game more than this, especially to falling off. Every stage that has some sort of fall hazard or restricted movement is awful for me as I can't stop Mario from sliding everwhere.
SM 64 is making games like Dark Souls look like Minecraft on Peaceful. It's to the point that I think I would have a better chance winning against every boss in Elden Ring, fighting them all at the same time over getting all 120 stars from TTC and Rainbow Ride.
fun fact about clocks irl: you can count the long arrow as a 5 × math question
Honestly man, I really hate to be that guy, but TTC isn't that bad. They took a risk for a level instead of playing it safe and thats entirely fine. It may not be your cup of tea but its far from the worst of 64
another point against kicking you out of the level after obtaining the star is that if you could just collect a star in tick tock clock and keep progressing through the stage it wouldn't be nearly as bad. The only time you would have to replay parts of the stage are when you die (which feels like a fair enough punishment if it weren't for the difficulty) and for changing the time but you go over that in the video
For a second… I thought you were talking about the Mario kart DS TickTock clock and I was about to hunt you down and fight you
Click clock woods banjo kazooie level of frustration??
But it sure does make for one hell of a race track
Camera is jank, no lie, but this whole video is hyperbole, Tik Tok Clock might actually be my favorite level in the entire game. The idea behind it is that the replay value comes from the different speeds, and while random mode is pretty much guaranteed death, it's still a fun way to mix it up. You get 4 stars on frozen mode in short time and minimal effort (or 5 if you decide to cheese one of the stars), then you have one of the most challenging stars in the game where you have to get to the top, and you HAVE to do it with moving parts. The idea is that it's challenging precision platforming in a linear fashion, which is... classic Mario, but as I said,with the different modes it adds variety.
Oh, and you're not even supposed to really start grabbing 100 coin stars on a casual play through, it's mainly a backtrack challenge to 100% the game and re-explore levels, that's the design purpose. I think gamers just hate even moderate challenge in casual games these days, people wants games that are absolutely trivial to beat, slightly to moderately difficult to 100%, then the no-lifers want something they can speedrun.
Tik Tok Clock
Another youtuber once said Mario 64 has a control choice that seems questionable when it comes to make a 180 turn, either its a snap turn or Mario walks.
However I never played Mario 64 but I can't help but noticed some questionable design decisions, like in the desert there are 4 pillars or columns around a pyramid and you can walk up them normally. Not sure what tells you about that.
So yea, a level with questionable controls and camera angle but it makes me wonder if testers got really use to the controls.
A lot of Super Mario 64 levels feel like experiments. There's things like random ceilings being able to be climbed on even though they look like they couldn't. The devs were probably just "wow look i can make this wall do this and this" since the technology was new
@@KingMetalMario Yea, it is probably that 64 was so new and so experimental as its notable with ocarina of time as some things felt strange and questionable so yea, all experiemntal
This video is PurpleColonel at his best!
Nahhhh. That's coming up soon though :)
@@PurpleColonel nice
Wait until Isaac
@@curple3 eh, not fond of that
Oh, let's not talk about Rainbow Ride...
im playing the original game for the first time now and even before watching this i decided I was just going to avoid tick tock clock
I'd agree if the first wing cap level didn't exist.
Side note: Extremely loud sounds aren't funny or original. They're just physically painful. This is one of the very rare cases that I don't give a video a dislike for that.
TTC is simultaneously the best and worst level of the A Button Challenge. Its layout about lack of slopes make it by far the most A-button intensive level of the run, but as a result it has the most bizarre strategies
My best guess is that this level was Nintendo experimenting with a level that's a lot more vertical than the rest of the game? I have no other ideas on how this would have even happened.
Time, Doctor Mario.....
What are you playing 64 on? It looks like it’s running at 60 FPS
Many of these criticisms also apply to Tiny Huge Island, especially the camera and the gaps/instant death/platforming. The final few levels of Mario 64 feel underdeveloped, possibly even not tested and revised for long enough, which is ironic given Nintendo significantly delayed the entire console launch for this game. Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride in particular make it difficult to judge distance and don’t care about you missing slightly. TTC also tricks the player by having some outer platforms attached to the wall, then further up there’s a gap between the platform and the wall. Rainbow Ride has lots of designed problems leading to losing sight of Mario entirely in numerous places and having to manually manipulate the camera while also jumping over obstacles while trying not to grab them and also getting back on the moving carpet, a total headache. It’s still an incredible game in the context of its release, but the last few worlds were and are an absolute chore.
you are absolutely right. but i still think dire dire docks is an even worse course
Dude this high FPS HD emulated SM64 is throwing me off, it just feels wrong and should be illegal (which I guess it actually probably is technically).
The future is now, old man
I'm watching this after seeing a video praising tick tock clock.
I think another issue is the (re)use of very frenetic music. If the track was something quiet, slow, mysterious, it would do more to encourage the player to be patient, careful, and more thoughtful with their movements. Instead the pace of the beat encourages the player to gun it which inevitably leads to error. After multiple failed runs the music starts to come off as incredibly annoying, even taunting.
This isn't to mention that the same track is found in Rainbow Ride, which not only suffers a similar problem with player patience but also is placed in a way that players are given these levels almost back to back, making the track even more repetitive
Really, I'm not a fan of the castle's top floor overall, but TTC is the stage I dislike the least.
You should play Mario 64 plus. It's just the same game, but you get analog camera, tighter controls, features backported from the newer game, and it's all configurable to suit your preference.
I liked tiktok clock on mario 64 ds. i played it to the point i could get the red coins easily
you know, I was just watching your cascade videos and then i realized just now that i forgot to subscribe lol.
"probably this toad here" LOL
I clicked on this not seeing it was you and thought, I’ll probably click off early on but as soon as I heard your voice I knew I was in for a good video
2:57 funny bit
2:42 I'm sorry what?The answer here is wall jump and long jump and when the games feeling spicy, triple jump.
i'd agree with you if rainbow ride didn't exist
How did you get the game to run so smooth?
the pc port
Mario thumbnail
Luigi indexskin
hey, at least the mario kart level is good-
Although Tick Tock Clock is the best map in Mario Kart DS
Did anyone notice how smooth the game was running
PC port baybee
"Tick-Tock Clock is Mario 64 at its absolute worst... but what exactly does that mean?"
Let me see if I can be the big brain and answer this before the video.
-the unavoidable bottomless pit that every Goddamn obstacle and failed jump WILL drop you into, even from the highest point in the level
-Tick-Tock Clock is probably the most linear level in the game, offering very little to explore and no really exciting secrets to find
-the background music in Tick-Tock Clock is probably the worst song in the game; the zany, wacky-ass cartoon music fits more fast-paced levels like the various slides and the fantastic scenery of Rainbow Ride, but it feels REALLY out of place in a precisely-tuned clock tower
-being an early 3-D game, Super Mario 64 on the whole does suffer now and then from 'this landscape is clearly just a bunch of random geometric shapes floating in a void' syndrome, but not very often... except in Tick-Tock Clock (and the Bowser levels), where it's REALLY obvious
-the Tick-Tock Clock Red Coin Star sucks and we all know it
How'd I do?
EDIT: Nailed the first 2 gripes and the last one. Go, me! Alas, I didn't account for PurpleColonel being a zoomer and therefore a casual babby mode gamer who can't handle any remotely unfair challenge and who's too dopamine-fried to do things like talk to nearby NPC's for clues about how the thing that the developers intentionally placed them right next to works in detail. Oh, well, you win some and you lose some.
its not that it's hard, rainbow ride is harder, it's that the challenge of TTC is to redo the exact same platforming sections over and over and just go higher each time and that's lame
@@PurpleColonel I never used the word 'hard.' I'm not calling you a casual babby mode gamer because you think the level is hard or tedious. I'm using that phrase because your complaints include the camera, difficulty controlling Mario, and lack of information about Tick-Tock Clock's hour hand gimmick.
In other words, things that a modern gamer that's used to 30 years of game developer experience (and handholding) is much more likely to complain about than someone who grew up with the game.
@@Nepter8248 Camera complaint is honestly legit, rest are complete baby complaints.
I hated hazy maze 100 coins until I found tick tock clock. Stomp on the thwomp I tried for 2 days and I'm ready to just give up.
I haven’t watched this video but how about you all go cry about it? It’s better than anything in Super Mario Sunshine…
I just beat all six stars on Tick Tock Clock and didn’t find them all that hard. That Rainbow course with the magic carpets is harder, along with that mission on top of a giant snowman who tries to blow you off. You can control the speed of the platforms and therefore the difficulty by jumping into the clock when the big hand is at different times.
-Having the big hand on 12 stops all the platforms from rotating. The hand needs to be within 15° of the centre of the “12” for this to work.
-Having the big hand within 67.5° of the centre of the “3” keeps the platforms moving slowly so you can get across without too much trouble. Doing the same with the “9” moves them quickly if you want a challenge.
-Having the big hand within 30° of the “6” will randomize the movements of the platforms. Probably harder than the fast mode, honestly. Would not recommend.
-You will never need either the fast mode or random mode to complete all of the stars, they’re only there to spice things up for experienced players who want more of a challenge. You will need the slow moving one most of the time, because some areas are inaccessible without at least some platform movement. But you will definitely need to stop all the platforming for the red coin star. It’s impossible to traverse those platforms otherwise. I’ve also noticed Mario can’t grip on to the platforms and pull himself up where the red coins are unless you’re coming down off a ledge from above so you’ll need to tread carefully and land on top every time. It’s not impossible; don’t pull your hair out over it. I also recommend stopping the clock for the 100 coin star if you’re going after that. Then you can get the red coins.
it is better than anything in Sunshine
No it isn’t. Every design choice isn’t at odds with everything
This is the best video ever!
nah. Id say Rainbow Ride is 100% worse especially the 100 coin star
It has TikTok in the name, what did you expect?
1:02
📸
Trying out this level now. It’s so brutal!!! 😩
2:34 you pressed Z+B for this, right?
crouch slightly before jumping
@@PurpleColonel you're pulling my leg that's the whahhoo jump
@@wamwamm its just a long jump idk its in my blood now i just do it
@@wamwamm oh if you mean the little spinny kick thing thats run, crouch, punch
It's not bad, it's different. Linear and repetitive was the norm in old video games. I have no ill memory of this level from when I was a kid. It's just difficult in a way you don't understand.
You sound young, so I assume you've never finished a 'lives and game overs' -based old game without savestates, so you lack the mental discipline for that context to appreciate that type of design.
1) I've finished dozens of those, I had an nes as a kid and I've done all those Nintendo classic games.
2) the game over thing does absolutely nothing for any of those games. Even by World they were getting away from it by only making you start at a save point. It's a relic from arcade games but pointless because there are no quarters to suck out of you on a console.
3) Every other part of this game is great, it's literally just this one level lol
@@PurpleColonel It's not pointless. The point is, if you fail too much, the game makes you replay a familiar section so you learn to play better. The point is, it raises the stakes of failure, thus enhancing the riskiness of unknown content (often laid with traps and gotchas).
I've observed people play the same game with and without savestates, and the ones that savestate always play way more recklessly than the game's design intended, don't actually learn how to play (they just keep trying until they luck through), and grow way more frustrated as they do.
Knowing that failure results in a serious backtrack makes the experience more careful and deliberate, and replaying the same sections builds zen discipline and character.
Linear and repetitive was the norm for old games because they wanted to artificially stretch the playtime. Games were extremely expensive back then, but disk space was limited. Hence why they had these brutal checkpoints so that a player would spend more time on a single level.
It’s not that “he doesn’t understand because he’s young” it’s that Nintendo themselves have learnt from these design decisions in their future games and improved upon them.
Congrats for being one of the people who could beat this level as a kid, but I strongly doubt a large fraction of this game’s young playerbase would ever even get close to beating Stomp the Thwomp.
There are things that M64 does better than its sequels but making you do the same level 6 times for stars is not one of them.
TikTok Clock
True
Alright I'll agree with ya on that
i’m a tick tock clock enjoyer but nice video
To be honest mario 64 doesn't really have a big low point
Nah. Anything past Wet Dry World is fucking Garbage
@@blocks4857 wet dry world is fucking garbage
@@blocks4857🧢
honestly i hate rainbow ride more