The 3D trailblazers

#52: Gameplay, scale, atmosphere, anarchy

February 17, 2023

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A lot of people have been playing Metroid Prime this week. Which makes me happy.

Retro Studios’ masterpiece has been stuck on the GameCube (and Wii) for far too long, so it’s been brilliant reading the glowing reviews roll in from first-timers and returning fans alike since the remastered version was dropped onto the Switch during last week’s Nintendo Direct.

Metroid Prime may have arrived a long time after gaming’s first wave of 3D titles, but it was the first in the Metroid series to venture into the third dimension, and it remains a shining example of how to move a classic series from 2D to 3D.

The key to a smooth and worthwhile switch to 3D is retaining what made a series so special to begin with and expanding upon it. This week we look at four of the best examples, and the key feature of each that successfully survived the transition.

Gameplay: Super Mario 64

Nintendo’s games have always been revered for their core gameplay, and no series epitomises that ethos as much as Mario. 2D Mario was renowned for its pixel-perfect platforming and responsive controls, and Nintendo’s main man was the star of numerous all-time great side-scrollers. But Super Mario 64 - launched with the N64 in 1996 - dropped the plumber into a fully realised 3D playground for the very first time and changed everything.

The controls may have been loosened somewhat during the switch, but what remained was Mario’s joyous sense of motion and movement. He could jump, of course, but also long-jump, triple-jump, backflip and side-flip. He could perform handstands on trees, fly with the help of the wing cap and ride shells around levels for no reason other than because it was fun to do so.

The huge levels and expanded move-set made for an even more playful game than its predecessors, with a control scheme so good and so playful that simply traversing the environments was a reward in itself. Super Mario 64 not only moved Mario into 3D, it moved gaming into 3D. And although it may not have been the first 3D game, it laid most of the foundations on which 3D gaming is still being built.

Indeed, the only thing more remarkable than the countless things Mario 64 introduced to gaming is how confidently and competently it pulled them off. Even by Nintendo’s high standards, it was astonishing. Super Mario 64 is one of the most important games ever made, one of the most fun, and still one of the best.

Scale: Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Zelda always felt like an adventure. But to those who were there in 1998, stepping out into Ocarina's Hyrule Field for the first time was unlike anything they’d experienced before. They were presented with a game space larger than anything they’d ever seen, complete with wondrous views, a day-to-night cycle and points of interest everywhere the eye could see.

The previous Zelda (SNES masterpiece A Link to the Past) may not have been strictly 2D in the same way Super Mario World was. But the shift from an isometric viewpoint to this was colossal. Back then Ocarina felt like it took place in a fully open, living and breathing world. One that kept on living even when you weren’t there to see it. It was mostly smoke and mirrors, of course, but it worked.

And Ocarina didn’t stop there. It took this convincing world and introduced time travel into the mix, allowing for an adventure in which you not only explore a gorgeous world as an enthusiastic young child, but are forced to see a ruined future version of it as an adult - a world you failed to save - before finally giving you the ability to travel between the two.

Ocarina of Time was epic in the grandest sense. A game that took players from sleepy village to end-of-the-world showdown via a truly unprecedented world. Mario 64 may have paved the way for the first fully 3D Zelda, but nobody was prepared for the sheer scale, ambition and level of polish Ocarina brought to the table.

Atmosphere: Metroid Prime

One of the things that surprises a lot of people who play Metroid Prime for the first time is that it’s not really a shooter. Despite the shift to a first-person perspective and the presence of an on-screen gun, Prime is a game about exploration above all else. And quite right too, since this is what made its 2D forebears so unique and so special.

In Metroid, the environments and atmosphere are the stars. And Prime uses its change in perspective brilliantly to amplify this. As with its predecessors, Prime is dripping with tension. And it can be a lonely old journey as you map your way methodically through the game’s immaculately designed, labyrinthine environments.

Having successfully moved Mario and Zelda to 3D on the N64, Nintendo waited until the GameCube before turning its attention to Metroid. But the result by developer Retro Studios was every bit a match for Nintendo’s own efforts. Metroid Prime is a masterful title that somehow managed to completely recapture the peerless mood and atmosphere of its predecessors.

Anarchy: Grand Theft Auto III

When conversations about gaming’s shift to 3D arise, GTA III is often overlooked. Perhaps because the series’ move to 3D seemed so natural? Or perhaps because a lot of people don't remember that the series wasn't always 3D to begin with? Regardless, DMA Design’s achievement with GTA III is arguably every bit as impressive as the Nintendo games featured above.

While Ocarina of Time created the illusion of a living open world, GTA III did it for real. And then set you free to cause havoc in it. It was a fully realised city with a realistic day-to-night cycle, weather patterns, pedestrians, hundreds of drivable vehicles and an open-ended mission structure that gave purpose to a game that could otherwise have simply become a fun distraction.

As with Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, when Grand Theft Auto III first arrived on the scene there really wasn’t anything else like it. It was an ambitious and audacious reworking of the top-down GTA template that not only improved upon its predecessors in every way but revolutionised the industry and introduced many of the open-world standards we all take for granted today.

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As always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy the rest of the issue.

Have a great weekend!

Jeff

THE WEEK IN GAMES

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  • A Handheld History

The lovely Handheld History book from Retro Dodo and Lost in Cult which was successfully crowdfunded and shipped to backers last year is now available to pre-order from Amazon.

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The latest books from the wonderful Third Editions have just launched on Kickstarter. Click here to check out the books, which will "take a deep dive into the work of Naughty Dog: behind the scenes, stories and analysis."

Boss Fight Books: Season 6 - Book 2

The crowdfunding campaign for season 6 of the brilliant Boss Fight Books rolls on. There will be four books released as part of the season with the first book already revealed as PaRappa the Rapper and the second now announced to be Animal Crossing. The campaign ends on Wednesday March 8th. Check out the campaign here.

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Next week sees the release of PlayStation VR2 alongside too many games to list! If you'd like to browse the full list of launch games you can check them out here.

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Thanks again, and see you next week!

Jeff