Super Mario 64: Every Level Ranked From Worst To Best

The underground caverns of Hazy Maze Cave make for one of the more sprawling levels in the game. As the name suggests this is a labyrinthine world, so much so that the developers felt it necessary to place a map at the start.

It features some of the cooler game mechanics, requiring the player to ride atop the head of a Loch Ness Monster-type creature, and also houses the metal cap switch, the closest Super Mario 64 has to an invincibility star. The area in general has a vibe and an aesthetic that isn’t replicated anywhere else in the game.

The size of the world, though, can be its downfall, as it never feels cohesive as a location. Rather than exploring Hazy Maze Cave as a whole, you’re simply going somewhere, completing a task there, then re-entering the world and repeating.

It also has some kind of boring stars along with the cool ones, namely the red coins task, which requires Mario to pilot an awfully slow-moving platform. As a rule, any time the game doesn’t let the player move at their own pace, it’s to the detriment of fun.