Before you comment on this: This was an April 1st upload. The video is painfully verbose on purpose. I am parodying youtube video essays. They are often incredibly unfocussed and long winded and I have decided to make the most long winded and unfocussed one. There will NOT be more content like this.
Awesome video and really interesting as always. Though I highly advise you to ask for some other person you trust to review the script before record the VO. Countless times during the video I thought you could've easily removed a lot of redundant phrases or merge them into a single idea. (For example in the introduction you repeated like 3 times with different wording that you didn't want to judge the original game but to see room for improvement). Just some constructive criticism. Awesome work as always
@@chair547 I guess I like them because they are just as unfocused as I am 🤣 It's just like when I go research something and end up reading on something that's barely even related on Wikipedia.
I love the extensive use of redundant writing that makes the delivery of this 30 minute video about grass feel concise, as if it was the most efficient use of time possible.
One of the most challenging aspects of this video was hearing Kaze say "one of the most challenging aspects 3 million times. This made the videos challenging, and in the early days of 3d graphics this turned to be one of the most challenging aspects, which made things difficult for programmers, since they found these aspects challenging
The random switching between the basic bilinear texture filtering and horrific HQNX texture filtering in the gameplay footage was infuriating, excellent work here Kaze
Wow, I just stumbled upon Kaze's video on "The Problem with the Grass in Mario 64" and I'm blown away! Kaze's videos are always a treat, and this one was no exception. I love how Kaze delves into the technical details of how games are created and the limitations that developers faced back in the day. As someone who grew up playing Mario 64, I never really gave much thought to the grass texture in the game. But Kaze's video changed that. The level of research and attention to detail that Kaze put into analyzing the grass texture is truly impressive. Kaze's passion for the topic really shines through in the video and it's contagious! I found it fascinating how Kaze explained that the Nintendo 64 hardware was actually capable of handling more complex textures, but the modeling tools at the time didn't seem to support it. Kaze's explanation of how the real grass is a complex system of blades with unique shapes and orientations, which creates a natural texture that is inherently noisy and grainy, was really insightful. I also appreciated how Kaze highlighted the clever techniques that can be used to create realistic and natural-looking grass even with limited resources. Kaze's video is a great example of how much thought and effort goes into even the smallest details of game development. It's clear that Kaze has a deep love and appreciation for the Mario franchise and is committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others. I'm definitely going to be checking out more of Kaze's videos in the future! Overall, I highly recommend this video to anyone who is interested in game development, or who simply wants to learn more about the technical aspects of games. Kaze's friendly and accessible presentation style makes the video both entertaining and informative. Thanks for another great video, Kaze!
I agree that "most HD" style gives the impression of tiny and super-short grass like on a golfing green, but the "OG" style new grass gives the big and long-bladed impression as it was clearly meant to look by the SM64 developers, just better. The only other suggestion I have would be to redo the dirt texture blending so the edges are shaped more like intermittent blobs of dirt and less like planks of wood on an old, rotting lakeside dock.
Really fantastic essays. Reminds me a lot of the three parter feature film "Walls, ceilings and floors" by pannenkoek. A truly artisitic take on one of humanity's biggest achievement.
The new grass looks incredible, but the dirt path looks blurry to me, so I wish there was a way to preserve the more chunky dirt path personally (if there is idk, I lack any artistic capabilities)
Now this is the kind of April fools joke I can get behind. No deceitful BS, just a silly readily apparent long joke video that I can play intyt he background while I take care of housework.
I tried using this as background noise to see if it was close enough to a normal/real video essay, but it turns out the repetition is still crazy noticeable even when I'm not paying attention at all. Amazing work.
The grass in the iconic game "Super Mario 64" is a great example of an element that has failed to stand the test of time, an aspect that unfortunately hinders the game from being a seamless experience for the modern player. Although we appreciate the game for its revolutionary impact in the gaming industry, presenting us with a beautiful 3D world to explore, the lack of detail and realism in the grass textures are hard to ignore in today's high definition era. In the mid-90s, when the game was first released, the blocky and pixelated textures used to represent grass were generally accepted due to technological limitations. These simplistic graphics were a product of their time, when polygons were costly and texture memory was at a premium. However, compared to the photorealistic, dynamic environments we see in contemporary games, Mario 64’s grass leaves much to be desired. It's essentially a repeating, flat green texture, with little to no variation, depth, or response to player interaction. The issue is not just aesthetic, but also immersive. The highly static nature of this graphical element disrupts the suspension of disbelief that games strive for. Grass is such a common element in many game environments, and these subtle interactions can significantly enhance the believability of the world, hence, making the gameplay experience more immersive. Fast forward to today, with the leaps and bounds in video game development, rendering realistic grass is now within reach, although still challenging. Advances in graphics processing units (GPUs), procedural generation, and shaders allow developers to create grass that sways in the wind, responds to the player's movement, and even changes over time. Games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" and "The Witcher 3" are a testament to what can be achieved in terms of grass simulation. However, these methods are not without their costs. The development time, computational power, and skills required to implement such detailed environmental elements can be substantial. Additionally, the trade-off between graphical fidelity and performance needs to be carefully managed, as more complex graphics can strain hardware and slow down game performance. The pursuit of better video game grass graphics is not just about eye candy. It's about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in game development, crafting more immersive and realistic experiences for players. While we may look back fondly on the simpler times of "Super Mario 64", we should also appreciate the journey of technological advancement and how far we've come since then. As we stride towards the future, let's hope for more focus on seemingly trivial details like grass in video game development. Even the minutest details can have the biggest impact on player immersion. It is through these strides we push the boundary of realism and innovation in gaming, continuing to awe and inspire the gamers of the future.
after i became a 3d artist turning back to sm64 was a bit hard given how much room for visual improvement there is, just by applying a couple of simple tricks such as ambient occlusion, smooth shading, pbr textures and beveled edges. i know this wouldnt have been feasible with the limited hardware of the n64, however this is the reason why even mobile games manage to look pretty good despite its simplistic visuals.
I truly appreciate your dedication to adhering to the artists' creative vision with your improvements. It is so tempting to look at something and see what you could change to make it better, but so much more difficult to identify something the original artists could have used to realize their vision, and your progress toward that ideal is impressive to me.
Sm64 already uses texture multiplication. It's used on a greyscale texture in the castle exterior to create grass. It's also used multiple times on the checkered tiles and the column texture to get different colours. Especually the column texture, it's even re-used as the frames for the non-interactable paintings on the first floor. (Also, this is probably the most elaborate april fools video I've ever seen, impressive job mate.)
This perfectly replicated in me the frustration I feel watching "video essays". Most of the video just telling you how good the next thing it's about to tell you is.
I stand by this comment knowing the vid was an April Fools long-winded overly-verbose exercise in videography. I enjoyed that cut and would enjoy it in the future.
ngl i forgot it was april fools i just really enjoyed watching you talk about graphical improvements that can be used on grass. would also love to play different patches with all of these lighting changes!
I still remember the first time I ever laid eyes on Mario 64/Nintendo 64. I was around 8yrs old at a bday party for my mom's friend's son. At the time I had a SNES and was a huge Nintendo fan but our family still didn't have a computer with internet access so I was totally oblivious that this was even a thing yet. This family was very well off financially so they had the game running on a huge 90s style big screen with a high end home theater style sound system. I remember just staring, mouth agape trying to make sense of what I was looking at. My trance was broken when one of the kids offered to let me have a turn. I excitedly accepted but I had been so transfixed one the screen that I neglected everything else. I reached out to grab the controller expecting something "normal" but as soon as I took hold of it I was like "WHAT!?". I didn't even know how I was supposed to hold it! Man it was such a special moment. I'll never forget it.
FWIW: In professional game dev, I would expect a "Technical Artist" to know and work with a lot of the stuff in this video, since it's their specialty to understand how to achieve certain visual effects given technical constraints. So if Kaze's ...essay piqued your interest, check out GDC talks by and for Tech Artists (as an example) :)
I didn't realise this was meant as a joke. It was quite an interesting video. It was kinda repetitive and long-winded, but then I realise that it was like this on purpose as a joke. This could be cut down to a proper video that could be more interesting without the repetitions.
Maybe changing the grass and dirt blending texture back to the triangular shapes instead of the squared look might be better? Looks pretty good, but that's the only thing I dislike, cause the triangles look more natural.
I'm a very big perfectionist and seeing these texture misalignments hurts my eyes. Another thing that bothers me is that on the edges of the grass, where a completely different texture starts, the edge is a straight and unnatural line.
I prefer the new texture overall 32:40 not sure about this example of the vertex shading tho. there is a noticeable straight, dark line between the flat ground and the hillside now. if the shading could add the illusion of curvature rather than highlighting how flat the polys are, that would be chef's kiss.
Even better: he used so many words about grass he became one with every single digital blade of grass in existence. Truly only a master of his craft can ascend to such levels.
For the fist few minutes I was very scared this was like one of AntVenoms past April fool's jokes (he introduces the video topic repeatedly, never actually saying anything) but I am happy this REALLY was a 30 min video on grass!!
Fascinating video, simply incredible. Additionally to all the arguments you presented, I think an aspect that's often underappreciated is the developers' ability to have and use their hands properly. It's a skill that's often downplayed and almost ignored when discussing game design, but it is actually vital. Through the use of your fingers, developers can perform tasks such as coding, or eating food, and drinking drinks. Proper nutrition as well as not starving are actually incredibly important to create a proper game. So as a game developer, you need to have a deep knowledge in biology and chemistry.
I spaced out while watching this since I'm so used to video essays that are exactly like this and it took me until the 13 minute mark to realize I was being pranked.
holy shit, i struggled so much to keep watching and experience your art, i endured so much, and i could only get a quarter of the way through. congrats
I know I am a year late, but my brain really loves long videos like this. Especially educational ones. Sure it's a bit verbose but that makes me laugh my ass off.
I had no idea this was a joke video and watched it unironically. I chalked up the excessive background info at the start and overly detailed mechanical explanations to you being a master of this stuff. That is to say, this worked for me. Maybe I have boring taste, but I prefer when an essay is overly meticulous and granular. I want to know more, not less.
Hi Kaze, I discovered your channel recently and I am loving the content and admire your work. I was watching this video with headphones on today and noticed something you could improve with the audio. At the end of each sentence/segment I can hear a loud click, which I am assuming is a keyboard depress linked to a push to talk on your mic. Keep up the good work!
I was so confused and aghast about the intro of this video being 12 minutes long and repeating itself, and then I saw the pinned comment and went "well done soldier"
Kaze I love you but I will admit that I was overcome with sadness when I realized this wasn't a CeaveGaming video. Such a familiar thumbnail style...hoo ray
Ok but like this actually went kinda hard. But Kaze. Is there an ultimate super Mario 64 mod that maximizes everything that it can to make it look as visually appealing and to run as fast as it possibly can? I'd like to see the most optimal super Mario 64 hack. Thank you!
only two things you could really do would be multi texture or model layers to give it depth and yes i do realize this was an april fools but im actually really interested in this kind of stuff
I've been working on 3D games for 20+ years and the tools of today are SO much easier to work with than they were back in 90s and early 2000s. Nearly everything had to be done manually in the early days and what took hours/days back then can now be done in minutes/hours with far better results. That's just the nature of technology - it develops over time and newer, better techniques and tools are created, then, eventually a new paradigm shift occurs and a new technology replaces much of the previous technology.
No! I actually loved this video! Please, I would love to see a whole series on you just fixing Mario 64's graphics! It truly would be incredible, I'm so sad this is an april fools video :(
