pixelated aquaphobia: or why super mario 64’s water stages scared me as a youngster

When Super Mario 64 came out in 1996, I was eight years old, and I absolutely adored the game.

However, I was afraid of the water levels. Like dreadfully, would not play the state unless absolutely necessary. They were a million times worse than the ghost mansion levels.

It was my first experience with exploring a 3D water space and it was absolutely frightening to me to think that something could sneak up behind me and that I couldn’t see it. While their weren’t many Super Mario 64 water enemies that could kill Mario, the Eel was the worst and I really just jumped and shuddered every time I had to come near it.

I also felt that Mario was pretty defenseless underwater, which he kind of was. I think he could punch, but he sure could not swim very fast and as a result this increased my adrenaline when I played the water levels.

It was very stressful, but I loved the game, so I had to keep playing.

Even more ridiculous, I was absolutely scared to swim out to the pond in front of the moat. I thought the Eel was waiting for Mario out there with his shark buddies and I never made Mario swim out there.

Yeah, I was kind of a dweeb, but damn did that pixel water make me nervous.