Ok I just came to the realization that the sky box is not depicting a town underwater but a town viewed from the perspective of someone sinking in water looking up
Oh my gosh, now that you said that I see it; that's a very different perspective than what I previously thought. It's like a foreshadowing of the town you explore later in the level.
I remember as a kid trying to so hard to jump out of the level and explore that city in the skybox. I never realized that it was supposed to be underwater.
Strangely enough, I used to feel a desire to stop playing the game when I got to Wet Dry World, but then it grew on me, and I began to find it quite a fun stage... I blame my personalized copy.
Same bro. I always got discouraged at this level. It was so strange and since it’s unavoidable you feel the need to play this stage before any other level on the 3rd floor
Imagine you’re swimming in the tunnel. You’re about to turn the corner and enter the city. All of a sudden, the eel turns that corner and starts chasing you. You try to swim out of the tunnel but the cage part that you entered is now enclosed. The eel comes very close to you. Then you wake up...
I’m surprised no one gets unsettled by hazy maze cave, it unsettles me and creeps me out a bit more, especially when I was 7 when I first picked up the ds port. The toxic gas maze part creeped me out a lot and I’d avoid going to it unless there was a star I had to grab. Wet dry world felt boring to me, probably why everyone else feared it because it is because it is dreary in its colour scheme with all the muted browns and greys on the bricks.
I think it's because of some factors. 1.- Hazy Maze cave is fairly chock filled with enemies. Not too much, but certainly has more life than wet dry world. 2.- Hazy Maze cave is supposed to be a cave. Caverns are not out of place with what could be called an unfriendly environment, all up to the poisonous gas. Hazy Maze however has the view of an abandoned city. 3.- The color combination might have played a part. The brown and green colors are not as deppressive as gray and blue.
I didn't think much of it as a kid but I was watching someone replay it and I realized whoah Hazy Maze Cave is low key creepy! Especially the part with the Loch Ness Monster thing, tho that always was creepy to me
@@clownplayer7265 yeah the main factor that scared the crap out of me for hazy maze cave was the toxic maze section with the enemies and strange wall texture since I thought it look like a stadium with crowds watching me. You mean Wet Dry had a view of an abandoned city right? I do kinda find it funny Wet Dry didn’t have the same affect on me everyone else had and I get unnerved or disturbed easily and can’t stop asking questions about my discomfort.
Hazy maze cave gave me a super weird feeling. Like I wasn't supposed to be there if that makes sense. Another one that was like that to me was the pyramid in that desert level. Not the whole level, just the part inside the pyramid.
In the German Version, the Level is called Atlantis Aquaria. Well, Atlantis, the sunken town, fits the setting very well IMO. Especially when you get into the hidden Area with the houses. But the most disturbing thing is the fact that a 3rd water based Level doesn't have the relaxing music you know from JRB & DDD, but instead the creepy theme from HMC which doesn't seem fitting. A lot of uneasiness could be taken away from the player if WDW had the fitting music.
Interesting. I felt the exact opposite as a kid. I found the course to be mystical and intriguing, and I loved the sky box. I remember using the canon to shoot Mario into it, imaging him flying in and around the town...😌 and the town underneath just looked abandoned to me, or, just simply made to look like a town, though I can see how you find it unsettling...
They skybox in this level has been found to be a picture of the oldest skyscraper city located in Yemen, not Casares Spain, the biggest hint being the gold building at the very top.
The city background in the wet dry world is actually the town of Shibam in Yemen and the castle thingy on the top is the mosque of Muhammad Ali in egypt
Another question I always had: how did the town and general city in the background become submerged? Is this a future earth? That could explain there only being water creatures and robots.
I think the reason is loneliness, there’s no text in this level unlike every other level, no signs, the bomb-om is so high up that few players can be bothered to talk to it, there’s no communication, that’s why this levels so empty
For me I would play the level for like 5 minutes, but after that I would just wanna stop. The level is just so bland and boring. I actually thought finding town when I first played the level was kinda cool
Same with me, got 3D all stars a few days ago mainly for galaxy but decided to complete the other games first, every time I load up the sunken city part, I turn off my switch within 5 minutes almost automatically, like I’m not even aware I’m turning my console off until an hour later
Let me tell you, everything scared the shit out of me as a kid. Dead Hand traumatized me, Powerpuff Girls had an episode that gave me nightmares, Earnest Scared Stupid was too much for me at one point but Wet Dry World never did anything for me. Despite all that, it did seem unusual to me even as a child. Not the skybox or even the town given I never found the town or noticed what the skybox was young. The music was just music to me but the build and color scheme and general layout and items were strange to me. Even for a japanese fantasy game from the 90s.
Here's my theory: The denizens of W-D world, escaped to the underground caverns due to a great War. They built a town and hid. Eventually, a great Flood wiped out everything and everyone in the hidden town drowned.
I actually played super mario 64 for the first time on an emulator when I was in my late teens and my first experience with wet-dry world was late at night. I had a podcast going in the background and everyone else in the house was asleep, and I remember feeling generally unsettled, like I didn't want to play anymore, as you mentioned in the video. Getting flung over and over by the heave-hoes without actually getting anywhere made me feel trapped, like all my efforts at progression were futile. Now that I think about it, playing late at night in general was pretty unnerving. I've always found the game, and really all games from this era, to have an empty, lonely aura surrounding them that just isn't present in modern games, and I've never seen anyone else talk about it until recently.
All the feelings you described at the beginning, I felt when I played this level when I was younger, I even stopped playing the game entirely, I always thought it was just me but it's crazy to see that this level made other people feel weird too
What happens if you have positive emotions from this level? I remember Wet Dry World being my favorite level in the entire game. I thought it was a level full of mystery, and felt a lot bigger than it actually was for me.
That's a great point! The fun of the mystery, exploration, memories and nostalgia--there's way more positive about it that certainly deserves to be brought up as well!
As a child, I only ever made it to the basement, so up until last year, I didn't even know this level existed. I got such an intrigue from the vibe of the level during a let's play that I went back and replayed the game because I wanted to get to WDW and play the level myself. For that reason, I actually quite like the level.
I like your videos and hope they get more views. I was the dummy that didn't realize I had to collect starts at first in SMB64. I literally had the game for a month or so, just fascinated with going around the world in three dimensions, that when the first star was eventually collected in Bobomb battlefield, I was blown away. I will always remember struggling to get all 120 stars when I was a kid, and the grind that took years to get there, the rumors of Yoshi, the realization that I've gotten 80/120 stars and now the grind to figure out how to get the rest will come about. Eventually I got to the point where 118 was taunting me at the start screen. I remember one of the last ones (probably the actual last one) being 100 coin Tick Tock Clock. With that and reaching the top of the castle I realized an era of my life had wrapped up, not to be revised in my life for an other 20 years or so until it was brought to light one day on youtube, down a rabbit hole of discovering speed runners of other games eventually finding super mario 64 again.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the game! I love how you had that sense of exploration and discovery with this game. I’m thankful that UA-cam videos like this can provide some nostalgia and retrospective on fond memories.
This level’s skybox is awfully off putting. There seems to be some edge of the water that the town is submerged in. But now that I think about it, if you are able to control the water level, could it be you who has caused this town to submerge? All of these mystical elements, like jumping into paintings, finding a winged cap like your own, the never-ending staircase, and Bowser’s course leads me to think that not just Wet-Dry World is unsettling. Maybe this whole game is just a dream. A dream with everything Mario the plumber daydreams about in his pastime. Which also leads me to think something else. Not just Super Mario 64 is a dream. Everything is. Everything in the Mario series is just one giant dream by a plumber wearing red clothes. Here’s my dark theory behind this: Luigi and Mario run a plumbing business called The Super Mario Bros., and they help lots of people with plumbing issues. One day, they meet a pretty beautiful girl named Peach, who asks them to help her with their plumbing. The Mario Bros. gladly do so, as they didn’t want to lose her eyes. When they got back home, however, both of them started fighting over Peach. The argument got so heated that Mario stabbed Luigi in the chest with a pipe. Luigi fell down on the floor, bleeding. His last words to Mario were as the following: “Mario, this isn’t us. We wouldn’t be fighting ever in our lives. This has to be Peach’s doing. Her charm had found us. So I ask you to do one thing: never get charmed by Peach, and keep these words in your heart so you don’t forget me. Luigi is real.” And saying so, he died. Mario felt instant regret. He decided that he would build a giant castle in Luigi’s honor, with a statue with a star written with his last words. He put up many paintings for all the things Luigi liked. After many months of hard work, the castle was done, and Mario felt content. But he only kept the words “Luigi is real” in his heart. He had forgot his warning about Peach. Inviting her to the palace, they had a great time for one day. But only one day. When Mario went to bed with Peach, she got up and choked Mario in his sleep. Mario was dreaming about saving Peach from Bowser so he could have a cake with her, and that dream had never ended. Luigi had also left a mark, so in his dreams there were distorted and lonely parts. Mario had forgotten all about Luigi. But Luigi didn’t. The statue built in his honor is a message for Mario to wake up, for Mario to meet him in the clouds. But who knows when this will happen?
I never knew that the higher you jump when entering the painting, the higher the water level is at the beginning! Cool! After 20 years, I still learned something new about this game.
idk why people always say that you can't leave the hidden town after entering it, because you easily can. if you didn't already know, the water level that you start off with depends on how high you jump into the painting, kinda like how the speed of the obstacles on tick tock clock changes depending on the time you enter on. if you do a side jump as close as possible into the painting, you'll enter at the top. and if you enter at the top, the water level will be higher than what's usually possible. the height is just enough to be able to enter the cage without using the cannon, and it lets you leave the cage whenever you want, even after entering the town
As someone who played Super Mario 64 due to the 3D All Stars Collection, I agree. My favourite course out of the bunch. I just like the concept and exploring the town, finding it fun to go around. Plus no worries about falling off into a death pit. I think my least favourite world would either go to Rainbow Ride or Tiny Huge Island.
Welp tbh I think it will be unerving if it had no soundtracks but I did indeed not like it tho it does had mixed bag vibes but idk from how I sees it I feel loneliness.
I haven't even played the game and the area feels very apocalyptic... To me, the empty buildings represents rapture and the shining light represents a portal from Heaven opening up. I wonder if the game developers were going for apocalypse-vibe when they made this hidden area.
Never found this level uncomfortable, in fact it's my favourite level for some reason. When i was younger and had enough stars to reach the level id just explore it for an hour. or more till i eventually decided it was stime stop. i will admit it did feel like i couldnt leave sooner but maybe its cause i like the level too much, heck sometimes i do it till this day :p WDW just always gets me hooked to it
I can describe you the feeling: feels liminal / feels like a box / feels like a puzzle / feels like you are alone / feel squared / feels small / feels like a dream
@@nerdsmyspiritanimal2676 ig or social media? I need to use a nice place to talk properly, ytb is not enough cause censorship and non allowed private messages, there is a close-up sociaomedia away to get into? Reddit and ig are the onlies im using
You know it's odd, people say that Wet-Dry World pulls off a scary vibe to players but not me. I was 5 when I played this game for the first time and I wasn't even scared for some reason the Eel from Jolly Roger Bay did give me some of the chills but it somehow wasn't frighting.... Something's off about me.....
For some weird reason WDW is one of my favorite levels in SM64 i just kinda like the style of that level Gotta admit the town segment kinda unsettles me I actually think HMC is more unsettling
Another point I don't think has been brought up is whether a similar negative aura can be felt with the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time. (Aside from the shared frustrations of the level's tedious design) Assets from Wet Dry World were clearly reused in that level and outside it as well. With the mysterious music, claustrophobic design, and general hopelessness felt due to feeling like you will never just finally finish and get out of the place, I think a strong parallel can be made with Wet Dry World and the Water Temple 😌
That's very true as well! Both Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time were developed around the same time, so that connection of assets and the concept of a forlorn water theme definitely make sense. And both those games have that 90s CG feel, along with being more mysterious in the sense that they were released before the Internet was prevalent, that make them feel a bit eerie at some parts, and fascinating to discuss.
There are a few things of note. One being that, canonically, Bowser has taken over the castle and, kidnapped most of its' inhabitants. From there, he invaded and took over other worlds, through the paintings. Secondly, It's no secret that one of SM64's inspirations was a CRPG called "Ultima: Underworld 2: Labyrinth of Worlds", an immersive sim that focused on story-telling in its' level design. There are quite a few similarities between one of the story pitches for SM64 and Ultima: Underworld 2's city of Anadunis, with Bowser possibly being a stand-in for the "Guardian" (one of the primary bad-guys in the Ultima series).
well actually, the whole AI brain thing is probably false, but there is a brain diagram painting in the files of the game, also the main part of the level could be the conscious and the town could be the sub conscious. There probably is not an AI there but the level might be a brain diagram.
This level looks like something that belongs in a zelda game. The level mechanics are similar to those found in the water temple, and the vibe and graphics are similar to what you might find in Ocarina of Time or Majora's mask.
I dunno, when I completed SM64 for the first time back in 2018-19, I never felt any kind of negative emotions when playing this level I honestly kinda like it, despite its dull design, it's got some interesting concepts and I definitely do enjoy these theories relating to it
I hate to be a buzz kill to all of these creepy fan theories, but... Doesn't Toad in the very beginning of the game specify that BOWSER created the worlds in the paintings? I don't think the town in WDW is necessarily some actual lost, abandoned place, just an odd/creepy no-rhyme-or-reason-to-it type of place that Bowser created and stuck enemies into to guard the power stars and stop Mario.
I never felt anything other than curiosity and fascination when I played this level as a kid in the early 2000s. Definitely never got any bad vibes, though.
When I was a kid, I was very intrigued by the raising and lowering of the water levels and didn’t find it unsettling at all, however, now I can see definitely why some others felt uncomfortable with it
That level was my favorite and the music also one of my favorite tracks. Never been creeped out by it, but rather fascinated by it’s nature. In fact, when I have the game in mind, it’s one of the first things that pop to mind. The freaking haunted house was creepy AF, with that crazy sentient piano and other anomalies. Also, the bay level and the ... Eel. That thing coming put of the wall. *ugh*
Oh I was always wondering why this level was so special and strange to me as a kid. Particularly the background city and the underground town. I always thought Peach lived there and that background city was something like Mario and her could go on vacation lol. I really liked the level, but still strange compared to the others worlds, nothing negative or creepy to me althou. Similar feeling with Dire Dire Docks whenever I get to that ship which is floating and has a Bowser logo, I was like WHAT HE DOES WITH THIS THING I JUST WANT TO KNOW. Anyway, many thanks for the video!
I was never bothered by this level, aside from the considerable difficulty level. However, I sometimes found the entire hub world, the castle, as unsettling. I suppose it's because it's almost empty, with Peach and all the Toads being trapped in the walls, Bowser looming nearby. I even dream about the castle every now and then. Never really scary dreams, but mysterious.
It never creeped me out, but it definitely fascinated me. In 1997 I was about 8 years old, saw Titanic, and became obsessed. This level, being a water level with differing heights of water, fueled my imagination at the time. Then later on after Zelda: Wind Waker came out (spoilers) I came up with the theory that the town in Wet/Dry World was actually Kakariko Village, only just rediscovered; since the entire level seems to be an abandoned town underwater. Another theory of mine involves Paper Mario 2, and that Wet/Dry World is Rogueport right after the great cataclysm, and that Mario here is simply traveling back in time to the old village and surrounding area that was cast into the depths of the ocean.
Wow, those are really cool theories. Not gonna lie, since this personalization creepypasta came out, I've been more and more curious to know about the history of this level. What cataclysmic event consumed this city and flooded it underwater? It actually is quite strange, now that I think about it as an adult. The realistic background and color palette, as well as the fact that there's an actual city there, really clashes with the dreamlike cartoony theme of Mario 64. I wouldn't mind knowing what the developers had in mind when they designed this level. It's really quite fascinating to ponder. Maybe one day we'll get an answer.
I did not feel much unease. Of course the flooded "town" if you can even call it that is really just a product of hardware and time limitations. Plus the music sounds more mysterious than creepy, at least to me. However there is indeed a melancholy and a loneliness to it. Like walking alone as the sun has just set by an old playground you used to go to with a kindergarten friend of yours you simply lost contact with and of whom you can only remember the first name and a vague image of their face.
My Opinion: The sky box is terrifying, the level is mysterious but I enjoy the design because it is MEANT to be weird. Also, I think the music is a literal bop and deserves more from people. Its basically a mysterious underground theme remix, and I love it.
WDW was actually my favourite level even before I got the game myself, when I plaed it at a friend's house. But, yes, I have felt the strange ... feeling of this level. But as you say, I think it is most because of the loneliness one feel here. Not life, except for the bugs, just some mechanical, unkillable enemies.
I wasn’t the only one who got the creeps here. I also felt a feeling of not wanting to play anymore though I think that’s just due to the complex design of the level (gotta love water levels). I always had a feeling of being watched honestly. The backdrop in Spain I found intriguing as well though I didn’t know it was Spain back then. And yes, the flooded city also gave me the creepy vibes too. Swimming that tunnel now that I think about it gave me thoughts that Mario would drown before making it. And overall yes, this whole game is kinda lonely if you think about it.
I always thought as a kid that the town was far away and that the map was held in the outskirts somewhere to give a feeling being close yet distant to civilization. In a sense, it gives a sense of security that Mario isnt in a completely isolated area, despite being alone in his mission. Strangely comforting to me somehow.
Oh my god. I never knew you could change the level by jumping into the painting at the top... I remember spending hours and hours as a kid exploring the level trying to find a way past that mesh..
Tick Tock Clock has always been my favorite SM64 level, but it's more unsettling than Wet-Dry. Looking down from your platform to see just a white empty abyss scares me, and when trying to race the mechanisms when at a fast pace was a real challenge trying not to fall.
This is one of the few levels I remember playing when I played this game as a little kid, I never got a weird vibe from it but idk i felt like something was wrong but it was a really small subtle feeling and when i found the town i was like “why does it look so weird”
Hi AaronCarothersShow! Nice video of wet dry world! I always found the skybox unsettling! Lol took me 23 years to know its an altered image of Casares, Spain! Go figure! I also wonder why the underwater town is abandoned!?
I can't tell you how many times I tried to get in those houses in the sunken town. Repeatedly punching the doors, kicking the windows, ground pounding the roofs... until I eventually got this nightmare where I finally did get in one of the houses, and a mess of blue zombies flooded out around Mario in the doorway. Obviously I know there's no dead bodies in there now, but as a kid that nightmare freaked me out to the point I could never play that level again. I always had to have my sister play through and get the stars.
I always saw the main section of the world as a test stage, something that wasn't ever originally intended for the game but was added in, the layout of enemies, super random objects like a spire with a switch or the literal floating ring which you shoot through felt so out of place, alot more then something like the floating island in Bob omb battlefield
I remember opening the map in the DS version and when I saw the downtown area I was like "woaw, WTH ?" and then when I finally reached it, it felt like entering the tomb of a lost civilization.
I have indeed felt lonely when playing this level, but I kind of liked it since i kept going in the painting just wandering around and not collecting stars, never knew why
The Level is the first paintjng you encounter once you unlock the upstairs portion of the castle. By that stage, it just seems like more of the same, only with a pain-in-the-neck water-level mechanic to worry about.
When I played that level for the first time, I always had a feeling of emptiness and always wished I could go through the doors of the town to explore the buildings.
My experience: It was just different. I can't say I ever felt uneasy playing it, as I was a really young kid when I played the franchise - never really felt dark, or scared by it, as I certainly did not expect to be creeped out (and wasn't) by a Mario game. I can't even say that I felt that something was "off", or that I thought it was different. It was a while since I was 6, but I did feel something was different with the town underground. Now that I'm an adult and look at it, something was definitely off.
I never felt something creepy about this level, but the skybox and the music is quite unsettling for me. However, there’s a level in other video game that felt quite strange to me, I don’t know how to explain it. That level is the Forest Temple of The Legend Of Zelda: OoT
That's very true: there is something about those Zelda temples where you have to explore and solve mysterious puzzles, and the way the music is that does give off a weird feeling. The Forest Temple's music is very haunting.
AaronCarothersShow Te temple music sounds really mysterious, and it just makes me ask more things, How does the temple look like outside? Who lived there? Why it looks more like an abandon place? What happened there?
I really liked it as a kid because - I thought the water level changing gimmick is really cool - it is by far the easiest level on the upper floor - I felt super smart figuring out that the initial water level depends on where you jump into the painting - while it's a water level it didn't have any scary underwater creatures and vortexes that suck you in
It is so weird that when I have played this level for the first time, I haven't creeped out or felt anything bad, I just played it as normal people play games.
I don't think any of the questions of previous life in the town are applicable since all the worlds were created within the painting, meaning they didn't exist beforehand.
I think I smell a new mystery series brewing~☕
😏
I guess that means yes :)
Nope he never did one
I loved this level
@@AaronCShow What was the music that was playing in the background
Ok I just came to the realization that the sky box is not depicting a town underwater but a town viewed from the perspective of someone sinking in water looking up
Oh my gosh, now that you said that I see it; that's a very different perspective than what I previously thought. It's like a foreshadowing of the town you explore later in the level.
Yeah the sky box never looked like the town is in underwater.
@@AaronCShow it's all in people's imagination of this fake video, nothing is wrong about it.
I don't see it. It looks like an underwater town with the water at the top and the sun above the water surface.
FOR ME THE SKYBOX LOOKS LIKE WINDMILL ISLE FROM SONIC UNLEASHED
I remember as a kid trying to so hard to jump out of the level and explore that city in the skybox. I never realized that it was supposed to be underwater.
Same
me too. and then once I discovered the underground town, I kept trying to enter the buildings. This was a fun game to explore.
Strangely enough, I used to feel a desire to stop playing the game when I got to Wet Dry World, but then it grew on me, and I began to find it quite a fun stage... I blame my personalized copy.
it wasn’t creepy to me tbh. i had so many questions in that level, as a grown up i think this is fun like playing a brain level game or something
I still scared of WDW
bcuz skeeter
yes I’m a wuss
@@SpongeB00b_is_a_savage same. Wasn't creepy. Felt different but not creepy.
@@genesis11am it wasn’t creepy, just made me want to stop playing for a while
Same bro. I always got discouraged at this level. It was so strange and since it’s unavoidable you feel the need to play this stage before any other level on the 3rd floor
So Spain is canon in the Mario Universe?
I guess so
Yemen is cannon now, along with Egypt and Islam
Well the American t.v series put Italy in the universe
The background is a picture of the Manhatten of the desert > Schibam, Jemen
@@Aresydatch How is Yemen one of them?
this level feels like the places i visit in dreams
in fact i had nightmares of being trapped on this level alone, then drowning
Imagine you’re swimming in the tunnel. You’re about to turn the corner and enter the city. All of a sudden, the eel turns that corner and starts chasing you. You try to swim out of the tunnel but the cage part that you entered is now enclosed. The eel comes very close to you. Then you wake up...
@@zarthy4169 haha danger noodle go brr
The water rising/lowering reminds me of some flooding nightmares I've had before.
I remember driving underwater in a altered version of ddd with 2 subs lol
Same, but dying to the flip thingys
I’m surprised no one gets unsettled by hazy maze cave, it unsettles me and creeps me out a bit more, especially when I was 7 when I first picked up the ds port. The toxic gas maze part creeped me out a lot and I’d avoid going to it unless there was a star I had to grab. Wet dry world felt boring to me, probably why everyone else feared it because it is because it is dreary in its colour scheme with all the muted browns and greys on the bricks.
I think it's because of some factors.
1.- Hazy Maze cave is fairly chock filled with enemies. Not too much, but certainly has more life than wet dry world.
2.- Hazy Maze cave is supposed to be a cave. Caverns are not out of place with what could be called an unfriendly environment, all up to the poisonous gas. Hazy Maze however has the view of an abandoned city.
3.- The color combination might have played a part. The brown and green colors are not as deppressive as gray and blue.
I didn't think much of it as a kid but I was watching someone replay it and I realized whoah Hazy Maze Cave is low key creepy! Especially the part with the Loch Ness Monster thing, tho that always was creepy to me
@@clownplayer7265 yeah the main factor that scared the crap out of me for hazy maze cave was the toxic maze section with the enemies and strange wall texture since I thought it look like a stadium with crowds watching me. You mean Wet Dry had a view of an abandoned city right? I do kinda find it funny Wet Dry didn’t have the same affect on me everyone else had and I get unnerved or disturbed easily and can’t stop asking questions about my discomfort.
Hazy maze cave gave me a super weird feeling. Like I wasn't supposed to be there if that makes sense. Another one that was like that to me was the pyramid in that desert level. Not the whole level, just the part inside the pyramid.
Interestingly If I am not mistaken both Wet-Dry world and Hazy maze cave have the same weird background music.
In the German Version, the Level is called Atlantis Aquaria. Well, Atlantis, the sunken town, fits the setting very well IMO. Especially when you get into the hidden Area with the houses.
But the most disturbing thing is the fact that a 3rd water based Level doesn't have the relaxing music you know from JRB & DDD, but instead the creepy theme from HMC which doesn't seem fitting. A lot of uneasiness could be taken away from the player if WDW had the fitting music.
That's really interesting! I did not know that!
Interesting to see in German, it is Aquatic Atlantis.
Interesting. I felt the exact opposite as a kid. I found the course to be mystical and intriguing, and I loved the sky box. I remember using the canon to shoot Mario into it, imaging him flying in and around the town...😌 and the town underneath just looked abandoned to me, or, just simply made to look like a town, though I can see how you find it unsettling...
Yeah it was always like a lost civilization to me, something I've always been fascinated with
It's like a 1950 styled version of Atlantis.
They skybox in this level has been found to be a picture of the oldest skyscraper city located in Yemen, not Casares Spain, the biggest hint being the gold building at the very top.
The city background in the wet dry world is actually the town of Shibam in Yemen and the castle thingy on the top is the mosque of Muhammad Ali in egypt
The wet dry world beta music is so good yet so strange and eerie.
Another question I always had: how did the town and general city in the background become submerged? Is this a future earth? That could explain there only being water creatures and robots.
That's a really interesting point! I never thought of it as a look into the future before!
Or....maybe it's a Shiver Star that flash melted! Man, Nintendo games make folks think, huh?
And why is not Mario submerged, is Wet Dry World in an air bubble?
The answer is bowser. He made the paintings. It was probably raided so mario couldn’t get peach
I think the reason is loneliness, there’s no text in this level unlike every other level, no signs, the bomb-om is so high up that few players can be bothered to talk to it, there’s no communication, that’s why this levels so empty
For me I would play the level for like 5 minutes, but after that I would just wanna stop. The level is just so bland and boring. I actually thought finding town when I first played the level was kinda cool
Same with me, got 3D all stars a few days ago mainly for galaxy but decided to complete the other games first, every time I load up the sunken city part, I turn off my switch within 5 minutes almost automatically, like I’m not even aware I’m turning my console off until an hour later
Let me tell you, everything scared the shit out of me as a kid. Dead Hand traumatized me, Powerpuff Girls had an episode that gave me nightmares, Earnest Scared Stupid was too much for me at one point but Wet Dry World never did anything for me. Despite all that, it did seem unusual to me even as a child. Not the skybox or even the town given I never found the town or noticed what the skybox was young. The music was just music to me but the build and color scheme and general layout and items were strange to me. Even for a japanese fantasy game from the 90s.
Here's my theory:
The denizens of W-D world, escaped to the underground caverns due to a great War. They built a town and hid. Eventually, a great Flood wiped out everything and everyone in the hidden town drowned.
But the trees' leaves are still there. I'm pretty sure the trees would love worse than that. But I see where you're going 1 year comment.
I actually played super mario 64 for the first time on an emulator when I was in my late teens and my first experience with wet-dry world was late at night. I had a podcast going in the background and everyone else in the house was asleep, and I remember feeling generally unsettled, like I didn't want to play anymore, as you mentioned in the video. Getting flung over and over by the heave-hoes without actually getting anywhere made me feel trapped, like all my efforts at progression were futile.
Now that I think about it, playing late at night in general was pretty unnerving. I've always found the game, and really all games from this era, to have an empty, lonely aura surrounding them that just isn't present in modern games, and I've never seen anyone else talk about it until recently.
All the feelings you described at the beginning, I felt when I played this level when I was younger, I even stopped playing the game entirely, I always thought it was just me but it's crazy to see that this level made other people feel weird too
1:33 all of these pretty much describe a liminal space photo
What happens if you have positive emotions from this level? I remember Wet Dry World being my favorite level in the entire game. I thought it was a level full of mystery, and felt a lot bigger than it actually was for me.
That's a great point! The fun of the mystery, exploration, memories and nostalgia--there's way more positive about it that certainly deserves to be brought up as well!
Same this has always been my favourite level, and I was surprised to discover people feel negative emotions from it!
Never was one of my favorites, but i like how odd it is
Wet dry world lover crew checking in.
Back to the brain theory, it give you good signals lol.
As a child, I only ever made it to the basement, so up until last year, I didn't even know this level existed. I got such an intrigue from the vibe of the level during a let's play that I went back and replayed the game because I wanted to get to WDW and play the level myself. For that reason, I actually quite like the level.
I like your videos and hope they get more views.
I was the dummy that didn't realize I had to collect starts at first in SMB64. I literally had the game for a month or so, just fascinated with going around the world in three dimensions, that when the first star was eventually collected in Bobomb battlefield, I was blown away.
I will always remember struggling to get all 120 stars when I was a kid, and the grind that took years to get there, the rumors of Yoshi, the realization that I've gotten 80/120 stars and now the grind to figure out how to get the rest will come about. Eventually I got to the point where 118 was taunting me at the start screen.
I remember one of the last ones (probably the actual last one) being 100 coin Tick Tock Clock. With that and reaching the top of the castle I realized an era of my life had wrapped up, not to be revised in my life for an other 20 years or so until it was brought to light one day on youtube, down a rabbit hole of discovering speed runners of other games eventually finding super mario 64 again.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the game! I love how you had that sense of exploration and discovery with this game. I’m thankful that UA-cam videos like this can provide some nostalgia and retrospective on fond memories.
This level’s skybox is awfully off putting. There seems to be some edge of the water that the town is submerged in.
But now that I think about it, if you are able to control the water level, could it be you who has caused this town to submerge?
All of these mystical elements, like jumping into paintings, finding a winged cap like your own, the never-ending staircase, and Bowser’s course leads me to think that not just Wet-Dry World is unsettling.
Maybe this whole game is just a dream.
A dream with everything Mario the plumber daydreams about in his pastime. Which also leads me to think something else.
Not just Super Mario 64 is a dream.
Everything is.
Everything in the Mario series is just one giant dream by a plumber wearing red clothes.
Here’s my dark theory behind this:
Luigi and Mario run a plumbing business called The Super Mario Bros., and they help lots of people with plumbing issues. One day, they meet a pretty beautiful girl named Peach, who asks them to help her with their plumbing. The Mario Bros. gladly do so, as they didn’t want to lose her eyes. When they got back home, however, both of them started fighting over Peach. The argument got so heated that Mario stabbed Luigi in the chest with a pipe. Luigi fell down on the floor, bleeding. His last words to Mario were as the following:
“Mario, this isn’t us. We wouldn’t be fighting ever in our lives. This has to be Peach’s doing. Her charm had found us. So I ask you to do one thing: never get charmed by Peach, and keep these words in your heart so you don’t forget me. Luigi is real.”
And saying so, he died.
Mario felt instant regret. He decided that he would build a giant castle in Luigi’s honor, with a statue with a star written with his last words. He put up many paintings for all the things Luigi liked. After many months of hard work, the castle was done, and Mario felt content. But he only kept the words “Luigi is real” in his heart. He had forgot his warning about Peach. Inviting her to the palace, they had a great time for one day.
But only one day.
When Mario went to bed with Peach, she got up and choked Mario in his sleep. Mario was dreaming about saving Peach from Bowser so he could have a cake with her, and that dream had never ended. Luigi had also left a mark, so in his dreams there were distorted and lonely parts. Mario had forgotten all about Luigi.
But Luigi didn’t.
The statue built in his honor is a message for Mario to wake up, for Mario to meet him in the clouds.
But who knows when this will happen?
I never knew that the higher you jump when entering the painting, the higher the water level is at the beginning! Cool! After 20 years, I still learned something new about this game.
idk why people always say that you can't leave the hidden town after entering it, because you easily can.
if you didn't already know, the water level that you start off with depends on how high you jump into the painting, kinda like how the speed of the obstacles on tick tock clock changes depending on the time you enter on.
if you do a side jump as close as possible into the painting, you'll enter at the top. and if you enter at the top, the water level will be higher than what's usually possible. the height is just enough to be able to enter the cage without using the cannon, and it lets you leave the cage whenever you want, even after entering the town
Unpopular opinion: Wet-Dry World is my favourite course
As someone who played Super Mario 64 due to the 3D All Stars Collection, I agree. My favourite course out of the bunch. I just like the concept and exploring the town, finding it fun to go around. Plus no worries about falling off into a death pit. I think my least favourite world would either go to Rainbow Ride or Tiny Huge Island.
Welp tbh I think it will be unerving if it had no soundtracks but I did indeed not like it tho it does had mixed bag vibes but idk from how I sees it I feel loneliness.
It's a hard and unfair level imo
Even more unpopular opinion I find it calming
I Like It Since It’s Aesthetically Unique.
Wet Dry World seems like it's based on the concept of an ancient sunken city like Atlantis
Playing wet dry world I felt dread and impending doom
I haven't even played the game and the area feels very apocalyptic... To me, the empty buildings represents rapture and the shining light represents a portal from Heaven opening up. I wonder if the game developers were going for apocalypse-vibe when they made this hidden area.
the skybox isnt actually spain, its a town in yemen called shibam and the red building on top is the mosque of muhammed ali which is in egypt
Never found this level uncomfortable, in fact it's my favourite level for some reason. When i was younger and had enough stars to reach the level id just explore it for an hour. or more till i eventually decided it was stime stop. i will admit it did feel like i couldnt leave sooner but maybe its cause i like the level too much, heck sometimes i do it till this day :p WDW just always gets me hooked to it
I can relate to that
I can describe you the feeling: feels liminal / feels like a box / feels like a puzzle / feels like you are alone / feel squared / feels small / feels like a dream
I’m gonna keep all these feelings in mind and develop a horror game relying on them.
That’s an awesome idea!
@@nerdsmyspiritanimal2676 ig or social media? I need to use a nice place to talk properly, ytb is not enough cause censorship and non allowed private messages, there is a close-up sociaomedia away to get into? Reddit and ig are the onlies im using
You know it's odd, people say that Wet-Dry World pulls off a scary vibe to players but not me. I was 5 when I played this game for the first time and I wasn't even scared for some reason the Eel from Jolly Roger Bay did give me some of the chills but it somehow wasn't frighting.... Something's off about me.....
The skybox is of a town in Yemen, not spain
For some weird reason WDW is one of my favorite levels in SM64 i just kinda like the style of that level
Gotta admit the town segment kinda unsettles me
I actually think HMC is more unsettling
@Retro Octopus, Hazy Maze Cave👍.
I totally agree. HMC is very unsettling. Right now I’m playing Wet Dry World and I’m currently so annoyed and anxious. This is wild!
HMC is actually my fav basement level lol
I like Dorrie :)
Another point I don't think has been brought up is whether a similar negative aura can be felt with the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time. (Aside from the shared frustrations of the level's tedious design) Assets from Wet Dry World were clearly reused in that level and outside it as well. With the mysterious music, claustrophobic design, and general hopelessness felt due to feeling like you will never just finally finish and get out of the place, I think a strong parallel can be made with Wet Dry World and the Water Temple 😌
That's very true as well! Both Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time were developed around the same time, so that connection of assets and the concept of a forlorn water theme definitely make sense. And both those games have that 90s CG feel, along with being more mysterious in the sense that they were released before the Internet was prevalent, that make them feel a bit eerie at some parts, and fascinating to discuss.
There are a few things of note. One being that, canonically, Bowser has taken over the castle and, kidnapped most of its' inhabitants. From there, he invaded and took over other worlds, through the paintings.
Secondly, It's no secret that one of SM64's inspirations was a CRPG called "Ultima: Underworld 2: Labyrinth of Worlds", an immersive sim that focused on story-telling in its' level design. There are quite a few similarities between one of the story pitches for SM64 and Ultima: Underworld 2's city of Anadunis, with Bowser possibly being a stand-in for the "Guardian" (one of the primary bad-guys in the Ultima series).
well actually, the whole AI brain thing is probably false, but there is a brain diagram painting in the files of the game, also the main part of the level could be the conscious and the town could be the sub conscious. There probably is not an AI there but the level might be a brain diagram.
I always loved this level. It gives the vibe of a rainy day where you can just chill with no worries
I had no problem with the level, until I looked at the original Super Mario 64 and seen the sky box. It makes me feel sad and scared.
4:24 this isn't the only level this appears in it also appears in hazy maze cave,inside the pyramid
And its inside the igloo
This level looks like something that belongs in a zelda game.
The level mechanics are similar to those found in the water temple, and the vibe and graphics are similar to what you might find in Ocarina of Time or Majora's mask.
I dunno, when I completed SM64 for the first time back in 2018-19, I never felt any kind of negative emotions when playing this level
I honestly kinda like it, despite its dull design, it's got some interesting concepts and I definitely do enjoy these theories relating to it
imagine that from that time mario 64 was making a warning of a catastrophe that would occur in the near future in which people would die
I was more creeped out by the underground lake in Hazy Maze Cave. Only because I have a terrifying fear of sea monsters.
Lovecratnian Kraken frightens you!!!
I just noticed that those spider enemies are actually frowning!
I hate to be a buzz kill to all of these creepy fan theories, but...
Doesn't Toad in the very beginning of the game specify that BOWSER created the worlds in the paintings? I don't think the town in WDW is necessarily some actual lost, abandoned place, just an odd/creepy no-rhyme-or-reason-to-it type of place that Bowser created and stuck enemies into to guard the power stars and stop Mario.
I never felt anything other than curiosity and fascination when I played this level as a kid in the early 2000s. Definitely never got any bad vibes, though.
2:51 you actually can leave the underground city if you leave the water levels up on the outside of the cage at the entrance
i think you dont have enough breath then
When I was a kid, I was very intrigued by the raising and lowering of the water levels and didn’t find it unsettling at all,
however, now I can see definitely why some others felt uncomfortable with it
That level was my favorite and the music also one of my favorite tracks. Never been creeped out by it, but rather fascinated by it’s nature. In fact, when I have the game in mind, it’s one of the first things that pop to mind.
The freaking haunted house was creepy AF, with that crazy sentient piano and other anomalies.
Also, the bay level and the ... Eel. That thing coming put of the wall. *ugh*
Oh I was always wondering why this level was so special and strange to me as a kid. Particularly the background city and the underground town. I always thought Peach lived there and that background city was something like Mario and her could go on vacation lol. I really liked the level, but still strange compared to the others worlds, nothing negative or creepy to me althou. Similar feeling with Dire Dire Docks whenever I get to that ship which is floating and has a Bowser logo, I was like WHAT HE DOES WITH THIS THING I JUST WANT TO KNOW. Anyway, many thanks for the video!
I was never bothered by this level, aside from the considerable difficulty level. However, I sometimes found the entire hub world, the castle, as unsettling. I suppose it's because it's almost empty, with Peach and all the Toads being trapped in the walls, Bowser looming nearby. I even dream about the castle every now and then. Never really scary dreams, but mysterious.
Thank you for explaining this to me, it is very confusing and a bit scary at times
It never creeped me out, but it definitely fascinated me. In 1997 I was about 8 years old, saw Titanic, and became obsessed. This level, being a water level with differing heights of water, fueled my imagination at the time. Then later on after Zelda: Wind Waker came out (spoilers) I came up with the theory that the town in Wet/Dry World was actually Kakariko Village, only just rediscovered; since the entire level seems to be an abandoned town underwater.
Another theory of mine involves Paper Mario 2, and that Wet/Dry World is Rogueport right after the great cataclysm, and that Mario here is simply traveling back in time to the old village and surrounding area that was cast into the depths of the ocean.
Wow, those are really cool theories. Not gonna lie, since this personalization creepypasta came out, I've been more and more curious to know about the history of this level. What cataclysmic event consumed this city and flooded it underwater? It actually is quite strange, now that I think about it as an adult. The realistic background and color palette, as well as the fact that there's an actual city there, really clashes with the dreamlike cartoony theme of Mario 64.
I wouldn't mind knowing what the developers had in mind when they designed this level. It's really quite fascinating to ponder. Maybe one day we'll get an answer.
Wet dry world is one of my favorite worlds just because of all the creepy stuff around it. I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff
i think that level is the weirdest.... i love it
Even years later, this course still makes a chill run down my spine.
3:11 I can see faces in that skybox
A Google User The funny thing is, it actually kind of looks like a Mario Character.
The sunk town is actually from zelda ocarina of time
I did not feel much unease. Of course the flooded "town" if you can even call it that is really just a product of hardware and time limitations. Plus the music sounds more mysterious than creepy, at least to me. However there is indeed a melancholy and a loneliness to it. Like walking alone as the sun has just set by an old playground you used to go to with a kindergarten friend of yours you simply lost contact with and of whom you can only remember the first name and a vague image of their face.
Weirdly, it was my favorite level as a kid because it had a sense of mystery. I always saw it as an abandoned underwater construction project
nearly 1k subs keep it up bro!
Thank you so much!
My Opinion: The sky box is terrifying, the level is mysterious but I enjoy the design because it is MEANT to be weird. Also, I think the music is a literal bop and deserves more from people. Its basically a mysterious underground theme remix, and I love it.
WDW was actually my favourite level even before I got the game myself, when I plaed it at a friend's house.
But, yes, I have felt the strange ... feeling of this level. But as you say, I think it is most because of the loneliness one feel here. Not life, except for the bugs, just some mechanical, unkillable enemies.
I wasn’t the only one who got the creeps here. I also felt a feeling of not wanting to play anymore though I think that’s just due to the complex design of the level (gotta love water levels). I always had a feeling of being watched honestly. The backdrop in Spain I found intriguing as well though I didn’t know it was Spain back then. And yes, the flooded city also gave me the creepy vibes too. Swimming that tunnel now that I think about it gave me thoughts that Mario would drown before making it. And overall yes, this whole game is kinda lonely if you think about it.
Well i have Mario 64 on the all stars package and i certainly feel this too. The aura has haunted me.
I always thought as a kid that the town was far away and that the map was held in the outskirts somewhere to give a feeling being close yet distant to civilization. In a sense, it gives a sense of security that Mario isnt in a completely isolated area, despite being alone in his mission. Strangely comforting to me somehow.
Oh my god. I never knew you could change the level by jumping into the painting at the top... I remember spending hours and hours as a kid exploring the level trying to find a way past that mesh..
Wet Dry World is a test level ඩාඞඩාඞ
Yes when I played this level I got a really weird vibe for some reason
Hey nice job on the video Of wet dry world. Question what are the names of the backround music you used for this video?
Tick Tock Clock has always been my favorite SM64 level, but it's more unsettling than Wet-Dry. Looking down from your platform to see just a white empty abyss scares me, and when trying to race the mechanisms when at a fast pace was a real challenge trying not to fall.
This is one of the few levels I remember playing when I played this game as a little kid, I never got a weird vibe from it but idk i felt like something was wrong but it was a really small subtle feeling and when i found the town i was like “why does it look so weird”
Loved the video! Also, what's the song at the beginning?
Thank you so much! The song in the beginning is called "Dark World" from Yume Nikki.
@@AaronCShow ohhh its yume nikki. Idk how i didn't recognize it lol
Describing Wet-Dry World to someone sounds like you're describing a mario level you dreamed about.
This level proobes that we are living a simulation. Imagine by a moment that we are inside a dry wet world
Hi AaronCarothersShow! Nice video of wet dry world! I always found the skybox unsettling! Lol took me 23 years to know its an altered image of Casares, Spain! Go figure! I also wonder why the underwater town is abandoned!?
Thank you so much! I never knew about the skybox until much later too haha; that underwater town is such a mystery!
You drowned everyone when you jumped in at the top part of the painting and rose the water level.
I can't tell you how many times I tried to get in those houses in the sunken town. Repeatedly punching the doors, kicking the windows, ground pounding the roofs... until I eventually got this nightmare where I finally did get in one of the houses, and a mess of blue zombies flooded out around Mario in the doorway.
Obviously I know there's no dead bodies in there now, but as a kid that nightmare freaked me out to the point I could never play that level again. I always had to have my sister play through and get the stars.
Great video,very informational
Thank you so much!
I always saw the main section of the world as a test stage, something that wasn't ever originally intended for the game but was added in, the layout of enemies, super random objects like a spire with a switch or the literal floating ring which you shoot through felt so out of place, alot more then something like the floating island in Bob omb battlefield
"The Brain Mapping" would explain the city submerged, as that is the subconscious
I remember opening the map in the DS version and when I saw the downtown area I was like "woaw, WTH ?" and then when I finally reached it, it felt like entering the tomb of a lost civilization.
even watching this video makes me feel like im inside of a bag and cannot breathe
Yeah I feel like the spooky synth sound is a throwback to the flying ships in super Mario 3.
I have indeed felt lonely when playing this level, but I kind of liked it since i kept going in the painting just wandering around and not collecting stars, never knew why
The Level is the first paintjng you encounter once you unlock the upstairs portion of the castle. By that stage, it just seems like more of the same, only with a pain-in-the-neck water-level mechanic to worry about.
The sunken town reminds me of a prison due to the cage surrounding it keeping it from the public.
When I played that level for the first time, I always had a feeling of emptiness and always wished I could go through the doors of the town to explore the buildings.
When I was a child Jolly Roger Bay was the stage that creeped me out a lot, to the point that I didn't enjoy playing it.
I have always felt disturbed while playing this course because I was like there are no people here and it is a town
My experience: It was just different. I can't say I ever felt uneasy playing it, as I was a really young kid when I played the franchise - never really felt dark, or scared by it, as I certainly did not expect to be creeped out (and wasn't) by a Mario game. I can't even say that I felt that something was "off", or that I thought it was different. It was a while since I was 6, but I did feel something was different with the town underground. Now that I'm an adult and look at it, something was definitely off.
i have a question if wet dry world is underwater then how can mario walk on it?please tell me!
This is really intresting! I liked your explaining, sub is here! :D
Thank you so much! :D
I never felt something creepy about this level, but the skybox and the music is quite unsettling for me. However, there’s a level in other video game that felt quite strange to me, I don’t know how to explain it. That level is the Forest Temple of The Legend Of Zelda: OoT
That's very true: there is something about those Zelda temples where you have to explore and solve mysterious puzzles, and the way the music is that does give off a weird feeling. The Forest Temple's music is very haunting.
AaronCarothersShow Te temple music sounds really mysterious, and it just makes me ask more things, How does the temple look like outside? Who lived there? Why it looks more like an abandon place? What happened there?
I really liked it as a kid because
- I thought the water level changing gimmick is really cool
- it is by far the easiest level on the upper floor
- I felt super smart figuring out that the initial water level depends on where you jump into the painting
- while it's a water level it didn't have any scary underwater creatures and vortexes that suck you in
It is so weird that when I have played this level for the first time, I haven't creeped out or felt anything bad, I just played it as normal people play games.
I always thought the background was a huge abandoned city that belonged to a lost civilization, I thought the buildings were adobe brick built
anyone notice that when you enter the submerged village in this level, the stepping SFX are different?
I don't think any of the questions of previous life in the town are applicable since all the worlds were created within the painting, meaning they didn't exist beforehand.