(http://www.mariowiki.com/images/3/32/BowserintheDarkWorldFight.png)
Why was Bowser's 64 model so ugly, even when considering the limited polygon issues that Nintendo 64 has? I think a much better model could easily be made with the same number of polygons. Just about everything about him is disproportionate from the current appearance: huge head, large snout, smaller shell, longer spikes. I believe the Mario Party 1-3 games use the same or a similar model. Though his design itself was significantly different up to SMB3, concept art appearance as far back as Super Mario World looks pretty much like what we see today.
[spoiler=some oldish concept arts showing the current appearance](http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/c/cc/SMWBowser.jpg/373px-SMWBowser.jpg)(http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/c/cf/Marioburntbutt64.jpg/640px-Marioburntbutt64.jpg)(http://www.mariowiki.com/images/e/e5/SM64BowserToss.PNG)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=and an example of his appearance in a new game, just for contrast's sake](http://www.mariowiki.com/images/d/db/The-gigantic-bowser.JPG)[/spoiler]
I believe some other enemies or whatever in Mario have an odd 64 model, but I don't remember any other specific examples.
On a side note, I actually like most of the changes from Super Mario 64 DS. Though the extra characters and extra stars were tacked on and messed with Mario's powerups, I don't mind the dpad much, I think the camera felt way easier to manage, and I like the graphical difference. It even has 3D Mario's only notable attempt at multiplayer and, in my opinion, was rather fun (although too simplistic and small). The only worthwhile complaint I have about it compared to the original is that the new characters are rather forced onto you and should have been something like how Galaxy 2 treats Luigi.
I somehow missed Super Mario 64 during the N64 era and played the remake a few years before touching the original. Maybe that influences my opinion a bit \:
Quote from: bluaki on August 21, 2010, 04:34:41 AM
I believe the Mario Party 1-3 games use the same or a similar model.
Actually, having just played Mario Party 2, Bowser looks much closer to how he's presented in the concept art (http://latierradelosvideojuegos.iespana.es/res/default/ESS_PasteBitmap00025.png).
Quote from: bluaki on August 21, 2010, 04:34:41 AM
I believe some other enemies or whatever in Mario have an odd 64 model, but I don't remember any other specific examples.
(http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090925050517/mario/de/images/b/b3/Sm64goomba.jpg)
(http://api.ning.com/files/ZEqXciH-Gfysr*69XysBfpFX7rXj94pFOKPzn1L6yXNaeHlsYukWLh0lVe8w7SfDxzKhd4iV9-IKtgdgehY30mD5U2*R1WCu/goomba3dpn2.jpg)
Yeah, that's a pretty bad Bowser model. However it was the first game for the N64, like Mario World essentially rushed to make the launch. Not to mention Mario himself is nothing more than a bunch of colored ploygons. There is zero rendering or texture to him. He's simply a mess of blocks. That's how a lot of Mario 64 is on the technical side, that's why things look so messy when you look at it today.