Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is a video game for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the new console. As the flagship killer game, it drove initial sales of the Nintendo 64, and has sold over 11 million copies in total.

Super Mario 64 was the first 3D game in the Mario series, and though it was not the first-ever 3D platformer, it helped to define the genre, much as Super Mario Bros. defined the 2D sidescrolling platformer. Super Mario 64 was considered so revolutionary that many consider it to have set the standard for all later 3D platformer games and 3D games in general.

In going from two to three dimensions, Super Mario 64 replaced the linear obstacle courses of traditional platform games with vast worlds in which the player must complete multiple and diverse missions, with an emphasis on exploration. While doing so, it managed to preserve the feel of earlier Mario games, including many of their gameplay elements and characters. It is acclaimed by critics as one of the greatest video games of all time.