Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64[a] is a 1996 platform game for the Nintendo 64. Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo, it is the first Super Mario game to feature 3D gameplay, combining traditional Super Mario gameplay, visual style, and characters in a large open world. Bowser, one of the main antagonists of the Super Mario franchise, invades Princess Peach's castle and hides the castle's sources of protection, Power Stars, in many different worlds behind magical paintings. As Mario, the player collects Power Stars to unlock enough of Princess Peach's castle to get to Bowser and rescue Princess Peach.
Director Shigeru Miyamoto conceived a 3D Super Mario game during the production of Star Fox (1993). Development lasted nearly three years: about one year on design and twenty months on production, starting with designing the virtual camera system. The team continued with illustrating the 3D character models—at the time a relatively unattempted task—and refining sprite movements. The game's sound effects were recorded by Yoji Inagaki and the score was composed by Koji Kondo.
Super Mario 64 was highly anticipated by video game journalists and audiences, boosted by advertising campaigns and showings at the 1996 E3 trade show. It received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest video games of all time. Reviewers praised its ambition, visuals, and gameplay while some criticized its virtual camera system. It is the best-selling Nintendo 64 game, with nearly twelve million copies sold by 2015.
Numerous developers have cited Super Mario 64 as an influence on 3D platform games, with its dynamic camera system and 360-degree analog control establishing a new archetype for the genre, much as Super Mario Bros. did for side-scrolling platform games. It was remade as Super Mario 64 DS for the Nintendo DS in 2004, and has been ported to other Nintendo consoles since. The game has attracted a cult following, spawning many fangames, a large speedrunning presence, and enduring rumors surrounding game features.