Super Mario 64

Did You Know?

• The player can adjust the camera, operated by a Lakitu broadcasting Mario.
• Mario can execute special jumps including double and triple jumps, long jump, backflip, and wall jump.
• After defeating Bowser in the final battle, Mario obtains a special Power Star that gives him the Wing Cap.

Development

In the early 1990s, Shigeru Miyamoto conceived a 3D Mario design while developing Star Fox (1993) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. He considered using the Super FX graphics chip for a Super NES game called Super Mario FX, based on a miniature world concept, but engineer Dylan Cuthbert stated Super Mario FX was the codename of the chip itself. Miyamoto reformulated the idea for the Nintendo 64, attracted by its controller's additional buttons.

At the January 1993 Consumer Electronics Show, Nintendo demonstrated a talking 3D polygon animation of Mario's head, which later inspired the interactive Mario face on the title screen, programmed by Giles Goddard. Production began on September 7, 1994, at Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis & Analysis division and concluded on May 20, 1996. The team consisted of around fifteen to twenty people. Development started with the characters and camera system; months were spent selecting a view and layout.

The camera was programmed by Takumi Kawagoe, who applied experience from Star Fox 2. The original concept involved a fixed isometric path like Super Mario RPG, but moved to a free-roaming 3D design with some linear paths.

Release

The first playable version of Super Mario 64 appeared at Nintendo Space World in November 1995. At that point, it was only half finished, with roughly two percent of its textures mapped, and it contained thirty-two courses. Shigeru Miyamoto originally wanted as many as forty courses, but the final game had just fifteen. Howard Lincoln, then chairman of Nintendo of America, said Miyamoto’s push for more content was a key reason the Nintendo 64 launch slipped from late 1995 to mid-1996.

Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi later explained that he gave Miyamoto two extra months without conditions, noting that game creators can rush work but users notice compromises. At E3 1996, multiple Nintendo 64 consoles were available for attendees to try the game. Giles Goddard recalled that the intense pressure led some programmers to leave or switch teams. Peter Main, Nintendo’s marketing vice president, described Super Mario 64 as the system’s killer app.

The promotional push included videotapes mailed to over half a million Nintendo Power subscribers and ads on MTV, Fox, and Nickelodeon. Japan saw the game’s release in June 1996, North America in September, and Europe and Australia in March 1997. It sold roughly 200,000 copies in its first week. Within three months in North America, it moved over two million units and earned $140 million, making it the top-selling game of 1996 by revenue. By March 2008, worldwide sales reached 11.8 million copies, securing its place as the Nintendo 64’s best-selling title.

Reception

Before it even came out, Super Mario 64 had people excited. GamePro saw a 1995 prototype that was only half done but called the action smooth and a blast. Ed Semrad from Electronic Gaming Monthly liked seeing Mario characters in 3D for the first time. Analyst Larry Marcus remembered it as the game everyone wanted to play at E3 1996, with teenagers fighting for a turn.

When it launched, critics loved it. It scored 94 out of 100 on Metacritic from thirteen reviews and 96% on GameRankings, which placed it eighteenth on its all-time list. Reviewers praised the design, the controls, and how it used 3D. Maximum said its best parts were the freedom and replay value, comparing it to Super Mario World and its switch-based secrets.

GameFan's E. Storm was overjoyed by the water levels, calling them proof the game entered a whole new realm. Official Nintendo Magazine called it beautiful in looks and design. IGN's Doug Perry thought it moved the series perfectly into 3D. Electronic Gaming Monthly liked the levels for being big and challenging, and later ranked it the fourth best console game ever, arguing it broke new ground for 3D gaming while working almost flawlessly.

Legacy

Super Mario 64 was a major reason the Nintendo 64 generated so much early hype and sold well at launch. A former Babbage's employee named Lee Hutchinson pointed out that its success broke the usual rule that a console needs many different launch games to attract a wide audience. In 2012, the game was one of 80 titles featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's The Art of Video Games exhibit. The game set many standards for 3D platformers and is considered one of the most influential games ever made. 1Up.com noted that its central hub world, which acts as a safe tutorial and level selector, later became a common feature in the genre.

Its mission-based level design inspired developers like Martin Hollis, who worked on GoldenEye 007, and the team behind Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Dan Houser of Grand Theft Auto said anyone making 3D games who claims they haven't borrowed from Mario or Zelda is lying. Tom Hall, co-founder of id Software, said it defined the 3D platformer genre. Square Enix said a chance meeting with Disney employees led to Kingdom Hearts, inspired by Super Mario 64's 3D worlds and exploration.

Michael John, a designer on Spyro the Dragon, credited its controls and level design. Tim Schafer of Double Fine called it the biggest single influence on Psychonauts. Chris Sutherland, lead designer of Banjo-Kazooie, agreed it set the benchmark for 3D platformers, saying any other game in the genre on the Nintendo 64 would be compared to it.