10 Most Epic Moments In Super Mario History

When it came time to make a new 3D Mario adventure following the success of 64 and Sunshine for the Wii system, Nintendo wanted to really push the boat out and make something that was both innovative and breathtaking. The idea of putting Mario in space had never even been considered for the main franchise before, but that was exactly what Shigeru Miyamoto pushed through in the autumn of 2007.

And from the second players first booted up the game and began running through the opening on the Mushroom Kingdom, they knew they were in for something special. The striking colours, smooth controls and loud orchestral music from Mahito Yokota gave this game a real sense of scale that would only grow as it went on.

There's really no describing that first sense of wonder players feel when they land on their first galaxy in-game, with the strange gravity systems and ability to run around entire planets making for some of the most mesmeric levels ever found on a home console. Combining the worlds of 2D platforming Mario and open world exploration from 3D Mario, Super Mario Galaxy undoubtedly remains a truly special title in the franchise.