10 Most Essential Japanese Video Games

1. Super Mario 64

It is hard picking the most important Mario game that doubles as an essential window into what Japanese game development mentalities brought to the world. Whilst the original Super Mario Bros. is gaming royalty and Super Mario World is so insanely playable, Mario 64 edges it just by showing everyone how to even "do" 3D.

Where Ocarina would flesh out camera controls and targeting even more, the very idea of traversing a 3D space both horizontally and vertically, is something you have to experience through the lens of Mario 64.

It's not just that Mario's controls still have that perfect sense of weight, propulsion and kineticism today as back in 1996, but that the whole package is still so damn loveable. The secret collectibles, charming as hell music soundbites and score. The isometric camera framing so many expansive levels in ways that make you want to go everywhere.

There's a quality to Mario 64 that came directly from a team of creatives putting their all into breaking the mould, and what we got remains pure magic.