20 Nintendo Games You Must Play Before You Die
14. Super Mario 64 (N64)
The 3D gaming movement didn't begin with Super Mario 64, but the Nintendo mascot's first foray into another dimension did show the world how it was done.
After the portly plumber made his N64 debut, platforming was never the same again. Everything from the intuitive control system to the open level design set new standards for the genre and it wasn't long before they were imitated far and wide.
If you play only one 3D Mario title, make it this one; the game that started it all. Although the series, and the platforming genre in general, have evolved since, the underlying principles that made Mario 64 an instant classic are plain to see it modern greats like Super Mario Odyssey on Switch.
The fact Nintendo was able to crack the tricky 3D nut at the first time of asking is testament to its brilliance as a games developer.