Ranking Every 3D Super Mario Game From Worst To Best
4. Super Mario 64
If Sunshine was a controversially-low entry, keeping Super Mario 64 out of the top three just might get us a few death threats - but just hear us out.
Super Mario 64 is without a doubt one of the most influential games of all time. One of the first big success stories of a video game franchise jumping into the third dimension, Super Mario 64 essentially became the template for all 3D games afterwards to follow. Being the first Mario game to not follow linear level structures, the open nature allowed for creativity through exploration, which might be the greatest influence this game had on the industry.
So what stops it from cracking the top three? To be honest, it just isn't as good as later games. It only makes sense, that as a company grows, hopefully it should be able to outdo itself. Nostalgia can be a blinding phenomenon, but try not to let it fool you; Super Mario 64 is not the best 3D Mario game anymore. Its influence will remain forever, but in terms of video game experiences, Nintendo have surpassed themselves on multiple occasions over the last two decades.
But not with Super Mario 64 DS. We prefer to not talk about that one...