Super Mario 64: 10 Facts Every Nintendo Fan Needs To Know
9. It Inspired Franchises You Would Never Expect
Super Mario 64 was the game responsible for launching a thousand copycats. Gex: Enter the Gecko, Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, and... ahem... Bubsy 3D were clearly made to take advantage of the platforming craze.
But there are games inspired by SM64 that you would never guess.
Case in point; GoldenEye 007. Apart from its pure awesomeness, this Bond tie-in seems to have nothing in common with the N64's launch title.
But there is one similarity - the missions. In this masterclass shoot-em-up, you must carry out several objectives before reaching the stage's exit. The developers took this idea directly from SM64, believing it forced the player to explore and solve puzzles.
SM64 wasn't just a success because of its perfect 3D mechanics and fluid gameplay; it was also because it starred Nintendo's most recognisable character.
As a result, Squaresoft believed they needed to devise a franchise with characters as iconic as Nintendo's mascot. After a bit of brainstorming, they concluded the only characters that could compete with Mario's level of popularity was Disney, which inspired them to create Kingdom Hearts.
These games may not be platformers but they would've been dramatically different or non-existent if it wasn't for Mario's first 3D outing.