Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is a 1996 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the first Super Mario game to feature 3D graphics, combining traditional Super Mario gameplay, visual style, and characters in a large open world. In the game, Bowser invades Princess Peach's castle, kidnaps her, and hides the castle's Power Stars in different worlds inside magical paintings. As Mario, the player traverses levels and collects Power Stars to unlock areas of the castle, reach Bowser and rescue Peach.

Director Shigeru Miyamoto conceived a 3D Super Mario game during the production of Star Fox (1993). The team spent about one year on design and twenty months on production, starting with the virtual camera system. The team continued with illustrating the 3D character models and refining sprite movements. Yoji Inagaki recorded the sound effects, and the score was composed by Koji Kondo.

Super Mario 64 was highly anticipated, boosted by advertising campaigns and showings at the 1996 E3 trade show. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997 to acclaim, with reviewers praising its ambition, visuals, level design, and gameplay; however, some criticized its camera system. It is the best-selling Nintendo 64 game, with nearly twelve million copies sold by 2015.