Mario 64 is rightly so one of the most cherished games in history, because it represented the "wow" factor of being the first big 3D adventure for a lot of people and more than anything represents a time in gaming where it felt like an uncharted frontier was opening up. And it did so in such a polished, incredibly inviting colorful package, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket.

How many times have we heard people nostalgically look back and recount the first time they saw Mario 64 running at a Toys R' Us kiosk or something in those days of 1996/97 ... it's something one doesn't forget. I guess you could say Mario 64 is more a memorable game.

But GTA3 didn't exactly give birth to the idea of the violent, anti-hero/morally ambiguous hero ... but it certainly took it to another level. It also culturally brought cultural elements that were previously taboo in gaming, such as violent mafia/mob films and gangster rap into the gaming scene. It's also a pretty darn good game, even Mr. Miyamoto stated as much.

That said GTA3 also defines a lot about gaming that its critics use to define what the industry is all about -- GTA is the poster child for gaming being stereotyped for mindless violence in a lot of ways.

I was going to vote Mario but then I thought, not only did GTA positively influence the industry, it also brought quite a bit of negative attention to the industry. Like that lawyer who btched and moaned about every violent viodeogame and then used gta constantly. As far as most influentital overall, Mario had the most positives, but GTA brought a s-ton of good and bad.

I don't understand how mario is winning, gta 3 pretty much set the standard for open world games, a market that keeps growing, we got more and more of them mean while the only ones doing 3D platforming is Nintendo

Mario 64 introduced so much. GTA3 was more of an evolution of things which were already happening (games like Driver 2 and Urban Chaos etc had already flirted with the open world stuff).

No doubting GTA3 was a huge event on itself, but I think Mario 64 was the far bigger earth changer (3D camera control etc)

Never played Mario games so I'll just vote for GTA.

Mario 64 and GTA3 are less influential rather than natural progression.

Never? Not one of them? You did miss lots of good games then...

GTA3 simple. 3D platformers are dying and we will continue to get open world games.

However there were open world games before GTA 3, there weren't any 3D titles at the time with the control mechanics of Mario 64, before that 3D titles still controlled as if they were 2D.

Mario ran in the direction you pointed the analogue stick. (i.e. holding fully left, meant he ran fully left in relation to where the camera was) prior to this, holding left turned your character on the spot in the right direction. It was pretty much the first 3rd person title with 3D controls.

the argument here might be if M64 influenced not just 3D platforming, but 3D gaming as whole. which i believe it did, but i cant tell to what extent.