8. Super Mario 64 (N64)
Super Mario 64 was the main N64 launch game, but I didn't actually play it until about two years after getting my N64, and after playing it I asked myself why I waited those two years, because it's a fantastic game and I felt pretty stupid about waiting so long to play it. It marks the transition from 2D to 3D in the Mario series, which gave the series extra freshness, not that the 2D games were getting anywhere near being stale. The change in perspective wasn't the only change, as collecting stars was introduced as the main goal in each level, and as you didn't necessarily have to do them in order, the game was fairly open. As is the norm with Mario games, it remains as playable now as it did back then, and that's why there are still more Mario games to come in my list.
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