firebush03 said:
Super Mario 64. Arguably the most revolutionary title for the entire gaming industry. - This game would play a very important role in the creation of the N64 controller...which doesn't mean much until you realize just how much this controller introduced to the standard controllers of the time. If you were to pull up an image of an SNES/Sega Saturn/PS1 controller and put it side-by-side to the N64, there are two features which immediately stick out: (i) Analogue stick, (ii) C-buttons. Though the latter might be slightly less revolutions, the former was a massive leap for the industry! For what reason?... - This title laid the foundation for how game devs should *correctly* approach creating 3D gaming environments. Referencing my previous point, analogue controls are far better than "tank" controls (which devs at the time were unaware of). Additionally, there should be buttons which the player can press in order to control the camera ("R" button can be used for recalibrating the camera behind your character, whereas the C-buttons may provide the player with different perspectives). And looking beyond just the controller, there were many design choices such as providing the character with shadows (depth perception was not a challenge in 2D titles) which would be introduced with Mario 64. - This title single-handedly gave birth to what is generally called the "Golden Age of 3D Platforms and Collect-a-thons". Examples of this can be seen with Banjo Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Conker, (later) Rachel & Clank, etc etc. - Here's a list of *some* of the ways in which Mario's movement would be changed with this game: Introduction of the (i) ground pound, (ii) dive, (iii) triple jump, (iv) wall jump, (v) long jump, (vi) side jump, (viii) etc etc. No other 3D nor 2D title has ever re-constructed the movement of Mario in such a wide-reaching manner. And it would be with this title in which Mario would break free from linear progression for the first time, embracing a more “sandbox” sort of style. …And I could certainly keep on going, though I think my argument should be understood by now. Though SM64 may not be my favorite game of all time (as much as I do love it, there certainly exist far better experiences), it was a monumental feat for its time. | 
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