Genre: 3d Platformer
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

In mid-1996, this reviewer got to play the Japanese version of Super Mario 64, and along with "Quake" it ushered in, with a rush and a roar, the 3D era of video gaming. Butterflies flying about; transparent water which can be swam in; huge, open-ended stages which can be freely explored, filled with interesting and colorful geometry. And everything can be viewed from any angle, thanks to the magic of polygons. To say that Super Mario 64 was mind blowing is an understatement of understatements, and it still holds up today.

If seeing Super Mario 64 for the first time was magical, then hearing it was also a special treat. Right from Koji Kondo's opening level song, the game has mesmerizing audio. The Nintendo 64 can play virtually any music format so it's difficult to know what's used here-- it might be MIDI, and the compositions are moody, cheerful, somber, and every other flavor in between. For the first time ever, Mario had a voice, and the casting couldn't have been better. The enemies make interesting and sometimes hilarious sounds. There are even ambient noises in many of the stages, giving each level a distinct character.

Super Mario 64 has one of the most original control schemes of all time. This was the birth of the analog stick, and the birth of the contemporary 3D platformer. Mario can move; he can crouch; he can crawl; he can jump, triple-jump, long-jump; he can swim; and all of it feels airtight and responsive. The stage designs are positively genius: water levels can be raised and lowered; poisonous caves can be ventured; secret areas are absolutely everywhere, and require mastery of Mario's full moveset. The only knock is the camera, which has two modes, both of which do occasionally get snagged on walls or pointed in an unhelpful direction.

When Super Mario 64 came out in 1996, every review under the sun proclaimed it as "the best game ever made", and it's not difficult to understand why: there were polygonal games before this one of course-- but qualitatively there is something different about this title which made, and makes, it special. Maybe it's the personality of the whole thing, which explodes from every pixel. Maybe it's the slower exploration-oriented pace, which lets the player marinate in the game's imagination. Whatever it is, Super Mario 64 is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.