Super Mario 64

This was the big one, this was the game that I had taken a five month paper round to save up enough money to buy the N64 and have this as the launch title. To this day, Super Mario 64 is my favourite game of all time. 

My first glimpse of Super Mario 64 came on an older computer game show called Gamestation. The console had only just launched in Japan, which I believe was in the September of 1996, and they had a person running the last Bowser level as quickly as possible. If I remember correctly, the total footage time lasted no more than two and a half minutes, but it was enough to grab my imagination and pin my hopes and dreams on the N64 over the up and coming Sony Playstation. 

I was hooked to say the least; the only problem was that I would have to wait until March 1997 when the console launched in the UK. The fact that I had to save up my own money in this period made launch day all the more satisfying. Bringing home Super Mario 64 and setting it up on my small kitchen table television was a memory that stays with me to this day. I remember turning the console on and seeing Mario's 3D head spinning around in all its polygon delight. 

One of the most glorious aspects of the game is its colour; the bright vibrant worlds hit you from the very first moment when you are transported to the outer grounds of the castle. The variation of the fifteen worlds which you can explore enhance this experience. Walking around Rainbow Road or battling whirlwinds in the sand world, they all had something new, something refreshing. 

And then there was the exploring that could be time. Super Mario 64 opened up a new meaning to the term 'open world' and set the bench mark for games to come in this regard. Although the game was split into sections and only certain areas of the castle could be accessed after obtaining a certain number of stars, all of the worlds were completely open to explore for as long as you desired. In contrast to today's games, the worlds in Super Mario 64 would probably appear relatively small and compact; but this was compared to games on the Super Nintendo. The level of variety in the levels meant I was playing this game for months after its release.

But it is the play-back-ability that keeps it at the top of my all time list. Although many of the games from this era have suffered badly from graphics improvements and level design, Super Mario 64 remains a game that I can play today and still have a great time. Yes it looks dated, but for me it looks like a game from the nineties, it looks like a trendsetter. I think that the gaming world owes a great debt to Super Mario 64 and its creators. There really is nothing like it.