Overview
The blueprint for 3D movement. Super Mario 64 arrived alongside the N64’s analogue stick and showed what it meant. Mario could walk, jog, run based on pressure. He could triple jump, wall kick, long jump—a vocabulary of movement that made traversal itself entertaining. The Lakitu camera gave players control over viewpoint. Every 3D platformer since owes something to this game.
Fast facts
- Developer: Nintendo EAD.
- Director: Shigeru Miyamoto.
- Year: 1996.
- Platform: Nintendo 64 launch title.
Movement system
| Move |
Input |
| Walk/Run |
Analogue pressure |
| Triple jump |
Timed presses |
| Wall kick |
Jump against wall |
| Long jump |
Crouch + jump |
| Backflip |
Crouch + back jump |
| Ground pound |
Jump + crouch |
Star structure
| World |
Stars |
Access |
| Bob-omb Battlefield |
7 |
0 stars |
| Whomp’s Fortress |
7 |
1 star |
| … |
… |
Progressive |
| Bowser stages |
Keys |
Star gates |
Camera innovation
| Feature |
Function |
| Lakitu camera |
Diegetic explanation |
| C-buttons |
Manual rotation |
| Auto-adjust |
Context-sensitive |
| Zones |
Different behaviours |
Legacy
| Influence |
Impact |
| Analogue control |
Industry standard |
| 3D camera |
Template established |
| Movement depth |
Skill expression |
| Open levels |
Non-linear design |
See also