Super Mario 64 [Model NUS-NSMJ-JPN]

One of the launch titles for the Nintendo 64 along with Pilotwings 64.

It was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan.

Super Mario 64 has sold over eleven million copies.

Development of the game took less than two years, but Shigeru Miyamoto had conceived of a 3D Mario game concept over five years before while working on Star Fox. Miyamoto developed the concepts during the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) era and considered using the Super FX chip to make it an SNES game, but decided to develop it for the Nintendo 64 due to system limitations. Super Mario FX was the internal code name of the FX chip.

Development began with the creation of characters and camera system, with the designers initially unsure of which direction the game should take, spending months selecting a camera view that would be appropriate. The original concept involved a fixed path much like an isometric type game before the choice was made to settle for free-roaming 3D design.

The first test scenario for Mario's animations involved him and a golden rabbit named MIPS by the developers, who would end up in the game for two side missions. MIPS was named after the MIPS-type CPU used by the Nintendo 64.

The developers initially tried to make the game split screen co-op using both Mario and Luigi but were unable to make the gameplay work.

It was developed simultaneously with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Some puzzles were taken from that game for Super Mario 64 due to it being released more than two years later.

32 courses were created for the game. Miyamoto wanted to create more, up to 40 and not including bonus levels, but only 15 courses could fit for the final game.

Placed 6th on Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time.