September 29, 1996. I can remember that day, literally. My brother and I went to an electronics store and got a Nintendo 64, and for our first game, we chose Super Mario 64. But what did that really mean to me? Even today, I'm not sure. I mean, after all, I just got through playing what I consider the best Mario game of all time: Super Mario RPG. At the same time, Super Mario 64 provided something different in a way none of us had seen before, and that's why this game is and will be one of the greatest games ever

For the most part, all current 3-D games stem from Super Mario 64. Granted, it wasn't the first 3-D game, but it defined what 3-D was, just as Super Mario Bros. had done for 2-D. It set a standard and propelled gaming into a whole new dimension, literally. Remember, this was a first try for anyone - the biggest name in gaming was going to be completely changed. And it worked, it worked brilliantly.

Let's go back to September 29, 1996 for a second. So, my brother and I get home, we set up our new console, and we're getting right into the game. My friends were over, and I remember that earlier that day, someone named Jay (On a personal note, the fact I remember his name means something, literally) had earlier beaten the first mission in Super Mario 64 and was telling us about it. Later that night we were able to accomplish the same task, and since then, I've been a fan of this game ever since, and now I realize what an adverse affect on gaming Super Mario 64 had back at that time

Super Mario 64 created change. It created the standard. It created what gaming is today. That's the inner beauty of this game. It altered what was a growing interest, and propelled it even further. Greatness, the definition of Super Mario 64