The first character on screen in Super Mario 64 is Lakitu, Mario’s camera operator. Because the 1996 game was the first in the series to have 3D gameplay, the developers needed to teach players that they were controlling both Mario AND the camera.

Super Mario 64 introduced the camera as a friend and foe in video games When the Nintendo 64 launched in the United States in September of 1996, players had just two games to choose from: a flight simulator called Pilotwings 64 and the latest entry in one of the most popular series in video game […]

The first character on screen in Super Mario 64 is Lakitu, Mario’s camera operator. Because the 1996 game was the first in the series to have 3D gameplay, the developers needed to teach players that they were controlling both Mario AND the camera. Read More »