Super Mario 64/Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario 64 set a modern precedent for the industry when it launched in 1996. The title birthed entire genres aside from just the platformer, as it lay the groundwork from which highly popular shooters or MMOs build themselves from today. It also served as the foundation for other entries in the Mario series, as Super Mario Sunshine is widely considered to be a successor to 64 and in itself is attributed to improving upon that which has already been established, such as giving players freedom to move around large 3D spaces and crafting grand set pieces which equally served as obstacles for players to wrap their jumping prowess around.
Super Mario Odyssey’s mechanics feel very much akin to those of its predecessors, not only in the literal platforming sense but in the way that the franchise consistently builds upon its last iteration. Kingdoms feel more vibrant and full of life. Every hidden passageway or detour leads to some sort of reward. There are secrets and micro-challenges to be found behind every nook and cranny, some of which seem as though they directly harken back to Sunshine. Odyssey offers so much diversity in order to keep players from getting bored and constantly pays off curiosity, embodying the essence of what makes every 3D Mario games so great.
