What is the exact date of the North American release of Super Mario 64?

Super Mario 64 was released in North America on September 29, 1996. It launched alongside the Nintendo 64 and became the console’s defining showcase for fully three-dimensional platform gameplay.

The game had already appeared in Japan on June 23, 1996, but Nintendo delayed the North American release until the fall. Its development had also contributed to delays for the Nintendo 64 itself, as Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo EAD continued refining the game’s camera, worlds, controls, and large 3D environments.

The date is sometimes confused with September 26, 1996, the North American retail launch date often associated with the Nintendo 64 hardware. Super Mario 64’s game release is conventionally recorded as September 29, three days later. European and Australian players received it in March 1997.

Super Mario 64’s importance goes beyond its sales. Its analog movement, camera system, open hub castle, and collectible Power Stars established design ideas that influenced later 3D platformers such as Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro the Dragon.