"Super Mario 64" was the first game with a "free" camera that can be controlled independently of the character. Most 3D games from the time use a first-person perspective or a camera that is fixed in position relative to the player's character, or to the level. To create freedom of exploration, and more fluid control in a 3D world, the designers created a dynamic system in which the video camera is operated by the in-game character Lakitu. The camera system would become the standard for 3D platform games in the future. "Nintendo Power" stated the camera-control scheme is what transitioned platform games into 3D, and that the game, along with "", "blazed trails" into the 3D era.