The level design helped a lot with the camera. Subsequent games (doing 3d) tried to make more realistically sized spaces where there wasn’t a 6ft area clear behind the character at all times and tied themselves in knots trying to make it work (rather than re-designing levels).

Mario64’s camera was a wonderful piece of design.

… cameras being the main issue of its successor, Mario Sunshine, make Mario 64 even better on this department.

The dedicated buttons to move the camera position were a revelation.

Yeah it was light-years better than other games at the time of its release. Even now it’s very playable even though it’s not “fully modern”.