Soapbox: Is Super Mario Odyssey the Best Mario Game Ever?

Tough question.

In my opinion, yes it is.

That's not easy to answer. 64 was my favorite but Odyssey did everything 64 did but better.

No. It's not the best Mario ever. It's very good. It's a lot of fun. It has some cool moments and it certainly made me smile as I played it. But I think it was a mistake to place the majority of the game's content post game, where there's no feeling of progression. What little narrative it offered, and the need for a certain number of moons to progress to the next world, were what drove me to explore and find moons in the first place. Once those motivators were gone... I stopped playing and haven't picked it back up.

My personal favorite 3D Mario games were Galaxy 2 and 3D world. I never liked Mario 64 (I know, blasphemy), and Sunshine grew on me but took me time to get into.

Personally, I think Super Mario Galaxy 2 takes the cake for the best Mario game.

Sunshine is still my favourite, but Odyssey definitely takes second place. It's one of the few games I can see myself going back to beat multiple times without getting bored.

Hell no! It's great but not there...either 3, world, galaxy or 64

Yes it is, nostalgia be damned. It really is a shame to compare, because Galaxy has such a great package. Odyssey is still much better, at least in my eyes.

On my list, it almost got close to Super Mario Bros. 3, which is my all-time favorite Mario. Odyssey was the best Mario I've played in years. In my opinion, it outdid Sunshine, Galaxy, 3D World (would that qualify?) and any of the New Super Mario Bros games. Never played Super Mario 64 or Super Mario World on their original system, so I can't judge those games.

Safely, Odyssey made it to number 2 on my list. Super Mario Bros. 3 will always be number 1 for me.

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Super Mario 3D World
4. Super Mario Odyssey
5. Super Mario 64
6. Super Mario Sunshine

I think for what 64 did for 3D games and the industry, then that takes the prize. It was something the industry had never seen before and revolutionized gaming as we know it. If we're talking about pure quality of the game, then Odyssey hands down wins.

In a 3D only list it's 3rd.
1. 64
2. Galaxy 2
3. Odyssey

In an overall list it doesn't make my top 5.
1. 64
2. 3
3. Galaxy 2
4. World
5. Bros.

Nope. Super Mario Sunshine is the best one IMO, even if it is objectively the more flawed game. Most things about that game are fantastic, and I had way more fun with it than I did Odyssey. Odyssey comes in second place for me, though.

Only just sneaks in my top five. But maybe time will change my opinion.

1. Super Mario Maker
2. All the other Mario games

Also pretty odd that game journalism in its entirety doesn't know what sandbox and open world means, Odyssey is neither.

It is still too early for me to really be able to make a sound decision on that, the reason other Mario games are some of my favorites is because they can be played again and again without getting tired of them, such is the case with Super Mario World. I have to play Odyssey again to really judge it fairly against the others, one play through isn't enough for me but I will say that mechanically, Odyssey trumps all except perhaps Sunshine

Nah. It's a joy to play, but Super Mario Galaxy was an all-around tighter and more memorable experience for me. And while I think Odyssey is overall the better game, I prefer the difficulty curve of Super Mario Sunshine.

Best 3D Mario ever ?
Not really, but still great.
I gave it 8 / 10 due to Limited Open World style. If 3D Mario has Seamless Open World style like LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER (Every single city parts are connected and No Loading screen), i might gave it 9 / 10.

Btw, my Best 3D Mario so far = Odyssey.
For 2D ? Super Princess Peach NDS !

For me it's too tough. I enjoyed 64, Sunshine, Galaxy, 3D World and Odyssey about the same! It's too early for Odyssey, but the only one of those that I have replayed is 3D World. I've played that one by myself and again with both my sons. I've put Odyssey on the back burner while I play a few other games. I've finished the main story and I've found every moon on a couple worlds.

Blah blah Galaxy this Galaxy that... Can you turn into an Uproot in Galaxy? No. Odyssey wins

I haven't played enough of Odyssey yet. It's sitting there waiting to be played in mammoth sessions but I've been saving it for when I get back home so I can play it on the big screen with the volume pumped up. That won't be until the end of this month now though, I keep getting delayed., I'm desperate to play it but don't want to settle for the small screen. From what I have played though I know already it's going to be right up there,whether or not it takes top spot I'll have to wait and see.

As it is just now, I rate them in this order

Mario Galaxy
Mario Galaxy 2
Mario 64
Mario 3D World
Mario Sunshine (the Mario Bros 2 of 3D Mario games for me. While a good game in its own right, it's not even close to the standard of the rest.)

My favourite 2D Mario's, for the sake of it.

Yoshi's Island
Super Mario World
Super Mario Bros 3
NSMB Wii
NSMB U
Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 2

Looked like it at first but after 100%ing it. I feel it's not even close. The game had too many moons and some were just by knocking in to something. Some moons were fun. Most challenges were 2d like stages and really short. I loved the cappy throw dive mechanics but gameplay wise I prefer and still go back to super mario 64 and galaxy 2

no, the game is too easy

I'm old.
I played Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 3.

Then I played Super Mario World. Blocks Switch Palaces. Ghost Houses, a thousand warp zones, secret levels and keys, sunken ship, star road.

I remember playing hours and hours in the world 3 (inside the moutain, cave style), and when I finished and reached world 4 it gave me a sensation of "thank god I can see the sun again".

Mario 64 was able to give a little bit of this sensation... like "excellent, not everything is like the real world, in 3D, but oh this water stage is perfect".

For the younger audience, who started playing in ps1 or n64 is a little bit hard to understand the feeling in the past.

Games without save state or password like Sonic, when you were in the last level it used to be pure adrenaline... something like "I'm visiting a place that I will not be present again so soon..."

@JHDK I'll take that list as mine. Totally agree

Not even in my top 5.
I beat it, got 600 stars but never enjoyed it, except for brief moments that made me remember better Mario games. I feel this game was created to create new fans among very young gamers. While that is smart for them business-wise, it just didn’t do it for me as a lifelong gamer and Mario fan.
1. Mario 64
2. Mario Galaxy 2
3. Super Mario World
4. Super Mario 3
5. Super Mario Galaxy

Not imo. It's not even close imo. The likes of Super Mario Bros. 3 (the All-Stars version), Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island are, imo, better, hands-down, than any and all of the 3D Mario platformers. I still think it's a great 3D Mario platform game though--but I don't think any of the Mario platformers have really been anything other than pretty great all-round to be honest..

It’s the best IMO. 64 coming in a close second.

Best 3D? Definitely. SMB3 will always be #1 in a 2D and 3D competition though.

1. SMO
2. SMM
3. SMB3
4. SM64
5. SMG2

Odyssey gets first place by virtue of being the one that allows more freedom of movement and player expression. You want to speedrun? You can. You want to explore every inch of the level? You can as well. 100%? Go for it.

There's no doubt in my mind that it will be much fondly remembered in the future than 3D World, Sunshine and maybe 64 as well. Galaxy, I don't think so.

Also, out of curiosity: the people listing Yoshi's Island have also taken Super Mario Land 3 into consideration or what?

@kevinlo9 "Not even in my top 5."
...put SMO on the 5th place

@MarcelRguez "You want to speedrun? You can. You want to explore every inch of the level? You can as well. 100%? Go for it."

you can say the same about every game

@BlackenedHalo And it's nowhere nearly a kinesthetically pleasing experience in any of those other titles.

I have the hardest time ranking Mario games, so I won't even try. I'll just say that Odyssey for me was a celebration of what Super Mario is about, a refinement of what's been established for Super Mario in his 3D adventures, and a just plain fun Mario game to play full of winks and nods. What I call "best", imo, would have to be the revolutionary aspect, or redefinement aspect. With that said, Super Mario Bros. was a "best" by laying the ground work and will always get the ultimate honor. Super Mario Bros. 3 was a "best" for me because it took what was laid and refined the hell out of it-- Something Mario to this day has only slightly recaptured in various iterations. Super Mario 64 was a "best" because it redefined the groundwork of "Super Mario" and laid the groundwork for Mario in 3D. Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 I consider a "best" because it pulled an SMB3 by taking what was already the awesome groundwork of SM64 and refined the hell out of it. Super Mario Odyssey for me falls into that "fun Super Mario game, you should play it" category that SMB2, SMW, SMS, SML, SML2, NSMB, SM3DL/SM3DW/etc. are in. ALL in my opinion, of course

Short answer: no.

@thiz You didn't get the joke..

I'm a huge fanboy, but nope.

@NoxAeturnus
Whole-heartedly agree... the story/campaign should have required WAY more moons to progress.

I was surprised how fast I blew through the story and I want to go back to the game, but it's hard to find the motivation and decide "what to do"?

Right now I have 270 moons... Since there is almost no way I will ever collect all the moons.. my next task will be to go back and collect all of the "moon rock stars" since they are shown differently on the map. I wish they game had about 500 moons, most of which you must collect to progress the story, then a few hundred after the story ends to give you something else to collect if you wish.

I am saving Mushroom Kingdom and Dark/Darker Side as my "true end" to the game...

Short answer yes. Odyssey is the best 3D iteration of Mario. Mario 64 was seminal and in the history of video games, a very important game but Odyssey beats it hands down.

Best 3D Mario in my opinion . Seems like many online barely even liked it from what I’ve seen though

No. It’s not.

Nope, not even close for me. I see a bit of 3d world mentioned, but no 3d land. 3d land is my favorite recent Mario, odyssey is probably in the middle.

64 is inherently better, being more original and cohesive imo

Galaxy (1 & 2) was better for being more ‘groundbreaking’ imo

Odyssey is amazing for the extremely high level of ‘Mario-branding’ it has, like Disney-world-caliber of quality branding, but still feels a little too secular to me compared to 64 and even galaxy for it to be ‘better’, which probably wouldn’t be that big of a deal to me except that it was marketed as such an ‘openworld’ Mario game, which it is not. It’s open world in the same way that the new Kirby and Metroid games are “2.5 D” instead of 2D or 3D lol

I absolutely love Odyssey, but my favourite will always be Super Mario Sunshine. Played, loved and replayed that game so many times on my old Gamecube ❤

I honestly think it is

I've sunk approx. 40 hours into Odyssey so far, collecting 600 moons or so. The game reminds me of why I loved 64 & Sunshine, and what I really missed from Galaxy.

It's definitely up there. But I think I still prefer the Galaxy games. For me;

#1. Super Mario Galaxy
#2. Super Mario Odyssey
#3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
#4. Super Mario 64
#5. Super Mario Sunshine

Is "number #7" Hotel Mario? If not I want my surprise!!

I think you need to separate 3D with 2D. it's not really fair to compare them.

For me Mario 64 is still the best 3D Mario game, even today it controls better than almost every 3D platformer released since and that even includes some of the Mario games. I'm replaying it now and I would still rank it as one of my top 5 ever, I never get this argument of its old so can't be as good as modern games as frankly that's nonsense.

The Galaxy games were great but Mario always felt a bit stiff on those and a lot of his moves from 64 were missing and I grew tired of the gravity gimmick long before the end, however Galaxy 2 eradicated much of that just by given us great levels even if they didn't fit a story. 3D World just controls so poorly for a 3D game that I can't even consider it.

I would put Odyssey at the top as it does most of what 64 does but a little bit better and it is great fun, there are just 3 problems.
1. Too many inconsequential moons, this game is a classic case of showing us why sometimes less is more
2. More importantly the difficulty, it's ridiculously easy all of the time and when you can die and it ends up with you actually having more coins then that's just plain silly. Darker Side of the Moon was a fantastic level which fixed this but that's it just a one shot deal.
3. Now by far the biggest problem, NO BOO'S? Not so much as a sniff of a ghost house and this genuinely disappointed me when playing

In reality all these games are great and so is Sunshine, I never understand the hate for that game and I'd probably rank it above the first Galaxy game.

So in order
1. Mario 64
2. Mario Odyssey
3. Galaxy 2
4. Sunshine
5. Galaxy

In my opinion yes it is as it has beaten Mario 64 by a hair. and it is a shame that we had too wait so goddamm long for a Mario 64 true sussesor.

Super Mario Bros 3 is by far the best Mario game (TO ME). It’s so complete. It’s one of the only games that I will beat 100%, see the “the end” screen and immediately play again.

Next would be Mario 64, because it pushed the limits of what consoles could do at that time. Oh, and nostalgia fogs my view. Odyssey is much much much better than Mario 64, but AT THE TIME when Mario 64 came out, with the crazy cool 3 pronged controller and seeing that spinning 3D “N”, I honestly can’t see how any Mario game from that point on can compare for me. It’s truly not fair at all. I still get giddy thinking about the first time I turned my N64 on...

Mario Osyssey is a wonderful love letter to the entire series as a whole, but it didn’t have a core focus. I still love it but to me it’s not 10/10. It’s maybe 9.5/10.

Oh. Also, Super Mario World is amazing too, it just always felt incomplete to me. Maybe it just felt too short, perhaps?

Mario Galaxy gamewise is good, but the wiimote ruins the whole thing for me. Can’t get into them sadly.

I actually found myself completely agreeing with the video. The rosy-tinted glasses are definitely off concerning Super Mario 64. Anyone still thinking THAT is the best Mario game in this day and age, has a serious case of too much youthful sentiment. This is about an as objective as possible choice in best 3D Mario games, not about being blown away about something more than 20 years ago...

I'm not even a "focused-on-the-graphics" guy, but the graphics from most N64 games really haven't stood the test of time, and that also goes for Super Mario 64. The gameplay is still quite entertaining, and so are the levels, but the 3D graphics are very rudimentary, and it isn't innovative or revolutionary by any stretch of the imagination anymore.

Everything that's said in the video about Sunshine and 3D World is also more or less spot-on, so no arguments there either.

I just LOVE the Galaxy games, so it's probably a close call, but Alex makes a lot of valid points on all his choices, and he too says that the Galaxy games are only ever so slightly less good than Odyssey, so it's not like he's bashing these games.

I do once again have a very strong feeling that a lot of commenters haven't even taken the time to watch the video and hear Alex's reasons, and instead just flew to the comments section to add their own preference without that context, which is a real shame.

The hype has worn off and I haven’t touched the game much since about November. I liked the game while it lasted. I got about 750 moons and started to get frustrated with those that remained. Hoping for a sequel or some more dlc kingdoms eventually. I’d also love an HD Galaxy or Sunshine eventually. Disappointing you couldn’t unlock Delfino even though it’s on the world map in Odyssey.

Super Mario Bros 1 is still my favorite.

I enjoyed Galaxy 2 best personally, but had a lot of fun with Odyssey.

It's good but not the best no

Not a chance. While I love the game. 3 and 64 are hands down the best.

I would argue no. My main issues with the game are nitpicks, but they are nitpicks that affected my enjoyment of the game. None of the songs in the soundtrack stood out to me as particularly good outside of the main theme. I also don't care for the random realistic looking things in a Mario game. They just look really out of place. My last issue is simply bloat. Collecting Moons does not feel nearly as satisfying as Stars in previous games because there are just so many of them and a lot of theme are just kind of sitting there instead of being and end of pevel goal. The game is still great, but not the best Mario game.

That subtitle though.

It's definitely up there with Super Metroid and A Link to the Past for being one of the best games ever made

It took all the best bits from all the other games; so the only reason why it's good is due to how good the previous games are.
🤔

@holygeez03 Prepare for the hair-pulling where Dark Side is concerned. (Darker Side was just an exercise in patience. Dark Side was made by sadists.)

I don't have a "best" Mario game; I love them all with their quirks. This would be like asking me who's my favorite Baroque composer.

I’m loving Odyssey. My favorite? I think so. It’s just so good and the little details are nothing short of a Nintendo wet dream. I got chills in that one part of New Donk City (the celebration- you know what I’m talking about.)

Lots here make a great argument for why this or that is better but for me? Odyssey is probably in top 3. I’m having so much fun with it.

In my opinion the best Mario game is Super Mario Galaxy 1. Super Mario Odyssey of course is better than Super Mario 64, but if you consider how older Super Mario 64 is it is still impressively close to the quality of Super Mario Odyssey. The only Mario game I don't like is Super Mario Galaxy 2. It was such a disappointment.

Heck no. It's a hide and seek simulator where you find moons in every nook and cranny with no real purpose of being there besides wasting your time and making sure you touch every part of the map. Felt like a job and a chore that I couldn't do anymore because it didn't feel rewarding. Quit after 500 moons and completing the game.

My top Mario Games
1. Paper Mario Thousand Year Door
2. Paper Mario
3. Super Mario64
4. Super Mario Sunshine
5. Super Paper Mario
6. Super Mario 3D World
7. Mario Dance Dance Revolution
8. Mario Galaxy 2
9. Mario Galaxy
10. Super Mario Bros 3
11. Super Mario Bros 2
12. Mario Kart
13. Paper Mario Color Splash
14. Super Mario Odyssey

That's whats the best to the worst.

It's pretty forgettable really.

Best is still 64, followed by the Galaxy games.

For 3d games Galaxy is still the best, even though odyssey was terrific.

Best mario game ever, hmm for me i would choose just about most Mario Kart games,

I mean 3d only... Yeah probably... Maybe... I don't know... That's the problem with 3d videogames in general... They don't age as well as 2d games. Unless they do something incredibly wrong, the newest one is always the best. Where as 2d games, you can have a dozen games that are all great and still as great as when you first played them. Mario 64 was one of the greatest moments of my life and I can barely even play it now.

For me, it remain to be confirmed that Odyssey is the best Mario game yet because I bought it day one and never opened the box. Dammit BotW + FIFA, lemme play other things!!

My favorite is Paper Mario, but I don't know if that counts.

For me personally, Super Mario 64 is still my favorite. It was way too revolutionary of a game to me. I know it's mostly nostalgia talking but I don't care. I love that game too much. However, Odyssey is easily my new second favorite, surpassing Galaxy 2 and World (if we're including 2D games). Props to Nintendo for making such an amazing and content-rich game!

@NoxAeturnus I agree with ya. I started out going back into each kingdom to hunt down more moons, but kinda felt let down by the whole process. It’s definitely an awesome game, but tripping over moons around every corner feels less rewarding to exploring than it did in other Mario Games. I’ve only clocked in around 15 hours of gameplay for Odyssey compared to the 100+ I gave Galaxy 2.

I really liked Odyssey, but Mario Galaxy had a certain magic that Odyssey lacked.

My personal order of preference would be

1. Super Mario Oddesy
2. Super Mario galaxy 1&2 (tied)
3. Super Mario 64
4. Super Mario Sunshine
5. Super Mario 3D world

Its very complicated

@NoxAeturnus I think Mario 64 is the game to judge all other Mario games that followed it. The graphics can't match Sunshine, Galaxy or Odyssey but the game play is still the best.

3D World > Odyssey (please dont ban me)

@ThanosReXXX You're right that people jumped to the comments without watching the video, but it matters very little when people have already made up their minds. That doesn't make his reasons bad, it's just that there are people here who have equally good (but different) reasons for their first choice pick. Taste is subjective. For me, there's something deeply unsatisfying about Odyssey's progression that totally bars it from being number one.

@zool I'm glad you like it, but honestly it doesn't hold up without nostalgia. I can appreciate that it was revolutionary for many people (and game developers), while not personally enjoying the game.

Best 3D Mario game, second best Mario game overall. I still put Super Mario World at #1.

Big nope. Most over-hyped, hell yes.

Mario Galaxy is still No.1.

@JHDK that 3d list is spot on:)

@NoxAeturnus That is true, but the thing is, and I explicitly said this in my comment, that Alex really does try to make an objective video comparing all the 3D Mario's based on actual assets and facts, not so much on taste.

In the end, nobody is objective, but Alex comes pretty close in this video, and at least he supports both all his criticism and his praise with a decent amount of reasons and facts.

The controls are the best. The camera is the best. The amount of content is the best.
The main place it falters is its lack of cohesiveness. Sunshine, 64, and Galaxy were better in terms of feeling unified, whereas Odyssey is a bit more schizophrenic.

These are impossible discussions. It’s definitely going to be for some people. Nostalgia is blinding and even kids today who haven’t played mario 64 back when, might not be able to appreciate how good it was for it’s time. That was purely an example. Personally I feel that smg2 is the best, and odyssey is top 2-3 for me. But I haven’t finished odyssey yet either. But for my 7 year old, who has played mario 64, beat it too, as well as sm3dland and 3Dworld, he will prob say that car mario is his favorite ever. He is further into odyssey then me too, since I’m mostly playing Skyrim and rocket league right now.

Not even close I think.

If we're counting spin offs then I'd say Paper Mario 2 would be the best, if not, then Mario Maker. And if that isn't a valid choice either then Super Mario Bros 2 (USA).

I used to think Super Mario Odyssey was a strong entry in the series, until I saw the spammy tagline in the article. That was enough to make me think it is worse than the New Super Mario Bros series now.

Won't be watching the video as per usual....

I love this game. But can you really pick 1 game as the best Mario game ever? I would argue, no, you cannot. Because I would argue that Mario 3 and Super Mario World are totally different kinds of games than Mario 64 and Odyssey. If they did not star the same character, they would not be lumped together. So it is unfair to pick between them.

3D yeah, pretty much maybe on par with 64.
But 2D we have World and Yoshi's Island. So to me is top 3.

I don't get the undiluted praise for Odyssey.

The level design is lackluster - there just isn't much craft or design to the levels. The Sand Kingdom in particular - all that open space and very letter clever nuance or structure.

I get that it's sandbox but for me once I got to 500 moons, I was done with it.

Mario 64 on the other hand, you wanted to get all 120 stars and some of the worlds were terrifically designed. There were still some dud levels and dud stars but overall I feel it's just a better designed experience.

With the possible exception of Donk City, I can't name a world in Odyssey that left a mark on me, that was special. Strangely, my most memorable aspect of the game was capturing and playing as the caterpillar in Lost Kingdom. Well that and the 2D Donkey Kong sequence in Donk City, that was pretty fabulous.

No.

@Kalmaro Seems like an easy decision then. It said "best" not "favorite" - so if you think Odyssey did everything better than 64, it's the better game.

For my personal pick, I actually think 3D World and Galaxy 2 are slightly above Odyssey yet, for different reasons. 3D World for the multiplayer, and something about Galaxy I think was just a bit more fun and unique.

Sunshine all the way odyssey is too short and the moons are too easy to find

For me Sunshine is still the best. 3D Mario game hands down. Odyssey was good, but nowhere near first place in my opinion. I'd take 64 over it anyday. But nostalgia is probably a big part of that.

@roadrunner343 Not as easy as you think, 64 was a bit revolutionary for Mario and there are still things it didn't that Odyssey didn't. Odyssey is bigger and better but as far as which is the best... That's difficult. 64 Still has a lot of charm to it.

And of course that's not even brining up super Mario world.

In my opinion it is. It perfects everything from Mario 64, and corrects a lot of mistakes from Sunshine like that bloody camera. It doesn’t mean the other games are bad, but at least, for me, Odyssey stands at the top with its detail and the different way to get the moons. For some are bloats, but I’ve have fun getting them!

@Kalmaro Based on your own criteria, Odyssey was "better in every way" making it the best game. The best products on the market are rarely the most revolutionary - they are evolutionary iterations on a well established products.

I agree fully that Mario 64 was revolutionary. If I were to order my list of favorites, it would probably be SMB3, SMW, the SM64. I think SMW still holds up today as one of the best 2D platformers. SMB3 is still great, but is starting to show its age. SM64 is not even close to being one of the best 3D platformers anymore (My opnion only, of course) but it is still one of my favorites.

@roadrunner343 fair enough.

Odyssey is the best in my opinion. I have played nearly all of the Mario games starting with the original. It is the refinement of the game that makes it the best. There are still some camera issues similar to Super Mario 64 but not even close to the frustration level that game presented.

Avoiding a long novel in the comments section, I abandoned Nintendo since the Genesis launched until I got a u 3 years ago and ended up acquiring every console they ever released. I recently booted up sunshine for the first time and I love it. Keep in mind, I have no nostalgic attachment to the GameCube but after finding half of the shines in sunshine right off the heels of odyssey, Sunshine may be my favorite Mario game. The Galaxy games were great but they were too easy like most marios. Sunshine can be difficult and a lot of people claim the controls aren't tight but they are perfect in my opinion. I personally don't believe sunshine is as difficult as everyone claims but it is one of the more difficulty Nintendo titles to ever release and I love it. I also love the squirt gun. Sunshine trumps odyssey in my opinion, but odyssey is beautiful and one of the best platformers of this generation but I doubt people will continue claiming odyssey is the best Mario 5 years from now.

Forgive the length of my previous comment which ironically turned into the novel I was trying to avoid.

Definitely in the top 3. The best is either Odyssey, Galaxy 2 or Mario World.

The best game ever would be Super Mario Sunshine 2

I never liked any Mario games. They are not fun, in fact they are anger-inducing. Mario games are not good for your health.

I don’t know why 3D Land gets hate. Love that game

For 3D Mario, I still prefer Mario 64. The worlds just felt different to me in 64.

This video was really confusing... You can't say you tried to be unbiased when you say 3D World is bad because it's linear, then praise Galaxy for having more linearity which can make the experience better. You also said Sunshine was bad because it has more hand holding but then I think it's not unbiased to say that Mario Odyssey has been criticised for being too easy much more than Sunshine has been.

Either way, I don't know what my favourite game is but Odyssey definitely has left a great impression on me so far. I think I need to go back and play the other games to make a proper decision.

I still think that Mario 64 is the perfect game. It's about poetry, like with Ocarina.
You don't need 'stuff' in poetry, it's about 'message'. And Super Mario 64/Ocarina messages are of an higher value.
Still Odissey and BotW are wonderful games, full of content and poetry too, especially the latter. Though they look more 'builded' (like a romance), while Super Mario 64/Ocarina are more barebone but focus more on emotions and aesthetics.
It's like comparing Daggerfall with Skyrim. Skyrim is a bold (thick) RPG, but Daggerfall has just more artistic value.

I prefer Sunshine over Odyssey. The Shines had more fulfilment compared to the Moons (Again, because there are sooooo many moons in Odyssey), I loved Fludd and the whole setting was very unique with those strange versions of older enemies (alternative Koopa's and Goomba's). And it was a lot harder.

Odyssey also felt quite fresh because of the transformations, and draining a level of Moons is very satisfying. But 90% of the moons are very easy to get. And I am a bit torn on the artstyle. I mean, there are some fresh looking and moody places (liked the ruinid kingdom) but at the same time the "realism" feels a bit weird. And I don't need songs in my Mario, this isn't Sonic! Also, Cappy's basic move is actually just a permanent Boomerang-flower if you think about it. Not that unique. Don't get me wrong, Odyssey is really good. But Sunshine is better. And the first Mario Galaxy, because of the awesome planet-hopping mechanic and the orchestral music. Galaxy 2 was just a level-pack.

Not to mention the graphics. Sunshine and Galaxy where great leaps. Odyssey is just a small leap.

It's a damn good game. But not the best. Sorry guys, but I think Mario 64 and Super Mario World are slightly better (considering the time they came out).

I still love Super Mario Sunshine... While I have enjoyed all Mario games, that one just reminds me of good times. Odyssey is good fun, but I got to a point and just haven't picked it back up. Why?!?! I dont know why.

Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube is my favorite, followed closely by Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo and then by Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64.

It's the nostalgia that grips me, and I would be happy to see all three of these make it to the Switch at some point, as they'd all be a day one purchase.

Super Mario World and Super Mario 64 are.

Super Mario Bros 3 for me. But uh, never had a chance to play the Galaxy games. Bought them for an ex's WiiU, but then got broken up with. HERE'S HOPING FOR A VIRTUAL CONSOLE OF THEM

@NoxAeturnus I agree with everything you said....minus the Mario 64 comment. After beating Bowser and collecting a few more power moons, I haven't picked it back up.

Short answer, no. Long, I don't have time to list but a few I can think of: Too much grinding, for everything. No real sense of direction. Too many repeat events. How many times do I have to keep racing those stupid Koopas? Most worlds weren't constructed to take advantage of Mario's vertical abilities and were largely flat except for bonus levels through various doors and they weren't very long or very interesting. Final few "Challenge" levels were just reuses of previous levels designed to be done with cappy but without him, and not that fun. At least the brutal challenge levels in Sunshine when you were stripped of F.L.O.O.D. were wholly new and designed to test your platforming mettle.

i didn't enjoy Sunshine or any of the galaxy games, 64 was decent but in my honest opinion Mario is much better as a 2d platformer with the exception of super Mario 3d land (which is a 3d platformer).

New Super Mario bros 1 and 2 + 3D Land are by far the best Mario games that have come out since Super Mario World. this is my opinion though and gaming like most things is subjective

I played Galaxy 1 and 2 with a span of maybe half a year. Thinking back now I have no idea what the difference is between the two. I simply can't remember. So how can you really put them apart? They are the same.

Odyssey is too straightforward for me. 64 was better IMO as it had a small number of stars to find (120), and with that there seemed to be a lot more thought put into making the stars difficult to locate. A lot of the scenarios were clever, and required you to either think about where that star is hidden, or precise controls to get to it. In odyssey I can find 10 moons in 15 minutes just by walking around a level for the first time, seeing something slightly wrong, and taking a simple action to get the moon (ground pound, walk around a corner, etc...). As others mentioned, this makes the game feel way too easy, and a bit blah.

I'd say Odyssey is the best 3D Mario game, I like the more open world Mario games, and Odyssey was pretty much a dream come true. The Galaxy games were fantastic, but they were a little too linear for my preference.

These types of articles will always divide opinion,and you can't compare the 2D and 3D games because they are totally different,and will depend on which format you personally prefer,I for instance like the proper 3D titles and here is my personal list in order.

1. Super Mario odyssey
2. Mario galaxy 2
3. Mario galaxy 1
4. Mario 64
5. Super Mario sunshine

I always think we tend to view older games with more nostalgia than they actually deserve,and we tend to forgive their shortcomings that annoyed us to hell when the game was released.

Mario 64 for example will always be a special game for instance,but as it was the first 3D Mario title it's memory will always be more special to some,as you will never get that initial wow factor seeing Mario make the transition from 2D to 3D,all games that come after are refining the experience imo.

That said the feeling I had on unlocking the Mushroom kingdom level in Mario odyssey was very special indeed...almost a dream come true,and walking inside Peach's castle brought such a wave on emotion and nostalgia...very special moment for any Mario fan.

@BlackenedHalo Darker Side of the Moon said hi.