6. Super Mario 3D World - 3D World is a pretty good game, but compared to to any other 3D Mario game it's weak as hell. I really feel Nintendo played it way too safe here, just like more of the same from 3D Land but without the portability and some seriously bland level design in places. Switching characters was nice, but the game's much slower pace and babytime difficulty meant only Toad was any fun for me. Still, for every lacking area in this game, there's a few highlights. The boss battles were actually fun even if they were repeated to hell and back, racing other people's ghosts was really fun, there's a few really memorable levels, the Super Bell is one of the best powerups ever and the game looks pretty good despite the weird Fisher Price artstyle. Also postgame is actually trash, I've had a mini-rant about that before so I won't go on about it.
5. Super Mario 3D Land - 3D Land is just really solid, it's got more of that linear Mario Galaxy style but with the fat trimmed off and just focused on platforming without many gimmicky moments. There were times I just got really burnt out like with 3D World but nowhere near as much. Postgame was meh, but again, better than 3D World's.
4/3. Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 Ehhhh, I've played both of these and I really can't decide which I like more. I'd say it's undeniable Galaxy 2 is the better game, but I just remember having so much more fun with Galaxy. Both control perfectly, but they are more linear than Sunshine and 64, which doesn't suit me personally, but I can't deny they did it very well. Power-ups were cool for the most part, and the level design was really creative and top notch overall.
2. Super Mario Sunshine - To put it dead simple, this game is just barely behind Super Mario 64 for a few reasons, such as some gimmicky hidden levels, the odd strange design choice, and Corona Mountain as a whole. It has a great setting and FLUDD is awesome in so many ways. I just love this game, it's nearly perfect.
1. Super Mario 64 - Hands-down, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite game of all time. I've replayed this time and time again and it never gets old. Something about the levels is so nice to comeback to and I still find new ways to get around them. Something about the way Mario handles is so perfect, it's just so satisfying to me. Yeah, camera can be wonky, but never got me killed or anything. No game is perfect.
So yeah, mini-rant and mini-nerdout over.
And I'll make Kirby an option on the next poll, don't worry.
While I'm here, may I suggest mainline Kirby games as a potential topic for next time?
I'll finally be able to talk about how painfully overlooked Kirby's Dreamland 3 is.
It's truly ahead of its time.
Dreamland 3 is legit the least fun I've ever had with a Kirby platformer (outside of maybe my first time playing Amazing Mirror). It's overlooked because it isn't as fun as most Kirby games.
It's every bit as polished and creative as the other 3d games if not even moreso.
The problem with the 3D series, and it shares this with the NSMB games, is that they're incredibly formulaic and whatever creativity those games could possibly have is limited to level gimmicks. Beyond that everything is just recycled from one game to the next, the base gameplay is the same, Mario's moveset is the same, the characters are all the same, the level progression is the same, the settings are the same, the plot is all the same. They just stick to the same blueprint over and over and over and over again and it just gets tiring to play.
And especially when you look at the sandbox games and see those games experimenting with different movesets and abilities, showcasing a variety of unique settings and themes, and generally rethinking series conventions, it's easy to see how people would be disappointing in 3D Land and 3D World, they're just way too safe.
I'd be interested in seeing lists for the 2D Mario entries, though the rankings may share some common ground since that seems to be the case of many of the 3D games.
As for the NSMB series, I've only played the original and NSMBU (found a physical version at a really good price). I enjoyed my time with the first one, though the minigames may be part of the reason why I just couldn't get into SM64 DS since I played NSMB first (they share some minigames). The levels also fit the DS's portability, IMO. I liked NSMBU as well (I found it more varied than the original, and I liked the acorn power up), though it was easy to see why many consider the series to be generic and play things a little too safe. For that reason alone, I haven't picked up Wii, and due to the coin gimmicks have no desire to pick up NSMB2.
6) Super Mario 64: Pure misery from beginning to end. I hate everything about this game: the weird, slippery controls, the level design, the visual design, the swimming controls, the wretched camera... I get that this was revolutionary at the time, but it has not aged well. Never finished it. Will never finish it.
5) Super Mario Galaxy 2: Not a bad game, but it is completely lacking in the wonderful melancholy and pacing that distinguished the first game. This feels like a level pack composed of ideas that were rejected for the first game. Some of these are fun, but many of the additions didn't feel worth-while to me (I actively hated any level where I was riding on Yoshi, as I found it borderline impossible to control). I didn't even bother finishing this one. I'll probably go back to it at some point, but it is pretty clearly missing that magic the first Galaxy had.
4) Super Mario 3D Land: Easily the best Mario game ever on a dedicated handheld. While it's somewhat less impressive in comparison to its later and more expansive Wii U cousin, this was a blast in 2011, and I'm willing to bet I'd still have quite a bit of fun with it today. It also made FANTASTIC use of the stereoscopic 3D. I really enjoyed 100% completing this.
3) Super Mario 3D World: Yeah, yeah, 3D Land/World are the 3D Mario equivalent of NSMB. Nevertheless, I thought this game was a ton of fun and, in terms of level gimmicks at least, this one could get quite creative. The multiplayer focus isn't really appealing to me (it's too chaotic to make good progress with a friend, imo), but I love the SMB2-esque approach this game took where you can choose from a variety of characters with different strengths and weaknesses. Peach is one of my favorite characters in the series, so any game where she isn't automatically damseled also gets bonus points. They even kept her levitation abilities from SMB2!
2) Super Mario Sunshine: Possibly the weirdest Mario game in the series, but I really dig it. I thought that the FLUDD added a lot to the platforming mechanics, and the singular focus on manipulating jets of water was neat. Shadow Mario was a cool addition to the series. I actually kind of liked the voice acting, too. Oh, and this was also an unbelievably gorgeous game at the time! It's simultaneously the most unpolished and wildly experimental game in the series, and I have a ton of respect for that. That lack of polish does hold it back from being as good as it can possibly be, though.
1) Super Mario Galaxy: For my money, this is still the best game Nintendo has ever made. The visual design is wonderful, giving it a polishing, glimmering sheen that somehow transcends the limitations of what the Wii should be capable of. In fact, it's probably one of the only Wii games that doesn't look like garbage on an HDTV. The controls handle beautifully, with the best combination of traditional and motion controls I've ever seen a game manage (this game almost single-handedly justifies the existence of Nintendo's bizarre Wiimote + Nunchuk setup). The innovative gravity manipulation was handled extremely well: in fact, almost all of the insanely creative level gimmicks add to the game overall. The game has a somewhat lonely, almost melancholy atmosphere, which I loved. Rosalina was a wonderful addition to the Mario universe. The OST is easily one of the best in Nintendo's history. This is the game that single-handedly revitalized my interest, not only in Nintendo, but video games more broadly. Pure magic from beginning to end.
1) Super Mario Galaxy 2
2) Super Mario 3D Land
3) Super Mario 64
4) Super Mario 3D World
5) Super Mario Galaxy
6) Super Mario Sunshine
But they're really all great. Re-playing 64 and Sunshine right now ahead of Odyssey. Quite fiddly in places with camera controls and so on but still excellent.
Still, I think Galaxy 2 stands out for the incredibly tight level design and because of the soundtrack.
3D Land blows my mind because of what they achieved on 3DS with that game. Polished as can be.
@MegaTen not just boring tasks but also unfair. Just did the 'wall jumps will work' mission on my latest playthrough and crikey it's painful. Game gets much respect from me for historical reasons but I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers to 3D Mario
It's a fine game in many ways but it's the weakest 3d Mario by far. To start with it has an awful camera. Yes the game gives you full control (which I love) but half of the game is fighting against the camera. Sometimes it's even a no-win situation - you can't get a good angle.
A few of the tasks (particularly the ones where you have to clean up an area under a time limit) are very fiddly and if you can't beat them then... tough... You have to tackle the shines in a very precise order. I honestly don't understand why it gets held up as the ideal sandbox Mario game - in many ways it's actually more linear than either Galaxy game or even 3d World.
Oh and blue coins. No. Just No.
4. 64
It was an incredible achievement and it has a few cool design principles that've been left behind/never embraced by any of its successors. I love the abstractness of the game - particularly the Bowser stages.
However - as @Spennymoor has noted - it's just not fair to a modern audience. The camera is appalling, many of the platforming challenges are incredibly hard because of the camera angle and the controls aren't as tight as they became in later 3d Mario games.
3. Galaxy
It's a great game - Mario has never controlled better, it's impeccably presented and it has a sense of awe about it. I personally prefer the sequel though.
2. 3d World
I loved every minute of 3d World. In no way did I find it lazy or the levels to be bland or boring. They're deliberately stripped back - yes - so the game can work as a multiplayer game but it's also something that makes the game more accessible. That's not a bad thing.
Likewise the camera is at a fixed angle but I don't actually think it works much differently in practice to the Galaxy games.
3d World has so many one-off surprises and hidden (non-essential and non-sign posted) secrets. It's the only Mario game since Mario 3 where I feel like I've completed every level and got a file marked complete but still missed sizeable fun secret areas.
1 Galaxy 2
An absolute tour-de-force. It's not as well presented or awe sum as the original Galaxy but the level designs are better, there are fewer frustrating levels and more challenging ones. The power-ups are better.
Nice to see so much activity here, huge variety of opinions which is always good.
With that, we've a new poll up, our options are: Mainline Kirby Games Spin-off Pokemon Games 2D Sonic Games Games Most Deserving of Remakes Best Hidden/Underplayed Features/Modes in Games
Since we hit 5,000 views a while back, I thought it'd be cute to have five options.
Also it's the 5th today, which is my birthday, so I guess it's fitting in that way too.
6) Super Mario 64: I really don't like this game, and I don't get the insane hype around it (cough...nostalgia..cough). It may have been incredible in its time, but has aged only a bit better than Sonic Adventure. The camera is awful, the controls are pretty bad, the graphics are horrible, and the levels aren't interesting. I also do not like the gameplay style at all. It's just not my cup of tea in the slightest.
5) Super Mario Sunshine: Yeah, never played this one, but it has better graphics than SM64, so it's a better game, probably not by much, considering it has the same gameplay style as SM64, but still somewhat better.
4) Super Mario 3D Land: A great game with great gameplay, and the very first game I 100%'ed, but it's just fine. Not groundbreaking in any way, just a fun game.
3) Super Mario 3D World: Ah, now my opinions are clouded by nostalgia. My family and I binged this game together during a particularly harsh winter, so I'm quite partial to it. Just like 3D Land it's a fun game, but again, not groundbreaking, just fun. It's still better than 3D Land just because of the better graphics and co-op.
2) Super Mario Galaxy 2: An amazing game, like Super Mario Galaxy, but it's basically an expansion pack in all but name. A fun game to play, and way better than 3D Land and 3D World, but like those games, not groundbreaking at all.
1) Super Mario Galaxy: It's an amazing, creative, fun game that looks good, controls well, and is just great all around. It's possibly the definitive linear 3D platformer.
I'd like to suggest a topic: Overrated games.
Edit: C'mon 2D Sonic games. You can win this. I really want to rip into them.
LOL. I really never understood the hype, or rather praise behind and for this game. I was hyped myself because of the screenshots in magazines, but that instantly died down when I had the chance to play the game in stores. Small amount of boring "sandbox levels" where you have to collect stars, by completing extremely boring tasks. Ugly and soulless renditions of my favorite enemies (who always looked great in pixel art). 2D sprites in a fully 3D world was weird, and off-putting to me... etc.
It really is an incredibly ugly game, isn't it? Even by N64 standards.
Good to hear from somebody who actually played it around the time of release. I've always wondered if the nasty, vaseline-slathered visuals would look charmingly retro to me had I played the game as a child. I'm pretty sure nostalgia is the only reason I still feel fondness for FF7's horrifying lego people, after all (although the pre-rendered backgrounds still look pretty nice!).
It was also never "enough Mario" for me, instead I had to deal with a 3D character that could perform karate moves all of the sudden, instead of one who's a master at platforming.
Yeah, I'll never understand what the rationale was behind giving Mario (honestly pretty useless) punch and kick attacks.
The game has it's merits. But they are barely enough to save the game in my opinion. It's a very unpopular opinion, but hey, at least it's my own opinion. I never will regard this game as "one of the best of all-time". NEVER.
Tell me about it. This forum is pretty cool about people roasting sacred cows, but I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten shouted at or belittled online for saying that Mario 64 hasn't aged well. Like disliking it automatically disqualifies me as a gamer or something.
I acknowledge its place in history, but it will never be a favorite of mine. Same with Ocarina of Time, actually (although, unlike Mario 64, I still think there is some fun to be had there).
5) Super Mario Sunshine: Yeah, never played this one, but it has better graphics than SM64, so it's a better game, probably not by much, considering it has the same gameplay style as SM64, but still somewhat better.
From one Mario 64 hater to another, let me assure you that Sunshine is a MASSIVE improvement. It's worth playing if you ever get the opportunity.
Also, just realised I forgot to mention Super Mario 64 DS at all. To sum it up, it looks a bit off, controls great but not quite those 64 controls I've come to love, 7th Star in each stage was awesome, the White Rabbits sucked, the side-somersault thing was needed to hell which REALLY sucked, Luigi was OP and Wario is a Digimon. 9.9/10 I guess.
@Nintendoer Overrated games is something I've been considering, I've put it off for a bit though like 3D Sonic games as I figured it could get a bit messy. Now though, I'd say it'd be fine, it'll proly make the next poll.
@Nintendoer Super Mario Sunshine gameplay is almost completely different than Super Mario 64 one. You really can't understand how much different it is unless you try it. It is so much different that I don't even think you could even objectively compare them and decide which one is better.
I used to be a ripple user like you, then I took The Arrow in the knee
@CreamyDream: I may still pick up NSMB Wii at some point, but 2 will very likely never happen since I still have a large 3DS backlog. Ironically I wound up with the first NSMB when I had asked for the second as a Christmas gift. Probably the best Christmas mistake I've ever gotten, especially when considering how gimmicky the footage that I have seen of the second game looks.
I decide not to rate Super Mario 64 since I haven't properly played it; the DS iteration left a sour taste in my mouth, but I figure the original (planning to get it on the VC soon) might be a little more to my liking...maybe.
@BigYellow Ah yes, I believe to have forgotten about Mario 64 DS as well. It was pretty much ruined with the lack of a control stick for me. Sure, the d-pad works but that game was clearly designed with a stick in mind, back when it was first developed for the N64. I also don't like how Stars are marked on the touchscreen map, which ruins the sense of adventure and mystery for newcomers.
The inclusion of new levels, missions, bosses and, of course, playable characters in something very welcome but I'd still prefer the N64 version over this one. I spent more time on some of the packed-in minigames (especially that one 'Where is Waldo?' one, Wanted, I believe it was called?) than on the main game.
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