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Which 3D Mario should I start with?
- Thread starter big fake
- Start date
Mario 64 can be skipped -- the controls have a really fucked up sense of weight and momentum, the level designs are boring and empty and typically feature obtuse objectives like touching treasure chests in a random order (with no hint on what the correct order is and if you guess wrong you take damage), and the camera is infuriatingly terrible. Play the rest in order starting with Sunshine.
EDIT: If you only have time for one game, make it Galaxy. Then set aside some more time for Galaxy 2.
EDIT: If you only have time for one game, make it Galaxy. Then set aside some more time for Galaxy 2.
Then Galaxy 2. as a platformer, it has no equal
boiled goose
good with gravy
64.
Galaxy
3d world.
All good and classic in different ways
I recommend order of release as usual
Galaxy
3d world.
All good and classic in different ways
I recommend order of release as usual
James Scott
Banned
Thisisneogaf.gif
I played it last year on Wii U's VC. It holds up super well but I was using a lot of speed running strats I've picked up since it's so fun to see.
Backwards long jumps, short cuts, doing kicks to go up steep hills. It's very fun
goldenpp72
Member
Considering how different each game is, you should at the very least try these and go from there.
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Galaxy (2 is superior, but 1 is still amazing)
Super Mario 3d World (with friends makes it GOAT, if you can't get friends on board, go with 3d Land if you wish)
All of them are worth playing, but the 3 styles of sorts are worth trying. If you HAVE to pick 1, i'd try Galaxy 1 only because the smallish hubworld evokes a limited scale version of the bigger 3D games, while also having the platforming focus that began with these and continued in the 3D Land/World series.
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Galaxy (2 is superior, but 1 is still amazing)
Super Mario 3d World (with friends makes it GOAT, if you can't get friends on board, go with 3d Land if you wish)
All of them are worth playing, but the 3 styles of sorts are worth trying. If you HAVE to pick 1, i'd try Galaxy 1 only because the smallish hubworld evokes a limited scale version of the bigger 3D games, while also having the platforming focus that began with these and continued in the 3D Land/World series.
entremet
Member
CJY
Banned
If you're only going to play one, it's got to be Galaxy, but I don't know what the emulation is like for this game. I heard it's pretty good with motion controls and everything. I have to say though that emulation is not a good way to experience these games at all. To each their own though
Captain Europe
Member
If you have time for one game it's an easy answer.... Galaxy, try to find time for Galaxy 2 as well if you can.
Would not go with Sunshine, it's the worst one out of the bunch, glitches, unfinished etc(still a good game but mediocre for Mario).
Mario 64 is a classic and it changed the industry, but like the first Super Mario Bros. it has definitely aged.
Would not go with Sunshine, it's the worst one out of the bunch, glitches, unfinished etc(still a good game but mediocre for Mario).
Mario 64 is a classic and it changed the industry, but like the first Super Mario Bros. it has definitely aged.
I played it alone and had a wonderful time
jacob armitage
Banned
I would go with 64 too, even if thats all you have time for. For its vintage, it has aged remarkable well.
NinjaCoachZ
Member
If you can only do one then do Galaxy. It might make you appreciate the openness of Odyssey more.
So it seems pretty evenly divided between Mario 64 and either of the Galaxy games. Both sides are really making a case for both of em. I'm gonna post a stawpoll for this to narrow this down.
There it is: http://www.strawpoll.me/13253206
There it is: http://www.strawpoll.me/13253206
If you can pick only one, then it has to be 64.
Sunshine is kind of the oddball and not a good jumping off point, and the rest are a series of great small levels, but the lack of a hub world ultimately makes them feel like level packs. Galaxy 1 gets closest to feeling like a full world...galaxy.
But the castle in Mario 64 is unparalleled and the levels are interesting puzzles you'll likely always remember.
Sunshine is kind of the oddball and not a good jumping off point, and the rest are a series of great small levels, but the lack of a hub world ultimately makes them feel like level packs. Galaxy 1 gets closest to feeling like a full world...galaxy.
But the castle in Mario 64 is unparalleled and the levels are interesting puzzles you'll likely always remember.
Captain Europe
Member
I love 3D World! It wasn't included in the OP but IMO it's the best option after the Galaxies.
jacob armitage
Banned
Totally, that sounds fun! I would also play Galaxy 1 over 2, while i think 2 is arguable the better game its important to see where the small refinements come from to notice its brilliance, as well as 1 having a far more important impact.
Play Mario 64
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I'm itching to play Mario 64 again myself but currently the Switch is the only Nintendo system I have access to.
Oh if only Nintendo wanted my money...
Oh if only Nintendo wanted my money...
Since you only have time for one before Odessey, I'd say 64 for sure, followed by sunshine if you want more(its sweet but I don't think anyone would hang you up for not finishing it)
Galaxy 1/2 are halfway between 64 and 3D world as far as level design goes, so I think they're the skippable ones here. 3D world is a masterpiece, but it's a totally different beast
Start with 64 for prime athletic Mario and Sunshine for an intro to athletic Mario + Gimmick Friend before the Mario's hat game
Galaxy 1/2 are halfway between 64 and 3D world as far as level design goes, so I think they're the skippable ones here. 3D world is a masterpiece, but it's a totally different beast
Start with 64 for prime athletic Mario and Sunshine for an intro to athletic Mario + Gimmick Friend before the Mario's hat game
Skip Galaxy. Especially Galaxy 1. Worst move set in a Mario game. The waggle spin is a terrible addition that weakens combat and level design. There are some occasional cool gimmicks (and bad ones like the blue Stars that you have to aim your wiimote at to make Mario float to) but the game constantly wastes your time in favor of a bad story, score tallying screens and cutscenes of Mario flying through space. Galaxy 2 cuts some of the fat but 3D World is the goat.
Greatest Ever
Member
Holy fuck at this thread
Play the Galaxy games NOW. Two of the greatest games ever made.
Play the Galaxy games NOW. Two of the greatest games ever made.
3D World is actually the best 3D Mario IMO.
I might be in the minority, but I could never get into the Galaxy games. The control scheme never sat well with me...
I've never actually completed the Galaxy games, but I can finish 64, Sunshine, and 3D World over a weekend with a smile plastered all over my face.
JershJopstin
Banned
Voted Galaxy because 64 and Galaxy 2 are my least favorite 3D Marios (still great games though).
Considering how different my tastes seem to be, perhaps I shouldn't have voted
Mario 64 for sure. The jump between 64 to Odyssey will be far more mind-blowing than the jump from Galaxy 1/2 to Odyssey. You'll start with the original 3D Mario (which I just replayed last week, getting all 120 stars, and it's still a masterpiece for sure), and then you'll leap ahead in the franchise by 20 years.
It will be an awesome progression and will make Odyssey feel that much more amazing. You can then go back and play Galaxy 1/2 and Sunshine afterwards, if you're so inclined.
It will be an awesome progression and will make Odyssey feel that much more amazing. You can then go back and play Galaxy 1/2 and Sunshine afterwards, if you're so inclined.
JershJopstin
Banned
Dies Iræ;241491708 said:
Actually, despite my vote for Galaxy, I find I didn't appreciate 64 after growing up with Sunshine, Galaxy, and Galaxy 2. Maybe it'd be better to play that first; some of the mechanics really haven't aged well, and it's obvious coming off of the newer Mario games.
Dies Iræ;241491708 said:
Won't appreciate it but probably have the most fun. 64 is fun because of the movement and the freedom that mario has to reach the star. Galaxy is fun from a level design standpoint. Hard to chose but since the poster can only play through 1, I'm going to say galaxy because it will probably be the easiest to get into though I think 64 is more fun.
Or you can play 64 and if your not having fun by the first 10 stars or so you can probably just do galaxy. I think the beginning levels of 64 are pretty fun so.. If this is possible of course.
Yup, play them all but skip Sunshine
ProgenitorCastle
Banned
TheSuperSakura
Member
My vote goes to Mario Galaxy. It's tied as my favorite Mario game of all time currently. Rosalina is my favorite character too.
Liliana Eileen
Member
Blasphemy.
valkillmore
Member
Incorrect.
megabytecr
Member
Galaxy or 3D World, toss a coin
Both produced a big smile on my face, but I think the feeling of Galaxy the first time can't be topped.
Both produced a big smile on my face, but I think the feeling of Galaxy the first time can't be topped.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
Galaxy
64 is still a great game, but the controls have not aged super well.
64 is still a great game, but the controls have not aged super well.
At the end, the best thing is to play them all.
64 and sunshine offer a big vast world with some amazing controls for platforming that weren't replicated even today (I hope Odyssey brings that back). So you have some of the best levels that will challenge your skills and, due to the freedom the controls give you, you have many, many unique ways to tackle them.
Getting to those levels, however, is a mixture of some tedious activities and other amazing ones.
Galaxy is amazing because of how focused the level design is. They made Mario control's much more simpler, but absolutely nothing goes to waste in this game. Almost everything is a joy and there's always something different in every minute of it. There isn't much of a challenge here, thus why I think it doesn't get to 64/Sunshine levels, but still one amazing game.
Galaxy 2 is an expansion of that. You will want more, but by the time I was finishing Galaxy 2 I had enough. Didn't 100% this one either.
3D World is another amazing entry which, to me, felt like a middle ground between Galaxy tight level design and simplicity with some of the more complex features of the 64/Sunshine games. You can also play with friends, making this one really fun. Alone is great too.
TL;DR Play them all, in order. I doubt anything on your backlog will be better than these games
Would you be emulating Galaxy 1/2 with a Wiimote/nunchuck combo or mapping the waggle to a gamepad? If so play 64.
If you have that Wiimote though you've gotta go Galaxy 2.
Edit: Ignore anyone saying 64 hasn't aged well. I started playing it again on a whim last week and it's bliss.
If you have that Wiimote though you've gotta go Galaxy 2.
Edit: Ignore anyone saying 64 hasn't aged well. I started playing it again on a whim last week and it's bliss.
Saucestin_Roast
Member
Nope. Whatever you do, OP, don't listen to this.
Honestly, I want to tell you start with Mario 64... The controls in 64 are, imo, the pinnacle of the series. What you can pull off in that game if you get good enough is absolutely nuts. There is a beautiful fluidity to it all. On top of that, the music is fantastic and the levels are well designed to be fun to go back to time and time again.
However, if the look of the game is off-putting, I'd just start with Galaxy 1 or 2. I do think the Galaxy games feel quite different to 64 and Sunshine though. Not as fluid. Still great though.
Sunshine is a damn fun game. It has this thing going where the whole game feels connected due to the world design. Makes exploration super fun. I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. It's got its problems, no doubt, but if you don't let a couple little things like blue coins ruin an entire game for you then the rest of what's there is well worth the price of admission.
Have fun, OP!
