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[Tain]

Ehh if anything I thought 8's stages were rather redundant and boring save for that "portal path" thing. It's like they're milking it all the way through. It's the only Mario game I recall that milks a certain end boss gimmick throughout the world.

I don't see what's inherently wrong with using forced scrolling for most of the world. They formed some awesome, challenging stages out of it, and the last thing on my mind while playing them was wanting a stage-specific gimmick.

SMW has better physics and character controls. Most important feature of a platformer.

Nah, the screen-to-screen stage design is more important. Movement is huge and shapes that design, of course, but World's movement isn't better enough to elevate its stages above 3's.

 

[Agent Unknown]

When I was younger I liked World better than 3 just because SMW had Yoshi , "Wow! New 16-bit graphics and effects!" and a more interactive world map to explore but I've come to like them both equally now. And Cape can't hold a candle to the Tanooki. The parachute drift mechanic always felt so awkward. Another thing SMW could benefit from is a tougher Bowser battle. SMB 3 should've had its own Special World but considering World 8 is so epic maybe the designers thought the player would've had enough at that point.

 

[Pociask]

Put me in the SMB3 camp (grew up with a NES), but really, we're splitting hairs here. They are both god-tier games that will probably be played for a thousand years

Spoiler

on the Apple devices of the FUTURE.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Put me in the SMB3 camp (grew up with a NES), but really, we're splitting hairs here. They are both god-tier games that will probably be played for a thousand years

Spoiler

on the Apple devices of the FUTURE.

Boo this man!

 

[Red Arremer]

It only makes sense that the best Mario game is on the best Nintendo system.

Same thing goes for Zelda.

Super Mario Land and Link's Awakening? I agree, those could be considered being the best. Not sure if I'd consider the Gameboy as best Nintendo system, though.

 

[the thoroughbred]

SMW just had this aura of magic to it. It was like being in a trippy dream land. I loved SMB3, but SMW is special.

 

[Canadian Psycho]

Super Mario Land and Link's Awakening? I agree, those could be considered being the best. Not sure if I'd consider the Gameboy as best Nintendo system, though.

Again with Super Mario Land? I agree that it is a fun diversion (I own the game myself), but it's just that, a diversion.

 

[Hilbert]

Again with Super Mario Land? I agree that it is a fun diversion (I own the game myself), but it's just that, a diversion.

A friend of mine insists that Mario Land is the best. I have never played it myself.

 

[RoboGeorgeForeman]

A friend of mine insists that Mario Land is the best. I have never played it myself.

Super Mario Land is a really good game, but I personally wouldn't say it's the best. I have beaten it more times than any other Mario game and I definitely recommend playing it at least once.

 

[Kai Dracon]

Nah, the screen-to-screen stage design is more important. Movement is huge and shapes that design, of course, but World's movement isn't better enough to elevate its stages above 3's.

I should have mentioned in my thoughts on SMW that yeah, it feels very nice, and it technically does have refined control and physics over SMB3. Another reason why it evokes fond memories; it feels so nice to play.

But setting that aside and nostalgia aside, when I replay both games back to back, SMW feels up being a bit less engaging and more boring than much of SMB3 due to the sedate, often kind of empty stages.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Again with Super Mario Land? I agree that it is a fun diversion (I own the game myself), but it's just that, a diversion.

Mario Land 2 is 100x the game the first is.

 

[Ambitious]

My first video game ever, and almost the only game I played on my SNES back then. Apart from it I only had an annoyingly difficult Asterix J'n'r and some shitty puzzle game; games were too expensive for my parents at that time. *

I several times accidentally deleted my savegame because I didn't understand English and just wanted to know what the option did (and forgot about it), but I always completed the game again afterwards.

I can remember jumping around and dancing out of joy in the living room when my parents gave me the SNES for my birthday.. good times. I was always so happy when I got a blue Yoshi.

 

[Onion_Relish]

I couldn't pick between em.

.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

And all are inferior to YI.

Indeed

 

[Demon Lizardman]

All you guys are wrong, THE E-READER CARDS AND LEVELS WERE THE BEST OUTTA THE SERIES, IT HAD EVERYTHING FROM MARIO 1 TO YOSHI'S ISLAND.

 

[Murrah]

World does deserve more love, and that's coming from someone whose favorite game of all time is 3. Cape flight is way more wicked fun than raccoon tail, soundtrack is vastly superior and alternate stage exits/paths coupled with star road and special world make traversing the environment seem more like you're actually exploring and not just beating levels. 3 does tend to have more tightly designed levels and its auto scrolling stages aren't terrible like World's, but I think overall they're just about even

Also, World had chargin' chucks. Was so disappointed when 3d land ended up not having them in it

 

[Hilbert]

Also, World had chargin' chucks. Was so disappointed when 3d land ended up not having them in it

This is the second time I saw someone that liked the football players in world. Kind of blows my mind, I hate those guys.

 

[MisterHero]

This is the second time I saw someone that liked the football players in world. Kind of blows my mind, I hate those guys.

Example of excellent Nintendo decisons:

-Make Mario Baseball game
-Not include the Baseball Boys from Yoshi's Island

All you guys are wrong, THE E-READER CARDS AND LEVELS WERE THE BEST OUTTA THE SERIES, IT HAD EVERYTHING FROM MARIO 1 TO YOSHI'S ISLAND.

Guffaw all you want about e-Reader, its ghost is going to haunt all of us via AR cards

 

[JaseMath]

Super Mario Land is a really good game, but I personally wouldn't say it's the best. I have beaten it more times than any other Mario game and I definitely recommend playing it at least once.

Is Super Mario Land the game where the princess becomes a giant locust and is all, "OH DAISY!"?

EDIT: Yep.

 

[Hilbert]

Is Super Mario Land the game where the princess becomes a giant locust and is all, "OH DAISY!"?

Wait, what? I need to track down a gameboy.

 

[KillGore]

Right, which is why the superior controlling SMB3 is better.

right, which is why the superior SMW is better.

Spoiler

amidoinitrite?

 

[Why would you do that?]

The Mario Land games suck (compared to regular Mario). They seem like unlicensed Mario clones with weird enemies, worse physics, and different music, including public domain music. Giana plays more like Mario than Mario Land 1 does.

...Okay, I never grew up with a Game Boy, so I'm either missing their brilliance, or am not blinded by nostalgia. I think they're still good games, though.

 

[Alfredo]

What I wanna know is why is Nintendo sticking with the old floaty physics of the original Super Mario Bros. games instead of adopting the superior jumping of Super Mario World.

 

[Raptomex]

Super Mario World is the greatest game ever made. I've said this for years. My friend and I play around with Lunar Magic and hack the rom all the time.

 

[mt1200]

SMW was the first game I owned, there is no way i'm going to sell it / waste it.

I loved SMB3, it might have better levels, but SMW is not bad.

 

[Annoying Old Party Man]

This is the game of my childhood. It wasn't even my favorite, nor the game I started the SNES with (that was Starwing and Sunset Riders, har har).

But, it's the most happy, relaxing game I've ever played.

Re-playing it during the Wii period was like vacation for me - it would relax me and pull my mind from everything.

 

[cartman414]

Platforming in 3 is just much tighter, there are more genuine platform challenges per meter traversed, more inventive ideas in smaller levels. Superior Mario Bros 3.

Exactly. Super Mario is primarily a platforming series. Ergo, Mario 3 wins at being a Mario game.

I think that's why I enjoyed World more - it's not too platforming. It's mixed up with some adventuring.

The thing is, Mario's straightforward mechanics don't work as well at wide-open adventure levels. The Wario games for one do a much better job.

Agreed. SMW will always (always) remain my favorite game of all time.

People can complain about the cape all they want. The fact is it still requires people to finish a level unlike some newer Mario games that shall remain nameless.

It's not just the flight, it's also as a weapon (can kill most enemies and neutralize most projectiles) and platforming tool (super-slow glide that reduces need for precision).

Oh, and it may sound cliche but it must be said. Yoshi... Yoshi... Yoshi. Nothing introduced in SMB3 even compares to this. SMW introduced what is arguably one of Nintendo's top 5 most popular characters.[/QUOTE]

Yoshi didn't really come into his own until Yoshi's Island.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

The Mario Land games suck (compared to regular Mario). They seem like unlicensed Mario clones with weird enemies, worse physics, and different music, including public domain music. Giana plays more like Mario than Mario Land 1 does.

...Okay, I never grew up with a Game Boy, so I'm either missing their brilliance, or am not blinded by nostalgia. I think they're still good games, though.

SML2 has a whole slew of problems (chief among them the GameBoy's own resolution and screen refresh limitations), but it's still a top-tier Mario game and the best side-scrolling portable Mario (not that that was hard.)

Interesting cash system, intriguing and weird (in a good way) worlds, the bunny cap, Wario. Lots to love.

The only complaint of the game I can't level against the hardware is its length. Game is like an hour and a half long, if that.

 

[Barrel Cannon]

And all are inferior to YI.

I was so spoiled. When I bought my SNES it came with Yoshi's island packed in. The first game I bought after that was DKC2. For the longest time those were the only SNES games I owned. It raised my expectations considering the only platformers I had before that was super mario bros 3/1 I thought all platformers including sonic were probably as good as these games. After the N64 came along I thought platformers were all bad and that Yoshi's island and DKC2 must have actually sucked and that nostalgia was clouding my judgement probably. Then once I got my GBA I started replaying my old games and just realized that platformers in general have sucked after the N64 aside from a few shining examples. Like I said earlier in the thread I feel the SNES had the best selection in that regard. It's hard to top YI, DKC2, and SMW.

 

[cartman414]

SMB3 had an awesome variety of powers. SMW had slightly harder level design (with the option to make them a little bit harder via Star Road).

I think it's really great how they feel so different. Yoshi alone is enough to make the difference, and yet it's not whether one is better than the other.

SMB3 had FAR BETTER multiplayer though.

Said harder level design was exclusively via the secret levels. The rest of World was stupid easy. 3 didn't need any secret levels to become challenging.

Super Mario World is the best in the genre.



I find absolutely no way in that SMB3 could be better than SMW. SMW has better music, level design, game engine, visuals, sound effects, world map, power ups, and more.

It's fine if you like SMB3 more than SMW because you grew up with it first, but come on. SMB3 is not even the best of the NES Mario games.

Lies. I can see the game engine and world map preferences, but the rest is either opinion or bollocks.

Lost Levels is for sadists
Mario 1 is for old people
Fake Mario 2 is for people that hate Mario games
Mario 3 is for manly men
World is for babby

I like Mario 2, and I like Mario games.

Speaking of which, it's Mario 2 that deserves this thread. World still rivals 3 in popularity.

God (Miyamoto) is on our side with this. SMW for life.

He also thought of Angry Birds as creative. No opinion can be taken as gospel.

Yes Super Mario World is godly.

Super Mario Bros 3 is actually one of my least favorite mario games. Levels are too short, some of the powerups doesn't do much and overall the pacing is generally a bit slower than SMB1 and SMW.

Part of it is of course that I didn't really play SMB3 until after SMW, so all the massive advances from previous games didn't impress me as I'd already experienced SMW. SMB3 was an extremely impressive game when it was released but judged on their own merits Super Mario world is just so much more fun.

Slower than World? That's a lie. It's much faster. And the only remotely useless powerup is the frog suit, and that's when you're out of water.

I can't fathom why anyone would prefer SMB3 to SMW (ok I technically since it's an OPINION not an immutable fact, but still...). SMW was like... MY CHILDHOOD. A cape that lets you fly? (Superman much?) fucking Yoshi? It was like christmas every day when I played that game. My bro and I would spend hours trying to 100% the game as kids... good times. SMB3 was good... I GUESS, but the lack of a save feature kind of hurt the game for me as a kid.

You just summed it up for yourself in the first sentence.

 

[Mike M]

I don't know which I liked better, my opinion seems to change every time I try to decide : /

SMW: I love the multiple exits, the ability to replay levels, the vastly improved flying, the new moves, the interconnected worlds, Yoshi, and the reserve item. Better graphics and sound, obviously.

SMB3: I love the tighter levels, the vast array of items, the "wild card" events on the map, the colored block aesthetic, and the enemy designs.

Dunno which I like more : /

 

[KillGore]

y Birds as creative. No opinion can be taken as gospel.

You mean it isn't? I don't care for angry bird that much but there's no denying that the idea is brilliant and millions of people think so too. Anyways, it's still his favorite game, it doesn't mean it has to be everyone's, but it shows that us SMW lovers are not crazy and its creator agrees with us

 

[BiggNife]

I don't even see why this needs to be an argument

BOTH SMW and SMB3 are two of the best platformers ever made, even 20 years later. Does it really matter which one is better?

I personally prefer SMW but I am willing to bet this is largely because I played SMW first.

 

[Shizzlee]

Yep. World is best 2D Mario.

 

[Sebas_09]

Super Mario World is my second favorite game of all time (after Super Metroid), it's just so much fun, Mario at its best.

 

[cartman414]

That raises a good point, though. The tail from 3 is more annoying to use than the cape.

The cape is just too potent, though. The tail at least requires finesse when you're making landings.

When people argue about suits...

They're pretty much baggage. Cape, Yoshi and Fire Flower offer distinct abilities on how you traverse the stages (doubly so for Cape), but for 3 the powers never really altered the way you traverse the stage, save for Frog and Tail/Tanuki (and even then those are limited).



I can also make Mario 3 sound boring if I use that statement.

Also you just dissed World's best trait (map).

Why is Fire Flower included? It's the same as it ever was.

Besides, that traversal is for naught when the platforming scenarios aren't as diverse or challenging on the whole.

You mean it isn't? I don't care for angry bird that much but there's no denying that the idea is brilliant and millions of people think so too. Anyways, it's still his favorite game, it doesn't mean it has to be everyone's, but it shows that us SMW lovers are not crazy and its creator agrees with us

Ever heard of Castle Clout the game Angry Birds ripped off?

That just cherry picking, though.

World had minifortresses, a sunken airship, the star world, yoshi, and every level on the special world is unique and most are unmatched in design or difficulty in mario 3.

Besides, handling the cape is waaaay easier AND deep and gives some unique moments that the raccoon tail cannot match, for example, cheese bridge's secret exit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R-G-rGYiYc&feature=player_detailpage#t=31s

The easier handling is the problem.

 

[Linkhero1]

I agree, only because I played SMW before playing SMB3.

SMW had some of the best backgrounds and music. I loved discovering the secret paths in the game. I just finished my annually playthrough of the game and I feel like playing it again.

 

[KillGore]

Ever heard of Castle Clout? It's a ripoff.

Why can't there be two similar games in the industry? I haven't played it but does each rock have a special ability? Can you throw the rock in space and use the gravitational pull and atmosphere to make precise shots? Sure, the main idea was stolen from the game it seems but that doesn't mean it has to be 100% original to be a creative game. Like I said, I don't like the games, but I realize that it's a nice idea and the "space" edition is the most brilliant of them all.

 

[Version 3.0]

Tough call. But I like how most of the discussion is based around how great they are, instead of how awful the other is (like most vs. matches).

Also: Super Mario Land? As in, #1? Wow, I should know by now never to be surprised by a (terrible) opinion on the internet, but it's mind-blowing that anyone could think that game is better than any other Mario game, much less all of them. It's like a bad knock-off. Feels like it was coded in a day when they needed a filler game.

 

[Shalashaska]

Super Mario 3 for me. Probably my single favourite game of all-time. Doesn't mean I don't like World but I just prefer 3 to it.

 

[Octagon]

I like both SMB3 and SMW (hey, i also like SML) but if i had to chose between SMB3 and SMW i would chose SMW. The Star World and the existence of a Violet Yoshi are enough to justify that.
I loved unlocking every single one of the 96 (?) levels.
I am not a huge fan of modern day mario's, i still like them though.

 

[cartman414]

SMW may not have as many power ups as SMB3, but they are no where near as gimmicky and redundant.

3's higher tier powerups were rare, keeping them from becoming redundant. If only World had such a sense of economy.

The physics often do come down to personal preference but SMW is without a doubt more refined in its execution. It also has a more approachable learning curve aswell as more varied level design.

World was a bit less varied than 3.

I believe the majority of people who prefer SMB3 are often blinded by nostalgia and the fact that more people were raised on the NES than the SNES. I'm no stranger to SMB3 it's a classic no doubt, but SMW is one of the greatest games period. Not just one of the greatest Mario games or or one of the greatest platformers.

I can apply that argument to anyone who prefers Zelda: A Link to the Past or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night to any of their followups, even though I have other, more substantive reasons why I disagree with them.

Why can't there be two similar games in the industry? I haven't played it but does each rock have a special ability? Can you throw the rock in space and use the gravitational pull and atmosphere to make precise shots? Sure, the main idea was stolen from the game it seems but that doesn't mean it has to be 100% original to be a creative game. Like I said, I don't like the games, but I realize that it's a nice idea and the "space" edition is the most brilliant of them all.

You must only be talking about Space.

Angry Birds jacked the physics system.

The amount of GIFs I would post here because of this comment would make them ban me, so I'm just going to go on a corner and cry.

I actually agree with him, personally.

 

[Mike M]

Tough call. But I like how most of the discussion is based around how great they are, instead of how awful the other is (like most vs. matches).

Also: Super Mario Land? As in, #1? Wow, I should know by now never to be surprised by a (terrible) opinion on the internet, but it's mind-blowing that anyone could think that game is better than any other Mario game, much less all of them. It's like a bad knock-off. Feels like it was coded in a day when they needed a filler game.

SML is so goddamned weird, with it's itty bitty blocks and spherical koopas...

Though honestly I wouldn't mind a return of the bouncy ball power up.

 

[Raptomex]

I enjoyed both SML games. The end credits theme in Mario Land is one of the greatest Mario songs ever.

 

[ElFly]

The cape is just too potent, though. The tail at least requires finesse when you're making landings.

The easier handling is the problem.

Please. Mashing the jump button is not finesse. It's mashing. Let's not start seeing depth in primitiveness.

3's higher tier powerups were rare, keeping them from becoming redundant. If only World had such a sense of economy.

Eh, I'd rather have the cool toys that World gave me that let me use everywhere*, that the rare, less able toys of 3.



*except for yoshi in castles/houses

 

[Marlowe89]

It's honestly pretty unthinkable that anyone would consider comparing Land to 3 and W, seeing as virtually every aspect pertaining to the title paled in comparison to both games. Even casting aside obvious GB limitations, its platforming and level design elements don't exactly hold a candle to at least the majority of Mario's main console installments. "Forgettable" is probably the nicest word I'd use to describe it.

That said, I've never even played Land 2 so I can't make any judgments there.

 

[Willectro]

Super Mario 3 is the best game of all time. So comparing it to SMW is pointless. It's like comparing old Star Wars to new Star Wars.

 

[Hilbert]

Let's not forget that if you beat an airship in a suit in 3 the king would say something different! I can't count how many times I have tried to beat a ship with a frog suit on. Have done it a few times. It's a neat little extra bonus for an added challenge!

 

[cartman414]

Please. Mashing the jump button is not finesse. It's mashing. Let's not start seeing depth in primitiveness.

I'm referring to the downward glide function. Holding down jump with the Cape reduces Mario's descent to a crawl. He can stick almost any landing.

Eh, I'd rather have the cool toys that World gave me that let me use everywhere*, that the rare, less able toys of 3.



*except for yoshi in castles/houses

Only more able if you're talking about the cape, and (flying) Yoshi. Otherwise, there's more diversity in 3's toolset. Besides, having them everywhere reduced their novelty, as well as the game's challenge.

 

[DarkKyo]

Another vote for SMW here! I grew up with SNES and SMW so I might be a bit biased by nostalgia, but I just enjoy playing it a lot more than I do SMB3.