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Super Mario World doesn't get enough love (a.k.a. why it's superior to 3 :P)

One thing that you cannot deny, however, is that Super Mario World has the better final boss. So utterly esoteric. I mean, look at this:


(Click for context)
 
Ookami-kun said:
Warp whistles technically don't give you alternate paths - just fastforwarding you.



I think that's why I enjoyed World more - it's not too platforming. It's mixed up with some adventuring.
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You can also rewind. Use warp whistle at the end of world 6 and go back to world 5. You can stock up on tanooki suits and hammer bros suits replaying 5 and 6 4 times.

(I miss the hammer bros suit. Boomerang bros suit was poor substitute.)
 
I have much greater love for SMW than SMB3.

* Amazing graphics and art
* Less punishing gameplay
* Tons of secrets
* Yoshi before he had an annoying baby voice

It is still the best 2D Mario.
 
Holy Order Sol said:
ITT people choose between their own mom and dad
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And then there are a few who for some reason or another decide to rebel completely and choose that one annoying little cousin over either one of their wiser parents; i.e. Super Mario Land. :P

But certainly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have the urge to play through World again. Despite being overshadowed in a good several areas by 3 IMO, I thoroughly enjoyed the rather commendable addition of an even greater exploration-based open overworld type mechanic in a 2D platformer. That seemed pretty damn ambitious for its time, even if it was mostly refining what 3 had already started.
 
Hilbert said:
This is the second time I saw someone that liked the football players in world. Kind of blows my mind, I hate those guys.
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They just felt really out of place with the rest of the game, which for me was a good thing. Though funny enough I think they'd fit right in with 3D Land, which was why I was so disappointed they weren't there. Still my favorite mario enemies aside from shy guys and hammer bros
 
I consider them equal.

Why I love each more than the other:

SMB3
+ I owned it when I was a kid, in fact was one of the few in my hometown to get it that year
+ P system - flying is much much better and more fun in 3
+ better music
+ better powerups
+ absolutely perfect controls
+ better ending
+ clever secrets

SMW
+ tons of things happening on screen
+ great graphics
+ yoshi
+ better map
+ more secrets
+ much better minibosses
+ the best sound effects of any pre-PS1/N64 game
+ had the stigma of being the "one that got away" since my parents refused to buy me a SNES and I didn't get one until I was 20
 
Forest of Illusion alone makes SMW god tier. Beyond that I'd say SMB3 was on par in terms of the main worlds (3,5,6,8 vs. 4,5,6,7 IMO...basically on par). But then SMW has so many secrets, all of which are amazing.
 
I would like to do a survey some time and see if the SMB3/SMW divide is connected to age, first game system, first Mario game played, etc..

(SMB3 > SMW. All SMW has going for it is Yoshi. SMB3 forever.)
 
Howabout this:

Am I the only one who enjoys Lost Levels (SMB2 in Japan) better than SMB2 USA? Yes I know the original game was basically a much, much more difficult version of the original SMB. However, it's still a true Mario game unlike SMB2 USA which is just Doki Doki Panic with Mario characters. Yes I know...shy guy. But other than that I never cared for it.
 
cartman414 said:
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.
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So can you in 3 if you mash enough.

cartman414 said:
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.
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That's a silly argument. World's tools keep their novelty all the way and allows you to enjoy them. When was the last time you did 1-1 with Hammer Bros suit? 3 is too stingy with its treats.

Difficulty is a non issue; both games are easy, but 3 is perceived as harder due to the lack of a save battery, but surely you ain't gonna fault World's technical prowess.
 
Raptomex said:
Howabout this:

Am I the only one who enjoys Lost Levels (SMB2 in Japan) better than SMB2 USA? Yes I know the original game was basically a much, much more difficult version of the original SMB. However, it's still a true Mario game unlike SMB2 USA which is just Doki Doki Panic with Mario characters. Yes I know...shy guy. But other than that I never cared for it.
Click to expand...

I kind of feel the same way. Lost Levels is my favorite Mario game.
 
Ookami-kun said:
Honestly, a lot of the modern Mario games always like to squeeze dat Mario 3 homage that sometimes I'm saddened that they like to forget SMW's style.

What I love World's design is in the levels and in the overworld. A lot say that you can finish a level with a cape. That's the point. You can finish many of the levels in multiple ways. The freedom it gives on flight is something I wish explored more in Mario games, especially when they net routes.

Overworld design is superior. It doesn't have set paths - the areas seemingly aren't too obvious and I love the take on making the whole "world" the overworld rather than just "areas". You can take different paths in approaching the final castle, for instance.
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Why didnt I saw this thread before. Preach it brother!

The discussion some of us had in the New Super Mario Bros 2 becuase Nintendo just homages SMB3 to the infinity isntead of passing the ball was pretty big.

SMW its like the Hercules (Disney) of Nintendo. It has lots of fans, but is as if the game doesnt exist in any media, no tributes at all, and all goes to the res of the good past. Go to Disney themeparks and she if you can find anything about Hercules, and I dont even mean rides or theming, i mean just try to find a plush or a t-shirt. Is mission NEARLY impossible.
Just like how SMB3 homages are overused instead of using more SMW. For fucks sake, yoe can even see more tributes to fucking Super Mario Sunshine!

The saddest thing of all, not hearing remixes of its fantastic music.
-Athletic
-Best castle theme
-Awesome Credits
 
BigDug13 said:
You can also rewind. Use warp whistle at the end of world 6 and go back to world 5. You can stock up on tanooki suits and hammer bros suits replaying 5 and 6 4 times.

(I miss the hammer bros suit. Boomerang bros suit was poor substitute.)
Click to expand...

Boomerang suit is better uh...suited for the 3D world of 3DS Land.
 
Raptomex said:
Yeah it's pretty incredible game. I have a serious love/hate relationship going on with those warp pipes that take you backwards.
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I like US Mario 2. It's not going to be my favorite, but a fun change from the other Marios. Kind of like zelda 2.
 
Amazing, I've been banging on about my love for SMW the last few months, so was overjoyed to see this thread. Why the hell Nintendo doesn't give it more love, I don't know. I'm sick of all the SMB3 stuff that keeps making its way into recent Marios. Bring back the cape and best overworld map, for god's sake! SMW will always be the best 2D Mario. Would love to see a true "Super Mario World 3" (if we continue to go along with Yoshi's Island as SMW2).

Oh, and you know what Nintendo really need to do? Give us a proper SMW level editor for both 3DS and Wii U. The stuff people come out with online with hacks is incredible. Why not let all fans make their own levels and share them online? Would love to download and play the highest rated/most popular fan-made levels straight to my console. More games need level editors, and I'd gladly pay to have a proper SMW one.
 
Hilbert said:
I like US Mario 2. It's not going to be my favorite, but a fun change from the other Marios. Kind of like zelda 2.
Click to expand...
My favorite game of all time is Super Mario World. However, I feel US Mario 2 just isn't a Mario game. I kept trying to replay it over and over and I could only get so far before I was just like "eh" and gave up. But that's just me.
 
SMW... maybe. I hate flying with the cape, but I find SMW more attractive as a whole. SMB3 is probably the better game, mechanically.

That said, I've had so much fun playing this epic, cohesive, brilliant fangame that it might be my favorite. I AM A HERETIC.

Also, I tried New SMB for DS the other day and hated it. Give me pixels or give me death.
 
Jake Tower said:
AKA artificial difficulty in a platforming, exploring game

It's the platforming equivalent of limited save checkpoints in other types of games.
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Anyone who says "artificial difficulty" should be treated like a fraud, let alone this painful example lol. As if the second sentence doesn't immediately disqualify you from the discussion on difficulty...
 
Damn right, Athletics is an awesome music! Glad it was in Melee and Brawl.

Box of Bunnies said:
This is like saying "Masked Rider: The Next is the best Masked Rider thing because it's not too Masked Riding, it's mixed up with some J-horror".
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No, you see adventuring is actually loved by people.

Shitty Inoue-levels of writing isn't.


Tain said:
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.
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When I got on the third ship level there I was pretty much bored because it was already EXPECTED to act like that. They don't shake them up. I was like "Oh boy another slow scrolling stage with the same music and the same theme".
 
SpacePirate Ridley said:
Oh blue Yoshi, how I love thee

And now some amazing music:
-Athletic I love the ragtime feel the game has.
-And an amazing version by ragtime pianist Tom Brier

-Most epic and eerie castle theme in the Mario series.

-And... best ending Mario theme!The finish is fast and grandiose, like if a great show was over with a final musical act.
-And another awesome version by Tom Brier
Click to expand...

Seriously, best OST in a Mario game and I laughed out loud at mario dancing in the ending credits, didn't know he did that if you pressed the proper buttons.
 
I absolutely adore both, but 3 edges it out for my favorite. IMO World may have better minibosses and music but 3's stages and gimmicks are more memorable.

I think your answer to whether you like 3 or World more is going to depend a lot on whether you prefer 3's more straightforward platforming challenges or World's exploration.
 
Way too hard to choose between them. Although I must admit a shameful secret: I've never played vanilla NES SMB3, only All-Stars. In fact, I've never even SEEN a NES in real life.
 
Raptomex said:
Howabout this:

Am I the only one who enjoys Lost Levels (SMB2 in Japan) better than SMB2 USA? Yes I know the original game was basically a much, much more difficult version of the original SMB. However, it's still a true Mario game unlike SMB2 USA which is just Doki Doki Panic with Mario characters. Yes I know...shy guy. But other than that I never cared for it.
Click to expand...
I was 11 when SMB2 was released in Canada/US. Of course, nobody knew at the time the connection to Doki Doki Panic (still, I think it's totally irrevelant now and in no way affects my enjoyment of this great platformer). In my family and at the grade school I was attending, it was the game everyone talked about and wanted to play (late 1988-1989). I was amazed by the game and loved it completely (and I still do... though not as much as SMB 3 and SMW, obviously).

Let's rewind a bit. A funny thing happened during the summer of 88: I rented the Japanese Mario 2 (with the adapter thingy attached) and... hated it! SMB 1 was my entry into gaming and the reason I had harassed my father for months on end to get an NES. I loved it. But SMB 2 (Japan) was so similar... it felt very uninspired. And I don't know if you can be depressed at 11, but it felt just like that. My expectations for a Mario 2 sequel were too high, I guess. But Nintendo became magical for my younger self when, a couple months later, seemingly out of nowhere, they released this amazing sequel that was so fresh and inspired, and not at all like the SMB 2 (Japanese) I thought we were getting. For once, wishful thinking actually worked. Imagine something like that happening today: you think the new Mario will be Mario Sunshine, but in the end it's a Mario Galaxy you get. That was a mind blowing experience for me.

These days, SMB 2 is unjustly thrown under the bus of revisionism (more care went into the crafting of SMB 2 than in Lost Levels - which was similar to a b-side engineered by a third-string producer).

On this topic, I can't recommend this article by Jeremy Parrish enough: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?publicUserId=5379721&bId=9090772
 
This argument will rage for all eternity with no clear majority vote, but count me in the Super Mario World camp. Best 2D Mario game ever made.

SMB3 is right behind it, for sure, but World just brought so much awesomeness to the table and did it with the best 2D platformer controls EVER. Mario in SMW is like a perfect, natural extension of the player's every whim.

And what's with some of you saying that SMW had an ugly art style? SMB3 on the NES was dark and kind of depressing looking compared to the bubbly, colorful world of Dino Land. I agree with the OP in that I wish Nintendo would revisit some of the forgotten inhabitants of SMW's one-off setting (Chargin' Chucks need to return).
 
bomma_man said:
Way too hard to choose between them. Although I must admit a shameful secret: I've never played vanilla NES SMB3, only All-Stars. In fact, I've never even SEEN a NES in real life.
Click to expand...

HNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG

I (and I think most people) prefer the NES version, mainly due to the overall look. Nothing with the way the All-Stars version looks, it's just not the original.

I remember vividly, I was on a short out-of-town trip when the game dropped, and found a copy in another state. All I did on the way back was read the manual over and over. When I brought it home, none of my friends had it yet. It was truly one of those special gaming moments, that few others can rival.

/sap
 
ElFly said:
Difficulty is a non issue; both games are easy, but 3 is perceived as harder due to the lack of a save battery, but surely you ain't gonna fault World's technical prowess.
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I'm sure the majority of us weighing in on the discussion of difficulty likely played at least one of the many remakes as well (you know, the ones that actually allow you to save) but in any case, this is plainly untrue - 3 is genuinely more of a challenge because that's exactly what it presents to the player. Its platforming gimmicks were executed astonishingly and it often keeps you on your toes, whereas World has a boatload of stages that look downright empty in comparison and power-ups that are practically resting on silver platters. I can personally breeze through both games nowadays, but the gap in difficulty between the two in ANY version is painfully obvious and clear as day.

Hell, several of those who find World preferable admit this. If there's one thing both sides generally agree 3 excels in over W, it's definitely this quality.
 
I seriously hope they fired the person who thought the combination of the ringing and the Baby Mario screaming when you lose him in Yoshi's Island was okay.
 
ITT: The enlightened ones vs a bunch of drooling morons

SMB3 > SMW. The tighter, more challenging level design and better powerups put it head and shoulder above all other 2D Mario games.
 
To me SMB3 isn't the best Mario game from either end of the spectrum.

For platforming, I'm sure Sixfortyfive will back me up in saying SMB2j/Lost Levels has by far the better platforming challenges. The game really tests your platforming mettle in a way no other Mario except SMG2 comes close to.

For atmosphere, exploration, and adventure, Super Mario World is hands down better. Not even really a contest there. The exploration has never been matched in a Mario game since World, excluding Yoshi's Island. SM64 just barely comes close but I didn't like how that game approached it; throwing you into an open sandbox, instead of letting you branch off into paths didn't work as well for a platformer IMO.

I guess SMB3 has powerups but they're not as numerous or as good as some would have you believe. Frog Suit is OK but useless in most of the levels, turning into a statue as a Tanooki is cool but also mostly useless, Kuribo's Shoe is as useless in SMB3 as Kuribo is in YGO, etc.

Then of course there are the complaints that SMW is "floaty" and SMB3's controls are "perfect," but the facts are that both control perfectly in relation to their games and it's a matter of preference.

All in all, SMB3 is just kind of middling in the series. Still a fantastic game and an impressive display of what the NES can do, of course, but not the best Mario game no matter how you define a "Mario game."
 
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