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[PumpkinSpice]

I was kinda sad when Odyssey was shown to be back to the old open world style Mario game that I'm not really into.

But after 3D World I don't even know how they would top what they've already done. There is so much creativity and variety in the levels in this game that there's very little left to explore with this framework. Like SMW, this is a game I'll be going back to every year for a very long time always having a ton of fun.

It really is my favorite Mario game, and I say that as someone that usually prefers the 2D Mario games to 3D ones just due to gameplay. It's amazing what they pulled off in getting 2D precision platforming within a 3D environment.

 

[Dantrist]

Fantastic, beautiful looking game. I like that it was at least upfront with it being linear. While I also love the Galaxy games, I disliked that despite the freedom you're given, you still ultimately have to reach 'the end' of the level (making the game linear).

My favourite type of 3D Mario game is 64, in which you have one level with multiple stars to collect. It seems Odyssey might be similar in that fashion, which would be amazing.

Personally I rank the games like this:
1) Galaxy/3D World (I legit can't choose)
2) Galaxy/3D World
3) Galaxy 2
4) 64
5) Sunshine
6) 3D Land

 

[Sothis Krieg]

I like that when you state that the game was too easy overall there is always somebody that is going to say "BUT CHAMPION ROAD BRO" like if one level could make it up for the entire difficulty or level design of the game.

Ok this level is amazing and difficult at the same time and this is what bothers me. They can make great levels. You can have a middle ground in difficulty/craziness between 80% of the 3D world levels and the champion road one, like some of the last ones maybe. I found the game too easy for my taste, i don't expect Mario to be super meat boy or N++ when it comes to difficulty but come on. They were some good idea that i loved, like Glumpblump inferno, but often they lacked craziness in execution. I felt they were too much on the safe side overall (except champion road ofc).

Add some craziness and a bit of a challenge in the next mario please ! I want more "Wow" moments even if it's not an entire level like champion road.

If they do another Mario in this formula i think they can do much better in terms of difficulty curve and fresh ideas better used. I liked 3D world much more that 3D land so i think 3D world 2 could be amazing. I hope they will go berserk with Odyssey though.

 

[allenpergallon]

3D World didn't hold up as well for me after Champion's Road. It's an undoubtedly amazing experience first time through, but felt exponentially more dull revisiting stages knowing all of the spectacle already and not having to search for stamps & green stars. The wide open areas coupled with the movement speed and fixed camera seemed more interested in keeping you engaged in ideas and "exploration" rather than just platforming, which is great for first impressions but hampers replayability imo.

Even if it didn't have 3D World's late-game difficulty, I much preferred what 3D Land set out to do as a whole. Slightly shorter levels with more constant, engaging platforming, a charming Saturday-morning cartoonish take on the "Bowser kidnaps Peach" schtick (seriously, what were the Sprixies even about?), and better use of the tech on hand to deliver both fresher perspectives in levels and a slightly more confident sense of platforming (though that is in tangent with other differences like the camera).

In a way I think the two games are similar to the argument of SM3 vs SMW.

 

[Straight Edge]

Hope it gets a nice port to switch.

 

[sanstesy]

The Mario cycle.

 

[Bending_Unit_22]

I liked the game initially but around halfway through it bored me so much I stopped about 3/4 in. One issue is that the game is designed for 4 players so the areas are too large for single player. The other issue I couldn't quite place but watching a YouTube video about its level design explained it, every level follows the same 4 step progression which is what became increasingly tedious and boring to me.

I did love some things about the game, the cat suit, the Mario and Toad cat suit plushies I have as a result, and I bought the Mario 3D World Wii U bundle so I was able to sell the game for around $40.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Yeah, 3DL better overall, but I can't deny 3DW was a riot with buddies.

 

[royox]

The game was very easy, felt way sloooooower than other mario games and the controls were really REALLY bad.

They tried to mix the 2D gameplay with 3D enviroments but in my opinion they failed with the execution. Pure 3D mario like Sunshine or Galaxy are the key.

 

[Teletraan1]

I really love this game. I had completed the game fully on my Wii U but I wanted to see how it would look in Cemu and ended up playing quite a few levels. I have always been a 2D mario guy. I feel like I have better control over the characters. Did not like analog stick acceleration of previous 3D marios. This 3D game on a 2D plane was right up my alley. The first few levels are too easy and simplistic but it really comes into its own in the second half of the game.

 

[TheBaldEmperor]

That's funny, it's my least favorite 3D Mario entry actually was never a fan of the art style or the level design tbh. Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 remain the gold standard for me.

Agreed. Having a timer in a 3D Mario game is a huge no-no for me.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

And guys, you were right. I've never believed anyone who said it was great due to my misgivings toward SM3DL and SMG2, but anyone who said this game is one of the best Mario games—even the handful of you who said it's the best 3D Mario—spoke absolutely true.

Welcome to the winning team.

Next, uncover the lost gospel of Super Luigi U and the scales shall fall from thine eyes.

 

[Opticability]

My 3D Mario ranking:

3D World
3D Land
Galaxy 1
Galaxy 2
64
Sunshine (only one I don't like)

I bought a Wii U specifically for 3D World after watching matthewmatosis' review for it and was shocked how much he praised it. And guess what, he was right. It would be such a shame if they don't port it to switch.

 

[Laurel_McFang]

Stuck on the last challenge house in 3D World, but don't see the appeal. Loved every second of 3D Land, but World left me cold quite often and galaxy was a powerhouse, do agree Odyessy looks good just hope they revise the city to look more Mario like, when i think about it though some of the 3d world stuff was intense and good level design, but just didn't feel as responsie or clever as I hoped, clone cherries need to make a come back.

 

[jet1911]

What did you think of the music?

 

[schwabdizzle]

I liked it , but its definitely a step back from Galaxy IMHO.

 

[AuthenticM]

Is the last level of 3D World easier or harder than the last of 3D Land?

 

[VDenter]

Is the last level of 3D World easier or harder than the last of 3D Land?

Its much harder.

 

[paulryp]

the 3Ds and Wii U 3D lands are easily the best "Mario" since Mario 64. I class Galaxy as a spin off title as the formula strays little to far from tradition for my taste.

 

[muteki]

I don't have any significant complaints, but felt like the game needed another castle.

Endgame:

Spoiler

There is soooo much stuff after the final boss that it might as well had another big finish to cap it all off. You get the satisfaction of beating all the levels I guess, but little else. The rest of the unlockables for stars, flags, etc just fell flat for me.

 

[Greatest Ever]

Agreed. Having a timer in a 3D Mario game is a huge no-no for me.

Yep, the timer was an artificial restriction that constrained how long and crazy the levels could get. It adds nothing to the levels except for a haphazard addition from the 2D games.

the 3Ds and Wii U 3D lands are easily the best "Mario" since Mario 64. I class Galaxy as a spin off title as the formula strays little to far from tradition for my taste.

Lmao what

 

[E-flux]

Game is incredibly easy and dull as a result. Co-op was a bad idea and poorly implemented.

It wasn't anywhere near the Galaxy games.

Challenge comes in trying to play the levels optimally, the movement system is not as robust as Galaxy or 64 but it still offers you enough to make your way through the stages in your own way.

I wish that there had been more ice skating stages, game was a good advertisement for Capitan Toad too, that game is really fun to play as well.

 

[maxcriden]

So pleased you're enjoying it and am honored you took my recommendation. I can't recommend strongly enough that (a) you play Captain Toad at some point if you like the CT levels and (b) that in playing 3DW you go for all the green stars and stamps, much of the fun of the game is in getting those IMO.

How far are you into the game at this point?

And, did you decide to give SMG2 another shot down the line as well?

 

[Haloid1177]

I booted SM3DW back up over the weekend due to similar feelings, and I think my biggest issue with the game is how they locked the world behind a collectathon. It's such a drag to have to collect everything in a platformer to actually get new levels.

So when I got fed up with that I booted up Mario Galaxy 2 and it is still so fucking good. Wanted to play the first but realized I lent it out to someone I barely talk to anymore so ugh.

 

[JaseMath]

Well... Yeah. As far as i know things in games are intended by the developers? They aren't using a random feature generator?

Dude, why are you being such an asshole? No one is attacking you.

EDIT: All I meant was that your opinion of the game was limited to design directions you didn't agree with; that's fine. You just don't really seem to have opinions of your own (i.e. pointing out oversights/limitations due in part to these decisions) that legitimize your claims. For example, you said something like you didn't know why you couldn't control the camera and that it's like the game was supposed to be some kind of isometric 2D/3D hybrid, which it is. Your complaints answer your own questions. It's like saying, "I don't understand why they made this car with 4 doors instead of 2. It's like they wanted it to be a sedan or something."

 

[entremet]

I'm gonna miss Mario's more simplified moveset from these games.

I even loved hold B to dash.

Odyssey seems like it's going back to the complex and unnecessary moveset of SM64.

Bummer. Great for speedrunners, I guess. But sometimes simplest is best.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

I booted SM3DW back up over the weekend due to similar feelings, and I think my biggest issue with the game is how they locked the world behind a collectathon. It's such a drag to have to collect everything in a platformer to actually get new levels.

So when I got fed up with that I booted up Mario Galaxy 2 and it is still so fucking good. Wanted to play the first but realized I lent it out to someone I barely talk to anymore so ugh.

Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't lock levels behind a collectathon?

 

[Greatest Ever]

Challenge comes in trying to play the levels optimally, the movement system is not as robust as Galaxy or 64 but it still offers you enough to make your way through the stages in your own way.

I wish that there had been more ice skating stages, game was a good advertisement for Capitan Toad too, that game is really fun to play as well.

I don't understand what that means, this isn't exactly a Platinum game.

 

[thestopsign]

I'm playing through the game right now for the first time. I'm taking my time by trying to get every green star in each level before advancing to the next, which has been a bit of a challenge. I'm at ~150 green stars and have mostly completed World 4 and World 5 (I accidentally took a secret pipe to skip me to World 5). My only two problems with the game are 1.) that it feels like it takes a half second to long to get up to dash speed and 2.) the double cherry is a little hard to manage and it can be frustrating to complete some of the levels using it to 100%.

The game is a marvel of level design, every level has a new idea introduced and iterated on in a way that just makes sense. It never lingers to long on any one concept. I am looking forward to finishing it up.

 

[E-flux]

I don't understand what that means, this isn't exactly a Platinum game.

What i meant is that there is the super easy way of playing the game that anybody can do, which is running through those pipes that take you to your next location, or you can have a lot of fun by utilizing the different jumps the right way to get yourself to the point B a lot more faster.

You can play Mario 64 the exact same way, most of the levels are beatable using only the basic jump and nothing else but nobody plays like that.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Good guy max comes through again.

Not my favourite 3D Mario but it's still a masterclass of 3D platforming design, in this case it smokes other linear point to point 3D platformers quite handily and I get to play as Toad which is great.

 

[Draconian]

World 3? You ain't seen nothin yet!

Playing through this with a friend was one of the funnest experiences I've ever had. The last world, especially Champions Road, took us forever, but it was so satisfying when we finally beat it.

 

[RetroMG]

Mario 3D World is an amazing game. My wife and I do an all stars, all flags run about once a year together.

If Mario Odyssey doesn't have some kind of local multiplayer, I'm going to be disappointed.

 

[koss424]

Typical. I always enjoyed 3D world, especially the couch co-op stuff that made the game r as much of a party game as it was a 3d platformer. But the positive reviews are coming out now that the games'm system generation is over. This game was almost universally hated during it's meaningful lifetime citing it was not a proper Mario game.by people who had played it and or course those who had never played it.

 

[Greatest Ever]

What i meant is that there is the super easy way of playing the game that anybody can do, which is running through those pipes that take you to your next location, or you can have a lot of fun by utilizing the different jumps the right way to get yourself to the point B a lot more faster.

You can play Mario 64 the exact same way, most of the levels are beatable using only the basic jump and nothing else but nobody plays like that.

Again, I'm still not getting it. The game has an extremely simplified movement system, a button to dash, and much bigger platforms than previous Mario games (likely to compensate for co-op), and neither my friend or I found a plethora of ways faster than the ones we used to reach the end goal.

 

[Švejk]

The multiplayer is fun, but going solo... i felt it was rather mediocre when compared to the Galaxies. The level design in both Galaxies are on par with the brilliance of 64.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Whenever someone complains about how easy 3D World is I always wonder if we all played the same 3D Marios. Galaxy 1 and 2 are easy as hell. Come on, I get preferring it to 3D World but there is nothing remotely difficult in pretty much any of the 3D Mario games besides Sunshine.

 

[Greatest Ever]

Whenever someone complains about how easy 3D World is I always wonder if we all played the same 3D Marios. Galaxy 1 and 2 are easy as hell. Come on, I get preferring it to 3D World but there is nothing remotely difficult in pretty much any of the 3D Mario games besides Sunshine.

Games required a lot more out of you than 3D World, plus the bubble mechanic in co-op absolutely kills any challenge in 3D World.

 

[E-flux]

Again, I'm still not getting it. The game has an extremely simplified movement system, a button to dash, and much bigger platforms than previous Mario games (likely to compensate for co-op), and neither my friend or I found a plethora of ways faster than the ones we used to reach the end goal.

It's simplified but you still have back flips, long jumps, side jumps, rolls, spin, and wall jumps and a lot more situational skills that you can use, it offers plenty of moves even if it has only 2 buttons. There are levels like one of the later ghost ship ones where you can skip whole areas if instead of going to the pipe you jump on the masts and other objects and with the cat suit can just break some levels thanks to the plunging attack.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Games required a lot more out of you than 3D World, plus the bubble mechanic in co-op absolutely kills any challenge in 3D World.

No they didnt. The games were just as piss easy as 3D World and 3D Land. I dunno what planet some of yall are from where there is any real difference in the difficulty of these games. There isn't. They are all easy. I wish we would all stop acting like there was some sort of real challenge in Galaxy 1 and 2. These games are not difficult in any way shape or form.

 

[Greatest Ever]

It's simplified but you still have back flips, long jumps, side jumps, rolls, spin, and wall jumps and a lot more situational skills that you can use, it offers plenty of moves even if it has only 2 buttons. There are levels like one of the later ghost ship ones where you can skip whole areas if instead of going to the pipe you jump on the masts and other objects and with the cat suit can just break some levels thanks to the plunging attack.

If you say so. I've never seen this said before, but if there's some actual hidden depth to this game, mozel tov

No they didnt. The games were just as piss easy as 3D World and 3D Land. I dunno what planet some of yall are from where there is any real difference in the difficulty of these games. There isn't. They are all easy. I wish we would all stop acting like there was some sort of real challenge in Galaxy 1 and 2. These games are not difficult in any way shape or form.

Fanning Mario in a bubble, using the Wiimote for gripping onto stars, navigating multiple sides of a planet, Luigi's Purple Coins, the Thwomp oblong level in Galaxy 1, Yoshi while using the speed power up, the levels where you manipulate the platform Mario is jumping on the side of by shaking the Wiimote all required much more than the player ever needed to input in 3D World or Land's main campaigns. Grandmaster Galaxy too.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Fanning Mario in a bubble, using the Wiimote for gripping onto stars, navigating multiple sides of a planet, Luigi's Purple Coins, the Thwomp oblong level in Galaxy 1, Yoshi while using the speed power up, the levels where you manipulate the platform Mario is jumping on the side of by shalomg the Wiimote all required much more than the player ever needed to input in 3D World or Land's main campaigns. Grandmaster Galaxy too.

Lol Luigi's Purple coins. This for example is something that was pushed to be difficult but actually was not challenging. Your using grabbing blue stars as a sign of difficulty. Come on.

I will reitierate again. Nothing in Galaxy 1 or 2 bar the last challenge levels are any more difficult than what you would experience in 3D World. That isn't a knock to thise games. They are among the best ever. But come on, there is no discernable difficult difference between these games.

The things you are propping up as difficult are literally no more difficult than any of the late game content in 3D World. Which is to say, if you are good at platforming it really aint hard.

 

[Greatest Ever]

Lol Luigi's Purple coins. This for example is something that was pushed to be difficult but actually was not challenging. Your using grabbing blue stars as a sign of difficulty. Come on.

I will reitierate again. Nothing in Galaxy 1 or 2 bar the last challenge levels are any more difficult than what you would experience in 3D World. That isn't a knock to thise games. They are among the best ever. But come on, there is no discernable difficult difference between these games.

The things you are propping up as difficult are literally no more difficult than any of the late game content in 3D World. Which is to say, if you are good at platforming it really aint hard.

Grabbing the blue stars was weaved into the more difficult challenges, by itself it's obviously not difficult.

And again, you miss how I brought up the bubble system in co-op absolutely ruining any sort of consequence 3D World could have.

 

[Already Torn]

It's sooooo much better than 3D Land. It's a shame the two appear so superficially similar, because they're really nothing like each other.

It also basically collects and remixes everything that's ever been in a Mario game. It's why I'm so glad Odysse is basically going in the opposite direction with all this weird new rabbit shit.

 

[Ogodei]

It's really fucking good. Arguably takes too long to get going, but there are some fucking fantastic levels in the latter parts.

Champion's Road is the ultimate final level.

That was the problem with both of the "3D" games, but World was a lot better about it. 3D Land didn't get interesting or challenging until you beat World 8 the first time.

 

[Diddy Kong]

It was a fun game. I definitely prefer the sandbox style 3D Mario games, but 3D World was a bright & fun take on the series. I'm just tired of time limits and goal posts.

 

[Schnozberry]

Game is incredibly easy and dull as a result. Co-op was a bad idea and poorly implemented.

It wasn't anywhere near the Galaxy games.

It also has the side effect of making it much more accessible to a general audience. The post game content and gathering all the hidden collectibles throughout the game can actually be quite a challenge, especially if you want to unlock Champions Road. The base game certainly isn't targeted at pushing the boundaries of platforming difficulty.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Grabbing the blue stars was weaved into the more difficult challenges, by itself it's obviously not difficult.

And again, you miss how I brought up the bubble system in co-op absolutely ruining any sort of consequence 3D World could have.

Well I played 3D world to completion single player and played a bunch of it multiplayer. There is no bubble mechanic in single player and I was comparing my experience playing both alone. As for blue star I aint even gonna get into it because that shit was never difficult or challenging and I dont wanna sit here and argue with someone saying it was.

You dont have to use the bubble mechanic in multiplayer though it auto kicks in if you separate too much. Yes it makes the game even easier. But in the grand scheme of making everything flow in multplayer I get it. Some of the levels are also basically impossible to play in multiplayer without it. (Holy shit jump switch levels)

 

[GiantBreadbug]

If you can, play it with three others for maximum effect. I played through the entirety of this game with four players and it was one of my favorite videogame experiences ever.

But yeah this game is brilliant. I hope someday they try to do another one (with even more playable characters).

 

[Haloid1177]

Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't lock levels behind a collectathon?

It does, and that's why I prefer Galaxy to Galaxy 2, but it isn't nearly as bad as in 3DW since only one world is locked.