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What is the best 3D Mario game?

Galaxy 2

the Galaxy formula is 3D Mario perfection in my book... sort of sad we'll probably never see a 3DS Galaxy. and it seems a Wii U followup is speculative at best... don't get me wrong, 3D World looks amazing, but i think 3D Land and its sequel are more of a marriage of 3D and 2D as opposed to the successor to Galaxy/sunshine/64
 
64 and Galaxy 1. Really, it's the impact that makes the difference and both of those had 'em in spades. SM64 in my opinion is the most important 3D game.

But all 3D Mario games are utterly fantastic. Yes, including Sunshine. Sunshine is brilliant.
 
Magicpaint said:
64 and Galaxy 1. Really, it's the impact that makes the difference and both of those had 'em in spades.

But all 3D Mario games are utterly fantastic. Yes, including Sunshine. Sunshine is brilliant.
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When Sunshine is good it's great, but it's thematically monotone and probably the worst offender in the series when it comes to filler. Almost literally half of the shines are coin collecting. Factor in the Shadow Mario episodes and it's straight up embarrassing how much of the game is padded out. Nonetheless, it's still one of the best platformers of that generation.
 
NEO0MJ said:
Hmmm, I felt that most of the people who played it liked it, but don't consider it the best. Then there's an even number of people who think it's either the best or worst 3D Mario.
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I guess in my mind I just took it in the context of it being a handheld game. Meaning that I never expected that it would be on par with Galaxy or Galaxy 2. It felt like Galaxy Mini in a lot of ways.
 
GrotesqueBeauty said:
When Sunshine is good it's great, but it's thematically monotone and probably the worst offender in the series when it comes to filler. Almost literally half of the shines are coin collecting. Factor in the Shadow Mario episodes and it's straight up embarrassing how much of the game is padded out.
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I actually really loved the tropical beach/island theme and how cohesive it made the game feel + I actually think Delfino Square is the best hub in existence - lost hours doing basically nothing but jumping around. I am a huge fan of the Nozzle and all the upgrades too and it made up for some of the lost movesets from 64. I'll agree with the padding though, and Shadow Mario...and that awful last level + boss fight. I don't think I ever made it to 120 Shines.
 
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine


Super Mario 3D Land - I don't own it yet even though i do own a 3DS XL.
 
Having just played through the entire series (SM64 and SMS for the second time), it's definitely Galaxy 2 for me. I think Galaxy 1 has some musical pieces that are better, but in terms of how the whole experience feels, Galaxy 2 was much more satisfying, especially going after the other 121 stars. So much fun.

I think my list would go something like Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > SM64 > SM3DL > SMS

SMS had moments of brilliance, but is killed by the camera and some bad design, especially around the Yoshi levels/tasks and repetitive mission themes.

I can't wait to see how SM3DW fits into that list. It looks amazing! :)
 
I'd say 64, but I'm weighing impact heavily (which I think should always be the case in "best" game discussions). There may never be another game that has an impact the way Mario 64 did actually.
 
Super Mario Galaxy is the best 3D Mario game ever made. SMG is the best Mario game ever made. SMG is the best Nintendo game ever made. SMG is the best video game ever made. It is simply that amazing.
 
As much as I fucking hate Sunshine, 3D Mario is probably the best series of games in the past 20 years. Or maybe GTA, IV being the proverbial Sunshine.
 
64 > Sunshine > Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > 3D Land

I don't like running down a set path in 3D. It's too easy. I blasted through the the last three games without any challenge. Set paths work in 2D because you need quick reaction times and good timing to make jumps without running into stuff. In 3D you just walk around whatever is in the way.
 
I'd have to go with Super Mario Galaxy 2. Both Galaxy games fill me with utter bliss and joy that I have yet to experience with any other video game.
 
XtaLarge said:
Sunshine controlled tighter than in both of those games, fludd nonwithstanding. Anyways, does it matter that Mario can't do all of the same things he could do in SM64 when half of your moves in SM64 were pretty much unnecessary? Not to say I don't value them, they added a decent amount of variation to the sandbox.
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Lordwindowlicker said:
I tend to prefer quality over quantity. That's not to say that 64 controlled poorly, but both Galaxy games controlled better.
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I don't understand how you could say the Galaxy games controlled better. You can't replicate what Mario does in 64 with the Galaxy engine. Everything is slower and floatier, not to mention Mario loses his dive, jump kick, and a bunch of other moves from 64.

Just watch a Siglemic speed run of 64 and tell me Mario controls better in Galaxy. Not to say Galaxy Mario controls bad or anything, but Mario is literally a ninja in 64 if you master the controls. Galaxy simply isn't that deep.
 
Super Mario 64 has such fluid 3d movement I don't think has ever been matched in another game. The Galaxy games are great but Mario moves slower in those games and has less moves.

I also prefer the overworld in 64 to the one in Galaxy or Sunshine. Exploring the castle is a magical feeling even today.
 
I'm of the opinion that each subsequent 3D Mario game improves on its predecessor (besides 3D Land, which I'd insert between 64 and Sunshine), so Super Mario Galaxy 2.
 
This thread made me go back to Galaxy 2 to see how far I got or if I beat it or what since I could barely recall it.

I'm only at World 5 with like 46 or so stars. I don't know why I never finished it, I know I was finishing ME and starting ME2 around that same time.
 
Mario 64 was the single greatest leap in gaming for me. I was in awe.

But, Mario Galaxy 1/2 are just better games. They have built on what made Mario 64 great.
Mario Sunshine was a little too ... convoluted. Still, though, is a great game.

Mario 3D land was somewhere around 64 in quality for me (but 64 wins in terms of 'for the time')
 
The original Super Mario Galaxy. Galaxy 2 had some excellent platforming, but the level design and aesthetic was kind of bland I thought. Close call between the two though.
 
Anth0ny said:
I don't understand how you could say the Galaxy games controlled better. You can't replicate what Mario does in 64 with the Galaxy engine. Everything is slower and floatier, not to mention Mario loses his dive, jump kick, and a bunch of other moves from 64.

Just watch a Siglemic speed run of 64 and tell me Mario controls better in Galaxy. Not to say Galaxy Mario controls bad or anything, but Mario is literally a ninja in 64 if you master the controls. Galaxy simply isn't that deep.
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I tried to play Mario 64 last year with the classic controller and it was a mess. For some odd reason I had a lot of problem coping with the camera and the twitchy controls. It took me a while to get the hang of it, and even then it was frustrating as hell. With the galaxy games I never had a single problem with either the camera or the controls. It was perfect.

Maybe it's true that Mario 64 had more moves/ depth or what not, but the controls made me not like the game. I will take less moves in exchange for more comfortable controls any day of the week. Though maybe it's because I wasn't using the original N64 controller.
 
Traditional 3D Mario sure does feel slow after playing 3D Land. Especially the Galaxy games without diving or FLUDDing. I feel like I MUST be able to run faster.
 
monlo said:
Mario 64 was the single greatest leap in gaming for me. I was in awe.

But, Mario Galaxy 1/2 are just better games. They have built on what made Mario 64 great.
Mario Sunshine was a little too ... convoluted. Still, though, is a great game.

Mario 3D land was somewhere around 64 in quality for me (but 64 wins in terms of 'for the time')
Click to expand...
Perfect post.
 
Galaxy 2.

Honestly if your answer is 64 its gotta be the nostalgia talking. There's nothing in there that wasnt done better in either later 3d marios or banjo kazooie.
 
Echoenigma said:
Galaxy 2.

Honestly if your answer is 64 its gotta be the nostalgia talking. There's nothing in there that wasnt done better in either later 3d marios or banjo kazooie.
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Maybe that's true. Imho, earning stars in SM64 felt more about surprises, rather than a goal (now it was a couple of years ago last time I played SMG1, but that's how I felt).

(Not saying earning stars in SMG1 was bad or so, I prefer the one with more surprises).

But yeah, you maybe are true.
 
250px-SuperMarioGalaxy.jpg


I like the original Super Mario Galaxy the best. It was just such an amazing experience to me, it really blew me away. SMG2 is good but ultimately more of the same and lacked the surprise element. I played them back to back and I didn't really notice anything comparatively superlative about SMG2's levels.
 
Anth0ny said:
I don't understand how you could say the Galaxy games controlled better. You can't replicate what Mario does in 64 with the Galaxy engine. Everything is slower and floatier, not to mention Mario loses his dive, jump kick, and a bunch of other moves from 64.

Just watch a Siglemic speed run of 64 and tell me Mario controls better in Galaxy. Not to say Galaxy Mario controls bad or anything, but Mario is literally a ninja in 64 if you master the controls. Galaxy simply isn't that deep.
Click to expand...

The way siglemic plays SM64 is mindblowing. SM64 is something else
 
64
Galaxy
Galaxy 2
Sunshine
3D Land

3D Land would have been a lot better if it didn't have those piss-poor, lazy-ass Shadow Mario levels.
 
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