So, I finally played SM3DWorld and...

[Pavolink]

TanukiTrooper said:
I think people are making the mistake of thinking this is apart of Nintendo's 3D Mario series. Which it really isn't. Nintendo seems to have split the Mario franchise into 3 platform series, where I believe they will release one version of each every console generation.

3D Mario "Triple A" Series (64, Sunshine, Galaxy 1 + 2), 2D Mario "Cash Cow" series (NSMB 1 + 2 + Wii + U) and then the bridging 2.5D series (3D Land, 3D World).

As for 3D World being a flop, it seems to have strong legs and has maintained momentum. It had a weak release as it launched along side new gen consoles, but according to these charts it seems to have broken a million. So calling it 3Dflop is pretty childish and premature.

As for my opinion of it? It was a really fun solid title with plenty of content to keep you entertained for a good while, it was challenging while simple enough to pick up and play. My partner and I are looking to return to it now that I had finished it alone, and complete the levels together. To put this in perspective, my partner has never really liked Mario titles before, and since this has grabbed their attention as a fun game, I think it's doing its job.

Galaxy 2 is more in line with 3DWorld than with Galaxy 1. It has the philosophy of just one or two stars per level, more streamlined, focused on 2D platforming in 3D space, the overworld, access to the stages, music, etc. The levels I remember can fit in 3DWorld.