Which series is ultimately greater, Mario or Zelda? (and why)

[curl-6]

Pajderman said:

I replay the Mario games a lot more than the Zelda games. But I often like my first playthrough of Zelda more than my first playthrough of Mario.

In most Mario games it is possible to jump back into a playthrough even after months or years and no matter where in the game I left it is fun to return. For a Zelda if I revisit I want to start over from the beginning. I guess it is the lack of a significant story in Mario games, even if I like story heavy games it does not lower Marios appeal for me, it simply makes the games more timeless.

This is a good point, and I can kind of relate; for example, BOTW is I feel one of the best games ever made, but I'm not sure I'll ever replay it just cos it doesn't seem like something that would lend itself to repeat playthroughs since the sense of discovery wouldn't be there second time around. I think the only Zelda games I've played through multiple times are Twilight Princess, (just cos I was so desperate for something to play when Twilight Princess HD came out during Wii U's dismal 2016) and Skyward Sword just out of nostalgia for my Uni days.

Meanwhile, Mario games I come back to time and time again, cos they're so much more "pick up and play".