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Forums - Nintendo - Best 3D Mario Game

 

What is the best 3D Mario game?

Super Mario 64 104 24.94%
 
Super Mario Sunshine 37 8.87%
 
Super Mario Galaxy 97 23.26%
 
Super Mario Galaxy 2 76 18.23%
 
Super Mario 3D Land 6 1.44%
 
Super Mario 3D World 96 23.02%
 
Total:416
curl-6 on 05 January 2014
Michael-5 said:
curl-6 said:
Michael-5 said:

Yea, but in 12 years is that a big upgrade? It's still the same platforming Mario, walking on the ceiling.

I mean I didn't love Super Mario 64 for the Big/Small World levels. I liked it for the traditional (buck wacky) Bowser Levels, and tossing King Bob-omb off the top of his mountain. Same for Galaxy, I mean it's a great game, but just not as shocking as Super Mario 64.

Graphics are a big reason though, Super Mario 64 for the time was the best ever. Super Mario Galaxy was only the best on the Wii.

But it's not the same, by altering the role that gravity plays you fundamentally alter the whole structure of the platforming and level design.

I tend to place gameplay above graphics, but that's just me.

I place gameplay above graphics, and I don't see a "fundamental" difference to gameplay. Yoshi in Super Mario World "fundamentally" changed gameplay, but gravity only feels like an extension of the platforming what was already there.

Graphics give that wow factor though, Super Mario 64 was just a ridiculous game, especially for the time. So good that every Mario since to me feels like an extension of the same game. Same with Zelda and OoT (except the gameplay in SS feels different enough to me), same with Metroid Prime, same with Halo, etc.

Plus the art direction in Galaxy does throw me off a bit. A giant flying castle with a very round and cuddly Bowser stealing princess? It's not as epic as the very silent castle, with you randomly exploring it, jumping in random paintings with no direction at all.

Since platforming by its very nature is essentially "fighting gravity", having that gravity be spherical, or switching locally in real time compared to always being straight down is, in my view, as big a difference as going from baddies that just charge you in 1993 Doom to baddies that take cover, flank you, and work in a team like in today's better FPS games.

And art direction is subjective, so fair enough. I would argue, however, that SM64's art direction is restricted by its tech here; if they'd have Wii level graphics whose to say Bowser wouldn't be rounded? It may have just been N64's polygon ceiling that made him angular.



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Proxy-Pie on 05 January 2014
curl-6 said:

And art direction is subjective, so fair enough. I would argue, however, that SM64's art direction is restricted by its tech here; if they'd have Wii level graphics whose to say Bowser wouldn't be rounded? It may have just been N64's polygon ceiling that made him angular.

you're right



Michael-5 on 06 January 2014
curl-6 said:
Michael-5 said:

I place gameplay above graphics, and I don't see a "fundamental" difference to gameplay. Yoshi in Super Mario World "fundamentally" changed gameplay, but gravity only feels like an extension of the platforming what was already there.

Graphics give that wow factor though, Super Mario 64 was just a ridiculous game, especially for the time. So good that every Mario since to me feels like an extension of the same game. Same with Zelda and OoT (except the gameplay in SS feels different enough to me), same with Metroid Prime, same with Halo, etc.

Plus the art direction in Galaxy does throw me off a bit. A giant flying castle with a very round and cuddly Bowser stealing princess? It's not as epic as the very silent castle, with you randomly exploring it, jumping in random paintings with no direction at all.

Since platforming by its very nature is essentially "fighting gravity", having that gravity be spherical, or switching locally in real time compared to always being straight down is, in my view, as big a difference as going from baddies that just charge you in 1993 Doom to baddies that take cover, flank you, and work in a team like in today's better FPS games.

And art direction is subjective, so fair enough. I would argue, however, that SM64's art direction is restricted by its tech here; if they'd have Wii level graphics whose to say Bowser wouldn't be rounded? It may have just been N64's polygon ceiling that made him angular.

Well I disagree, I feel a platformer is only as fun as the level design, gameplay (Yoshi in Galaxy 2 is awesome), and level of challenge. I for example don't care much for LittleBigPlanet because the gameplay is a bit too basic for me, and just not my style.

As for Bowser looking bad-ass, you might be right but when you look at the remake he doesn't look all soft and round.

Compared to:

I think the best way to judge how Bowser in Super Mario 64 would have looked like had more powerful systems been around is by looking at the art direction. This is modern era Bowser:

and this is Bowser on N64:

See how much skinnier the old Bowser was? His horns were bigger, teeth were bigger, and his spikes were even longer and pointier. New Bowser is old Bowser in softer colours and stretched horizontally.

----

This applies for a lot of Nintendo games as well. Skyward Sword and Wind Waker has a softer colour palet and a more cheerful Link then Ocarina of Time 3D or Twilight Princess.

P.S. Bowser on N64 looks like the product of incest.....I wanted to kill him to rid the world of such horror.



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curl-6 on 06 January 2014
Michael-5 said:
curl-6 said:

Since platforming by its very nature is essentially "fighting gravity", having that gravity be spherical, or switching locally in real time compared to always being straight down is, in my view, as big a difference as going from baddies that just charge you in 1993 Doom to baddies that take cover, flank you, and work in a team like in today's better FPS games.

And art direction is subjective, so fair enough. I would argue, however, that SM64's art direction is restricted by its tech here; if they'd have Wii level graphics whose to say Bowser wouldn't be rounded? It may have just been N64's polygon ceiling that made him angular.

Well I disagree, I feel a platformer is only as fun as the level design, gameplay (Yoshi in Galaxy 2 is awesome), and level of challenge. I for example don't care much for LittleBigPlanet because the gameplay is a bit too basic for me, and just not my style.

As for Bowser looking bad-ass, you might be right but when you look at the remake he doesn't look all soft and round.

Compared to:

I think the best way to judge how Bowser in Super Mario 64 would have looked like had more powerful systems been around is by looking at the art direction. This is modern era Bowser:

and this is Bowser on N64:

See how much skinnier the old Bowser was? His horns were bigger, teeth were bigger, and his spikes were even longer and pointier. New Bowser is old Bowser in softer colours and stretched horizontally.

----

This applies for a lot of Nintendo games as well. Skyward Sword and Wind Waker has a softer colour palet and a more cheerful Link then Ocarina of Time 3D or Twilight Princess.

P.S. Bowser on N64 looks like the product of incest.....I wanted to kill him to rid the world of such horror.

I'd agree a platformer is as fun as its level design, but I'd count gravity as part of that design.

As for Bowser the CGI N64-era Bowser looks nothing like the in-game one even in terms of shape or proportion, which convinces me even more that it was more a technical issue of polygon pushing capability.



AshKetchum1992 on 06 January 2014

For me it's between Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64.



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kekrot on 06 January 2014

Super Mario 64 gets the vote from me. Galaxy is close though, but 64 was more open and had more emphasis on exploration, everywhere.



Yep.

Michael-5 on 06 January 2014
curl-6 said:
I'd agree a platformer is as fun as its level design, but I'd count gravity as part of that design.

As for Bowser the CGI N64-era Bowser looks nothing like the in-game one even in terms of shape or proportion, which convinces me even more that it was more a technical issue of polygon pushing capability.

Well this is why there is a poll. We all have our own opinions.

Just to show you, the horns on his head are pretty much half the size they used to be, he shell lining was a lot smaller, his cheek's were nowhere nealy as big, his nostrals are a lot tinier, and even his claws were a lot larger. There is a difference because the the graphical limitations of the N64, but the proportions are unarguably different now. He used to look more like a Turtle Dragon, now because his claws, teeth, and spikes are so small he almost looks like a normal turtle.



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g911turbo on 06 January 2014
S.Peelman said:
The only correct answer would be Super Mario 64.


I have to agree.  You have to account for what the game was when it released.  Mario 64 was groundbreaking and a amazing game on top of that.  To be fair, it should be removed from future lists :P



Metroid33slayer on 06 January 2014

Super mario galaxy wins for me. SMG 2 is equal to it in everyway apart from the hub world. I prefered The comet obervatory to starship mario.



g911turbo on 06 January 2014
Michael-5 said:

P.S. Bowser on N64 looks like the product of incest.....I wanted to kill him to rid the world of such horror.


LOL