Best 3D Mario game?

[Dagger Dias]

Everyone knows how huge the Mario series is. The legendary 2D platformers, spinoffs into countless other genres, and of course the star gathering in 3D which has become the main style of the series ever since Mario 64. This thread will address the 3D platformers.

Super Mario 64

The one that changed everything originally. Gone were the days of 2D platformer action (well, until New Super Mario Bros on the DS ten years later), and the days of star gathering had begun in a new 3D style. I like Mario 64 for what it did for the gaming world, but it's just too generic in comparison to the other 3D platformer Mario games. Even at the time I still liked the oldschool SNES and NES Mario games better than it. It had a remake on the DS featuring Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario as playable characters alongside Mario. The addition of those three made it more fun, but it didn't stop the game from being a little generic. That DS remake is underrated though.

Super Mario Sunshine

Sunshine is one of my least favorite Mario games. It stood out by trying something new with Fludd which was good and bad at the same time. I enjoyed spraying water on things with Fludd to clean them up, but the controls were unbelievably frustrating in this game, which in a platformer can be unforgivable. It's not that it's an awful game, it had some great moments here and there in between the frustration. Also, power stars are way better than shine sprites. I give the game credit for trying to deviate from the formula a bit even though it is one of the worst games of the series due to the high amount of frustration it causes. It's just that everything that was good about Sunshine, either 64 or Galaxy did better. Speaking of Galaxy....

Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2

I will group Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 together here for this discussion, as they are VERY similar. Super Mario Galaxy has my vote for the best 3D platformer Mario game because it has fantastic gameplay, cool new abilities, good music, a good balance of challenge and fun, the return of Yoshi as well as the option to play as LUIGI! Anything that was wrong with either Sunshine or 64 was fixed in the two Galaxy games. They more than made up for the genericism of 64 and the long list of things wrong with Sunshine.


So which of the 3D Mario games do you like the best and why?

I'm interested in seeing what the rest of you think.

 

[I Suck Ass]

Super Mario 64, hands-down. Not only is it the best Mario 3D platformer, it's the best 3D platformer period. That game revolutionized gaming, and is the funnest game you will ever play. Super Mario Sunshine was fun, but it didn't feel like a Mario game. Super Mario Galaxy had it's high spots, but in the end, it just wasn't fun for me. Super Mario 64 was fun, felt like a Mario game, and made the N64 into the Sega-killing giant it became. (Sony helped kill Sega too. No diss on Sony)

 

[RicoLen]

I hated the N64 as a whole, Mario 64 was good enough I guess, it's one of... er... 3 games I bought for it, Macarena of Time and Donkey Kong 64 the others. It just wasn't for me. Super Mario Sunshine however, omg that was so much fun. Absolutely loved everything about Mario Sunshine it was completely different in so many ways from what had been the typical Mario formula, and just so much fun.

Mario Galaxy kind bores me, 1 & 2. My kids like it well enough I guess, but I don't care for it that much.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Hands down, Super Mario Galaxy. Mario 64 revolutionized a genre and is a great game period, but is almost nothing compared to Galaxy, gameplay wise. Sunshine was fun for what it was, but could be incredibly frustrating and even boring at times.

Galaxy took all the fundamentals established by those two games and perfected them while providing a wildly different setting and mechanics. The new power-ups like the Bee and Boo suits were great additions well. It was the first game to sell me on the Wii's motion controls, implementing them in a variety of entertaining ways. Not to mention that Galaxy is a downright gorgeous game. It's about as close to perfection as platformers get and has my vote as the best 3D Mario game.

 

[lenguy]

For me, its a toss up between Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy. Mario 64 did indeed revolutionize not only an entire genre but influenced a lot of future games. The game was pure fun to play and was easily one of the best games of not just only on that system but of the entire generation as well. I still play it today out of pure nostalgia. Easily one of the funnest and best games of any generation,past present and even future.

Mario Galaxy felt so different and yet everything felt so familiar. At its very core it was a Mario game and felt very familiar to any 3D Mario game. Then at the same time it felt absolutely fresh and exciting even revolutionary at times. It took everything you wanted in a good Mario game and made it better. For me, everything about these games had me always coming back for more. Mario Galaxy is the modern version of Mario 64.

Mario Sunshine I never played because I heard it just really wasn't all that good. But out of the two I choose, if I had to only pick one it would be Mario 64 just out of pure nostalgia.

 

[This is the return of WTM]

I have to say Galaxy because while 64 is the template, Galaxy took it to an epic scale. Better music, bigger levels, and a much less frustrating gameplay mechanics.

 

[Cracka Jack]

I went with the Galaxy series because it feels like it took everything the previous Mario games, 2d included, did well and put them into a beautiful, nearly perfect package. I sing the praises of Mario games a lot on these forums, but it's because it's a series that totally deserves every bit of praise possible. Mario 64 did more than I can say for 3d games today, which is most of them, while Sunshine took a chance on a unique control scheme that unfortunately didn't quite pay off. The Galaxy games are perhaps the most fun games I've ever played, at least for single-player, and they do almost everything right. If I'm just judging these games on their playability and entertainment value, Galaxy wins easily.

 

[Fizzy]

I must be the only person who didn't find the Galaxy games to be anything special. I played through the first one and was never "wowed" by anything, nor did I have much fun while playing through them. I don't have a specific reason as to why I disliked the games, just weren't my cup of tea I assume. It is the only Mario game I can truly say I wasn't crazy about. Nearly every other one has eaten up hours upon hours of my time and has been nearly completed. Now as to my favorite? I'll list the top two.

#2 Super Mario 64

The game that kick started Mario 3-D is actually my second favorite Mario game. Thanks in part to the video game tournament and a Youtube user by the name of MaximusBlack(shoutout to one of my favorite youtubers) who is doing an LP of the game, I went back and played the original. I beat the DS version, but it didn't have the magic that this masterpiece did. It was simply great at everything it attempted. The gameplay was original, the graphics are still playable today, and the sound is nothing short of amazing. It was just a joy to play even by today's standards. That said, it falls short of the #1 spot behind one of my absolute favorite games of all time.

#1 Super Mario Sunshine

Many people consider this to be the worst of the entire Mario series, and I have absolutely no idea why. The graphics were amazing, there was content to keep you busy for a very long time, the gameplay was astoundingly original, the sound was amazing, and the game just had an overall fun feel to it. There aren't many things in video game history that surpass running around Delfino Plaza for me. I just had a ridiculous amount of fun while playing this and still do to this day. Shame on you all for shunning this amazing game. I fucking love it.

Also, fuck you Dagger, I have no clue what you are talking about saying the controls were horrible. I've never once had any problem with the controls and always felt that they were incredibly fluid. When I died, I never once blamed the controls nor was I ever frustrated while playing. I've never read a review of the game that stated it had bad controls. Most actually praise the controls for being so great. Please present evidence as to how the controls were anything lower than good.

 

[Serious Jones]

I have no clue what you are talking about saying the controls were horrible. I've never once had any problem with the controls and always felt that they were incredibly fluid.

Pointing out puns aside, Galaxy (and especially, Galaxy 2) is the superior game. I don't know why Mario 64 is being called generic, because not only was it revolutionary, but I can still sit down and play through it in one sitting without getting bored.

It's just that Galaxy used a similar formula to Mario 64 and put it in space. It's still a Mario platformer, but with all kinds of additions to make it better. The star bits and wiimote pointing mechanic, all the new powerups, and in the second one you get Yoshi. Mario 64 will probably always be looked at as the game that innovated the formula for modern platformers, but Galaxy should be looked at as the game that perfected it. It's the new gold standard. Games in the same genre have surpassed Mario 64 in terms of gameplay (like, I dunno, Mario Galaxy), and that just hasn't been done yet or Galaxy.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I must be the only person who didn't find the Galaxy games to be anything special. I played through the first one and was never "wowed" by anything, nor did I have much fun while playing through them. I don't have a specific reason as to why I disliked the games, just weren't my cup of tea I assume. It is the only Mario game I can truly say I wasn't crazy about. Nearly every other one has eaten up hours upon hours of my time and has been nearly completed.

You didn't like Galaxy....? How can you not like Galaxy!? It took the formula Mario 64 had already created and perfected it to epic proportions. Both games are nearly flawless and completely deserve the high ratings they have been given. Of all the Mario games to not be impressed by, let alone you not having any specific reasons for disliking them, it had to be Mario Galaxy? I expected better from you, Fizzy, but you're entitled to your opinion.

The gameplay was original, the graphics are still playable today, and the sound is nothing short of amazing.

Super Mario Galaxy's gameplay is original as well. It litterally turned the platforming genre upside down and added a lot to it, becoming the new gold standard. Its graphics look amazing. The soundtrack ranges from beautiful to creepy, with each track fitting in nicely with the places it is used in, even the sound effects are all a perfect fit.

Many people consider this to be the worst of the entire Mario series, and I have absolutely no idea why. The graphics were amazing, there was content to keep you busy for a very long time, the gameplay was astoundingly original, the sound was amazing, and the game just had an overall fun feel to it.

People consider Sunshine to be in the bottom tier in the Mario series because of the high levels of frustration that it causes. It had its moments, and those were enough to get me to give it a second chance, but good graphics and new gameplay is not enough to save it from annoying controls and camera angles so bad that they make you want to throw your tv out the window.

There aren't many things in video game history that surpass running around Delfino Plaza for me. I just had a ridiculous amount of fun while playing this and still do to this day. Shame on you all for shunning this amazing game. I fucking love it.

Delfino Plaza may have been the most fun place to be in the game, running around talking to people or finding things for Yoshi to eat, but that doesn't make up for the intense frustration found within the actual worlds of the game. That place makes up a small part of where the gaming takes place in Sunshine, and the things people dislike about it are all found everywhere else.

When I died, I never once blamed the controls nor was I ever frustrated while playing. I've never read a review of the game that stated it had bad controls. Most actually praise the controls for being so great. Please present evidence as to how the controls were anything lower than good.

Present more specific reasons why you did not like Galaxy, and then I would be more than happy to go into the more detailed response you are looking for here.

Finally, there is absolutely NO reason to be rude to me. I have every right in the world to dislike the games that I don't like. I was polite about my dislike for Sunshine. If you like it, fine, you are 100% entitled to that opinion. That doesn't give you an excuse to be rude and make comments that are hurtful or uncalled for. I'm always up for a debate on here, but let's be adults about it and have a mature discussion without attacking one another. If you're here to have a discussion about video games, by all means let's continue and have a great time in the process learning more from each other's experiences, whereas if you're going to be disrespectful, then you are better off taking that to the Bar Room where it belongs. These non-spam forums are meant for discussing, not attacking each other.

 

[Fizzy]

You didn't like Galaxy....? How can you not like Galaxy!? It took the formula Mario 64 had already created and perfected it to epic proportions. Both games are nearly flawless and completely deserve the high ratings they have been given. Of all the Mario games to not be impressed by, let alone you not having any specific reasons for disliking them, it had to be Mario Galaxy? I expected better from you, Fizzy, but you're entitled to your opinion.

Just didn't register with me. I never had the urge that I wanted to play them, I pretty much powered through on sheer determination hoping it would get better and i'd see what others see. Just didn't happen. I never said it was a bad game, and always say i can see why it was given such high ratings but it never registered with me as fun.

Super Mario Galaxy's gameplay is original as well. It litterally turned the platforming genre upside down and added a lot to it, becoming the new gold standard. Its graphics look amazing. The soundtrack ranges from beautiful to creepy, with each track fitting in nicely with the places it is used in, even the sound effects are all a perfect fit.

I agree. I never said otherwise. I just happened to enjoy SM64 unlike Galaxy.

People consider Sunshine to be in the bottom tier in the Mario series because of the high levels of frustration that it causes. It had its moments, and those were enough to get me to give it a second chance, but good graphics and new gameplay is not enough to save it from annoying controls and camera angles so bad that they make you want to throw your tv out the window.

I've still yet to see any proof on your assumption that the controls were anything less than good. Again, every review I read has commended the game for it's great controls. Camera angles I give you were shitty, but the controls were about as good as you can get.

Present more specific reasons why you did not like Galaxy, and then I would be more than happy to go into the more detailed response you are looking for here.

I believe I answered this in the first paragraph of this post although, I don't see why that's necessarily.

Finally, there is absolutely NO reason to be rude to me.

I guess you must take every "insult" seriously. You should work on that considering I wasn't being serious.

I have every right in the world to dislike the games that I don't like. I was polite about my dislike for Sunshine. If you like it, fine, you are 100% entitled to that opinion.

Never said otherwise.

That doesn't give you an excuse to be rude and make comments that are hurtful or uncalled for.

Hurt your feelings? Come on Dagger, I thought you were a man. It's called banter, which is what men do. I can see you're oblivious to this now that I hurt your feeling by a tiny remark.

I'm always up for a debate on here, but let's be adults about it and have a mature discussion without attacking one another. If you're here to have a discussion about video games, by all means let's continue and have a great time in the process learning more from each other's experiences, whereas if you're going to be disrespectful, then you are better off taking that to the Bar Room where it belongs. These non-spam forums are meant for discussing, not attacking each other.

Again, you obviously are very emotionally fragile if you cannot take one little remark even one as un-serious as that. Stop playing mod and telling me what these forums are and aren't used for and man up. I guess i'll just have to remember to be as nice as humanly possible next time I quote your post.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Just didn't register with me. I never had the urge that I wanted to play them, I pretty much powered through on sheer determination hoping it would get better and i'd see what others see. Just didn't happen. I never said it was a bad game, and always say i can see why it was given such high ratings but it never registered with me as fun.

Fair enough. Did you play the second one too or just the first? Many people liked the second one more than the first and perhaps you will too if you did not play it yet. Yoshi's new abilities and the option to swap in Luigi without clearing the game first like in the original are reason enough to give it a shot.

I've still yet to see any proof on your assumption that the controls were anything less than good. Again, every review I read has commended the game for it's great controls. Camera angles I give you were shitty, but the controls were about as good as you can get.

I found the controls to be annoying at times. There was too much emphasis placed on Fludd and some of the nozzles were more difficult to use than others, especially the Rocket one. I found it extremely frustrating, and the camera angles were some of the worst of any game I have ever played because there were times when you'd be stuck behind a wall with the camera not being able to see Mario no matter what you did. Then there's levels such as that awful Roller Coaster boss battle. Galaxy on the other hand had very userfriendly controls, other than the Pull Stars which weren't so fun but were only in a couple of levels.

Hurt your feelings? Come on Dagger, I thought you were a man. It's called banter, which is what men do. I can see you're oblivious to this now that I hurt your feeling by a tiny remark.

I enjoy banter just as any other man does. When you said "**** you" it felt uncalled for. I didn't get my feelings hurt, I was trying to generate a more positive mood in the discussion.

Again, you obviously are very emotionally fragile if you cannot take one little remark even one as un-serious as that. Stop playing mod and telling me what these forums are and aren't used for and man up. I guess i'll just have to remember to be as nice as humanly possible next time I quote your post.

No, I just wanted to have a discussion like adults without any cursing or personal attacks. That crap is why I stopped posting in the tournament and why many people dislike debating on here, people get such negative responses when someone disagrees with them. All I ask is for people to be more polite when they disagree. You don't have to "be as nice as humanly possible". That's not what I meant at all. Be who you are, within reason. All I meant was to not say things like "**** you", the personal attacks thing was mainly aimed at others but it looked like that was where our discussion was going and I was trying to stop it from heading that way.

Oh and "Playing mod"? Come on dude. All I'm doing is trying to generate discussion and promote discussions free of all the personal attacks that plagued this section during the gaming tournament. There's a reason I stopped posting in the middle of it, an extremely high level of rudeness from others.

 

[Fizzy]

Fair enough. Did you play the second one too or just the first? Many people liked the second one more than the first and perhaps you will too if you did not play it yet. Yoshi's new abilities and the option to swap in Luigi without clearing the game first like in the original are reason enough to give it a shot.

I played both but didn't fully beat the second only because I wasn't interested in it much like the first one. I enjoyed swapping out for Luigi but didn't find Yoshi to be anything to make me say "wow." I just didn't enjoy the games. Plain and simple.

I found the controls to be annoying at times. There was too much emphasis placed on Fludd and some of the nozzles were more difficult to use than others, especially the Rocket one. I found it extremely frustrating, and the camera angles were some of the worst of any game I have ever played because there were times when you'd be stuck behind a wall with the camera not being able to see Mario no matter what you did. Then there's levels such as that awful Roller Coaster boss battle. Galaxy on the other hand had very userfriendly controls, other than the Pull Stars which weren't so fun but were only in a couple of levels.

I agree the camera was bad, but worst you've ever played? I highly doubt that. I never had much of a problem with the camera but I understand why some would. It was difficult to adjust to, but I highly doubt it was the worst ever. The Roller Coaster battle wasn't bad if you knew what you were doing and how to do it. It was the most frustrating part of the game to me, but it wasn't exactly awful. All in all, I guess we just have a differing opinion. Maybe you didn't play it enough to fully figure out the nozzles and the camera like I have considering I beat the game three times.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I played both but didn't fully beat the second only because I wasn't interested in it much like the first one. I enjoyed swapping out for Luigi but didn't find Yoshi to be anything to make me say "wow." I just didn't enjoy the games. Plain and simple.

You should give it another chance and play through to the end. It gets better and better. As for Yoshi's abilities.... I found all of them to be great. The red pepper to make you dash up steep hills, the blue berries that make you float temporarily which resembles the Balloon item from Super Mario World, and finally the yellow fruit that makes you see invisible paths. If you're not "wow'ed by that, fair enough. I felt they were some of the most cleverly made items in quite a while.

I agree the camera was bad, but worst you've ever played? I highly doubt that. I never had much of a problem with the camera but I understand why some would. It was difficult to adjust to, but I highly doubt it was the worst ever. The Roller Coaster battle wasn't bad if you knew what you were doing and how to do it. It was the most frustrating part of the game to me, but it wasn't exactly awful. All in all, I guess we just have a differing opinion. Maybe you didn't play it enough to fully figure out the nozzles and the camera like I have considering I beat the game three times.

It is without a shadow of a doubt the worst issues I have ever had with the camera in a game. How many other games are there out there when the camera angles make it to where you're stuck behind a wall and you cannot see where you are going no matter what you do? Sounds like the development staff got lazy on that one. The roller coaster fight makes me upset even just thinking about it. I played it enough to get through the main story in Sunshine twice, and forced myself to get every single Shine Sprite the second time. I'm a completionist and a Mario game is not finished until you're at 100%. After I got that final Shine Sprite I swore I'd never play that game ever again. Mario Galaxy does not suffer from bad camera angles OR bad controls, on top of doing everything Sunshine or 64 ever did but better.

 

[WT3IS]

Ahh man, you need Mario Galaxy 2 on there... Id say Galaxy 2, Then Mario 64, Then Galaxy 1, and Finally Mario Sunshine.... Not to diss the lower ones on my list, because I like them all... You have to admit, nintendo really trys to make all their homegrown games great

 

[Scuba 06]

Galaxy was great but it was not groundbreaking nor as memorable as SM64. I thought Sunshine, although not as good as the other titles, was still pretty good. Definitely a must have game for any GameCube owner or Mario fan. Its not fair to say to really compare 64 to Galaxy with the technology being so much better. Even with SM was just a classic title top to bottom. Galaxy is just a pretty good game but it didn't really cause a ripple in the genre as much as SM64 did.

 

[poppycock]

Super Mario 64 wins hands down for me. I really like the DS version also.. was not going to bother with it seeing as I played the Nintendo 64 version so much but I am glad I did because the additions are fun and add that little bit more to an already brilliant game.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Why isn't Mario Galaxy 2 on the list? I still wouldn't have chosen it, but it at least qualifies as a 3D mario game, as does Luigi's Mansion... Such a difficult decision. I loved Mario Sunshine while everyone else I know hated it. I thought it was highly original and a break from the consistent platformer that Nintendo had become so well-known for. Super Mario 64 is such a classic though, and changed the way a lot of games would be played... I still have to go with Mario Galaxy. Maybe it wasn't as ingenious as the first 3D Mario game, but it was so ridiculously fun. I have played and beaten that game 5 times now, and the only other Mario game I have had more fun with is Super Mario Bros. 3, and MAYBE Yoshi's Island. Maybe.

 

[Jeff]

Never played Sunshine, but 64 was my vote. The game was perfect in every way. The level designs were incredible, even to today's standards. Also to me, I just loved how they didn't have to really go away from the standard Mario story. Princess is in a Castle...you have to save her. Done, very simple, very basic, very classic Mario. I understand why Galaxy had to do things with space, comets, having a observatory as a hub, etc. You need to keep the game fresh, but too me you can't beating your way through a castle trying to find a Princess.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Well Mario Sunshine was a good game, but garbage in comparison to Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2.

For my taste it was hands down Mario Galaxy 2. That game for my taste was like crack wrapped in crystal meth wrapped in heroin. I had the absolute worst night the night before this game came out, I bought it immediately, popped it in my Wii and it was like all my anger from the night before immediately went away and all was right with the world.

I loved Super Mario Galaxy but this game perfected the formula while adding in my favorite Mario add on, Yoshi. He was very fun to play with in the new game, combined with awesome galaxies to explore, an easier overhead navigation system (one of the most annoying things in the original Galaxy), better camera and frankly I couldn't stop playing this game until I found all the gold stars and the green stars to boot so I could unlock the final galaxy.

This is not only my favorite 3D Mario game, its my favorite game made in the last 5 years and one of my all time favorite games overall. Mario Galaxy 2, deanerandterry salutes you.

 

[WackerJr]

Mario 64 was revolutionary for 3D gaming and is quite rightly held on a pedestal for being as such.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 however, for me is the evolution of the platform and defines what a 3D platform game could and should be. While many games will take an idea and run with it, Mario Galaxy takes a new idea, lets you have fun with it for a level and then throws another new idea at you, and then another and another! It's got some great bonuses for more hardcore players as well.

The first Mario Galaxy surprised many people when it won Game of Show (as voted for by its peers) at the UK's Golden Joystik awards, but these people are those that are used to the casual games or copycat shooters. Those that enjoy games understood the reason, and for me at present the Galaxy games are the pinnacle of 3D platformers.