Super Mario Series

[gunswordfist]

  Anyway, years ago I fell out of love with Super Mario Bros. 3 after the last time I played it. The amount of short...pretty much worthless levels turned me off. I'll have to give it another try though.

[Spark Of Spirit]

So... there are apparently warp pipes in SM3DL... I didn't even know this. Now I have to scour levels for other ones and see how fast it takes to beat the game with them.

[Rosalinas Spare Wand]

You'e giving me a massive boner for this game.

Stop that, I might just ditch my plan to get a new computer and just use that money to buy new Mario land instead.

[Spark Of Spirit]

My platformer OCD kicked in and I started a new file just for the fact I didn't have 5 shiny stars on my first game. (I saw the super guide box pop up exactly once which means I lose my shininess on the main screen)

I'm honestly trying to not hype this game so hard, but... I really, really like it.

Maybe even more than the Galaxy games.. Somehow.

[Kiddington]

You're killing me. I still have to wait another MONTH, and that's assuming I even GET a 3DS (money's been tight around here lately, so I dunno).

I should probably mosey my way on down to Best Buy to see if they have any consoles set up. I really want to play this; people seem to be raving about it, and I feel so left out. Times like this really remind me how much it sucks to be unemployed.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Is it okay is we use this for spin off series like Yoshi and Wario? I think I will.

I've been replaying the original Wario Land games off and on over the last month, and I think I found a new favorite in Wario Land 2. All the hidden goodies, and branching paths, and fun usage of the no death mechanic while still being challenging is just awesome. Wario Land 1 is a bit too basic and unrefined in my opinion -it's basically just Mario Land with the main character dashing into enemies instead of hopping on them, and 3 is a bit too obscure in that I keep getting confused on what to do. But 2 has just the right balance of fun and Wario craziness.

On the other hand, I think 4 and Shake It are even better than the original games. The two almost follow a similar idea in the health bar idea and more of a focus on speed, but I think 4 has the better difficulty balance whereas Shake It can alternate between too easy and too hard a lot. If I would rank them, it would probably be as such:

Wario Land 4
Wario Land: Shake It!
Wario Land 2
Wario Land 3
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land

I hope we get a proper Wario Land for the 3DS some time soon. I'm really interested to see what they do with it next.

[Rosalinas Spare Wand]

About time somebody showed some love to Shake It. Everywhere I go its either ignored or put on par with Master of Disguise.

BTW, do you know who developed the game? It's style gives me the idea that it was probably from TOSE, but you know how they never cite themselves as developers or anything.

[Spark Of Spirit]

About time somebody showed some love to Shake It. Everywhere I go its either ignored or put on par with Master of Disguise.

BTW, do you know who developed the game? It's style gives me the idea that it was probably from TOSE, but you know how they never cite themselves as developers or anything.

It was Good Feel; the Epic Yarn guys.

I believe it was their first game as a team.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Playing through Mario Kart 7, and I have to say it. The courses are pretty cool and fun. The Star Cup in particular has to be the best concentration of awesome courses since Double Dash's Star Cup. I might make a list of my top ten courses (or do 16 for my own "retro cup" selections) later, but for now let me all tell you that Piranha Plant Slide, Wario Shipyard, Neo Bowser City, and Maka Wuhu are some of the best and most unique courses in the series.

I have to commend Nintendo for really putting it all into this game, as they really did a lot right here.

[Commode]

Aw, I can't get into the castle in world 5 unless I have fifty star coins? Lame, I was barely concentrating on collecting those until now, I just wanted to go through the game.

On the plus side I am getting a whole bunch of extra lives going back through the previous worlds.


And MK7 is amazing. I haven't gotten too far into it, only have a couple cups in the 50cc, but it looks awesome, I love the gliding and the diving features, and the tracks are really cool.

[Spark Of Spirit]

So choosing my top 16 MK tracks, I'll do a bit over time and start with some more well known tracks. So here's the start of my "best Mario Kart courses ever" series.


Mushroom Cup


Luigi Raceway from Mario Kart 64



To me, this is the Mario Kart course that pretty much defines Mario Kart. It's the first course, there's nothing special to it, but it still manages to have those Mario Kart touches like drifting, careful item management, and it relies on no gimmicks at all. Basically for pure simple racing stages, this is my number 1 pick. I would have used the first course from SMK, but in my opinion it's just too short to have as much of an impact on me.


Mario Circuit 2 from Super Mario Kart



Playing this again in Mario Kart 7 reminded me just how great this course was and still is today. Lots of awkward turns and objects leading to the most nerve-wracking jump in the series history. Miss the jump and you can pretty much say goodbye to first place. I love love looove this one.


Delfino Square from Mario Kart DS



A clever course that relies on branching paths at every turn and sharp turns at that, Delfino Square was the perfect choice to bring into MKWii's item chaos, and is easily one of the most creative courses in the game. About the only thing I would change is the bridge, it doesn't really add much to the course, but it's fine.


Baby Park from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!



Simple, small, chaotic, and nerve wracking. The most simple course in the entire series by far, yet one of the best. If you didn't tell me that seeing 16 characters tossing items and flying around each other wasn't one of the best Mario Kart moments ever, then you're nuts. Unfortunately, it loses something without having Double Dash's complexity in MKDS, but it still manages to be one of the best courses in that game.


So yeah, starting off a bit simple here, but the first cup usually does. As far as first cups go, this would be my ideal choice for it. Next up will probably be the Shell Cup.

[Rosalinas Spare Wand]

Oh man, Baby Park. I used to frequent Mario Kart Central back in the day and in the lead up to Double Dash, everybody was disappointed with Baby Park, claiming it was such a simple track and a complete waste of space in the game.

Little did they know that track became super ridiculous with 16 people on the course at any given time.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Baby Park should be in every Mario Kart game. It's the one course that can go on forever and no one would ever notice.


Shell Cup


Shy Guy Beach from Mario Kart: Super Circuit



One of the more underrated stages from the more underrated games, this actually was brought back in Mario Kart Wii. Again, it's not all too unique for a starter course, but the design is solid and it's a lot of fun to casually race through.


Kalimari Desert from Mario Kart 64



One of the earliest and most memorable courses in Mario Kart 64, the simple obstacle of a train (that is brilliantly used) can make this quite the tense course at times, and Mario Kart 7's additions of gliders over and around it make it even more fun.


Mushroom Gorge from Mario Kart Wii



It isn't a Mario game without jumping, is it? Mushroom Gorge has a lot of hopping for things other than Power Slides and is more than a bit tricky in actually hitting opponents with items. Still, I have yet to find anyone who dislikes this course.


Wuhu Loop from Mario Kart 7



Ending off in a bang, Wuhu Loop is one of the most unique courses in the series in that it's only one lap long yet manages to be quite the fun romp to play through. Of the three long courses in MK7, it's the most straightforward and easiest for people to get into as well as perfect for multiplayer madness.


With the Flower Cup we begin to move into the meat of Mario Kart with the crazy courses and fast paced insanity. But as for early courses, I think this selection is a real highlight of the slower Mario Kart courses. Soon we'll be getting into the real best of the best. Can't wait!

[Spark Of Spirit]

Two for one on this one!


Flower Cup


Donut Plains 1 from Super Mario Kart



My one issue with the Flower Cup is that it always seems like a strange difficulty spike over the Mushroom and Shell cups. I threw this in, not because it's particularly unique, but because it's a great course and a simple ease into the cup.


Mushroom Bridge from Mario Kart Double Dash



Oh, what a waste. Mario Kart DS ported this course badly, even taking away the awesome shortcut on the bridge. A very fast paced city level with great traffic obstacles and a death-defyingly cool shortcut or two make this a great addition.


Music Park from Mario Kart 7



Already a fan favorite, this course has a stunning amount of variety for a Flower Cup track and some cool music related gimmicks at certain areas. Also, the track would probably lose very little should it's MK7 gimmicks be removed making it a very easy pick from the game. The course also rocks, too.


Sky Garden from Mario Kart Super Circuit



I've got to be clear on this one, I loathed Sky Garden in Mario Kart DS. The course was not wide enough for the modern Mario Kart drift, and even brushing the sides of the course brought you to a complete halt... It was awful. Which is a shame because the original is pretty much the perfect Mario Kart course with tricky twists and turns and great shortcuts. Ported over right, this is a perfect addition to any MK game.


The Flower Cup is when things start to get tricky. Starting off a bit slow and building into a challenge, this is the point where the game starts to take off. After this things only get better with-



Banana Cup


Royal Raceway from Mario Kart 64



A fan favorite track that is in desperate need of revisiting without stupid glitches, this makes a perfect start to the Banana Cup, typically the best retro course cup in the game. What better way to start it off with one of the best courses in one of the most popular games?


Sherbet Land from Mario Kart Double Dash!!



Pretty much the definitive snow level to me, wonderful use of obstacles and a great track layout make this a real highlight in the series' best game.


Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii



The most popular track from Mario Kart Wii, full of shortcuts and tricky paths as well as a ripping tune, this is one of the best Mario Kart tracks ever. I know their is a segment of the fanbase that loathes this track, but I just don't see the hate. This track is great.


Waluigi Pinball from Mario Kart DS



First off; THE MUSIC. Second of all, the track. Possibly THE best Mario Kart track ever, this one pretty much has it all. The pinball hazards are incredibly hard to avoid in a real race, the tricky turns and elevation will make you dizzy, and that final powerslide at the end is always intense. I'm tempted to say that this course pretty much justifies Waluigi's entire existence, it's that good.


The Banana Cup begins the craziness that doesn't let up until Rainbow Road (or whatever the Lightning Cup ends with) and where all the best Mario Karts shine; out on the tracks!

[talonmalon333]

So I'm in the mood to rank my top favorite Mario games.


#10 Super Mario Land
This is arguably the strangest game in the series. But that makes sense considering it wasn't made by Miyamoto and the crew. So how did Mario stand made by a different group? Great! The platforming is there, but now you can also do things like ride spaceships and submarines! It's the odd child of Super Mario Bros., smaller and shorter, but unique. And clearly it did well, as it sprung a sequel, albeit an inferior one. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was the best of the trilogy, but it was basically a spin-off, and thus wasn't qualified for the list.


#9 New Super Mario Bros.
In all these years, classic 2D Mario never left us! It just needed to hibernate between 1996 and 2006. New Super Mario Bros. was a very good game. It brought back the wonderful elements of old, and mixed that with new stuff. Why's it so low on the list, then? Well for one, both it and Super Mario Land suffer from too short a length. Another thing is that it feels like 2D Mario has been away for a while, like, it needs to find it's feet again. But even still, I enjoyed this.


#8 Super Mario Bros. 2
On many other forums, I'd be hated for this inclusion. But screw those people. Super Mario Bros. 2 was good. Maybe not great, but it was fun. Four characters with different abilities, unique gameplay for a Mario game, elements and enemies that are now commonplace in the series... So what if it was just a sprite swap of another, obscure game? People want to bitch that "It's not the real Mario 2!"? Honestly people, go back to The Lost Levels. It's designed more like a fan-hack and less like a real sequel. The USA Super Mario Bros. 2 is better, hands down.


#7 Super Mario 64
Generally ranked with titles like Ocarina of Time as the greatest games of all time... Forgive me for putting it so low. Sorry, but after the recent 3D Mario games, I'd be hard pressed to rank this among my favorites. But it's still great, and holds nostalgia value for many of us. I think my favorite part is the wing cap, just flying around above the castle. It's just little touches like that which make games. But even putting it aside, you have fun levels and a memorable castle to explore. Bowser's levels were always my favorites.


#6 Super Mario Bros.
The classic. If you haven't played this game, your parents don't love you. Really it isn't much. But it's simple, arcade style gameplay is just fun, sometimes addicting. If you ask me, that's enough for Super Mario Bros. despite it's age, to deserve a placement on the list... but that's also why it can't fit into the top half. But, whatever. It's a game I'll always come back to, and a fitting game to truly begin this legendary series.


#5 New Super Mario Bros. Wii
This game, as well as the following two you'll see, are very closely matched in my opinion. As for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, I hate that it barely made it into the top half, because it's so awesome. It took New Super Mario Bros. and improved the level design, variety, power-ups, and so on. Plus, multiplayer! Playing with other people is the only way to get the full effect of this game; those who disagree need to lighten up and just learn to have fun. Up next are a few more 2D Mario games that I like just a little more. However, despite that, I think you could definitely argue that New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the best 2D Mario.


#4 Super Mario World
Again, these few games are extremely closely matched. But I think I made the right choice putting this here. Super Mario World... what needs to be said? Great level designs with multiple exits, great overworld, and the introduction of Yoshi! This game also has the best soundtrack of the 2D Mario games. Special World, as I think it was called, was also awesome with some great, challenging level design. I also love the final boss fight.


#3 Super Mario Bros. 3
Let me start by saying this. Before making this list, I was prepared to give this spot to Super Mario World. But this game, I don't know why, but I was merely swayed by looking up images. I guess it's just that awesome! Super Mario Bros. 3 might not have the overworld and multiple level exits that Super Mario World has... But I just prefer it's level design, level variety, and power-ups which beat out the enjoyable but overpowered Yoshi. It's probably the one I can go back and replay the most!


#2 Super Mario Galaxy
Remember when I said the last three games were all closely matched? Well, these last two are, in my opinion, a big jump up. I just adore Super Mario Galaxy. It's outstanding. I love the level design, I love the soundtrack, I love the characters, I love the hub, I love the atmosphere. It's just a top notch game. Even the story, while nothing special, is something special for a Mario game! The only problem with the game is that, to just beat Bowser and save Peach, the difficulty is almost non-existent. But they do begin to lay it on when you start to get the final stars. Super Mario Galaxy is awesome... but not enough to take the #1 spot. Ready for the most unpredictable choice ever?


#1 Super Mario Galaxy 2
Yeah, yeah, big surprise right? Super Mario Galaxy was #2, so it only made sense for this game to follow. It's essentially a shinier version of the original. They took that and made it better. How? Well it can be seen with the addition of things like new power-ups (including Yoshi) and a much needed boost in challenge. But it can mainly be seen in the level design. There are just these subtle design choices they made, which add up in the end. I can play this game for hours, beyond the point where others would just tire me out. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the best Mario game, the best platformer, and quite possibly the best video game of all time.

When I play it, I'm hoping Super Mario 3D Land will change it up.