dreamgazer
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Nostalgia Addict
Posts: 27
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Post by dreamgazer on Jul 20, 2020 18:44:17 GMT -5
I grew up with the GBA ports of both of these games and they are both near and dear to my heart.
I really like the level design and movement mechanics of SMW. The game itself was simply epic, and it felt great being able to explore each level through and through, finding secrets that unlock new stages and alter the overworld. The cape powerup felt great, and is one of my all-time favorite mario power-ups.
As for SM3, the world design was a charm. Each world had a distinct theme, such that one could probably guess which world they were in based simply on the aesthetic of the stage alone. These themes were incredibly memorable, and none of them truly missed the mark. The level design itself is truly when the Mario series found its footing. The power-up system in this game is arguably the best in the series. The inventory system truly enabled the player to choose exactly how they want to tackle a level.
Its really close trying to compare the two for me. One issue I had with SM3 is the inability to replay beaten levels until the end of the game. Now that I'm older its not the biggest deal, but it sucked as a kid hitting a wall and not being able to double back and practice on some of the easier stages. As for world, I felt the level design was some of the best in the series, but the power-up system simply pails in comparison to its predecessor.
If I really had to choose, I think SMW would just barely beat out 3. My opinion changes on this from time to time. Despite the amazing variety present in 3, I think that the complex movement mechanics of World add an incredible amount of depth to the game. The skill ceiling of the game's engine is incredibly high; such that the entire Kaizo Mario community spawned as a result of it. People have spent hundreds of hours mastering Mario's movement; being able to switch between spin jumps and regular jumps on a dime.
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Post by Xeogred on Jul 20, 2020 18:55:20 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2020 18:56:57 GMT -5
This is a debate I've been having for almost 30 years. One thing you didn't mention was that SMW was easier than SMB3, which is by no means a very difficult game. At a certain level, we're playing with the best of the best, and ranking at that point is nigh impossible. We should just merge the two. Same idea. I can think of a few other Classic v. Classic that could be listed, too.
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dreamgazer
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Nostalgia Addict
Posts: 27
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Post by dreamgazer on Jul 20, 2020 19:42:28 GMT -5
This is a debate I've been having for almost 30 years. One thing you didn't mention was that SMW was easier than SMB3, which is by no means a very difficult game. I agree, the two should be merged.
There's definitely some difficulty spikes in 3, but I think that the bonus stages in World make up for the smoothness of the early-mid game. (Especially considering just how many bonus stages their are)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2020 20:05:51 GMT -5
This is a debate I've been having for almost 30 years. One thing you didn't mention was that SMW was easier than SMB3, which is by no means a very difficult game. I agree, the two should be merged.
There's definitely some difficulty spikes in 3, but I think that the bonus stages in World make up for the smoothness of the early-mid game. (Especially considering just how many bonus stages their are)
Yeah, I guess it's fair to count those. Technically SMW can be beaten in 13 stages, including the final stage. But Tubular was a serious challenge for me when I first got it.
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Post by Ex on Jul 20, 2020 21:54:59 GMT -5
I have only beaten each of these games once. That's not uncommon for me. It's rare for me to beat a video game more than once. I beat SMB3 in 1990, when I was eleven years old. A friend let me borrow it for a weekend, and I beat it over that weekend. I loved the game, except for the repetitive airship end levels. My favorite part was the world where everything is bigger than Mario. Also all the crazy suits you get, and the world map traversal was novel at the time. It was really satisfying to finally get to play SMB3, after being taunted by its inclusion in The Wizard the year prior. I beat SMW in 1991, when I was twelve years old. I spent the night at a friend's house who owned the game. He was nice enough to let me play his SNES and his copy of it. I beat the entire game in one night, finishing each of the 96 goals. It was an extraordinary experience, and I remember being completely enraptured by the game design. (Oh to be that amazed by video games nowadays...) SMW felt like an epic adventure, with tons of variety to its stages, just so much stuff to do. Plus the graphics and audio at the time were phenomenal. I remember being awestruck by how Mario could punch the fence gate, and it would spin, so he could climb on the other side. It was a simpler time. So which game do I like better? For me that's easy; SMW. While I think SMB3 is an outstanding platformer, I do not like the end stage airships much at all. And those airships make every final level in SMB3 feel and look the same. SMW just has more variety, even more unique mechanics, better graphics, just MORE in general. SMW also invented Yoshi. I think for that reason alone SMW wins. If you don't like Yoshi, you're dead inside.
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Post by Sarge on Jul 20, 2020 22:59:50 GMT -5
I'm team Super Mario Bros. 3 myself. There's something about that game that, to me at least, feels a little more wildly creative at times. That, and as I've mentioned elsewhere, I prefer SMB3's physics slightly more. I really wish they'd go back to them, personally - it was a nice middle point between the overbearing momentum of the New series and the more twitchy Super Mario World.
Either way, SMW is also excellent. It's a bit like choosing between Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3. (The correct answer is Mega Man 2.)
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dreamgazer
HRG Experienced
Nostalgia Addict
Posts: 27
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Post by dreamgazer on Jul 21, 2020 12:32:00 GMT -5
it was a nice middle point between the overbearing momentum of the New series and the more twitchy Super Mario World. Man the name of the New series (predictably) didn't age well. I can't believe its already been 14 years since that game was released. Boggles my mind Nintendo is still using the term "New" in their products today.
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Post by Xeogred on Jul 21, 2020 13:47:00 GMT -5
it was a nice middle point between the overbearing momentum of the New series and the more twitchy Super Mario World. Man the name of the New series (predictably) didn't age well. I can't believe its already been 14 years since that game was released. Boggles my mind Nintendo is still using the term "New" in their products today. I've kind of got an agenda against this series. I think it's utterly regressive in design. Which is fine if you want to make something more in the flavor of SMB1 again with a few SMW elements or whatnot here and there... once, but then they do it for another decade plus with several sequels? The art style has always looked disgusting to me and just seems like early phone games crap. The "Da Da!" music is infuriating. Even the physics don't feel that great.
The only one I've beaten was the Wii U game and the Luigi expansion, but I'm probably never playing it or any of this New line ever again. There's no point in me playing some D-grade 2D Mario's when I can just revisit the classics. The evolution from SMB1, to SMB3, to SMW, is insane. The New series is uninspired lazy safe junk.
My 2 Yoshi Coins on that.
I almost wonder if it'd be even more interesting if some of us here have a #1 Mario game, above all else? Of course, I could easily see SMB3 or SMW taking that win haha.
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Post by Ex on Jul 21, 2020 13:57:38 GMT -5
The worst "New" game I played by far was NSMB2 on 3DS. What a vapid joke it was. I almost wonder if it'd be even more interesting if some of us here have a #1 Mario game, above all else? My ultimate #1 would be SMB2 USA on NES. Followed by Yoshi's Island on SNES, and then SMG on Wii. The common denominator there, is that all of those games have unique twists to the Mario formula. I'm definitely not as big of a fan of base Mario gameplay as most people. That isn't to say that I don't appreciate the more basic Mario games. I have beaten and enjoyed all of them. But those basic Mario games weren't experiences that made me feel compelled to re-beat them over and over either.
To be fair though, I'm always moving on to the next "new to me" game anyway. Replaying the same games over and over is boring to me personally. I'm only interested in replaying a game if it's a 9/10 experience, and there's been a significant amount of time passed since I last beat it. By "significant" I mean many years if not decades.
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