frenchbreadhead
2017
This is my fourth playthrough of this game and it's still just a great experience every time. It's a perfect blend of hack-n-slash and metroidvania. There really isn't a lot of RPG elements for me to call it a Dark Souls Style game and the death punish ment isn't too bad. The map system takes some time getting use to especially if you are just conditioned to automaps thanks to Metroid and Castlevania. It only really annoyed me once on my first playthrough when I felt an ability kept me from getting a map that I would not get until much later in game.
But that's where the real beauty of the game lies. It's insanely open for a metroidvania. While it sticks you on a somewhat liner path early on to get get the dash ability the game opens up in amazing ways afterwards. There is almost three or four routes to every area if you look hard enough and it makes every playthrough feel very different based on what areas you tackle first with what abilities you have.
The charm system allows for many combinations of set ups. This time around I used charms to boost my magic attacks and gained new appreaciation for the abilities considering I rarely used them over wacking things with my nailsword.
The music and art are both really fantastic too. Very simple designs and motifs but they all blend together to feel like a fully realized world. The key star though has to be the boss fights. They are all so varied with great amounts of challenge throughout. There was never a fight that was so hard that made me want to put the game down and not return but there were only a few fights (early on in the game ) that felt like I could just faceroll to completion. Even the hardest bosses have patterns you can ultimately learn and overcome. They really are some of the best boss encounters I've ever had in any videogame.
This is not only maybe my favorite metroidvania but in the running for favorite game of all time. I'm so excited for the sequel.
But that's where the real beauty of the game lies. It's insanely open for a metroidvania. While it sticks you on a somewhat liner path early on to get get the dash ability the game opens up in amazing ways afterwards. There is almost three or four routes to every area if you look hard enough and it makes every playthrough feel very different based on what areas you tackle first with what abilities you have.
The charm system allows for many combinations of set ups. This time around I used charms to boost my magic attacks and gained new appreaciation for the abilities considering I rarely used them over wacking things with my nailsword.
The music and art are both really fantastic too. Very simple designs and motifs but they all blend together to feel like a fully realized world. The key star though has to be the boss fights. They are all so varied with great amounts of challenge throughout. There was never a fight that was so hard that made me want to put the game down and not return but there were only a few fights (early on in the game ) that felt like I could just faceroll to completion. Even the hardest bosses have patterns you can ultimately learn and overcome. They really are some of the best boss encounters I've ever had in any videogame.
This is not only maybe my favorite metroidvania but in the running for favorite game of all time. I'm so excited for the sequel.
2013
Game 18 of Mario Marathon
I ended my Mario Marathon with a game I had yet to play. I didn't own a Wii U when it was relevant so I just assumed it was Mario 3D Land with a cat suit. Neat, but nothing I felt the need to rush to get. Almost seven years later and I was surprised to find what an absolute joy this was to play.
While it starts of very easy like 3D Land it is just brimming with a ton of more personality. Every stage feels like it's own little world with it's own little ideas. The music is absolutely some of the very best the series has to offer, and the Wii U gamepad doesn't get into the way too much outside of a few "blow on the screen" sections that feel tacked on.
In addition, you get a whole slew of remixed levels when you beat the game that add some challenges to mix that culminate in a final stage that rivals even Grandmaster Galaxy. There is not perfect run though so you can go in with a raccoon tail, but the run that ultimately won on had me losing the tail almost right away.
This game is a real joy and deserves to be remembered as some of the best Mario and best platformers around. Some might fight it's difficulty curve a little slow but I was grinning the whole way through. How this is the one one big Wii U title not ported to the Switch is beyond me. I hope they change that soon.
I ended my Mario Marathon with a game I had yet to play. I didn't own a Wii U when it was relevant so I just assumed it was Mario 3D Land with a cat suit. Neat, but nothing I felt the need to rush to get. Almost seven years later and I was surprised to find what an absolute joy this was to play.
While it starts of very easy like 3D Land it is just brimming with a ton of more personality. Every stage feels like it's own little world with it's own little ideas. The music is absolutely some of the very best the series has to offer, and the Wii U gamepad doesn't get into the way too much outside of a few "blow on the screen" sections that feel tacked on.
In addition, you get a whole slew of remixed levels when you beat the game that add some challenges to mix that culminate in a final stage that rivals even Grandmaster Galaxy. There is not perfect run though so you can go in with a raccoon tail, but the run that ultimately won on had me losing the tail almost right away.
This game is a real joy and deserves to be remembered as some of the best Mario and best platformers around. Some might fight it's difficulty curve a little slow but I was grinning the whole way through. How this is the one one big Wii U title not ported to the Switch is beyond me. I hope they change that soon.
2011
Game 17 of Mario Marathon
3D Mario comes to handhelds and there is a ton to be impressed about. This one feels like a nice marriage between Super Mario 3 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Is it as good as those games? Not quite. The biggest problem is that it is one of the easiest Mario games ever made. The Mario games aren't that hard to begin with if you grew up playing platformers, but this one feels like training wheels and training wheels. The biggest issue comes with the raccoon suit just makes every platforming challenge easy. The float is so forgiving that you can play through the base levels only dying maybe a handful of times. Maybe that doesn't matter that much since lives have never really been an issue in Mario games since the first one, but I feel the levels are just too compact for the raccoon suit to really feel organic to the game.
It still very impressive on it's own but compared to the Galaxy games it just comes up a little short.
3D Mario comes to handhelds and there is a ton to be impressed about. This one feels like a nice marriage between Super Mario 3 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Is it as good as those games? Not quite. The biggest problem is that it is one of the easiest Mario games ever made. The Mario games aren't that hard to begin with if you grew up playing platformers, but this one feels like training wheels and training wheels. The biggest issue comes with the raccoon suit just makes every platforming challenge easy. The float is so forgiving that you can play through the base levels only dying maybe a handful of times. Maybe that doesn't matter that much since lives have never really been an issue in Mario games since the first one, but I feel the levels are just too compact for the raccoon suit to really feel organic to the game.
It still very impressive on it's own but compared to the Galaxy games it just comes up a little short.
2013
Game 17 of Mario Marathon
A neat twist on the original U game providing bite sized levels that lean on challenge. In the end the floaty Luigi controls take some getting use to but I think I ultimately liked it just as much as the base experience. It definately blazed by faster even with the added challenged. Should I even count this as a full game? Beats me!
A neat twist on the original U game providing bite sized levels that lean on challenge. In the end the floaty Luigi controls take some getting use to but I think I ultimately liked it just as much as the base experience. It definately blazed by faster even with the added challenged. Should I even count this as a full game? Beats me!
Game 16 of Mario Marathon
Four games into this series and this is where my goodwill built up from the previous two begins to wane. The multiplayer is back and the levels are nice and inventive but the saminess is starting to grate. Maybe on it's own it's the best game of the series but I can only gauge it from my last experience and while I had a decent amount of fun I think I like the last two New Super games a little bit more. I'll definately try to play this one again in a year or two on it's own to see what I think of it.
Four games into this series and this is where my goodwill built up from the previous two begins to wane. The multiplayer is back and the levels are nice and inventive but the saminess is starting to grate. Maybe on it's own it's the best game of the series but I can only gauge it from my last experience and while I had a decent amount of fun I think I like the last two New Super games a little bit more. I'll definately try to play this one again in a year or two on it's own to see what I think of it.
Game 14 of Mario Marathon
What a weird name for a title, huh? I kind of guess I know why they did that because it's the second handheld New Super game but naming conventions have always been a problem with Nintendo.
As for the game itself it's pretty much a solid edition to this series of games. The fun multiplayer is gone but you get get slightly tighter levels design now that the game no longer has to accommodate for four players. The Gold Mario power up is pretty damn cool and the Tanuki suit makes it's 2D Mario return. There's also an interesting obsession with coin collecting in this game that I thought was a neat tangent that didn't get out of the way.
It ultimately nothing groundbreaking but as one of two game in this marathon that I played for the first time it was a fun first-time experience. Fuck the Impossible Pack though. I got no time for that stuff.
What a weird name for a title, huh? I kind of guess I know why they did that because it's the second handheld New Super game but naming conventions have always been a problem with Nintendo.
As for the game itself it's pretty much a solid edition to this series of games. The fun multiplayer is gone but you get get slightly tighter levels design now that the game no longer has to accommodate for four players. The Gold Mario power up is pretty damn cool and the Tanuki suit makes it's 2D Mario return. There's also an interesting obsession with coin collecting in this game that I thought was a neat tangent that didn't get out of the way.
It ultimately nothing groundbreaking but as one of two game in this marathon that I played for the first time it was a fun first-time experience. Fuck the Impossible Pack though. I got no time for that stuff.
Game 13 of Mario Marathon
The Bad: The aesthics are still the same. The worlds are mostly the same. The music is mostly the same. This is a problem with every New Super Mario game and it never goes away so it's not worth reiterating for the other titles. It's something you have to accept.
The Good: This is a much better game than DS in the level design sense. Playing multiplayer in this has always been great fun. The added power-ups are a much needed bonus.
It may only be the third best Mario game on the Wii but it's still a solid edition to the series. The same team that made the Newer romhack also made one for this game and it's also pretty fantastic. Can't review romhacks on this website though. I don't want to go to jail.
The Bad: The aesthics are still the same. The worlds are mostly the same. The music is mostly the same. This is a problem with every New Super Mario game and it never goes away so it's not worth reiterating for the other titles. It's something you have to accept.
The Good: This is a much better game than DS in the level design sense. Playing multiplayer in this has always been great fun. The added power-ups are a much needed bonus.
It may only be the third best Mario game on the Wii but it's still a solid edition to the series. The same team that made the Newer romhack also made one for this game and it's also pretty fantastic. Can't review romhacks on this website though. I don't want to go to jail.
Game 12 of Mario Marathon
I was so excited to play this game when I bought a DS. I remember seeing Mario just turn giant in advertisement and was instantly sold, but this one always dissapoints. It's not really a bad in a frustrating way Sunshine is, but it's so generic. This is a problem for all New Super games but this one is definately the worst of the bunch. There's just not a lot of ideas going on in this one outside of introducing the wall kick to the 2D games. This is as bland as Mario has ever gotten other than maybe The Lost Levels.
There is a better version of this game in a romhack called Newer Super Mario Bros DS. It is amazing what they did with this game, creating whole new worlds, powerups, and mechanics that give this game a whole new sheen. I would check that out over playing this one ever again.
I was so excited to play this game when I bought a DS. I remember seeing Mario just turn giant in advertisement and was instantly sold, but this one always dissapoints. It's not really a bad in a frustrating way Sunshine is, but it's so generic. This is a problem for all New Super games but this one is definately the worst of the bunch. There's just not a lot of ideas going on in this one outside of introducing the wall kick to the 2D games. This is as bland as Mario has ever gotten other than maybe The Lost Levels.
There is a better version of this game in a romhack called Newer Super Mario Bros DS. It is amazing what they did with this game, creating whole new worlds, powerups, and mechanics that give this game a whole new sheen. I would check that out over playing this one ever again.
Game 11 of Mario Marathon
This game was all the rage back in the days as far as Game Boy was concerned in my schoolyard. That is at least until Pokemon Red and Blue came out. It definately is a big leap closer to emulating a console quality Mario Game but it still feels a little simple to me. The level design feels way too empty and straight forward to really satisfy. This might have to do with the sprites being much bigger. While it's still better than Land it is not the best game you play as Mario on the Gameboy. That would be Donkey Kong 94 which I did not play in this Mario Marathon but I feel like maybe I should.
This game was all the rage back in the days as far as Game Boy was concerned in my schoolyard. That is at least until Pokemon Red and Blue came out. It definately is a big leap closer to emulating a console quality Mario Game but it still feels a little simple to me. The level design feels way too empty and straight forward to really satisfy. This might have to do with the sprites being much bigger. While it's still better than Land it is not the best game you play as Mario on the Gameboy. That would be Donkey Kong 94 which I did not play in this Mario Marathon but I feel like maybe I should.
1989
Game 10 of Mario Marathon
Backtracking to start working on some of the mainland handheld titles. SML is probably the Mario game that time has been most unfriendly to. While a design marvel when it first came out for the GameBoy it really does feel like a tacked together bootleg of a mario game. That being said it still controls pretty well and the music is fantastic. If you haven't heard the Arranged orchestral version of the soundtrack on Youtube you should go check it out.
Not much more to say about this one. It's probably the shortest Mario game I played in this marathon. Wasn't it cool when they brought it back the ball powerup for Mario Maker 2? I wouldn't know.
Backtracking to start working on some of the mainland handheld titles. SML is probably the Mario game that time has been most unfriendly to. While a design marvel when it first came out for the GameBoy it really does feel like a tacked together bootleg of a mario game. That being said it still controls pretty well and the music is fantastic. If you haven't heard the Arranged orchestral version of the soundtrack on Youtube you should go check it out.
Not much more to say about this one. It's probably the shortest Mario game I played in this marathon. Wasn't it cool when they brought it back the ball powerup for Mario Maker 2? I wouldn't know.
2010
Game 9 of Mario Marathon
I absolutely love this game. It does what Super Mario World did for 2D Mario but for 3D. This is the one where it really feels hammered down. While I know many fans felt this game was just an "expansion pack" on the original the level design in this one is just on another level better. A lot of fluff was removed and I personally do not miss it that much.
There really isn't a level I hate. The Green Stars in the bird levels are a little obnoxious because it relies on the annoying tilt controls of the Wii-Mote but they aren't as bad as the Manta Ray races in Galaxy 1. Grandmaster Galaxy is a great final challenge that while feels relatively simple on a segment-by-segment basis becomes a tought gauntlet when paired all together with only 1HP at your disposal.
I forgot to even mention Yoshi is in it. He's super fun to use in it too. I really can just go on for hours about every little thing I like about this game but I'm just trying to do a short log. I put this right up there on a Mario Mount Rushmore with 3 and World. What's the fourth one? We'll see!
I absolutely love this game. It does what Super Mario World did for 2D Mario but for 3D. This is the one where it really feels hammered down. While I know many fans felt this game was just an "expansion pack" on the original the level design in this one is just on another level better. A lot of fluff was removed and I personally do not miss it that much.
There really isn't a level I hate. The Green Stars in the bird levels are a little obnoxious because it relies on the annoying tilt controls of the Wii-Mote but they aren't as bad as the Manta Ray races in Galaxy 1. Grandmaster Galaxy is a great final challenge that while feels relatively simple on a segment-by-segment basis becomes a tought gauntlet when paired all together with only 1HP at your disposal.
I forgot to even mention Yoshi is in it. He's super fun to use in it too. I really can just go on for hours about every little thing I like about this game but I'm just trying to do a short log. I put this right up there on a Mario Mount Rushmore with 3 and World. What's the fourth one? We'll see!
2007
Game 8 of Mario Marathon
One of the greatest cardinal sins I ever did in gaming was play Super Mario Galaxy 2 before Galaxy 1 the first time I played a Nintendo Wii. It was just a situation of circumstance of not having a Wii until much later and playing the second one at an acquaintances house. So a lot of the impact this series had on me is left to the sequel.
Still this is a pretty great game on its own even in replays. It definately feels a lot more mellow than the second game. It doesn't really amp up the challenge until you start doing Purple Coin stuff, and I still don't find those or the Luigi replay that engaging. The base game still has a lot of great moments and the issues with controls and camera are at a minmal. The HUB world just feels very unnecessary. It's really barren compared to Isle Delfino or even Peach's Castle in 64. I think doing away with SMG2 was ultimately a good thing even if it meant the game lost it's little bit of narriative oomph. Never been something I came to Mario games for anyway.
One of the greatest cardinal sins I ever did in gaming was play Super Mario Galaxy 2 before Galaxy 1 the first time I played a Nintendo Wii. It was just a situation of circumstance of not having a Wii until much later and playing the second one at an acquaintances house. So a lot of the impact this series had on me is left to the sequel.
Still this is a pretty great game on its own even in replays. It definately feels a lot more mellow than the second game. It doesn't really amp up the challenge until you start doing Purple Coin stuff, and I still don't find those or the Luigi replay that engaging. The base game still has a lot of great moments and the issues with controls and camera are at a minmal. The HUB world just feels very unnecessary. It's really barren compared to Isle Delfino or even Peach's Castle in 64. I think doing away with SMG2 was ultimately a good thing even if it meant the game lost it's little bit of narriative oomph. Never been something I came to Mario games for anyway.
2002
Game 7 of Mario Marathon
People really swear by this game and have made pretty compelling arguments to defend it and the speedrunning community is pretty interesting but ultimatey I can't really do it with this game. It was really the worst replay of the marathon and I was very happy to be finished with it when I did.
It just doesn't work. The concept seems neat enough but FLUDD creates a dynamic that I just personally don't like. If this game came out for the Wii and you could just control fludd with the Wiimote and Mario with the Nunchuck it may have solved a lot of what I don't like about the game. On a standard controller it just doesn't click with me.
Even with a better control scheme I still thing this game has problems. A lot of the mission design is outright obnoxious. It's filled with star missions that just make me grate my teeth. The camera is not as bad as 64 but it is still very much not there. It's especially bad in Hotel Delfino. And while the No-Fludd levels feel like a nice change of pace, they don't play as nice as other 3D Mario games thanks to the stuggling camera.
I tried to like this game. It was one the first games I bought for the Gamecube, but I've only mustered like 3 playthroughs in 18 years and I'm not looking forward to playing it again anytime soon.
People really swear by this game and have made pretty compelling arguments to defend it and the speedrunning community is pretty interesting but ultimatey I can't really do it with this game. It was really the worst replay of the marathon and I was very happy to be finished with it when I did.
It just doesn't work. The concept seems neat enough but FLUDD creates a dynamic that I just personally don't like. If this game came out for the Wii and you could just control fludd with the Wiimote and Mario with the Nunchuck it may have solved a lot of what I don't like about the game. On a standard controller it just doesn't click with me.
Even with a better control scheme I still thing this game has problems. A lot of the mission design is outright obnoxious. It's filled with star missions that just make me grate my teeth. The camera is not as bad as 64 but it is still very much not there. It's especially bad in Hotel Delfino. And while the No-Fludd levels feel like a nice change of pace, they don't play as nice as other 3D Mario games thanks to the stuggling camera.
I tried to like this game. It was one the first games I bought for the Gamecube, but I've only mustered like 3 playthroughs in 18 years and I'm not looking forward to playing it again anytime soon.
1996
Game 6 of Mario Marathon
Not gonna get into why I skipped Yoshi's Island. I don't care if it was called Super Mario World 2. That's a different series and I'm sticking to it.
I went back to Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and while the system is overall seen as a disappointing this game never stops to amaze me. For a first foray into 3D it feels as divinely inspired as the original Mario Bros. Mario feels fluid and fun right out of the pipe. While the N64 controller took some time to get used to back in the day, my family and I could not stop playing it. Even my parents would want to come and watch my brother and I play it.
It definately has some unfortunate quirks. The camera isn't there yet and constantly wants to fight with you like an untrained dog on a leash. There is also some weird geometry issues where jumping on certain inclines will just send you flying off the map. This is more pronounced in some worlds than others. Also I personally hate the Bowser fights in this game and while they aren't hard they are just obnoxious to finish.
That all said I still really love this game and have done 120 Star runs many times. The speedrunning community is one of the more interesting ones and has helped keep this game alive. I hope the rumors are true this is getting a remake for the Switch. I might have to buy a system to play it.
Not gonna get into why I skipped Yoshi's Island. I don't care if it was called Super Mario World 2. That's a different series and I'm sticking to it.
I went back to Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and while the system is overall seen as a disappointing this game never stops to amaze me. For a first foray into 3D it feels as divinely inspired as the original Mario Bros. Mario feels fluid and fun right out of the pipe. While the N64 controller took some time to get used to back in the day, my family and I could not stop playing it. Even my parents would want to come and watch my brother and I play it.
It definately has some unfortunate quirks. The camera isn't there yet and constantly wants to fight with you like an untrained dog on a leash. There is also some weird geometry issues where jumping on certain inclines will just send you flying off the map. This is more pronounced in some worlds than others. Also I personally hate the Bowser fights in this game and while they aren't hard they are just obnoxious to finish.
That all said I still really love this game and have done 120 Star runs many times. The speedrunning community is one of the more interesting ones and has helped keep this game alive. I hope the rumors are true this is getting a remake for the Switch. I might have to buy a system to play it.
1990
Game 5 of Mario Marathon
Is this the best 2D Mario game? It's always been a toss up between SMB3 and this one. Mario 3 might have a slight edge on variety and creativity but Super is just mechanical perfection. The controls are what Mario should always strive to feel like even to this very day. While it may not have the varied locales of 3 each level has never felt as distinct and handcrafted as it does here.
Ultimately I don't have to split hairs as I think they are both some of the best games ever created. While I was a late arrival to Super Nintendo as I grew up with a Genesis I've have spent a good amount of my time with the SNES replaying this game and getting all the exits. They can make 50 games just based on Super Mario World and I would never get sick of them. I guess that's what Mario Maker is for.
Is this the best 2D Mario game? It's always been a toss up between SMB3 and this one. Mario 3 might have a slight edge on variety and creativity but Super is just mechanical perfection. The controls are what Mario should always strive to feel like even to this very day. While it may not have the varied locales of 3 each level has never felt as distinct and handcrafted as it does here.
Ultimately I don't have to split hairs as I think they are both some of the best games ever created. While I was a late arrival to Super Nintendo as I grew up with a Genesis I've have spent a good amount of my time with the SNES replaying this game and getting all the exits. They can make 50 games just based on Super Mario World and I would never get sick of them. I guess that's what Mario Maker is for.