this is my favourite mario game. i was shocked to hear people disagree with that sentiment - this was a quality game from start to finish, and would be delighted to replay it at any time.

i enjoyed it considerably more than mario 64, which i played just beforehand, and more than mario sunshine, which i played just afterwards. it tops both in my opinion as nintendo finally mastering the formula, and yet, people believe it's too linear or level-based which i guess? i suppose? but i never thought that was a problem, said people probably just want another mario 64.

i would heartily recommend this to anyone, whether you're new to games or a seasoned fan who just happened to never play this before, this is the definitive mario experience to me.

(and shockingly for my standards i say this with no nostalgic bias despite being around for its release i never played it until my first time round at the start of 2021 on the switch)