“This is pretty much the greatest game of all time”
Tetris would like a word…lol
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Tetris, of course, is also the greatest game of all time
I played a bit today, whilst listening to something. I often do that
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I just finished re-playing New Super Mario Bros. DS and the final level had
one of those looping castle levels too. But, just the last part
And they had a buzz or a ding to tell you if you did it right, which I believe All-Stars also did
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Finished my All Star-Coin run of New Super Mario Bros. DS this time ! I will have to find something else to play…perhaps Super Mario Bros. 2, at some point
I noticed that the Scuttlebugs and Skeeters got a lot more annoying since Super Mario 64, at certain points [when trying to get Star Coins]. You might say they really…BUGGED me…
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What’s the common opinion regarding Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2? I loved SMG 1, and although I’m also really enjoying SMG 2, something feels missing? I don’t know what that something is but it just doesn’t hit the same as 1.
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It’s not an uncommon sentiment. I think a lot of people like Super Mario Galaxy 2 quite a lot, but often not as intensely as the first one.
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I’m guessing its the lack of innovation? SMG 2 is practically the same game as 1, but with a few new power-ups.
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It’s definitely that, and I’d say it’s got a much weaker sense of place as well. It feels more like a level pack than a world.
(I prefer it, tho!)
For me it’s the general overall lack of Rosalina in the sequel, given that she’s relegated to the end. Another reason I love SM3DW because I can eventually play as Rosalina (who deserves her own platformer!)
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Because Galaxy 2 was just meant to be DLC for 1. It’s simply more Galaxy-style levels (which is fine, I’ll note). I overall preferred the levels in 1 though, as well as the space station hub world, the music, and the story (Rosalina’s picture book). A case of polished presentation going the extra mile IMO. And the only new thing in 2 I consider notable is the inclusion of Yoshi, but he’s only in it a little bit.
There’s also just the simple fact that, assuming you played 1 first, that was your first time experiencing the gravity-focused platforming. The “wow factor” is going to be more prevalent throughout your playthrough of 1, than it will of 2.
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Yeah, the lack of Rosalina sucks! She definitely deserves her own game (as does Captain Syrup, of course).
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Haven’t played Super Mario Galaxy in a while [last time was on the Switch collection]; maybe will have to do that sometime
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Playing Mario And Green Guy Superstar Saga… Never played this one, started with Partners in Time, always heard the first was good.
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Have folks been able to play through Super Mario Bros, the original? Here are some of my thoughts on my latest run.
- I always forget Mario’s a bit tougher to control in this outing, though it’s certainly a step up from the arcade Mario Bros. The physics in general are also not quite what later games would fine-tune, but that’s to be expected. The swimming segments are tougher, and I don’t know if I’ll ever quite figure out how the springy jump pad things work.
- Not much variety to how the levels look, but it’s an early NES game and I think the imagination behind it all is what really won people over back in the day. If you can make yourself forget everything about the Mario series, you can see just how fanciful and funny this “Mushroom Kingdom” is. I have to imagine the Alice in Wonderland story was an inspiration (particularly with the size-changing mushrooms).
- As a child I always thought Mario was spitting the fireballs out of his mouth. I still can’t help but see it that way, even though he’s clearly moving his arm. I guess my thinking was he was just “aiming” with his arm.
- The levels overall are quite simple, but there’s just enough variety to keep the game from feeling too monotonous. I also always forget just how many classic Mario enemies were here from Day One. The game is clever in how it gradually escalates the challenge with the types of enemies it introduces, building off how you deal with previous ones and forcing you to approach the new ones a bit differently.
- Sliding down the full length of the flag pole remains a super satisfying way to end each stage. Kudos to whoever came up with that idea specifically.
- The game is very short, but I kinda like that I can just sit down and play through the whole thing in one sitting. Makes it easy to return to on a random whim.
- I think an underrated thing about this game is the way it gives you a New Game+ in the form of replaying it, but with all the goombas replaced by the buzzy beetles and various platforms shortened. It’s a bit more interesting than simply making all the enemies faster or removing all power-ups or something.
- I do wish you would get a “true ending” when beating that second playthrough, however. Give us a cartoon heart and Toadstool saying “Mario, my hero!” so I feel like I did a job well done. And then she can say “By the way, there’s a leaky pipe at the castle that could use fixing. What are your rates?” if we want to end with a joke.
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The swimming levels are pretty much the thing that prevents me from liking Super Mario Bros. more than I do.
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I’ve played it so many times now, throughout the years, that I didn’t really have much to say
The fireballs–yeah, it can look like he’s spitting them because his hand goes past his mouth. Old sprites are like that; it’s easier if you look at a static image online. Likewise, people used to say he’d hit blocks with his head [he uses his fist]
Interestingly the Fire Bros. in Super Mario Bros. 3–I think they DID spit fireballs at first, and then started using their hands like Mario when they returned in more recent years
As for the swimming levels–don’t know how much this helps, but Bloopers will never touch the bottom, which might be useful to be aware of
I assume we will move on to Super Mario Bros. 2 next
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I used to think that too, lol. And you reminded me of this stupid cartoon:
“I heard-a the snap!”
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Did a quick runthrough of the NES version with my usual house rules: no warps, pipes, vines, or fire flowers. I wasn’t around for its original release, but SMB1’s still a game that I have immense nostalgia for, as it was basically all I played for a whole month when I was hospitalized in 2010.
It still holds up great, and honestly I prefer it to SMB2, 3, and World. I love how weighty Mario’s inertia is, how it feels like a struggle for him to slow down or course correct once he’s gotten up to speed. I love how the levels are pretty much all designed to be sprinted through nonstop, and all the little midair adjustments that let Mario bypass stairs and other stumbling blocks as if they weren’t even there. And I love that coins are relevant to collect since World 8 can be pretty tough to make it through unscathed.
Other than the Hammer Bro gauntlet in 8-3 being an unfun slog, I don’t think I’d change a single thing about it.
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Saw this old ramen ad featuring the Mario anime film (made and released shortly after the first game). And what do you know? Mario DOES hit the blocks with his head! 
Anyone else seen the movie? It’s… interesting (and specifically aimed for young children). I think it’s mainly fun to see what they could conjure up despite having just the one single game to work with for material. One aspect of Mario’s character is that he’s rather money-hungry. You’d think, hey, isn’t that Wario’s thing? But this released in 1986, well before Wario’s first game appearance. And Mario is always trying to get coins in Super Mario Bros, so it’s not out of nowhere.
(I will note one thing that makes no sense to me though, even for the time… Mario and Luigi work at a grocery store??? Come on. Shaking my head.)
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