What is your favorite Mario game?

[supertoad]

I'd like to try out this idea for a new section. It doesn't have a name yet, but the concept is sort of a reverse mail bag. I'll come up with a question, and readers will respond. After a while I'll take the responses and turn it into a permanent page on the site. We'll start off with an easy one. If the response is good, more will follow.

The question: what is your favorite Mario game, and why?

The easiest way to answer is by replying to this topic on the forum, but you can also email your response if you don't want to register a (free) account.

[Narudog]

My favorite Mario game would have to be Super Mario Bros. 3. Simply because it introduced so many unique enemies, power ups, and items.

[Heavy Mole]

My favorite Mario game is Super Mario Bros. for the NES. Though not as opulent as later Mario releases, it is a masterpiece of playability. Effortless control and warm visuals immerse you in the gameplay in seconds. Warp zones make every level quickly and easily accessible. For me, very measured difficulty: simple enough to play without getting frustrated but with a few challenges for those inclined (time attacks, defeating the last Bowser with Fire Mario, etc.). Quite a few glitches and secrets as well, with all the hallmark obscurity of a classic NES title. Lengthwise, it's forgivably brief, but boasts one of the most devastating replay values of any game I've encountered.

Plus, if you have an old cartridge that has seen better days, the level layouts will sometimes glitch out but remain playable. Unfortunately, that occasionally means having no ground, which makes the game harder.

[Goombachi]

What are your rules for spin-offs? (Do they count?)

[Nightmare]

disregard

[Narudog]

You don't rant...its not an argument, its asking "your favorite Mario game."

[supertoad]

What are your rules for spin-offs? (Do they count?)

Anything is fine as long as it has a major Mario character in it (Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Peach, etc).

[Nightmare]

What are your rules for spin-offs? (Do they count?)

Anything is fine as long as it has a major Mario character in it (Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Peach, etc).

Wrecking Crew '98.

New favorite. It's the best puzzle game ever. It's easy to get a hang of but it's super addictive and you can play it for hours. It's got a suprisingly large cast of characters, and the stages are colorful and vibrant for the most part. The main game is fun even if you can't read what's going on, and the tournament mode adds more replay value. Multiplayer can be really competitive, too.

[Goombachi]

Then I'd say Yoshi's Island. The game just feels so flawless to me. Main points:
Perfect level design-Filled with bonus challenges, stuff to collect, and deep devotion and care. Also, I believe this was the first game to have individual scores for each level, which adds a sense of accomplishment for doing so.
An amazing soundtrack- Very different tunes and very fitting for each level. And Baby Bowser's theme just yells out epic. Bowser has a lot of great themes, but this is definitely the best one. And that's saying something.
Story- Fairly simple, but that's the beauty of it: it's the essence of childhood. I still nearly jerk a tear every time I beat the game and see that "Heroes are Born!" screen. Also, this was the first game to have both diverse dialogue and direct dialogue from the enemy's point of view, both provided by Kamek. Even though he's the bad guy, you feel for him. And he has a lot of witty things to say as well. Baby Bowser's great too, thanks to his little desire in anything but riding a gween donkey.
Characters-Besides Kamek, all of the other characters are great too. This was the first Mario game to give you a lot of people who actually were nice and wanted to help you...Poochy, Muddy Buddy, Goony Birds...even the Chomp Rock sort of is like a helper. And plus you could really abuse the enemies in creative ways, my favorite of which are stealing the Grinders' melons and hitching a ride on the Goombas.
Charm-This is the game's strongest point. Little subtle details everywhere make the game a treat. Kill the little bud of Naval Pirahna and you get a special message from Kamek. And of course there's the TOP SECRET TELL NO ONE message which isn't even that hard to find. And making Cactus Jack sad by eating his Needlenose...little details like that which show a great amount of love.
Item inventory-A big plus. With a game like this, 1-ups become meaningless. That's why an item inventory is essential to add diversity. Getting rid of it was one of Yoshi's Island DS's biggest mistakes.
Length-Actually quite a long game. Not much to say about that, but it's definitely great.
Control-This is seriously one of the most fluid games I've ever played. You can do anything. Projectiles that go anywhere you want, slow speed to very fast, multiple jumps to just barely make it back...great all around.
So that's why it's my favorite.

[Fawful]

Super Mario World

Its at least everyone favorite right? Fan made remakes and such. Its why I choose this game. Its very fun, probably at first the hardest Mario game I have ever played. The graphics are okay as well.

[Goombachi]

Super Mario World

Its at least everyone favorite right? Fan made remakes and such. Its why I choose this game. Its very fun, probably at first the hardest Mario game I have ever played. The graphics are okay as well.

You thought it was hard? I didn't, not even as a kid. But w/e.
"Its at least everyone favorite right?" Uh...what?
"Fan made remakes and such." That shouldn't affect your decision. And anyway, that's mostly because of how easy Lunar Magic is to use.
"The graphics are okay as well." Not very convincing.
Not trying to argue, but this really doesn't seem honest.

[Fawful]

Oh well.

[Super Goombario]

My favorite Mario game is Super Mario Brothers 2 (US) on the NES.

It is commonly hated for it being much different than the other games in the series, but it's not commonly realized that this game is just a cut-and-paste of a Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic! And beyond this, the game still has similarities that were both in the original and added into the final version, such as the Vines, holding B to run, and Mushrooms. The game was different, but in the context of Zelda II vs the Zelda series. The boss battles were among the best bosses in any of the games, especially with Mouser and Wart. One of the major complaints was the vegetable picking, which isn't really a major part of the game play. many of the elements that originated in this game hav migrated to the later games as well, such as Bombs, Shy Guys, and the Birdo species.

[Goombachi]

Vegetable picking isn't a major part of the game? What?
...But Super Mario Bros. 2 is good. Not my favorite, but it's good.

[Fawful]

I have always wondered, are they actually veggies?