Best of the 3DS - Your top 3?

[replicashooter]

Thank you, same question for NSMB as well.

[briareos_kerensky]

Thank you, same question for NSMB as well.

No NSMB is worth playing. NSMB2 on the 3DS is particularly derivative and uninteresting.

[replicashooter]

No NSMB is worth playing. NSMB2 on the 3DS is particularly derivative and uninteresting.

I really disliked those games myself even though I only put in about half an hour on the first one. All that darn recycling, lack of charm and generally shoddiness made it feel like a Nintendo game as designed and created by AI trying to emulate Nintendos creative process.

And yet they sold shed loads and lots of people evidently enjoyed them who never even sniffed the amazing SMG or SMG2. Madness!

[dataDave]

I really disliked those games myself even though I only put in about half an hour on the first one. All that darn recycling, lack of charm and generally shoddiness made it feel like a Nintendo game as designed and created by AI trying to emulate Nintendos creative process.

And yet they sold shed loads and lots of people evidently enjoyed them who never even sniffed the amazing SMG or SMG2. Madness!

NSMBU is up there with SMW, in my opinion (and that of most of RLLMUK). I've not played much of NSMBWii, but what I have played has been excellent so far - especially for early-game Mario where it's usually by-the-numbers.

[JazzFunk]

FIGHT!

[replicashooter]

NSMBU is up there with SMW, in my opinion (and that of most of RLLMUK). I've not played much of NSMBWii, but what I have played has been excellent so far - especially for early-game Mario where it's usually by-the-numbers.

That is an absolutely huge statement, immense. Something that I feel that NSMBU simply couldn't carry with its flimsy artstyle and basis on the earlier games. I guess I'm salty because they whored the same thing again and again with the crap version of 2D Mario instead of building it around World in which case I would've enjoyed it or to be more accurate actually given it a chance. As it stands it smacks of a cheap moneyspinner with flimsy gameplay.

FIGHT!

Out of respect for Kevin Keegans untimely passing all aggro related activities have been placed on a 90 day hiatus.

[dataDave]

The gameplay is exactly the same as every other Mario, you can even switch out the themes on Maker. If NSMBU has flimsy gameplay then so do all the rest.

[Dogg Thang]

It doesn’t work that way. Because certain elements are interchangeable doesn’t make the level design equal, the structure equal or the experience equal.

[dataDave]

It doesn’t work that way. Because certain elements are interchangeable doesn’t make the level design equal, the structure equal or the experience equal.

But it has great handling, and equally great levels. Just as good as anything SMB3 or SMW have to offer. That's not including the plethora of ridiculously tight challenge stages on offer.

[replicashooter]

It doesn’t work that way. Because certain elements are interchangeable doesn’t make the level design equal, the structure equal or the experience equal.

This is exactly it. The level of intelligence/attention that is poured into a Mario title seems missing to me and I just couldn't get into the games because of that. Call it charm, charisma or the "it" factor - whatever it was was missing in spades from this range for me. That big ass walk through the stage mushroom is so indicative of this because that is how the whole game (well, as much as i played) feels to me overall because it just screams genericism from every pixel.

That said I've just peeped this video:

And have just applied an undercoat of mildly impressed to myself.

[dataDave]

That's nothing. Check out some of the challenge stage super-plays! Game Maker's Toolkit also went into the general stage design.

[replicashooter]

That's nothing. Check out some of the challenge stage super-plays! Game Maker's Toolkit also went into the general stage design.

Just picked up a copy, lets see how it plays because the video actually made it look like a lot of fun and more of a "proper" Mario game than the quick rehash cash grab vibes the others in the series had.

[dataDave]

Just picked up a copy, lets see how it plays because the video actually made it look like a lot of fun and more of a "proper" Mario game than the quick rehash cash grab vibes the others in the series had.

I don't have my WiiU set up, or we could play through together. Do try to get the three coins for each stage, some are fiendish.

I got most of my fun out of the challenges. There are some which are almost Wario Ware/NES Remix in nature, so each attempt takes seconds. Those are the best.

I've not played the handheld versions. NSMBU was my first, and that was only because it came with the console. I yaaarrr'd the Wii version and it's well worth the time, also.

[replicashooter]

That was the aspect that got my attention as it seemed like a lot of fun but generally the stages appear to have a lot more thought gone into them with this incarnation than the others. Ironic as the one with the most polish will probably only ever be played by the 5 people that own a Wii U.

Currently playing 3D Land on the 3DS at the moment and find that quite impressive for a handheld title, I like the size of the stages as they are very bitesized and graphically it looks wonderfully. Controls felt a bit weird at first, so strange having Mario back in this open world kind of structure as its been ages.

[dataDave]

That was the aspect that got my attention as it seemed like a lot of fun but generally the stages appear to have a lot more thought gone into them with this incarnation than the others. Ironic as the one with the most polish will probably only ever be played by the 5 people that own a Wii U.

Currently playing 3D Land on the 3DS at the moment and find that quite impressive for a handheld title, I like the size of the stages as they are very bitesized and graphically it looks wonderfully. Controls felt a bit weird at first, so strange having Mario back in this open world kind of structure as its been ages.

NSMBU did almost 6 million copies. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm expecting a new one being announced for the Switch at any point. A lot of the levels are great, yes - especially later on. The last two areas were infuriating, but in a good way.

I'll be trying out SM3DL when I get home. I just hope it's not a step back after the mighty SM3DW, which had some of the best level design I've ever seen. To think that they all actually work just as good, if not better in a multi-player setting, is further testament to their genius.