Best 3D Mario Game

[Master Kokiri 9]

Self explainatory thread. What do you think is the best 3D Mario game?

64 was a terrific example of how some games were just made for the third dimension. It was difficult, had quite a bit of collectables, the graphics were good for their time, and the music is undenyably good. It was kinda short and the story was basically bland. I rate it #2. when rating the current trilogy of 3D Mario games.

Sunshine is the worst of the three, but not that bad. FLUDD was pretty cool and I quite liked it, contrary to popular opinion, and the story was also good. The mystery behind Shadow Mario was absolutely awesome and when I found out his real identity in Pinna Park, I was shocked. The cutscenes made me love it and also I liked the voice acting even though I think they could've done some of the voices better (Toadsworth and Bowser in particular. Seriously, Bowser sounded like the Cookie Monster! D. The graphics were pretty good for a GameCube and I quite like the style. However, it is ridiculously short and too easy. As you could guess, I rate it #3.

Galaxy was the best yet and for good reason. The story was very interesting, even though we didn't get a Shadow Mario calibur story twist. Roselina and her lumas made things very interesting and made me think feel that I was not only fighting for Princess Peach, but also for the universe and Roselina's family. Speaking of Roselina, her hidden story (told in the library of the observatory as the game progresses) is terribly sad and heartwarming at the same time. As a young girl, she finds a luma who is lost, and they go out into space to find it's mother. They never find it and Roselina is no longer able to be with her family, but she stays strong and takes Luma in as her own child, even though she is a child herself at the time. The gameplay is good and Mario's awesome jumping skills return for the better along with some extra help from a white luma who allows him to spin. The power ups were awesome and I loved the Boo, Bee, Fire, and Ice forms which added further to the gameplay. The music is incredible and I find myself listening to The Battle for the Grand Star (final boss theme) quite often. At the end, Bowser's attempted Galaxy collapses and becomes a supermassive black hole which would destroy Peach, Mario, the observatory, and just about everything of importance in that game. However, as doom drew nigh, Mario's white luma (whom I grew very attached to over time) among others sacrificed their lives for Roselina and Peach and all them. This really tugged at my heart strings and I liked it a lot. When Roselina reveals the truth behind the luma life cycle (how they pretty much keep rising and falling in an endless cycle) I found a glimmer of hope for little Whitey (that's what I call Mario's luma). The graphics were incredible and by far, one of the best examples of Realistic Cel Shading I've ever seen. However, the only downfall I find with it is that it's far too easy, but there are still moments where I have trouble (the Purple Coin mission for Toy Time Galaxy is incredibly hard if you ask me). I rate it #1.

 

[Pocket Asian]

However, as doom drew nigh, Mario's white luma (whom I grew very attached to over time) among others sacrificed their lives for Roselina and Peach and all them. This really tugged at my heart strings and I liked it a lot. When Roselina reveals the truth behind the luma life cycle (how they pretty much keep rising and falling in an endless cycle) I found a glimmer of hope for little Whitey (that's what I call Mario's luma).

Actually, at the end, you will see Mario's Luma behind a Mushroom(?), it waves at you, if I'm correct, so its still very much alive.

But I couldn't agree with your list more. That's how I see them.

Super Mario 64 was a great game and brought many new features to the Mario games. One being the Triple Jump which is present in all 3-D Mario games and its even seen in New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Creativity was also shown in this game with the caps. One of the best ideas, in my opinion. The Metal Cap was genius, as well as the Wing and Vanish caps.

Super Mario Sunshine is a good game, but when compared to the other two, its horrible, in my opinion. It took the freedom away of somethings. Like being able to do a backflip. You needed FLUDD to do one and that annoyed me. Another thing is the long jump. Taking that out made it seem like you were too dependent on FLUDD. One of the good things they brought to the game was Yoshi, but that was contradicted by the fact that the Yoshis couldn't swim.

Super Mario Galaxy was the best, in my opinion. Its my favorite because it brought an old power up and some mechanics and brought new ones as well. One thing about it that I especially like was the 3 hits you're dead thing. That was almost like an old Mario games (most being two hits if you got a power-up or, with some games, three), and it also brought more challenge to the game. I loved the Fire flower being brought into a 3-D environment. The only flaw it had was the time limit it gave you for it.
Being able to play as Luigi was definitely one thing that makes me love this game even more. Luigi's Mansion is fun and all, but it was about time that Luigi got a real 3-D adventure. Luigi, I guess you can say was the hard mode (I'm just quoting my brother now ._.) in the game since he was harder to control and the spike in difficulty of Cosmic Luigi.
And now I come to another point. The comets. The comets were another thing I loved because of the extra challenge they gave to a level. One being the Dare-Devil comets, I love those. The Cosmic Comets would have to come in a close second, though.

Yeah...
1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Super Mario 64
3. Super Mario Sunshine

I can't wait for Super Mario Galaxy 2. Its about to come out. Next month, so I've read.

 

[TriforceHunter]

Well I love SunShine the most(I don't know why you wouldn't).

Opinions-

SM64- it was Marvellous for it's time and it is still fantastic, just another Mario plataformer,huh? Well NO! This was the first game to perfect 3D plataforming and camera movement, we owe this game those concepts, I say this is one of the many games that made the N64 shine! 9/10

SMS- The best out of the bunch! I know, you all hate me now because I like it better than the great Mario Galaxy, but this game is defined in one word: MasterPiece, Why? it was the oddball one, the different one, I LOVE difference, Why else would I say MM is my favorite Zelda? Besides, I like a hard challenge, MM was very hard compared to the newer games, same with SunShine, I know everyone hates it ALL because of the voice acting, I say it was somewhat well pulled off and if you don't like it, Then mute the TV! the game was and still is fabulous, thats all that theres to it! 9/10

SMG- I say this game, like every other game, was dumbed down and made completly easy, it was like M64 all over again but with backward plataforms, whoopdedoo, I know this one is the longest because of the whole more stars and the Luigi Second Quest, but it's still very very easy, I say the game was made intentionally for the kids and it went far behind Mario SunShine. Don't get me wrong, I still think the game is okay, it's playable and it's got new elements and Ideas. 8.5/10 Can't wait till Mario Galaxy 2! Yoshi FTW!

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

SMG- I say this game, like every other game, was dumbed down and made completly easy, it was like M64 all over again but with backward plataforms, whoopdedoo

WHOA WHOA WHOA, HOLD THE PHONE.

Did you just say it was..... easy? Good sir, have you ever beaten Luigi's Purple Coins with Luigi himself? And it was just like Mario 64 but with upside down platforms....?

You must have been playing something else buddy.

 

[Pocket Asian]

Why? it was the oddball one, the different one, I LOVE difference, Why else would I say MM is my favorite Zelda? Besides, I like a hard challenge, MM was very hard compared to the newer games, same with SunShine, I know everyone hates it ALL because of the voice acting, I say it was somewhat well pulled off and if you don't like it, Then mute the TV! the game was and still is fabulous, thats all that theres to it! 9/10

Actually, if you think about it, MM wasn't that much of an oddball. If you want different, I suggest you play AoL. All the difference and difficulty you need, why do you think its my favorite Zelda title?

And Sunshine was actually the easiest of the three. Honestly, compare Bowser of Sunshine to Bowser of Galaxy, not much a difference in difficulty, but at least you weren't ground pounding on stone blocks to defeat him, seriously, worst way to fight him. He was much harder in Super Mario 64. Plus, with FLUDD, it was almost impossible to die by pitfall.

 

[TriforceHunter]

Actually, if you think about it, MM wasn't that much of an oddball. If you want different, I suggest you play AoL. All the difference and difficulty you need, why do you think its my favorite Zelda title?

And Sunshine was actually the easiest of the three. Honestly, compare Bowser of Sunshine to Bowser of Galaxy, not much a difference in difficulty, but at least you weren't ground pounding on stone blocks to defeat him, seriously, worst way to fight him. He was much harder in Super Mario 64. Plus, with FLUDD, it was almost impossible to die by pitfall.

Well, yeah. AoL was the most different but we are talking 3D here. And the boss last boss fight on SMG was really really easy as well, I seriusly beat him my first time without taking any damage, first playthrough no damage, besides I was looking at overall quest not just boss battles, and talking about final levels, I say Corona Mountain is way harder than that last level in Mario Galaxy...

 

[Pocket Asian]

Well, yeah. AoL was the most different but we are talking 3D here. And the boss last boss fight on SMG was really really easy as well, I seriusly beat him my first time without taking any damage, first playthrough no damage, besides I was looking at overall quest not just boss battles, and talking about final levels, I say Corona Mountain is way harder than that last level in Mario Galaxy...

I honestly don't get it. Corona Mountain was perhaps the easiest. All you did was jump of platforms and ride a boat, plus cloud jumping. That was all easy. How is that harder than dodging lava, trying not to get squashed by Thwomps, while also dodging Bullet Bills while trying to jump on moving platforms where you're only way to save yourself is with a spin that simply only takes you higher in the air. Sure, I'll give Sunshine the fact that lava kills you in one hit, but that's all it had when it comes to last levels on these games. I'll also admit that Sunshine's Corona Mountain was harder than SM64's final level, but face it, Sunshine did Bpwser no justice in the way you fight him.

Also, all the levels in Sunshine are easy. You don't deal with factors like gravity, and you have FLUDD which makes everything easier.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

I honestly don't get it. Corona Mountain was perhaps the easiest. All you did was jump of platforms and ride a boat, plus cloud jumping. That was all easy. How is that harder than dodging lava, trying not to get squashed by Thwomps, while also dodging Bullet Bills while trying to jump on moving platforms where you're only way to save yourself is with a spin that simply only takes you higher in the air. Sure, I'll give Sunshine the fact that lava kills you in one hit, but that's all it had when it comes to last levels on these games. I'll also admit that Sunshine's Corona Mountain was harder than SM64's final level, but face it, Sunshine did Bpwser no justice in the way you fight him.

Also, all the levels in Sunshine are easy. You don't deal with factors like gravity, and you have FLUDD which makes everything easier.

Actually, the FLUDDless levels were pretty hard if you ask me. Or maybe I'm just bad. Either or. Anyways, you don't seem to give Corona Mountain enough credit. If you're a 100% completionist then you're probably trying to get all the Blue Coins. The Blue Coins in that level were incredibly difficult, having to deal with weaving in and out of structures that make the boat sink from just bumping into (best example of Nintendo logic EVER! a wooden boat can withstand lava indefinately, but just touching a wall ever so slightly will make it sink) and incredibly bad controls. Plus it has a ton of hazards that if you time it wrong, you're going to die.

But yeah, most of the time SMG's final level is harder.

 

[TriforceHunter]

I honestly don't get it. Corona Mountain was perhaps the easiest. All you did was jump of platforms and ride a boat, plus cloud jumping. That was all easy. How is that harder than dodging lava, trying not to get squashed by Thwomps, while also dodging Bullet Bills while trying to jump on moving platforms where you're only way to save yourself is with a spin that simply only takes you higher in the air. Sure, I'll give Sunshine the fact that lava kills you in one hit, but that's all it had when it comes to last levels on these games. I'll also admit that Sunshine's Corona Mountain was harder than SM64's final level, but face it, Sunshine did Bpwser no justice in the way you fight him.

Also, all the levels in Sunshine are easy. You don't deal with factors like gravity, and you have FLUDD which makes everything easier.

Yes, in Corona Mountain you jump on plataforms, Ummm? isn't that the same thing you do on the last level of Galaxy as well? Like I just kept jumping and going forward , that was all that there was to it. Yes, you do have FLUDD in SMS but you don't actully rely on him ALL the time, there are some parts where he will be taken from you and you have to rely on your jumping ablilities, I say those parts were harder than the ones in SMG, in SMG you rely on Bee Costumes and whatnot so it makes no difference.

 

[Pocket Asian]

If you're a 100% completionist then you're probably trying to get all the Blue Coins. The Blue Coins in that level were incredibly difficult, having to deal with weaving in and out of structures that make the boat sink from just bumping into (best example of Nintendo logic EVER! a wooden boat can withstand lava indefinately, but just touching a wall ever so slightly will make it sink) and incredibly bad controls.

Even the Blue Coins were easy for me. Plus, one you thing you could do is after getting the Blue Coin, press Save and Continue and exit the level. It'll take time, but the first part to Corona Mountain is easy enough.

Yes, you do have FLUDD in SMS but you don't actully rely on him ALL the time, there are some parts where he will be taken from you and you have to rely on your jumping ablilities, I say those parts were harder than the ones in SMG, in SMG you rely on Bee Costumes and whatnot so it makes no difference.

You're trying to take a trivial amount of levels into something bigger. You were only FLUDDless in a few levels. Weren't a problem at all, and I enjoyed those levels more than any of the other levels on that game. Plus, you really don't use power-ups in SMG as much as you do FLUDD in SMS.