Game Debate #200: Super Mario World

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

[Gloves | 11,780]

Easy 9 for me. It's not one of my favourites, but it's super easy to suggest that it's a must-play if someone asked what platformers to try as someone new to the genre or gaming in general. Myself, I've beaten it many many times and it's fun every single time.

[Gaia Gensouki | 1,075]

Easy 10/10 for me. My favorite Mario game across all consoles and handhelds, be it 2D or 3D. It looks beautiful. It sounds beautiful. It has plenty of content with a good difficulty curve and even a save feature! Yoshi is adorable, the bosses at the end of every world have more unique mechanics than in SMB3 and I love how the overworld and the levels change after you've beaten the rainbow road. It's just an all-around GOATed game, which is even more impressive since it's Nintendo's first game on the new hardware. To think that a company comes steamrolling with such a top-tier game right at the start of a console's launch is a rare feat.

There's also one more remarkable thing about this game and that is its fanbase. There aren't many games out there that have received so much attention from the fans who would go on to create countless hacks for this game. The SMW kaizo scene is really huge and they've created so many incredible hacks that are sometimes like full-blown games. Highly recommended to check some of them out. Maybe try Grand Poo World 2, Invictus, El Dorado and maybe Team Shell or Orcus. There's plenty of speedruns for these.

[TDIRunner | 2,741]

Probably my second favorite Mario game, but I'm still going with a 10.  This was also the most excited I have ever been for a new Mario game (including the release of SMB3).  I remember being surprised and a little disappointed that it wasn't called SMB4, but I got over that soon (I didn't know about the Japanese name until many years later).  Despite being my second favorite Mario title, I probably have more hours in this game than anything else from the mainline Mario series.

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

It's too easy and the main power up's benefit is skipping over parts of the level, which is like making the P wing the main power up in SMB3. It's not as varied as SMB3 or YI. It's too expensive CIB. 10/10, almost as good as NSMBU Deluxe.

[RH | 4,904]

It's alright but it's not Sonic.

Spoiler

 

[DarkTone | 985]

Top 3 favourite mario games. 

[sp1nz | 612]

Shield your eyes!

I'm sure I played this at least once at a friend's house in my childhood but only sunk my teeth into it in 2016. I was taking refuge at my mom's house for a few days after being stressed out from my first contact with acid reflux (things are just fine now and have been for a long time) and I had packed my SNES and a few games with me to enjoy for the first time. I played Super Mario All-Stars+World and F-Zero. Beat SMB 1 warpless, Lost Levels first loop and beat main SMW levels. I think in F-Zero I played on standard difficulty and beat Knight and Queen cup but was thwarted in Fire Field of King Cup. Playing these games was a much needed distraction.

Thing is I liked SMW the least out of all of these 4 games, maybe I could say it was on par with Lost Levels - that's not to say I think it's a bad game, no, it's quite good and enjoyable but also flawed for my taste and this combination made me oxymoronically feel lukewarm about it. I beat it in one session without Star Road stuff, because didn't look that up. The great controls, the clean representation, crisp colorful graphics, Yoshi, new mechanics, new power-ups, happy tunes and fun overworld are all good and dandy but at the same time I don't love the level design and I don't love the low difficulty. SMW is like decent chocolate wrapped in the best wrapper, I will eat it and I will enjoy it but it's not my first pick and it's not something I will yearn more of in a hurry.

I think every DKC beats it with flying colors and SMB 3 is timeless gem to me. Even Sonic 1 and SMB 1 beat it for me but not by huge margin (and these I have giga nostalgia for, even if I could only play SMB at friends', but still Sonic is flawed and SMB is basic). I'm not writing this purely to be a contrarian and I'm not someone who dislikes Mario - I just feel like I have to give my writing extra justifications when I know SMW is the bee's knees for most people that grew up with the SNES and even those who didn't. I just happen to find it overrated (but taste is taste) after experiencing it myself as an adult and after having a literal blast playing F-Zero for the first time just a day before or after.

The rating for SMW didn't just fly at me and I put emphasis on reading the descriptions and considering my true feelings and my conclusion is that I couldn't easily recommend it personally but it's almost on the threshold for greatness on a good day or something.

7/10

Edited April 11 by sp1nz

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

58 minutes ago, sp1nz said:

Even Sonic 1 beats it for me

[Brickman | 3,987]

I give it a 9/10. It's a great game but it really is a step down after SMB3. The levels are fun but they don't have anything on SMB3 and SMB1 imo.

I'm replaying Yoshi's Island on the GBA and I'm actually starting to think that Yoshi's Island may even beat out SMW. That game looks amazing, has a better variety of levels, the bosses are fun and all different and if you're trying to collect everything it is pretty challenging.

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

 

[a3quit4s | 4,102]

10/10. I’m with the SMB3 crew here it’s definitely S-tier Mario/video game but SMB3 will always be my favorite Mario. That said they are both easily on my favorite games of all time list. SMW is my introduction to one of the best systems of all time imo

[CMR | 520]

10/10  I played this game so much it's boring to me now.  I beat the whole thing again a few weeks ago.  The really incredible thing is just how much this game is still hacked and played today over 30 years later.  I guess you could say the same thing about all the old 8bit and 16bit Mario games.

[Webhead123 | 676]

There's just no way I can give this less than a 10. Call it nostalgia if you want to but this is honestly one of my favorite games of all time and so stupidly replayable. Still my favorite mainline Mario game.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

4th best and the last great Super Mario game. 10

[Rhuno | 107]

I liked this game a lot as a kid, but having recently played it all the way through again, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I went with a 7 - it's still good, but not something I'm jonesing to play again. 

[SilverspoonGaming | 332]

I gave it a 9.  I have played thru it way too many times to want to play it again any time soon, but every one should play thru it atleast once.

[Ankos | 441]

I'd say this is my second favorite Mario platformer behind Super Mario Land 2. Having a continuous overworld unravel in front of you as you beat levels makes the game feel more like you are exploring a world. That world being packed full of secret exits also adds to that sort of atmosphere. It's definitely a different vibe from charging for the flagpole level after level, but it is one I enjoy

9/10

[GPX | 1,370]

This was the game that converted me from being a die hard Sega fan to a general 16-bit lover. Also, the game back then that convinced me Sonic wasn’t the best platformer in the early 90s. This was. 

It’s an easy game to get into and probably a little easy to get to the end. The true challenge is to explore all its secrets which adds a ton of replay value.

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

Certainly not the best Mario game out there, but still a 10/10...

[Sumez | 2,958]

Never played it, never will

[Sumez | 2,958]

Also..

The Witness, Baba is You, Obra Dinn, and Tunic?
Damn, now there's a  strongggggggg  lineup!!

[Hammerfestus | 3,846]

9.  low 9.  It’s not as good as any of the NES Marios.  Maybe 2 but still nah.  

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

Obv 9/10, though it is admittedly the least played of the first 4 for me. The cape is so broken in such a good way once you figure it out that there isn't a need for other crazy powerups.

[cj_robot | 542]

Best Mario game of all time. Almost as good as Sonic 2.

10/10