Board 8 > What's the worst mainline 3D Mario game?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Inspired by Nick's topic and the Zelda one from a month or two ago. Maybe Bowser's Fury isn't substantial enough to be here idk I haven't played it.

Only played up to 3D Land
So SunSHINE

Me-OOOOOOWWW

Odyssey > Galaxy > Galaxy 2 > Fury > 64 > 3D World > 3D Land > Sunshine

I like Sunshine, but it's Sunshine.

Really just indicative of the reliable quality of these games.

3D World. So forgettable other than playable Rosalina (who isn't even unlocked until the post-game) and cat suits (which I hate because they became over-used in other material to appease the furries).

Underleveled posted...

3D World. So forgettable other than playable Rosalina (who isn't even unlocked until the post-game) and cat suits (which I hate because they became over-used in other material to appease the furries).

Being the only multiplayer 3D Mario is huge. The multiplayer works way better than the 2D games too.

Galaxy 2 > Galaxy > 3D World > Bowsers Fury > 3D Land > Odyssey > 64 > Sunshine

I cant imagine calling 3DW the most forgettable when 3DL exists

its literally 3DL on steroids plus multiplayer

Multiplayer in a game like that doesn't make any difference to me, and I enjoyed the platforming and level design of 3DL so much more than 3DW.

3DL and it isn't really close from a level design perspective imo at least.

That's the only one of those I've played and it felt like it was worse than "replacement level platformer". Some of the others had issues but that one was just bad all around.

Underleveled posted...

Multiplayer in a game like that doesn't make any difference to me, and I enjoyed the platforming and level design of 3DL so much more than 3DW.

the platforming and level design is centered around multiplayer, so it certainly matters

MacArrowny posted...

the platforming and level design is centered around multiplayer, so it certainly matters

It might matter as far as game design is concerned, but the odds that I'll ever play multiplayer in a Mario platformer are very close to 0 so that entire element is lost on me and creates a lesser experience for me. The fact that I can barely remember what that experience was like is just more reason for me to call it unmemorable. If it's memorable to you then fine, but it's not to me.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

I like Sunshine, but it's Sunshine.

Thought this was gonna be my answer but I completely forgot about 3D Land, which is like a 3D NSMB game to me. Too bland.

I honestly can't really remember anything from 3DL

I remember picking up a tanooki leaf from atop a tree stump and turning to stone but that's it

3D Land is a pretty bog standard platformer. It's fine but nothing special.

There are six must-play games and two merely good ones in Sunshine and Bowser's Fury. I'm voting for Fury because I found the gameplay loop to be tiresome to drop what I'm doing to deal with Bowser over and over.

3D Land was fine overall but I can't remember any highs like the other games have

especially if we're keeping bowser's fury separate, i just have to say i just don't really like 3d world

3d land feels fresh given what it's on, 3d world is just a middling multiplayer mario marred by a lot of my least favourite powerups in the whole series

3DL may be kinda forgettable but I know I enjoyed playing it more than I did Sunshine

I understand the takes that 3D Land and World aren't as exciting, but they also lack the major camera and control issues that mar several sections of Sunshine, as well as the, by Mario standards, fairly high amount of bugs. Again, I love Sunshine, but it has some problems that are simply absent from most of the games.

HeroDelTiempo17 posted...

3DL may be kinda forgettable but I know I enjoyed playing it more than I did Sunshine

This

Easily Sunshine. If you replace the Mario characters in Sunshine with original creations, it would be remembered as a mediocre Gamecube-era platform at best. Only reason people are willing to give it so much leeway is because of the brand.

Sunshine, though, with lots of hindsight, it's not that the game is necessarily bad but the whole FLUDD thing is just not how I wanted to play a Mario game. The gameplay that it creates is a bit boring, and it would have been better if the game was built with it being a powerup available only in certain areas (like caps in SM64) while the rest of the game should have just been Mario.

Sunshine. The aesthetics are great but actually playing it is awful. It's kind of shocking that such a flawed game even got released under the Mario name tbh.

Sunshine takes the jank of Mario 64 and escalates that more than any other aspect.

Sunshine is fun and I love the setting, but it's overall the weakest and the game with the most technical problems relative to its console. Some levels/shines are horrendously frustrating.

Still a good game and dared to do something different mechanically.

I think there are Sunshine mods that greatly improve the game? Might be interested in trying one of those someday. Like, Sunburn is one of them I think?

I think I go from best to worst

Galaxy 1 > 64 > Galaxy 2 > 3D World > Odyssey > 3D Land > Sunshine

One day I will get Bowser's Fury maybe. Is the 3D World online multiplayer for switch?

Edit: Looks like it is! Now that's tempting.