When it comes to 3d Mario games, which is your preferred design, the more concise linear levels like in 3d world, or more open ended levels like in 64, etc.?
Depends on what I'm in the mood for, though it IS a major turn off that every linear level is just a bunch of floating platforms above infinite space.
Which is why Sunshine is one of my favourites despite the camera being fucking horrendous; Each level feels like it's actually part of a world, not just floating blocks.
>>331759592
Personally, more linear like 3D World and Galaxy games.
Mario 64 was good and it still shows the wonders of first 3D games but sunshine showed me how the "open" world formula for platformers was already stale and not that polished.
I'd rather take well made levels than a open clusterfuck of a sandbox.
>>331759592
Galaxy and the 3D series' more linear design. I can't stand retreading the same ground just to do some inane task. It was fine in 64, but it was better for the series to move on.
Linear, but still with in-universe design rather than just blocks, if that makes sense.
So Galaxy.
>>331759592
open ended instead of the unmemorable level design of 3d world
Open World levels seem to have more creative use of terrain for different objectives and how to get there. There also seems to be a lot better variety in mission goals as well as things that you can do in the space.
Meanwhile linear levels tend to have better aesthetics in terms of setting design. Being more confined and having those limitations creates a greater need for tight, complicated challenges that you need to retry over and over to get right.
Personally I prefer 3D mario games with an open world because in the end they have better replayability.
both
>>331759592
I never liked the linear levels all that much. I can't really get immersed in the world if they're all just obstacle courses.
Open world a best.
Linear is too closed, and fuck those hidden-out-of-screen secret in 3D land.
>>331761376
The 'switchplate falls' or whatever stars are bullshit.
I dunno, to me 3D World was about as bad as your average 3D Sonic game. I don't know where they should take Mario from here but the franchise feels fucking dead right now.
>>331761856
I liked 3d world, just felt kinda short, would maybe have been nice to have secret level exits or something.
3d world is not a 3d mario game, it's a 2d mario game in 3d
>>331759592
Open ended levels like in 64 and Sunshine. 3D World feels incredibly bland and generic in comparison to all the other 3D Marios.
>>331760783
>Meanwhile linear levels tend to have better aesthetics in terms of setting design.
3D World have generic aesthetics and setting design. Galaxy got that part right at least.
>>331762214
I feel like 3d world didn't really utilize the world aesthetic thing. wouild have been much cozier if the levels in the desert world were all desrty, snow world snowy etc.
I did like the look and polish of the visuals overall though, some very nice material affects, nut perhaps a bit underutilized.
>>331759592
Both, take a open level and put linear or semi-linear challenges in it, like the platforming sublevels without FLUDD in Sunshine or that huge construction site to climb in the water town level.
Purely linear level design is fine as long as you give players enough freedom in how to beat it and you give the level a cohesive theme to make it feel less abstract.
What was it that made 3D World so much worse than Galaxy 1/2?
I like 3D Mario being open world. 2D Mario will always be there if I want linear Mario levels.
>>331760374
>Each level feels like it's actually part of a world
At the expense of level design
>>331762493
Boring level design and zero fucking challenge. Also the cat suit trivializes the game even more
Some underutilized features on 3d world:
>Character dependant level aspects
the p switches were nice, nut it would have been cool if there were different routes only available to certain characters, this could tie in with secret exits.
>level times
It's be nice to have a star or something for beating a level under a certain time, right now you're really only playing against yourself.
>>331762016
>short
What? It had 105 levels or so
>>331762493
Limited moveset, lack of camera controls means a fixed camera which means more you're limited in where the game will allow you to traverse through a level, Galaxy had a lot more unique challenges like the Shadow Mario Races and Purple Coins Stars, significantly better overall setting/aesthetics design, and better level design. The planets and gravity gimmick were cool as fuck and it helped the overall aesthetic and level design of the game greatly. In 3D World everything is incredibly generic.
>>331762493
I was thinking the same thing, I love the style and gameplay of galaxy even though it became more and more linear but I was mad at 3D world for being linear. I guess I was just sold on the planet and gravity mechanic more than anything else...
>>331762864
I beat it in 2 evenings
>>331762973
All of it? Even all the Green Star houses, Champion's Road, the whole she-bang?
>>331763126
Not exactly all of it, maybe 75% of the green stars, and haven't done star world, so perhaps my judgement is premature.
What possibly contributed was teh overall ecclectic mix of aesthetics, the worlds didn't really stick to a theme, which might have made it feel more frivilous, I dunno. compared to mario 64, or galaxy, or any 2d mario, it felt quite short (from what I've finished since having it for ~ 3 days)
>>331763360
>haven't done star world
Dude theres 4 worlds beyond the end credits: Star (where you unlockRosalina), Mushroom, Fireflower, and finally the annoying-to-unlock Crown.
Now go back and play that shit nigga, you've missed some of the best levels.
>>331763851
Wow, that's cool (unless you're fucking with me)
I haven't touched star world cause I was waiting to play through those levels with some friends.
>>331764194
No it's very real, they're decent length too. Although worth mentioning world Fireflower consists of harder remixes of previous levels, rather than anything new (Star and Mushroom is all new shit, though) - and world Crown has just 3 levels (Champion's Road, a final mystery house, and a captain toad level). Still was a nice surprise for me when I beat the game to find those 3 extra worlds. Unlocking World Crown though is unreasonably annoying.
>>331762597
At the expense of having an immediate goal, maybe. The level design in Super Mario 64 and parts of Sunshine is amazing.
>>331759592
i think nintendo is doing it right considering in which time these mario games got released
64 was innovative by giving us the first good 3D game
3D land/worlds gives us something, we don't really get from other game devs
there are a lot of other 3D platformers today, like ratchet and clank, which comes next month i think
nintendo mixed their 2D jump&run fomular with the 3D aspect to get something innovative for today's standards
i like both, but Galaxy is my fav title in the series
Which was your favourite boss in 3d world?
I really liked the sliding frame thwomp guy, thought it was cleverly designed.
>>331766069
I didn't like the bosses in 3D World. One of the few things they should have improved in my opinion.
Sunshine>Galaxy>64>3DWorld
>Super Mario 64 and Sunshine
>Go through the same levels again and again doing menial fetch-quests.
I prefer my Mario linear. 64 and Sunshine are comfy for sure, but they're not much fun as platformers IMO.
>>331766069
>>331766167
I liked the concepts for the bosses in 3DW, they were just far too easy in execution. That sliding thwomp-like boss for example is over in literal seconds. There was also a lack of bosses in general in that game, it clearly wasn't a focus at all.
64 by a longshot
>>331759592
Open ended major levels, linear obstacle-course style bonus levels. Like Sunshine, but with more varied level design.
I prefer the linear levels because it feels more like a Mario game to me. That doesn't mean I don't think open ended ones have their place. I think a world where Super Mario 64 and Sunshine didn't exist would be a sad one.
Fucking hell, between this and the thread about the Wii U emulator last night, I'm getting a real urge to fire up 3D World again.
>>331759592
64 style. Hell I still wish we got a proper 64 style sequel, Sunshine was clearly hastily made.
>>331759592
64>>>>>Sunshine/Galaxy1/2
>>331766874
Splatoon's Story Mode is a better Mario game than 3D World.
I'm actually not sure how a barely advertised single-player section of Splatoon feels like it had more money, time, effort, and love put into it than the WiiU's "main" Mario game.
>>331770780
Haha, good joke my man!