1: Super Mario Galaxy 2
And number 1 on the list of 3D Mario games is Super Mario Galaxy 2. This is a game that was the first time Nintendo had put out a direct sequel to a Mario platformer on the one console since the days of the Super NES (and even then that was the radically different Yoshi’s Island after Super Mario World) This allowed Nintendo to really build upon everything that they had made in Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii and put in more ideas and also trim off some of the ideas that didn’t work as well.
Gone was the open hub world to explore between levels and in it’s place was a streamlined map menu similar to the old school Mario games which just featured a map which couldn’t really be explored or interacted with. This may feel like a step backwards, but in a lot of cases the hub world would just be a slightly bland and uneventful place to explore.
A new addition to this game compared to the previous game was the inclusion of Yoshi. Yoshi is a big fan favourite, but has only been a ridable companion to Mario and friends in Super Mario World, Sunshine and Galaxy 2.
And I can’t quite put my finger on why, but the variety of levels and challenge on this game feels better than what you find on the first Super Mario Galaxy game.
One great thing in more recent Mario games is the green stars you can collect which effectively double the amount of stars you can collect in game. These challenges become harder and the final final level of Galaxy is one of the most challenging levels I’ve completed in a video game. But here’s where the Nintendo magic comes into effect as whilst challenging it’s always a joy to play!
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