KanzarisKelshen posted...
SMB1
SM64
First two are easy. Last two, not so much. SMB1 saved gaming, and it should really be an unanimous inclusion as a simple measure of respect for the most important game of all time. SM64 changed gaming, and while it's ok if not everyone has it in their lists, it just makes sense in the same way the first iconic coloured film should prolly be on a movies Rushmore. After that it gets difficult. SMB3 was huge, SMW was huge, but like...all Mario games are huge. The two SMB2 combined sold over 10 million copies without ever being pack-in games (which unambiguously helped SMB3 sell 18m). Sales, I think, are not enough when evaluating which Marios deserve to get the nod over others. I feel like, more than any other videogame series, Mario games have to be evaluated by their impact on
other
games, and not just their own franchise. Given that, I kinda lean away from SMB3 and SMW. Can anyone say that they really changed the course of platformers in a way SMB1 didn't? So the question is...what Mario games had the most outsized impact? My gut says there should be one rep for 'casual' or 'party' gaming, which means either a Mario Kart or a Mario Party game, but the last slot is difficult to settle on. What do you guys think is the third most game-changing Mario game after 1 and 64?
I've returned back to this post a few times and respect the framing.
If no other 2D game's impacted 2D platformers like SMB1, and if no other 3D game's impacted 3D platformers like SM64, in this framing, does it even make sense to get other reps like them? Ranging from SMB3 to Wonder, from Galaxy to Odyssey...in that framing, do you need another rep? I get that argument and am riffing from here for the other two.
Mario Kart an undeniably influenced kart racers so I think a rep is appropriate in this context. We can argue about which one, but whatever. So far this lines up with my votes anyway so cool.
That fourth spot...I voted World, right, but also if the ideas's about how other games were impacted by Mario...shew.
it might be Mario Party -- huge series of its own, plus other party games like Fusion Frenzy and Fall Guys fit this vein from after the original Party-trilogy. Did these kinds of multiplayer minigame-collections exist much before 1999? Even other Nintendo variations like Remix and WarioWare.
Have we seen an influx of game creators since Mario Maker? Mega Man Maker comes to mind, but that's a fan project. Little Big Planet beat Mario Maker to the punch here too but it seems to have faded off.
No particular Mario Sports game stands out to me in this framing. Like...maybe Golf on the NES? Think that had Mario in it, but eeeeeeeeh.
SMRPG was huge but I don't think it's influence on the likes of South Park: the Stick of Truth is enough. Maybe this is bigger than I'm realizing though.
I think Smash would be the answer if it counted, but it doesn't and I don't think it should count.
I guess I'm stuck wondering now if you get away from platformers and kart-racers if Mario Party is the most influential Mario game on the industry.