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Exploring the Best Nintendo Games: IGN’s Top 100 Analysis
IGN, partnered with Nintendo Life, recently dropped their Top 100 Nintendo Games. Admittedly, I don’t have my top 100 ready to go toe to toe with IGN, but honestly, I don’t have many hot takes here. There were definitely some weird choices and questionable omissions, which we get into later.
Before we get into my post, here’s the article if you haven’t read it yet.
https://www.ign.com/articles/the-100-best-nintendo-games-of-all-time
Their selection criteria felt a little soft or just all over the place. The prime example they used was Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars on DS at #99. Its a game developed and produced by Rockstar games and even ended up on PSP, but was a DS exclusive for 9 months. That makes it qualified for this list. With that in mind, I wouldn’t take any of their comments too seriously and just enjoy the conversation and debate it breeds over getting lost in the weeds.
Some people flamed it for having recency bias and including too many games from a single series. This is exemplified by Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild taking spots 1 and 2. Odyssey scores in the top 5 as well. The top 20 saw 5 Zelda games and 4 Super Mario games (Five if you count Mario Kart Deluxe).
I think if you are going to do Nintendo’s top 100 games, you kinda have to include multiple games from the same franchise. Simply put Mario Odyssey, Ocarina of Time, Mario Galaxy, the Switch Zelda games, a Link to the Past are all classics. I mean these are just some of the best games Nintendo has ever made. They just so happen to spawn from two franchises.
Now, two major franchises I would have found room for in the top 20 would have been Kirby and Donkey Kong. DK64 and Donkey Kong Bananza are two of my favorite platformers of all time. Kirby 64, Kirby Air Ride and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands are three 10/10 games for me. Bananza was the highest scored DK game at #22 and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands scored the highest of the Kirby games at #39.
Most titles here come from two generations: The Super Nintendo and The Switch. These are often considered the greatest consoles Nintendo has put out, so I’m not surprised at all. Nintendo really was on a heater with their first party and third party support. The Super Nintendo gave us Super Mario World which was #3, A Link to the Past at #9 , Final Fantasy 6, Earthbound, Super Metroid at #8, Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger at #6. Again, surprised to see Donkey Kong Country 2 all the way down at #78. The Switch owned the day leading to people to questioning the recency bias. The Switch took spots 1, 2, 4 and 10. It was a strong showing for these two consoles racking up 8 of the top 10 spots.
The only non Switch non Super Nintendo games to crack the top 10 were Ocarina of Time at #6 and Tetris at #5.
I think if you remove nostalgia and revolutionary aspects of some games like Mario 64 and Pokémon Red and Blue, then I get their top 10 omissions. Those games still scored highly, Mario 64 clocked in at 25 and Red and Blue came in at 27. Respectable. I understand if you want them in top 10 because of how important they were to the industry. Though, I don’t think either are the best games in their respective franchises.
So what are some games that I would have moved up or down?
Resident Evil #4 came in at #20 and I certainly feel like that game is closer to a top 10 game. You may not immediately think of Nintendo when you see Resident Evil 4, but the Resident Evil series was a big deal to Nintendo on the Gamecube. It was massive on the Cube and Resident Evil 4 was at the forefront of that conversation. One of the best games of all time.
Pokémon Soul Silver and Heart Gold is the highest ranked Pokémon game at #15. Again. I probably would have found a way to get this closer to top 10 as well. Pokémon, despite what the modern games would have you think, is a very important franchise to Nintendo and should be represented in the top 10 somewhere. Pokémon Silver and Gold are perfect sequels, advancing and bettering the Pokémon franchise in every way and Soul Silver and Heart Gold helped modernize near perfect RPGs.
For some games with some really low rankings, I would have loved to have seen Kirby Planet Robobot and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker moved up higher instead of barely making the list. Kirby Planet Robobot is considered one of the best 3DS games of all time. While Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is one of the best Wii U hidden gems that got a little more attention thanks to its switch port.
Now for games that didn’t make the list at all.
I love Megaman 64. It is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. The music, the city, the atmosphere are all so pleasant. I wish we had got Megaman Legends 2 on N64, still kinda salty to this day.
There’s no reason Yoshi’s Woolly World didn’t make this list. Of course the Wii U is underrepresented. If you give it credit for the Switch ports (which I’m sure you don’t), it would have had Xenoblade Chronicles X, Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D World and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. All of which I think are the Switch versions, but still not bad for Nintendo’s most recent flop of a console. All that to say, Woolly World is probably the best game stuck on the Wii U and should have absolutely made the list.
I would have liked to have seen another GameCube platformer on this list because they are some of the most fun I have had on a Nintendo console. Sunshine made the list at #77. Wario World, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, Vexx, Billy Hatcher and SpongeBob Battle For Bikini Bottom are all fantastic and enjoyable experiences.
And I dont know if this is biased, but Kirby Air Ride should have totally made the list. That game is a gem.
So do you guys have any complaints with IGNs list? I know its IGN and a lot of people don’t take their opinions too seriously. And neither do I really. But its always a fun a discussion with you guys if nothing else. So what’s your top 10 Nintendo games and how do you feel about the list?
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
The main character can make or break a video game. Sonic is one of the most simple, yet perfectly designed characters. His ability, attitude, everything about him helps set the tone for the level design. It helped him stand out against Mario. Compare that to Tails. Tails is good and all, but he doesn’t bring the same punch Sonic does. He’s clearly designed to be a side character. But what happens when those characters designed to be side characters get the spotlight? Today, let’s look at 4 times understudies got called up to the big stage.
We will start with Luigi. Perhaps the most iconic side character of all time. He started off as the player 2 option back in the day. He was just an off color Mario really. However, over time he got his own identity. He was taller and slender than Mario. That became symbolic with his movement, where he was better at jumping than Mario, but with less precision. He also was characterized as a little bit of a scaredy cat. This is what makes Luigi’s Mansion a perfect setting for Luigi to shine. Nintendo leaned into Luigi’s chicken demeanor. Luigi’s Mansion stars Luigi winning a Mansion filled with ghosts. He must overcome his fear in order to save his brother, Mario. It’s awesome to see Luigi develop as more than just a player 2 option. He’s really blossomed over the last few decades.
Daxter
Daxter was a wise guy, smart mouth punk through the Jak and Daxter franchise. It’s funny to me that the first game is titled Jak and Daxter. But the rest of the franchise drops the Daxter part. I feel like this is because of the complete tonal shift from Jak and Daxter to Jak 2. Daxter was the cute animal sidekick. Which was appropriate for a 3D platformer. When it shifted to a more dark, gritty adventure game, the emphasis moves from a lovable duo, to the titular hero. Well, Daxter would go on to get his own game. What’s interesting about this is they put him on the PSP. I assume this is because he’s a side character. It just fits more on Sony’s handheld. Now, Daxter is a really awesome 3D action platformer that I think does blend the two styles of games pretty well. Though, it does feel like a slightly darker version of Jak and Daxter. So I think it’s cool when Daxters name gets back on a game, it gives those classic PS2 vibes.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow is an interesting one. I never played Sonic growing up. I was more of a Mario guy. However, I’ve always loved Sonic’s supporting cast. Knuckles and Shadow were so cool looking. I remember begging mom to rent Shadow the Hedgehog. And she let me. Boy, was I surprised. I was 11 when it came out. You’d think I’d be at the right age where a gritty, explosive, high octane adventure would be screaming my name. But this game did not click with me well at all. I really could not have played more than a level or two. Maybe this is because it’s still more or less a Sonic game? I still like Shadow as a character, but I just couldn’t get into the game. I don’t know if it was because of GTA3 or what, but it felt like every franchise around this era wanted this gritty mature vibe to them. It makes sense not wanting Sonic to be the lead in this title. It kinda goes against the lovable brand Sonic had spent the last decade building up, meaning Shadow was a perfect fit here.
Diddy Kong
Last today is Diddy Kong. He started off as Donkey Kong’s sidekick in Donkey Kong Country, a 2D side scrolling action platformer. He’s fun with an awesome design. Diddy Kong would get a chance to shine early in his gaming career. He became the main character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest. A sequel held in very high regards. Im sure it helped that Donkey Kong’s name was plastered on the box. A few years later, he would land his own title on Nintendo’s new console, the n64. Diddy Kong Racing stood out against Mario 64. It had an open world, boss fights, new characters. It was a fresh spin on Kart racers in the face of the titan that was Mario Kart 64. Impressively enough, a lot of people say they actually prefer Diddy Kong Racing over Mario Kart 64. Making it, in my opinion, a very successful spin-off. Diddy Kong has remained active in the gaming world. He’s a playable character in the Smash Brothers series. He’s still at DKs side in the Donkey Kong Country series. He was even a playable character in DK64. His Flagship racer even got ported over to DS. While he’s remained relevant in gaming, it is still hard to see a new Diddy Kong Racing game getting greenlit if even F-Zero can not get one. Not to mention, Rare, Diddy Kong’s creator, has gone on to live at the farm up north.
A fun part about doing this topic is seeing all the ways or reasons they try out the side characters. Luigi and Diddy Kong got completely different genres than their main protagonist counterparts. Daxter was used on Sony’s handheld, PSP. While Shadow was used to test out a more teenage centric edgy attitude. It’s neat to see some of these ideas played out. So guys that does it for part one. What’s your favorite game or character listed today? And which characters should be in part 2? Don’t forget to subscribe. We will see you in the next one.
Every Time Luigi is Playable in a Main Line 3D Mario Game!
Mario has gone on many adventures through the decades. More times than not, his brother, Luigi, is there to give a helping hand. Today, we’re looking at every time Luigi is playable in a Main Line 3D Mario Game.
Mario’s first foray into 3D space was back on the Nintendo 64 with Mario 64. Now, despite all the playground rumors about how L was real, Luigi does not appear in the game. However, almost decade later, Mario and crew would return to Peach’s Castle in Super Mario 64 DS. This time around, Luigi would be playable. I guess L was real after all!
Super Mario Sunshine would skip Luigi altogether. Don’t feel bad for him though, as he got his own game in Luigi’s Mansion! That’s moving up in the world. So now we hop over to the Wii, here he is playable in two more titles, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. He starts out as an NPC Mario must first rescue. Then, as an unlockable, he becomes a fully playable character.
Meanwhile on the Wii U, Luigi would be a playable character on Super Mario 3D World alongside Mario, Peach, and Toad. That’s good company!
Lastly, in Super Mario Odyssey Luigi leads the fun mini game “Luigi’s Balloon World”. Though, he is not playable.
So there you have. A brief look at everytime Luigi is a playable character in a 3D Main Line Mario Game! Thanks for reading everybody. Have a great rest of your day!
Video Game Compilations!
Video Game Compilations
Compilations are super neat and some of my favorite items in my collection. There is a convenience to compilations. Having so many games in a single package has always fascinated me. I think my earliest experience with compilations was the Legend of Zelda Collector’s Edition on Gamecube. Boy, is this thing awesome! It combines 4 Zelda titles into one tiny disc. It’s got the two from the original NES as well as Majora’s Mask on N64. But far and away the prize jewel here is the demo of Wind Waker. I don’t think this collection could get any better. Oh, my gosh this thing even has Ocarina of Time on it!
This compilation is truly insane with the game choices.
I mentioned Zelda being one of my first experiences with gaming compilations. However, these video game collections predate even that. While I couldn’t find any concrete resource for what the oldest compilation is, I’m sure we all think of the same game when we think about compilations, Super Mario All-Stars.
All Star Collection came out in 1993. I came out in 1994. So I wasn’t around when it came out. But I can only imagine the hype of having the first 3 Mario games plus the Lost Levels thrown in for good measure on one cart. Mario was a gaming force that swept the entire world. It revitalized the gaming industry and put Nintendo on the map. Nintendo found a way to repackage the same games and create an unbeatable value proposition for its consumers. They didn’t want the end of the NES to be the end of classic Mario. So they ported over all the original Mario games in one collection. However, Nintendo went the extra mile and gave the fans a real treat. The Lost Levels.
For those of you who don’t know, this was the original sequel for Mario 1. However, it was deemed too difficult for Western audiences. Thus, our Mario 2 looks a lot different. This Super Nintendo compilation was the first time we here in the states got to play this previously Japanese exclusive.
I love when compilations have bonuses like unreleased games, unlockables, or any new ways to play old games. Look at the SNES Mini. It gave us Star Fox 2. Star Fox was revolutionary with its mode 7 graphics. Nintendo was quick to get Star Fox 2 in development. Well, around this time, the 5th generation of gaming had launched. Real 3D graphics were officially here. Plans for Star Fox 2 were scrapped and never seen again. Fast forward over 20 years, and the SNES Classic releases with all your favorite Super Nintendo titles: A Link to the Past, Earthbound, Super Mario World, Super Metroid. The gang was almost all here. Wait a second. What is that? Star Fox 2 gets an official release on the SNES classic!? Those are the kinda announcements that make compilations something special!
That gets us back to the Super Mario 3D All Stars. What a controversial collection. Let’s break it down some.
There is no need to hop from the N64 to Gamecube to Wii. Another awesome aspect is that the console these compilations are being released on are more than likely going to be the latest and most up to date consoles. This means you get all the benefits of modern consoles. Online leaderboards, HD graphics, achievements and trophies, and in the case of the Switch, portability. This means you can start your day playing Super Mario 64 in bed and stroll down to the local park and play Super Mario Sunshine without ever changing consoles. A lot of people dunked on the Super Mario 3D collection for Nintendo putting in the bare minimum effort, and well, yeah, they’re technically right. There’s not a lot in the way of extras. I would have liked for Mario 64 to have had the mini games from the DS version as unlockables. Or maybe an HD version you could switch between for new fans and purest. And I guess asking for Mario Galaxy 2 was asking for too much. Still, the ability to freely switch between 2 of the best games ever made and Sunshine with added mobility is still a strong case for why this is one of my favorite compilations of all time.
Okay, how about we look at another compilation on Switch. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy. This is what I wanted Mario 64 to look like. Spyro looks and feels amazing here on the Switch. The Spyro Trilogy was a special treat for classic and new 3D platformer fans alike. With the awesome iconic levels of the past with a fresh coat of paint, this was a match made in Heaven. They even went back and added skill points to Spyro 1. These serve as achievements and add some fun side quests to do while revisiting a favorite you know super well. The only bad thing to complain about here is that they only put the original Spyro on the cart. Spyro 2 and 3 are digitally downloaded.
We’ve talked about how these collections are perfect for replaying old favorites. But what about the opposite side of things – franchises you missed completely. For me, that’s the Klonoa collection. Klonoa on PS1 and PS2 are expensive! For the pair , you’re looking at about $400. Not to mention, they’re some of the harder titles to find on their respective consoles. The Switch rerelease helped allow thousands of players to discover the wondrous world of Klonoa for the first time. It’s a blast. This version added a new difficulty mode, the Easy mode. This is a welcomed addition for people who aren’t crazy about difficulty in video games and just wants to enjoy the game. Plus, some of the platforming alone is difficult enough without even mentioning the damage aspect of the game.
We’ve been talking a lot about Nintendo compilations , but Sony has had some bangers, too. The one that comes to my mind is the Ratch and Clank Trilogy collection. This is, without a doubt, maybe my favorite compilation of all time.
It’s just so good. You get one of the best trilogies in all of gaming. The Ratchet and Clank series on PS2 now moved to the PS3. Trophies are here. Graphics are updated. And all 3 masterpieces in one collection. To me, this perfectly embodies what makes these collections must own for fans.
The last compilation to talk about today is the Kirby’s Dream Collection. I wanted this compilation so bad as a kid and never got it.
So it was one of the first games I grabbed as an adult. Having 6 Kirby games on one disc was enough. But this game killed it with the extras. I’m going to quote the most trusted source in all the internet land for this, Wikipedia. So shout out Wikipedia! Kirby’s Dream Collection also features 13 new challenge stages based on those found in 2011’s Kirby’s Return to Dream Land.[3] An additional museum section features box art and video spotlights for every game in the Kirby series released through 2012, along with three viewable episodes from the anime television series Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (“Kirby Comes to Cappy Town”, “Crusade for the Blade”, and “Waddle While You Work”).[2] In addition to the game disc, the package includes a booklet that highlights Kirby’s history and provides behind-the-scenes trivia about the series, as well as a soundtrack CD containing 42 music tracks from past Kirby games and three new arrangements by the HAL Laboratory sound team. – per Wikipedia.
What’s not to love about that? And compilations in general, really. Every time the Switch gets a new collection, I get excited. I think about how the Baten Kaitos and Etrian Odyssey just got collections released semi recently. I’d love to add them to the collection eventually. Let me know if you guys have the same fondness about these collections as I do. And tell me, what’s your favorite video game compilation. Let me know down below!
Ranking Every Star in Jolly Roger Bay
Oh boy. I’ve been putting this one off for a while because this level is just not fun. Atmospherically speaking, it’s one my favorites. But as far as actually playing the level, big meh.
So, for those of you unaware, I’ve been doing a series of ranking every star in Mario 64 stage by stage. Make sure you read the previous installments after this one. Okay, now let’s get on with the list.
#7 Can the Eel Come Out and Play- When I make my overall ranking, I’ll be interested to see where this one ranks. This star is awful. It’s entirely underwater. You have to lure out an eel and grab the star off its tell. Conceptually, I don’t hate it. It feels somewhat unique compared to the other 120 stars. In practice, I hate it. Yes, there’s a camera angle trick that makes this star easy to grab. But this has got to be one of the 5 stars I die the most on. If you miss initially grabbing the tail, chasing him down can be a pain. If you get hit by his tail, you are almost guaranteed to be a goner. And not to mention, once you grab the star off his tail, it’s not over yet. The star floats away off screen. You better make sure you still have enough air to make it to it.
#6 Blast to the Stone Pillar – This star isn’t much better. There’s just not much to it. The cannon is at the start of the map. Once in, you launch straight to the pillar. Then, you jump from pillar over to the platform. It’s pretty straightforward. However, if you miss with the cannon, you must swim all the way back to the cannon.
#5 Through the Jet Stream– This is another straightforward star. It’s almost too simple. Once you’ve unlocked the metal cap, this one is a gimme. You grab the metal cap and proceed to sink to the bottom of the lake. That’s it.
#4 Jolly Roger Bay 100 Coin Power Star- This is one of the worst 100 coin stars in the game. There’s only 104 coins in this stage. This means that if you fail to grab a single blue coin, it is impossible to get this star. Or you could be stuck trying to find the star rings on the water. Or if you fail to grab the coins from defeated enemies, out of luck. It’s not a super difficult star, but you do have to play nearly perfect.
#3 Plunder in the Sunken Ship- Truthfully, the first part of this level is not my favorite. Traversing the more open part of the lake can be chore. Then there’s the matter of swimming to the bottom of the lake. The worst part, by far, is getting that Eel out of the sunken ship. It is not fun. Once he’s out of the way, the rest of the star is okay. You enter the ship. From here, I lower the water and swim as far up the interior as I can. Now, do some platforming, and you’re at the star. The Eel hurts this one from going any higher. Yet, the slight exploration and platforming help it.
#2 8 Red Coins – Ultimately, I’m okay with this star. I wish the floating ship was a more fleshed out part of the stage. As the ship only hosts about half the red coins. The rest are found littered throughout the course. This one has a nice mix of exploration, platforming, and collecting. On another course, it probably won’t score this high. However, I don’t think super highly of the rest of the stars on this course.
#1 Treasure of the Open Cave – The only star I really like doing on this course. This star is exactly what I’m looking for in a stage. It highly encourages exploration, combat, and collecting. It highlights the unique feature of the stage, the giant lake. It’s not the best star in the game or anything, but I enjoy the cave. It’s the N64, and I’m not expecting a lot. So, for the time period, the cave is sweet. It’s got blue coins, some combat, and a puzzle ending with you snagging a star.
So this is by far one of my 5 least favorite levels in the game. And honestly, has probably my least favorite collection of stars in the game. The atmosphere is a slight redeeming quality, but it doesn’t hold up the subpar selection of stars.
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Ranking Whomp’s Fortress Stars!
Today we will be ranking the 7 stars of Whomp’s Fortress. Remember, we base this off of fun factor with a mix of iconicness. I tend to value things like exploring the level and fun tricks more so than degree of ease or difficulty. With that in mind, let’s rank em.
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#7 Blast Away the Wall- This was an easy one. Some people may rate this higher for its pivotal role in speed runs, but I don’t care for this star. I should take a minute to add that this is one of the most notorious stars in Mario 64 history. It may seem pretty simple at first. Hop into the cannon and, well, blast away that wall. But Speed runners found a way to clip through the wall, obtaining the star cannonless. This became an early barrier to entry into speed running Super Mario 64. Your run often henged on hitting cannonless first try. As a kid, this star was iconic in my mind for being one I had to google. How was a 6 year old suppose to find this star? As a kid, I thought this was such a cool star. As an adult, it is just kind of boring.
#6 Fall Into the Cage– The first star we’ve come across that I actively don’t like. The owl mechanic seemed so cool on paper. But this star would absolutely drain me sometimes. Especially if I haven’t played in awhile. This star has accounted for so many deaths it is not funny. As it doesn’t take missing by much to fall to your death. Once you get the hang of the owl, this is a pretty neat star. And it can be done fairly quickly for what that’s worth.
#5 100 Coin Star- I typically go to bat for the 100 coin stars. And I do think this one is pretty good. However, this is the first level to introduce insta death. Which means as you are ascending the level and inching closer to that 100th coin, death is always a misclick away. I like it, but for that, I got to drop it a bit.
#4 Shoot into the Wild Blue- This star confused me as a kid. As I thought you literally had to shoot off the map. I also was not good with the cannons. After countless misfires, my brother and I tried so many different ways to get this star including trying to drop from above to it. I don’t remember when we discovered wall jumping, but that is exclusively how I get this star now. As I still don’t trust those cannons.
#3 Chip Off of Whomp’s Block- Just as I go to bat for the 100 coin stars, I tend to not like many of the boss fights in Mario 64. They’re fine for the time, but they are easily one of the least favorite parts about the game. Whomp is no different. He’s just a variation of King Bomb Omb. The phasing glitch makes him one of the easiest bosses, too. So why is this #3. It’s because, which is a common theme with boss fights in this game, it encourages you to explore the whole map. The next two stars have even more to explore and aren’t derailed by a boss fight. So Whomp sits here at 3.
#2 Red Coins on the Floating Isle- There’s two things that bug me about this star. First, the floating isles are not unlocked immediately. This means if you are someone who likes to get 100 coins first, thus getting the 8 red coins, you really can’t. But you can still get like 5 before you learn about the isles and have to do it all over again later. Secondly, I think only 3 of the coins are found on the isles. What kind of false advertising is this? Outside of that, this a fun level to explore and the isles were always a neat section to me. Wish they had just embraced the name and made the section bigger with all 8 coins.
#1 To the Top of the Fortress- If you know me, you probably knew this was number 1. I still cannot explain where the tower came from, but this is one of my favorite stars in the game. Koopa the Quick in Stage 1 took a bit of a hit for ultimately feeling like a rehash of the previous star. TtTotF adds on to its former star by adding a small new obstacle, the tower. It too, is not dragged down by the boss fight, meaning this star is more platforming bliss. I could see either this or the 8 red coins being my favorite. But the Tower always stood out to me. As an adult I wish they would have expanded both the Tower and Isles. Either way, The Tower takes my #1 Star.
Whomp’s Fortress was never my favorite, but the level was fun in the way it moved upward. It never felt like it had the same sandbox energy as Bomb-Omb Batflefield, but it does have some neat sections and fun stars. So how would you have ranked all the stars?
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My Five Favorite Super Mario Power Ups!
A month ago or so The Completionist put out a video ranking every Super Mario Power Up. If you haven’t seen his video, make sure to watch it here! Now I am not that ambitious, nor have I played every Super Mario game. Thus, I am not qualified to speak on every power up. With that in mind, I will be writing about my five favorite power ups. This isn’t the five most iconic or powerful power ups. It’s MY favorite. As a result, you might disagree with my picks. That’s fine. Leave your five favorite in the comments below.
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#5 Super Leaf (Super Mario 3D Land)
Tanooki Mario kicks off the list. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of the 2D side scroller Mario games. 3D Land marked a change for me. This was the first game I got for my 3DS. Naturally, I played this game out and got pretty addicted to it. The takooni suit definitely played a role. It checks a lot of boxes for me. It granted an additional point of health, which, to be fair, most Mario power ups do as well. It gave Mario an additional attack with his tail. It helped exploration, but not to the same extent the other power ups on the list do. It gave Mario the ability to sort of flutter. This eased his fall allowing more precise landing. Not quite as game breaking as other power ups, but certainly welcomed!
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#4 Ice Flower (Super Mario Galaxy)
The Ice Flower in the 3D games was a welcomed addition. It truly added a layer of complexity to your standard world traversing and platforming. This is in thanks to how it granted Mario the ability to interact with water. he was now able to run across water surfaces as well as wall jump off waterfalls. Yes, these seem pretty simple and straightforward compared to the dynamic of something like Cappy. Nonetheless, it gave Super Mario Galaxy some welcomed layers, making the exploration of it’s galaxy all the more fun.
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#3 Super Star (Super Mario Bros.)
The original Super Mario Bros did give us plenty of iconic power ups from the Mushroom to the Flower Fire. Most of these power ups were insanely powerful in the original game. However, most, if not all, of those OG power ups have been power crept. The classic super star is no exception. Plenty of the newer games give insane invincibility effects such as the Leaf and Bell. Still, I am giving the Super Star the nod for being so darn iconic. After all, the Super Star would go to become the games measuring stick for progress in most of the 3D adventures. As in Super Mario 64, the more stars you had, the more doors you could unlock. With all these factors in play, I believe it is worthy of the number 3 spot.
#2 Cloud Flower (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Truthfully, this is arguably one of my favorite power ups in any game. This power up is so perfect for a 3D Platformer. If you are unfamiliar with the Cloud Flower, here’s how it works. When Mario gains the power of the clouds, he is able to create 3 cloud based platforms. If you thought I gushed about the Ice Flower, that was nothing compared to the Cloud Flower. I absolutely loved the way Mario was able to create a revolutionary power up while keeping it within the Mario charm. This powerful ability feels balanced by only allowing Mario to create 3 platforms, yet this still grants a lot dynamics to exploring the levels. Now you will want to start seeing where you can now go. I just think this power up is extremely interesting. Whenever Mario returns to more traditional power ups, this is one I definitely hope makes a return.
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#1 Super Bell (Super Mario 3D World)
Cat Mario was a true game changer. In my opinion it did everything you want a power up to do. It makes you better. It grants an extra hit to Mario’s health. Which, in a Mario game is huge. It also makes you more powerful by granting Mario a new attack. With this ability he can lunge his newly gained claws towards enemies. And finally, it mixes up exploration. Now, Mario has the ability to climb walls. This grants Mario access to new locations, higher areas and short cuts. It was a tight race between Cloud Flower and Super Bell for me. However, I feel like Cat Mario just providers a wider dynamic change for the game. Where Cloud Flower really only aids in exploration, Super Bell does that as well as makes Mario actually stronger. It’s for that reason I give the slight nod to Super Bell.
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So, there you have it. Those are my favorite power ups. Which ones are yours? Let me know down below!
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Continued Reading:
Ranking The Bob-Omb Battlefield Stars!
Video Game Grail? (A Response to the MetalJesusRocks Facebook Page)
The 5 Worst Nintendo Franchises!
Nintendo normally knocks it out of the park with their first party titles. Kid Icarus revolutionized the gaming industry spawning numerous sequels and giving us arguably the greatest video game character of all time, Pit. Ice Climbers was a juggernaut upon release. The game was considered so perfect, Nintendo decided a sequel could never live up to the hype of the original, so they have essentially retired the series. When Ice Climbers made it into Smash Bros Melee, gamers around the world rejoiced. Sadly, or totally predictable, the Ice Climbing duo were too powerful. As a result, they were subsequently removed from the series when Smash Brothers Brawl released on Wii.
So, sure, Nintendo established itself as a major player in the video market off the backs of series like Duck Hunt and Wrecking Crew, but not all series were a hit. Metroid was a disaster and almost bankrupted the company. But Nintendo didn’t want to give up on one of the female pioneers of gaming. Still, they couldn’t justify her on home consoles. Thus, her sequel was given life on the lowly handheld, the Gameboy. Metroid was given a second shot on the Super Nintendo. Another flop, often sited as the worst release by Nintendo. Samus would be relegated to handheld consoles two more times. Not to mention, after the absolute butchering of Metroid as a FPS, Metroid Prime 4 was delayed and ultimately canceled for the best. Not a single soul complained. It just goes to show you, no matter how many times Nintendo releases an installment of a horrible franchise, true gamers don’t forget the past mistakes.
Now, let’s take a look at Nintendos 5 Worst Franchises.
#5 Animal Crossing- When I was preparing this blog, I really thought this be number 1. How could it not be? This game is one of the most overrated franchises in all of gaming, let alone Nintendo. What do you do in this game? Seriously. You play as a kid whose sole purpose in life is to befriend animals. Doesn’t that sound horrible? Like, oh no, Sally the spider lost one of her 8 shoes and needs you to find it. Other task consist of paying off your debt. I mean, at least kids get exposed to how evil money is and how people will use it to manipulate them. So good job Nintendo capturing some realism there.
#4 Super Smash Brothers- Nintendo has long been loathed for repacking and releasing the same games over and over with new paint and funny names. Is there a series that is a better example of that than Super Smash Brothers? I feel like I’ve been playing the same game over and over. The series definitely peaked on the Nintendo 64. Every game since has just felt like an ad campaign. We get it, Fire Emblem (which is probably #6 on this list) could not sell world wide, so they snuck in countless numbers of characters to try and brain wash us into wanting Fire Emblem. Well, it still hasn’t worked and probably never will. The next release of Smash Bros, slated for release on the Switch 2 next year, was announced to have a roster comprised entirely of Fire Emblem characters. Have you lost all hope in the world yet?
#3 Pokemon- Give me a break with this one. Do 30 year old men still think it’s cute to film themselves opening Pokemon TCG boxes, or playing Pokemon Go? No cares if you found Mew under the truck. No one cares if you completed the Pokedex. And trust me, no one cares if you had all the original holos from the card game, especially how many Charizards you owned. Grow up.
#2 The Legend of Zelda. What a waste of potential here. I’m serious. Sure, Zelda 1 was a total bust. The franchise redeemed itself with phenomenal poise with the sequel, Zelda 2. Zelda 2 saved Nintendo. It helped restore faith with the general public. Despite this, Nintendo reverted back to the original formula. This contradicted all the good grace Zelda 2 built up. Then, there was the unspeakable sin. The point of no return, Ocarina of Time. The jump to 3D just wasn’t kind to the Zelda series. The Z Lock On tried to fix things, but arguably made it worse. The time traveling mechanic really bogged down the story and made certain parts feel bloated. It was a total train wreck that the series still has not recovered from.
#1 Super Mario- I guess it was always going to be Super Mario. I mean talk about a cash cow. At least other series like Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed and Madden attempt to change their games up with each release. How many times do I need to run, jump and collect stars? Isn’t this getting old to anyone? And not to mention, they are just slapping Mario on anything and hoping it sells. Why do I need Mario playing Golf, Tennis, Carts and any of the other countless side series? I can do all that in real life, thank you. So, without a doubt, Mario is easily the worst video game mascot and franchise of all time.
So, that’s my list. I could keep going with other Nintendo failures like Donkey Kong, Kirby and Splatoon, but let’s not destroy them too hard. Let me know you’re worst 5 Nintendo Franchises in the comments!
Ranking Super Mario 64 Levels (Top Five Friday) Part 3
Part 3 of ranking all the Mario 64 courses. This time we will be examining the secret stages. Check out the previous parts here:
Ranking Super Mario 64 Levels (Top Five Friday) Part 1
Ranking Super Mario 64 Levels (Top Five Friday[Saturday]) Part 2
This list was tough to construct. Most of the levels are tiny, upsetting, or forgettable. Oh well, here we go:
The Wing Cap Stage
Gah, this is easily the worst level in maybe the whole game. If you miss one of the early red coins in the sky it is basically over. In perspective, the structuring of the level highlights the Wing Cap. The problem? The Wing Cap is terrible. The imposed ceiling on the Wing Cap is obvious by design. I might could continue speaking on this course, but I think I will move on from here.
Bowser in the Fire Sea
This might be my favorite of the Bowser stages but I do feel it also the weakest (look, us bloggers don’t have to make sense.) This is an awesome level to watch speed runners run through, but it’s so hit or miss actually playing it. I actually like the level layout fair enough and the three sections of the level flow pretty smooth. In fact, if you tried to tell me this was the best level in the game. I would not even argue with you. The fact of the matter is I simply do not like fire levels a lot.
Winged Mario Over The Rainbow
Simply put, it is another flying level. A lot of these secret levels were designed to highlight some of the harder mechanics. This is put on display with the fact we have 2 Wing Cap secret stages… Ugh. However, this level also highlights why Wing Cap Stage is utter trash. Now, I said Wing Cap Stage is an introduction of the Wing Cap and why it is not great in this game in particular. Over the Rainbow is so much more massive in design, scale, skill, and every other measurable metric that how can you not look back at Wing Cap Stage and see anything but simply a bad level.
Bowser in the Sky
Boy, I want to really like this level. I do enjoy watching people show off all the crazy shortcuts and skips in this stage. The scale is simply massive. But, I just do not enjoy the dark and unforgiving nature of this level. Now, I can not like a stage but still respect it. I sure do respect the heck out of this stage. I can fully appreciate this level without wanting to play it again. Very cool level.
Vanish Cap Stage
I really wanted to squeeze this level in higher, and maybe I could have. Still, when it got to crunch time the turning platforms at the end caused the lower scoring. Remove that ending and this might have got number 2.
Metal Cap Stage
I enjoy a lot about this course. I have been debating on if the small scale nature of the level helped it or hurt it. I guess since it cracks this high on the list, it did not hurt it that bad. I feel like I always connected with the Metal Cap simply because it is green and my favorite color is green. Maybe that is not fair. But that is how it is. Still, the compact nature of this stage helps its design. The red coins are a fun hunt in this stage. If there was a weak point, it would have to be how unforgiving the water mechanic is with new players or even an easy mistake from veterans. If you get lost in the current and end up in the moat, it is a hard time getting back.
Bowser in the Dark Sea
In a lot of these entries, you will read me say “I really liked this stage. I want to rank it higher.”. Not this time. I actually don’t think I like this course very much. In fact, I think I normally get as many stars as you can (which I think comes out to around 32 or so stars?) before tackling this course. However, there is no denying how iconic this course is to me, personally. Making the ascent up the “Dark Sea, was it?” collecting all the red coins, vanquishing the foes, dodging the fire and avoiding all the insta-deaths, was so nerve wracking. I cannot tell you how many times I get to 7 coins and bump my head or miss the jump and you fall right down to your death. Still no denying how much this level gave me nightmares as a kid.
The Secret Aquarium
What a level, right? Yes, this is easily the most simple level in the whole game. But I cannot deny the atmosphere here. The windows revealing a whole new world outside their glass, the fishes swimming in the water, the calming music. Quite frankly, for as simple as this level is, it is darn near perfect. I do not have a lot to say about this level. It is just bliss.
The Princess’s Secret Slide
This is it, boys. This is sliding perfection. Someone answer me this. Was there a slide in a 3D video game prior to this? If so, tell me below. I am not sure why I am so fascinated with sliding levels, but dang it I am. I think it had to do with the mysticism of the timed star. Racing the clock, cutting off precious seconds where we could, riding the edges trying not to fall but go as fast as you could, just trying to beat that time limit. Than, once we discovered the jumping off the side shortcut, this level became an obsession. Since this, I have secretly (or maybe not so secretly at this point) judged every game I play on if it has a slide level or not.
Alright guys, there you have it. That’s my rankings. You probably wont agree. That is okay. Sound down below how you would rank these levels.
Next week is Spooky Week here on Dahubbz. So, start getting ready for all things spoky. I say this now so you guys have a heads up. Also, so you know we will not be concluding this series next Friday. Instead, we are kicking around the idea of “Top Five Creepiest Pokemons”. Hope that sounds cool to everyone.
As always, thanks for reading. Have a great day!
What Do You Know? Nintendo Actually Did It! (Super Mario 35th Anniversary) Wrote on September 3rd
Just a Note: I wrote this on September 3rd following the Nintendo Direct. I believe that was a Thursday and I had school. Well, I already wrote it, so here it is! Enjoy!
Hey everybody. The rumors were real! Super Mario 35th Anniversary direct dropped today. With it Nintendo revealed Super Mario Bros Game and Watch, Super Mario 3D World Plus with additional DLC, Super Mario Bros 35th Battle Royal, Super Mario Kart Live Circuit, The original Super Mario Brothers All Star from the SNES now included in the Online service, 35th Anniversary Merchandise, and finally Super Mario 3D All Stars.
At the end of the day, there’s not a lot to complain about here. For the die hard consumer, this was underwhelming being straight ports of the 3 Super Mario 3D games in the All Star Collection. For the average consumer though, this was a grand slam. So much of this calls outs to fans of all ages. All the Game and Watch/Super Mario Bros. content will be a delight to the older players. The 3D Collection will attract players like myself who grew up in the 90’s/00’s. While Mario 3D World and all the new merchandise not only will appeal to Switch owners young and old, it will also stand out to Nintendo fans at large.
By all accounts, I think the only people who will complain are going to be the die hard fans who wanted a bit more out of the collection. We only have ourselves to blame for getting our expectations so high. Maybe we should all be thankful were getting this experience in one complete package. Our maybe we should demand more out of $60 dollar rehashing. I mean 3D World got bonus content while the classics are simply getting ported.
Overall Grade: 9.5 out of 10. The average consumer will find a lot to like with the sheer amount of content coming to the Switch. The presentation was done near flawlessly. Even the small supplemental products seemed cool and interesting on their own. The pacing was pretty good. It kept us interested in what was being shown while still supplying a lot of information and new products. The 3D collection was an almost perfect showing. The montage felt like childhood. The only thing really missing was adding to or improving Super Mario 64.
I did a video covering this if you want to hear more of my thoughts on the matter!
Thanks for reading! Hope everybody has a great day!
Da_Hubbz 