Favourite Mario Game

My favourite game was Super Mario 64, partly because it was the first Nintendo game I played on a tv console, and partly because it is such a great game.  The game mechanics of the game were simple, a small number of levels each containing their own quests.  Whilst many games have done this, the way it's done in Super Mario 64 stands out as whilst it gives you guidence on how to obtain the star you're aiming for it doesn't restrict you to just that star.  If you look hard enough, you can find one of the later stars from the level by accident.  The fact you could do this was made clear straight form the first level - anyone remember the star behind locked bars behind Chain Chomp?  Whilst Super Mario Galaxy took Mario to a new level, for me it's still beaten by Super Mario 64 for a simple reason - it's lost the freedom aspect.  The way to get each star is much more prescriptive in Galaxy - anyone here tried going back on themselves?

Now your turn, what's your favourite Mario game (or do you just hate the lot)?

Its gotta b super Mario bros 4 me if it wasnt invented there wouldnt be the 'legendary series' there is now, SM64 is a gr8 game 2 tho |-)

mine would be super Mario world SNES

i cant be bothered explaining everything good about this game but it is for me without a doubt the finest gaming creation ever.

i have got to say Super Mario Galaxy. enough said 

Mario galaxy....

 

Mario kart Wii?

 Mario Galaxy

you can walk all the way around planets, surf on rays, and collect coins and jump on gombas. also the 2p co-op is actually not that bad. what more could you possibly want from a Mario game?

I still prefer Super Mario 64.  I'm not just being some old fart saying that old = better, but I just feel that Super Mario 64 was more immersive.  Super Mario Galaxy is too linear for my liking - you move from planet a --> b --> c --> ... --> last planet, and there is often no or little way to go backwards through a level.  I much prefered the immersive areas of Super Mario 64 where youc ould go nearly anywhere in the level.  Yes in Super Mario 64 there were some areas you could only get to when you were after certain stars but they were often only small differences, and they actually added to the game play as each level was different.

In Super Mario 64, you were also able to get stars from later on in the level - surely everyone who's played the game remembers the joy when theyc ame across a star that was not the one in the level description.

That's not to say that galaxy was a bad game, it's problem was that Super Mario 64 was an outstanding game, which Galaxy was unable to live up to.

I agree with redfish, Mario 64 was good but the pinacle of the Mario series is definately Galaxy, if only for the graphical style and charm of the game physics. I mean, how many other games let you utilise the full surface area of EVERYTHING!!? Not many.... oh yeah I've just joined from ONM-times..... what is hanging biatch!

For me its Super Mario Galaxy aswell simply because I had the most fun on that Mario game than I did on any other.   :)