Super Mario World

[Joerae]

It's a purely incidental thing to be honest, because I'm well past the days where I would binge-game, not to return to my console for months because of some damn woman.

The one that stands out in my mind is probably the Dreamcasts finest hour. I was 17 at the time and I'd been too busy chasing the gurlies to bother with silly games; fortunately (or not, at the time) my grandparents had died within weeks of one another and the inheritance came through - £50, all for Preacher.

Having realised I'd bought all the clothes and toiletries I'd ever need for opposite sexulation of females, I thought I'd try and incorporate gaming into this most superficial of lifestyles I'd created for myself. I pop down to GAME and at the price of £40, bought the mighty Soul Calibur, not really prepared for the impact it was due to have.

After seeing the intro, the gamer in me started knocking on the door. Vibrant colours, unbelievable real-time graphics - I was convinced at this stage that FMV was going to be a thing of the past. After I'd finished reeling from the intro, I start the game proper and get stuck into the story mode straight away.

Fucking crikey. I was hooked for the next 4 days on this bitch, completing missions and unlocking gallery pictures and new weaponry. I'd never played a game with this kind of genuinely impressive longevity, the kind that saw me almost completely mesmerised by the task at hand. It didn't even matter that some of the missions were a bit samey, because it was so visually lush and vivid that for the first time in god knows how long, I was genuinely in awe of a video game, like you'd be if God popped his head into your room when you were havin' a cry to the sounds of Radiohead...or something B)

Soul Calibur, for me, was a defining moment: it was the first time I was truly astounded by a game on almost every level, and almost certainly the first time I'd been pulled back into gaming by a game, and not by the lack of anything else better to do.

For that, Namco have my eternal respect.

I know Preacher was a little OT, but he has a point (perhaps worthy of a whole new thread), which is, those gaming moment that got you back into gaming.

The relevancy here, is SMW is so good, it could convert anyone into (or back to) gaming), is they pick it up, and give it half a chance.

For me, I'd gone off gaming, until a friend came round and said 'I've got a SNES with this import game you might enjoy'.

It was Chrono Trigger.

The rest is history.

(That history includes picking up a SNES myself recently, for a pittance, with SMW included, which I've got to crack into very soon).

[Preacher]

I know Preacher was a little OT, but he has a point (perhaps worthy of a whole new thread), which is, those gaming moment that got you back into gaming.

The relevancy here, is SMW is so good, it could convert anyone into (or back to) gaming), is they pick it up, and give it half a chance.

For me, I'd gone off gaming, until a friend came round and said 'I've got a SNES with this import game you might enjoy'.

It was Chrono Trigger.

The rest is history.

(That history includes picking up a SNES myself recently, for a pittance, with SMW included, which I've got to crack into very soon).

Actually, I'd argue I'm nowhere near off-topic - the thread starter did ask what other games inspired a similar feeling in us, so I chose to heed his words and divulge (admittedly a little too enthusiastically).

And you're right: it's a subject worthy of its own thread - though I believe the actual, full title of this thread pretty much suggest that it's the thread you're describing - it's just that the thread title contains the word Supermario and everyone seems to have run with that - which is fair enough.

[ca18s13]

lol, it can still be my fav game, even if i havent found all exits

(on the gba version.)

im pretty sure i got all the exits on the snes version (i think lol)

p.s great game.

p.s yoshis island is nearly as good once u turn the sound off.

stupid baby crying all the time

[lucanvortex]

Whenever I'm getting jaded of gaming a prolonged blast on bubble bobble sorts me out. Ultimate simplicity with the hook of all the special items. Excellent game.

[Floppy]

The relevancy here, is SMW is so good, it could convert anyone into (or back to) gaming), is they pick it up, and give it half a chance.

Yeah, I'm in total agreement there.

SMW got me back into gaming, actually. I was sick of all the amateurish console-style games I was playing on my Amiga, particularly the 'platform' games (I still maintain that the Amiga never had a really decent platformer). So I almost gave up on games for a while. Then I played Super Mario World on a new PAL Super NES. It was everything that I'm dreamed of, and I was honestly astounded by how well it was put together. I was completely addicted until all 96 exits were cleared, even missing the odd meal to get in some good gaming time. By then, I was in no doubt that Japanese game design at its best just cannot be matched. So I got into console gaming big time (well, as much as I could afford as a kid). Still played on my Amiga until the end (1996) though, I just avoided platform and 'console-style' games like the plague.

[Floppy]

Oh, and Yoshi's Island is great, but objectively it isn't near Super Mario World in terms of all-round perfection. In comparison, SMW's game design is cleverer, and the gameplay in its entirity is a lot more intuitive and satisfactory. You wouldn't believe how many people I've seen struggle with the control system of YI...

[kamrantaz]

Is there anyone that doesn't like this game?

Lets be honest.

Its shit!

[kamrantaz]

mmm... that was a beard attempt but no one feel for it

oh well. SMW is the probably the best game ever made, it either that or goldeneye or Mario KArt (SNES)

[Pandy]

Super Mario World was ace. Almost as good as the Sonic games on Megadrive.

[Stroker Ace]

Super Mario World was ace. Almost as good as the Sonic games on Megadrive.

Funny.

[McFly]

I went to play my copy just now and its fucked I'll have to buy another one now.

[Hyperforce]

Nah. Yoshi's Island was gorgeous and unique, but SMW was platform perfection.

Agreed. It just flows better. Yoshi's Island has too much stopping-and-starting thanks to the egg throwing and more puzzle-based nature.

Mario Brothers 3 was pretty amazing as well, although I've noticed a lot of people prefer the NES version to the Mario All-Stars one.

[Floppy]

Agreed. It just flows better. Yoshi's Island has too much stopping-and-starting thanks to the egg throwing and more puzzle-based nature.

Mario Brothers 3 was pretty amazing as well, although I've noticed a lot of people prefer the NES version to the Mario All-Stars one.

1. Argubly too, SMW has more sneaky and downright clever puzzles than YI. In my mind, YI is too much of a collect 'em up; in order to complete the game in full, you go around collecting stuff, whilst SMW requires more interesting challenges and conundrums.

2. That's because the inertia of the Super Mario All-Stars games doesn't fell 'right' if you've played the NES originals. I wonder if it's been fixed in SMA4....

[Sir DangerM]

Super Mario World is my favourite game ever. I love everything about it.

[kamrantaz]

Super Mario World was ace. Almost as good as the Sonic games on Megadrive.

[whykt]

I'm half-way through my third play of RPG Planescape Torment on the PC. Deep, involving, imaginative and beautiful in its dark way. One of the games closest to art, IMO. It's a shame the copies are like gold-dust.

kt

[Kyoshiro]

I'm half-way through my third play of RPG Planescape Torment on the PC. Deep, involving, imaginative and beautiful in its dark way. One of the games closest to art, IMO. It's a shame the copies are like gold-dust.

kt

Ah at last my constant planescape preaching pays off This is the super mario world of RPG's

[Garibaldi]

I'm half-way through my third play of RPG Planescape Torment on the PC. Deep, involving, imaginative and beautiful in its dark way. One of the games closest to art, IMO. It's a shame the copies are like gold-dust.

kt

Yep, it's truly one of the games ( like SMW ) which reminds me of why I got into gaming in the first place, so much pain-staking attention to detail and characters. Needless to say I treasure my big box version ( with poster! ) like the son I never had.

"What can change the nature of a man?".

To keep things on topic, Super Mario World was the very first game I played on my SNES and before that I remember watching the demo reel of it over and over in shop windows; it's one of the very, very few times where the reality of playing a game has actually matched up to my expectations of it, SMW is also the only title that I've ever been obsessed with unlocking all extra stages on.

[Guardian]

i've been trying to get ahold of planescape for quite some time.

[whykt]

i've been trying to get ahold of planescape for quite some time.

I'm gutted I can't find my budget copy from Game years ago. A friend has lent me his copy, which he bought off Ebay for a ridiculously high price.

[Kyoshiro]

Oh I should mention preacher's right the topic should really be about "games that rekindle your love for games" and subtitled "Super Mario World"

[Belbo]

My favourite game of all time.

I remember all the secrets, all the bonuses, how to get all the exits and hundreds of other useless pieces of information about each and every level. I doesn't get better than this.

[Preacher]

Oh I should mention preacher's right the topic should really be about "games that rekindle your love for games" and subtitled "Super Mario World"

Yer, u fuckin no0bs!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!

Seriously, cheers for pointing that out. I expect most people thought me a wanker for tenuously harping on like I did about Soul Calibur in a Mario thread.