Your favourite Smash, Kart & Party

[Ashley]

Nintendo's plucky (but apparently youthful) plumber has beaten, raced and competed against his friends for more than 20 years now. Just thought I'd see what everyone's favourite Smash Bros, Mario Kart and Mario Party titles are and why.

[Happenstance]

Melee, Double Dash and I don't know the Mario Party games well enough to say, one of the N64 ones I guess.

[Cube]

Kart - Mario Kart 8

 

It would have been Double Dash, but Mario Kart 8 managed to feel extremely solid, with wonderfully designed tracks. The DLC tracks were even better, too.

 

Smash - Super Smash Bros Brawl

 

I won't try to argue that, mechanically, this is the worst Smash. However, it had one thing that massively appealed to me: the single-player story campaign. Melee had a decent single-player mode, but the Wii U/3DS versions sucked in that regard.

 

Party - Mario Party

 

It's the only one I've played.

 

And I'm going to throw in another category

 

Sports - Mario Strikers Charged Football

 

This was just so much fun. The AI was surprisingly difficult but it was interesting working out how to use each character well and, oddly, the "minion" characters were better than the main ones. Boo was awesome.

[bob]

Melee, Wii, and I didn't enjoy any of the Party games.

[Rummy]

For me it's gotta be;

 

Brawl - whilst I loved and macked out both the original(even though I didn't own it) and the GC version(launch title for my GC) it was probably Brawl that really really did it for me. I didn't think anything could match nor top Melee, but Brawl really did just about manage it. Obvs I understand the varying appreciations from the more competitive sides but Brawl was the game that I both really looked forward to, but also the game that brought me and three of my now best friends together to be 4 Smash Brothers. Whilst I was friends with them all already, it brought them together with each other and probably really helped solidify another one of my current best-friendships to date.

 

Party(the original) - my sister bought this whilst she was at uni for her own(later adopted to the family one) N64 - we/I had some really good times with this game when she was back at home. Really really enjoyed it at the time. Wore off most of my palms after a while though.

 

Kart - Maybe MKDS for WifiKarts/league/pre-cursor to me joining this place(always have to put a shout out to @Charlie for that) - otherwise on the local experience etc there was something fresh but still frantic about double-dash that we enjoyed on many occasion; though nothing will ever match MK64's battle mode on the whole for me.

 

Sports - wasn't in original spec but seeing as Cube mentioned it I'll probably go for the same title as I believe it's the only Mario sports game I ever purchased/played - Mario Strikers Charged. Never been a big footie fan(don't dislike it, just only bother a little bit at national stuff) but I enjoyed Strikers after playing at a mates, and finding it was a beautiful combination between both the beautiful game itself, but also at the same time still being absolutely Mario in its whole design.

[Sheikah]

Smash Melee, MK Wii and Mario Party 2.

[The Peeps]

Mario Kart 64

 

My first N64 game and possibly one that I've played more than any other N64 title. It's definitely the game I've played the most out of all in the series. Something about the track design and the handling just really clicked and I think only Mario Kart DS has come close to repeating it.

 

I will still play this iteration when my brother comes over and we go through each GP. Not a single hated track.

 

Smash Bros Melee

 

Smash Bros 64 was a brilliant breath of fresh air but this game expanded upon the original so well while remaining true to the fundamental gameplay. In Smash 64 I used Kirby exclusively so I was a bit disappointed with the changes made to him in Melee but once I found a main in Falco, I couldn't put the game down. Hours of replayability across multiple game modes.

 

This game balanced substance and gameplay perfectly. Even after beating the main game and the challenges you could play them again and again. If you did get bored there was always VS mode against friends or AI.

 

I didn't get on with Brawl. Something just felt off about the game. I found the online mode completely unplayable and the gameplay just wasn't the same as Melee so I simply reverted back.

 

Smash Bros Wii U/3DS improved on Brawl a lot and the online was actually manageable. I didn't like the changes made to Falco since Melee though and although I found a new character that suited me (Little Mac!). It's probably nostalgia and the fact that I simply had more free time when Melee was released but I sunk way more hours into that game and would opt to play that over any other iteration given the chance.

 

Mario Party 4

 

This was the first Mario Party released on the GameCube and my introduction to the series. I think I got it as a present which I hadn't asked for but was grateful for it all the same. It was a good game to play with my family but obviously not a game I would really play alone. I only got use out of it once a week when we'd go to my Uncle's house but we'd always have fun with it. I picked up a few later iterations but this is the one I played the most. It's not really a series I care about :p

[Londragon]

Mario Kart 8

 

The original Smash Bros. (64) got played one hell of a lot, never bothered with after that.

 

Mario Party DS, as a local download play (one copy of the game for 4 players) was awesome fun.

 

Sports - The original 1080 is hard to beat for me.

[Josh64]

Melee - My favourite Nintendo game of all time and what turned me into a mega fanboy. I probably wouldn't be posting this message if it wasn't for Melee. I can't really put into words just how much I love this game so... I guess I won't :p

 

 

Mario Kart DS - Such a fantastic game, it makes me woefully nostalgic just thinking about it. Local wireless at school, the return of block fort, THIRTY TWO levels, R.O.B., missions, my first online game, WiFi Karts, snaking, the list is endless. No Mario Kart before or after has come close, truly the Melee of Mario Kart games.

 

Mario Party is a bit meh, I've played all of them apart from the original but simply because of the time of my life, Mario Party 8 gets it. Came out near the start of college, at the start of the Wii boom, so I had a lot of fun drunken nights on that at friends houses. Wii Party is where it's at though.

 

If we're doing Mario sports titles then Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is the bomb!

Edited October 15, 2016 by Josh64

[Glen-i]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but so far it seems like no-one here has actually played all the entries in all three series?

 

I guess it's to be expected, but I find it interesting.

 

Mostly because along with @Dcubed, I have played every game, and I'd say...

 

Mario Kart 8

Smash Bros. 3DS

Mario Party 6

[Hero-of-Time]

Smash Bros Melee

 

Still the cream of the crop of the Smash games. Excellent multiplayer that had me and my mates playing the thing until early hours in the morning. It also had an amazing roster that didn't feel bloated, unlike the Smash games of today.

 

Mario Kart 8

 

Despite having nostalgia for a couple of early entries of the series, this is probably my favorite.

 

Amazing graphics and music make it a visual and audio treat. The online modes are solid and smooth. The track design is simply fantastic, especially with what they done with some of the older tracks.

 

Mario Party 2

 

For me this was the last great Mario Party game. There have been some decent efforts across the years but mostly they have been garbage.

 

The different settings of the boards and selection of mini games made this a right laugh with mates. It did feel and look like a lot of fun, whereas the series is kinda bland now.

 

@Glen\-i I've played every entry in the series of each of these games apart from both the 3DS Mario Party titles.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Mario Kart DS with Mario Kart 64 in very close second place

 

There's something about the track design, multiplayer and game modes that I love about these two games. I played the multiplayer to death on each and it was quite fun going online with Mario Kart DS...when it decided it wanted to work.

 

Super Smash Bros. Melee

 

The pace of this game is electric. Ganondorf was my main and he was so powerful and exciting to use. I love the stages and collecting the trophies was addictive. It had that balance of just enough there to be plentiful and interesting, but not too much where it felt like a chord to go through. I enjoyed Brawl and would agree that it has more to do, but I prefer the general gameplay of Melee. Playing with the Wiimote wasn't as good as playing with the classic GameCube controller. The characters just felt better to control in Melee, too.

 

Mario Party 4

 

I had a great time with this. Plenty of modes and mini-games and I loved the designs for the boards. We used to spend hours on this and it was pretty fun with a few close friends. I never really attempted playing it by myself because that would feel wrong for some reason.

 

A bonus point for Mario Strikers Charged Football, which has a terrible name that doesn't fit in with an awesome game. Played this to death and loved every second of it. What a game.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Fierce_LiNk

[Guy]

Smash for Wii U & 3DS is undeniably my favourite. Brawl's terrible netcode killed it a few weeks after launch for me. I definitely played more of the 64 and Melee over the years, but having played it recently I can't rank the N64 game over the other entries and Melee is so bogged down by the competitive scene obsessives that that's pretty much dead to me too.

 

Similarly, Mario Kart 8 is excellent and even with a lacking battle mode it's still the best entry I think we've ever had. Excellent tracks, great racer selection, incredible soundtrack and a solid online mode where I can play as gangly Waluigi on a kid's scooter easily elevate this one to the top. 64's only redeeming feature is a couple of memorable tracks and the Battle Mode, which is admittedly some of the best multiplayer on the system.

 

Mario Party is where I'd say I'm far less suited to picking a favourite. I'm not the biggest fan of the series and I've only really played 1 and 4, both of which provided loads of entertainment but very few standout memories. I'm controversially picking Mario Party 4 over 1 though, as my main memory of 1 is the game fucking up my hand and my N64 controllers.

 

If we're doing sports too, it's Super Smash Football/Strikers Charged or whatever they ended up being called everywhere. The character art is amazing. Plus any game that has Waluigi crotch-chopping to celebrate is top tier in my books. Helps the game(s if we're counting Wii version) are actually really fun.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Guy

[Kav]

Smash: Melee - everything just felt so right in this game.

 

Mario Kart: 64 - I preferred the battle mode to racing, Block Fort was an epic stage. I needn't say any more.

 

When the games were out, online wasn't the big thing it is now and my friends and I all still lived locally and so split-screen multiplayer was still a thing for me.

With the later games my friends and I all lived apart and so there was no more split-screen gaming for me and online was the big thing... and Nintendo have only let me down when it comes to online gaming so there was no chance for their other games to beat the above two.

[Dcubed]

Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS: It (along with its Wii U counterpart) is the most polished entry in the series, with an incredible amount of content and absolutely fantastic gameplay. While the single player is lacking in comparison to Brawl, the multiplayer can't be beat. I pick this game over the Wii U one, simply because it has a more interesting selection of stages and the better exclusive mode (Smash Run >> Smash Tour)

 

Mario Kart 8: While the battle mode is criminally lacking in comparison to previous titles, the racing has never been better. The only thing I can really ding it for is the fact that 3-4 player splitscreen only runs at 30FPS, which is a shame (Double Dash managed 60FPS in 4 player splitscreen, so it can be done!). But really, it's just a spectacular production all round!

 

Mario Party 3: Reverse Mushroom (and the amazing selection of items as a whole), Duel Mode, Waluigi, the super speed movement option and the best stages in the series (along with some of the best mini games too). It's a no brainer!

 

And if we're doing sports as well? (though it's a bit weird, because they're actually all different sub-series, with Mario Golf being different from Mario Tennis/Strikers/Mario & Sonic etc, unlike the others mentioned in the first post), my vote goes to Mario Golf: Advance Tour. It's the complete package all round, fantastic music, brilliant gameplay that does a great job offering 3D gameplay with 2D graphics, amazing courses, a full RPG experience and a ridiculous amount of content. My favourite of a great series!

Edited October 15, 2016 by Dcubed

[drahkon]

Super Smash Bros. Melee - Absolutely no contest. So much of my teenage years have been spent with this game. My mates and I were addicted to it.

 

Super Mario Kart - One of the first console games I've owned. Nostalgia makes this my most favourite Kart.

 

Don't have a favourite Mario Party installment.

[Ashley]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but so far it seems like no-one here has actually played all the entries in all three series?

 

I guess it's to be expected, but I find it interesting.

 

I personally haven't played all Mario Party games because as fun as they can be having 12 of them (there's two 3/DS ones right?) is a bit much.

 

Some of the Mario Karts I've only played a bit of, but I believe I have played them all. Smash is easier because there's only 4

[Glen-i]

And if we're doing sports as well? (though it's a bit weird, because they're actually all different sub-series, with Mario Golf being different from Mario Tennis/Strikers/Mario & Sonic etc, unlike the others mentioned in the first post), my vote goes to Mario Golf: Advance Tour. It's the complete package all round, fantastic music, brilliant gameplay that does a great job offering 3D gameplay with 2D graphics, amazing courses, a full RPG experience and a ridiculous amount of content. My favourite of a great series!

 

Wow, I'm genuinely surprised by this. Was expecting Mario Strikers Charged from you.

 

But that would be my choice too. Advance Tour is ridiculously good. And the DLC makes it incredibly jam packed.

 

Which brings me to a more important question...

 

 

or

 

[Sooj]

A tough choice between MK:SC and MK:8 but if I had to choose one then it would have to be MK8.

The courses are amazing, the handling of the karts is perfect the graphics are solid.

Like someone else said that battle sections are poor and playing online could have been done better (VC, teams, tourneys etc) but with its lack of proper online functionality, it is one of my favourite MK games so far.

 

I've only ever played Melee for the GC so it would have to be that by default.

 

I've never played a Mario Party game

[punio75]

Mario Kart 8

 

It would have been the snes version but thats nostalgia calling really, 8 is just so so good (- points for battle mode, grrr). Love Zelda and AC add ons too.

 

Super Smash Bros N64

 

Never really got in to this series too much but again, nostalgia wins this time.

 

Party ???

 

Not sure I've played one, certainly never owned one!! To my shame I do have the animal crossing party game though.

 

Sports

Toadstool Tour- no contest!

[RedShell]

Super Mario Kart

Although I fully recognise MK8 as the best Mario Kart, SMK is still my favourite.

I just love everything about that game, the way it plays (yes, even the unfair AI ) the visuals, the SFX and music... all perfect.

 

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

 

Mario Party

?

 

I've played every game in the Mario Kart (surprise surprise ) and Smash series, but my only experience of Mario Party was on the N64, and very limited, so can't really choose a fave there.

 

I personally haven't played all Mario Party games because as fun as they can be having 12 of them (there's two 3/DS ones right?) is a bit much.

 

Some of the Mario Karts I've only played a bit of, but I believe I have played them all. Smash is easier because there's only 4

What be your favourites then?

[dazzybee]

Super Smash Bros Wii U is the better game, but original Smash I played an insane amount and have great Uni memories of it.

Mario Kart 8 undoubtedly.

Mario Party 2.

Sports... Hmmm.... Probably Mario Tennis 64.

[nekunando]

Super Mario Kart

Although I fully recognise MK8 as the best Mario Kart, SMK is still my favourite.

I just love everything about that game, the way it plays (yes, even the unfair AI ) the visuals, the SFX and music... all perfect.

 

I don't think that choice will suprise anyone

 

 

Mario Kart 64

 

I also recognise Mario Kart 8 as the pinnacle in terms of the gameplay and overall feel but while Super Mario Kart also pulls strongly at my heart, I have to give the nod to Mario Kart 64 : peace:

 

Super Smash Bros for Wii U

 

I've never been good at this series, or fighting games in general, but this version looks and feels great. Melee is perhaps my least favourite..

 

 

Mario Party

 

I've only really played 1, 4 and Star Rush in any real depth but the original has been my favourite experience in the series and I now have 2 spare N64 controllers dedicated solely to the game

[Hero-of-Time]

Super Smash Bros Wii U is the better game, but original Smash I played an insane amount and have great Uni memories of it.

Mario Kart 8 undoubtedly.

Mario Party 2.

Sports... Hmmm.... Probably Mario Tennis 64.

 

My man!

 

I didn't put a sports game down but if I had to choose then it would also be Mario Tennis 64. I don't think Nintendo/Camelot have topped the original and if anything they keep getting worse.

 

What made the original great was its simplicity. Add in the challenge and multiplayer modes, along with some nice GBC hookup features, and it's not hard to see why the game was a hit.

[Glen-i]

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

 

You know, it won't matter one bit how well I play in the future. I could go on to win a major world championship and become the greatest Smash player ever.

That GIF will still follow me around.

Much like the Hocotate Bomb does. And that's why I love Smash!