User:Blue Ninjakoopa

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BNK
Gender Male
Favorite Mario character Mario
Favorite Mario game Paper Mario
Place of origin Fort Irwin, California
Current residence Schertz, Texas
Date of birth July 6, 1993
3DS Friend Code 3265-5187-8163
Nintendo Network ID BlueNinjakoopa

Yeah... used to be a troll, but recently I've been more constructive. You'll find me correcting grammar on some of this wiki's articles. I'm a gigantic Super Mario fan, having bought, played, and enjoyed almost every title in the series. My favorite game of all time is Paper Mario, the first boss of which inspired my tag. I go by BNK, Binky, or simply Blue. I primarily use Mario in all of his spin-off games, and in platforming games where other characters are available, I still mostly use him.

Mario games I've played

Here, I list each Mario series game I've played (including ones from the Donkey Kong, Wario, and Yoshi series) and divide them into sections based on the games' home console. It's entirely possible that I've played games that I don't own in any capacity, and so they will appear on the list. I will briefly summarize my experience with and rate them, then indicate whether or not I own them physically ("original") or digitally ("virtual," as in Virtual Console).

Game Boy

Game Comments Rating Original Virtual
North American box art for Super Mario Land A worthwhile, challenging game for its time. I like the underwater missions, Superball Flower item, and interesting enemies. Unfortunately as an older game, it lacks content and replayability. It also debuted the character I hate most of all, Daisy. 70.2 Yep Yep

Other Game Boy titles: Kirby's Dream Land 2, Pokemon Yellow, James Bond 007

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Game Comments Rating Original Virtual
North American box art for Super Mario World Super Mario World is a classic title. Like its predecessors, it's quite challenging and has a lot of content. The feather introduced in this game is my third favorite power-up item ever, after the Blue Shell and Ice Flower. I haven't beaten it yet, and I haven't had the time or the drive to do so. I don't own it physically, but I have played an original copy at my cousin's house (they're much better at the game). Super Mario World also has a decent soundtrack for a game its age. 91.8 Nope Yep
File:SMK BoxCover2.jpg This game doesn't appeal to me very much. It has a permissible cast given its time, a great selection of courses, and unique, satisfying visuals. Its soundtrack is a tad lacking, its physics are wonky (slightly alleviated by the game being so slow) and the item system is all kinds of messed up (certain items being exclusive to CPUs is a bit of a turn-off, and on top of that they have an infinite reserve of regular items to use). I haven't unlocked everything yet, and I don't plan on it any time soon. Its biggest problem is its painful slowness, which makes it uninteresting and thus not too enjoyable. 61.3 Nope Yep
North American box art for Super Mario All-Stars Three games in one is normally a tempting offer, and Super Mario All-Stars is no exception. I appreciate the improved visuals (I had seen the graphics of the original games that this title remade). I played this a few times at my cousin's house. 89.9 Nope N/A
North American box art for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest What can I say? DKC2 is fun and challenging. I don't own an actual copy, but I have played it at a friend's house. 84.1 Nope N/A

Other SNES titles: Kirby's Dream Land 3

Nintendo 64

Game Comments Rating Original Virtual
North American box art of Super Mario 64. Seriously, who hasn't played this game? If you look up "classic" in any English dictionary, a picture of the Super Mario 64 logo will be found next to it used as a prime example. Anyway, this was my very first home console game. Ever. And I honestly can't fathom a better way I could have started off playing video games. As far as graphics go, it has not aged well, but its physics are decent and it's still a lot of fun to play (so much so that I bought it again on the Virtual Console), with loads of content and challenging objectives. Super Mario 64 also has an amazing soundtrack, which is one of my favorites overall. 98 Yep Yep
North American box art for Mario Kart 64 My second racing game after Cruis'n USA, but it quickly became the preferred title when my mom bought it for me. Mario Kart 64 was loads of fun when I was a kid, however I can't seem to garner enough enthusiasm when playing it anymore, which is why I don't play it for more than 20 minutes whenever I do (unless I’m playing with friends, and even then it’s not for much longer). To be honest, it hasn't aged well at all. Its physics are wonky like its predecessor (items, specifically shells were poorly programmed and behave oddly, hindering their usefulness), there's very little content (only unlockables are Mirror Mode and an alternate title screen), and the visuals are bad (2D on 3D is barely ever appealing; they could have easily went the route of conventional racers like Diddy Kong Racing). However, it has an amazing battle mode, English voice cast, selection of courses, and soundtrack (another one of my favorites). Overall, Mario Kart 64 is a mediocre game with a lot of nostalgic value. 75.3 Yep Yep
North American boxart for Diddy Kong Racing I never owned the game, but I have played at the residencies of friends. Simply put, Diddy Kong Racing is everything Mario Kart 64 should have and could have been. Its physics are smooth, its graphics are great for a game its age, there are several courses to race on (though their themes are a bit repetitive; there's certainly less variety here than in Mario Kart 64), and there's an excellent cast of playable characters. The game also has a lot of content and a challenging story, plus a worth-while battle mode. I wish its soundtrack was much better, though (the only enjoyable tracks IMO are the Boss Door Unlock and Menu themes). I only use Tiptup. 93.5 Nope N/A
North American box art for Yoshi's Story Yoshi's Story is a pretty fun game, however it's very short and there is an ostensible lack of difficulty in its story mode. To get the most out of the game, you have to unlock extra levels by collecting all the Special Hearts in preceding levels (so, for level 1-1, collecting every heart unlocks 1-2, which makes it available in Trial Mode). This can be very tedious, as the hearts aren't easy to find (this is perhaps the only challenging aspect to Yoshi's Story, aside from finding the White and Black Yoshis). Speaking of its few challenges, all of them were entirely optional. That's not necessarily bad, but most first-timers don't (didn't) know how or need to unlock the extra content (though this problem isn't exclusive to Yoshi's Story or even late 90's titles). The soundtrack is also superb, and graphics-wise it has aged quite well. I normally use the Blue Yoshi. 78 Yep Yep
File:MP1 Cover.png I didn't own Mario Party until August of 2012, and I hadn't played it since late 2001 (long after I got the sequel, and in an orthodontics center lobby no less). It's a fairly primitive and mediocre game, with really annoying minigames and a bland soundtrack. Not all of its minigames are annoying (those that were actually fun were carried over to the succeeding game), but there exist the ones involving you rotating the control stick with the palm of your hand, which was extremely painful (so much so that special gloves had to be released with later purchases of the game). What I do like about Mario Party is its plethora of available boards to play on, which amount to more than any other Mario Party game in history. Anyway, Mario Party was not the best way to start off the series. 73.4 Yep N/A
File:SuperSmashBros.JPG Despite subpar graphics and content, Super Smash Bros. has tons of replayability (especially competitively). I got into the Super Smash Bros. series with this game, and I still enjoy it today. Its stage selection and cast, as implied earlier, are both badly lacking (Final Destionation, Meta Crystal, and Battlefield aren't available stages by conventional means, and apparently Wario, King Dedede, Mewtwo, and Bowser were planned to appear, but were scrapped). I like Super Smash Bros.'s soundtrack a lot, and the physics are decent. My mains are Mario and Kirby. 89.1 Yep Yep
North American boxart of Donkey Kong 64. Playing this game or even looking at its box art makes me miss the days when Nintendo was still good buddies with Rare. Donkey Kong 64 is an amazing, challenging platformer with loads of content. Unfortunately, I haven't beaten it yet. I'm currently stuck on Fungi Forest's boss, Dogadon. I really like that the playable Kongs each have their own unique movesets and projectile weapons. My favorite characters to use are Lanky Kong and Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong 64 has a great soundtrack, too. 90 Yep N/A
File:MP2BOX.PNG My favorite Mario Party game of all time, and the first title in the series that I played. Writing that it's a vast improvement over its predecessor would be an enormous understatement. It has considerably superior minigames (that are a delicate balance between intense and fun), boards, music (best soundtrack in the series), and content, as well as a better theme (characters dress up on each different board to accentuate its theme, with the exceptions of Rules Land and Bowser Land). Its main flaws are its fewer playable boards than Mario Party and Super Hard mode for CPUs only being available for minigames. I play this game very often with friends, and I'm glad it got chosen over Mario Party to be released on the Wii's Virtual Console (though that's a no-brainer considering Mario Party's peculiar control stick-rotating minigames). 98.8 Yep Yep
File:Papermario.PNG Paper Mario is my favorite game period, and my first ever RPG not counting Pokemon Yellow (which I barely played and never made any progress with). I don't even know where to begin... it hosts my absolute favorite soundtrack, a likeable cast, great humor, engaging worlds, reasonable difficulty, very well-aged graphics, great physics... now I don't know where to end. It's as if Paper Mario was designed for me. Of its cast, I especially enjoyed Kooper, with whom I could and can still identify. I do wish there was actually after-game content as with its successors, though, but its content before the final fight with Bowser is more than sufficient. Like Super Mario 64, I bought this game again on the Wii's Virtual Console because I love it so much. 100 Yep Yep
Box art for Dr. Mario 64 It's a title that I kind of wish more people knew about/played, but at the same time I can see why it's not so popular. As with most puzzle games, Dr. Mario 64 is very, very challenging, but my interest in it cannot be maintained for long. That said, I haven't beaten the game's story mode yet and thus haven't unlocked either Metal Mario or Vampire Wario, who are barely worth the challenge in my opinion (they're the game's only unlockable content). Dr. Mario 64 has a really good soundtrack for such an obscure game, and I like that its cast incorporated Wario Land characters. I don't have much else to say about it, other than that I mainly use Dr. Mario and Hammer-Bot in versus mode. 68 Yep N/A
File:MP3BOX.PNG Mario Party 3 follows Mario Party 2's footsteps with borderline exceptional adequacy, and in my book is a candidate for best succeeding game in any series. Though slightly less intense than (and overall inferior to) its predecessor's, this iteration's minigames are so fun (especially the final battle with the false Millennium Star). Its boards (also slightly inferior) are fun as well. This time around and in every following game, the theme is a bit uninspired, but that's hardly an issue that affects my enjoyment. Although I hate Daisy with a passion, she and Waluigi were nice additions to the roster, only because they added some variety. Story Mode this time around is its own separate mode, instead of being combined with the Party Mode, and you can finally unlock the Super Hard difficulty and set it to CPUs in party and duel modes. Speaking of Duel Mode, it's perhaps the greatest of Mario Party 3's features. I also thoroughly enjoy 3's soundtrack (it's another one of my favorites overall). Last, but not least, it is in my opinion that this installment's item selection is unrivaled. 98.3 Yep N/A

Other Nintendo 64 titles: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Star Fox 64, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Hot Wheels Turbo Racing, Pokemon Stadium 2, Pokemon Snap, Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye 64, Bomberman 64, Cruis'n USA, Cruis'n World, Jet Force Gemini, Mickey's Speedway USA, Magical Tetris Challenge, Vigilante 8, South Park Rally, Knockout Kings 2000, War Gods

Game Boy Color

Game Comments Rating Original Virtual
File:SMBDX Boxart.PNG I spent a lot of time on Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, impressing all my friends by reaching level 8-3 (I got stuck there, however, and still am). I can still remember the Kool-Aid "Kool Points" commercials that promoted this game lol. Looking back, I can see why I played it so much: it has tons of replayability and content, with slightly improved visuals in comparison to the original. Its extra modes are also pretty challenging. 93.7 Yep N/A
North American box art for Wario Land 3 A bit of an obscure title, but Wario Land 3 is easily one of my favorite handheld titles of all time. It's very lengthy, with a lot of collectibles to acquire (necessary to upgrade Wario's moveset), and challenging. Of particular frustration with the game is that I got stuck a lot, and still am, and the game leaves few or no hints at where to go or what to do next. I'm really tired of trying to figure out The Pool of Rain, and I haven't played the game in a while. 90 Yep Yep
US box art I know, I know, it's sad that this is the only version I've played of such a classic title. I never played the original, but I'm sure it was much better. The attempt to reiterate DKC's graphics was in my opinion modest failure, and the results are unpleasing visuals. When I was much younger, one of my playmates at daycare had this title on her Game Boy Color and I asked to play for a little bit. I forget which level she was on, but I didn't get very far, and I remember riding on Expresso. 70 Nope Nope

Other Game Boy Color titles: Pokemon Silver, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Ages, Lego Island 2 The Brickster's Revenge, The Powerpuff Girls: Paint the Townsville Green, SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula

Game Boy Advance

Game Comments Rating Original Virtual
North American box art for Super Mario Advance I prefer this to the original (or at least what I've seen of the original). Voice acting is a nice touch, and its visuals are as satisfying as they were in All-Stars. Super Mario Advance was my first game on the GBA, and I spent a lot of time playing through it. Most of the time I used Mario, as his stats were sufficient enough to complete just about every level. Other times, I used Toad. 84.2 Yep N/A
File:MKSC.jpg Super Circuit is basically Mario Kart 64 on the GBA, with similar physics and an identical cast. It differs in the content department though; Super Circuit actually has more unlockables if you count each retro cup, and they require that you score near perfectly in the nitro cups. To do this, you have to not only get first place each race, but you also have to collect a lot of coins and finish each race with a decent time. Speaking of coins, they act as armor in this installment, and don't serve any purpose other than raising your rank upon completing a cup. Overall, this game is very dissatisfying. It has a moderate soundtrack however. 66 Yep Yep
North American box art of Wario Land 4 Wario Land 4 is a decent game, following Wario Land 3 without much disappointment. I enjoy the similar amount of content, but as with its predecessor, it's very easy to get lost. I've only beaten the first and second levels so far. 82 Yep Yep
File:Box NA - Super Mario World Super Mario Advance 2.png I appreciate that Luigi was given differences from Mario in this remake. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the SNES version, though I was able to make better progress here. 90.8 Yep N/A
Super Mario Advance 3 Box Art.jpg I never played the original, but I do know that this game has improved sound effects and slightly better graphics. Its levels are pretty engaging, and its difficulty is moderate. I spent most of my time playing this at daycare and on field trips when I was much younger, and it's the second GBA game I've completed (not 100%, just beat the final boss). Given my age at the time, I felt very accomplished when I beat SMA3. 87.5 Yep Yep
Game & Watch Gallery 4 box cover I entered this series late, but I don't mind. I didn't bother buying the earlier games, however that's not to say I didn't enjoy this installment. Game & Watch Gallery 4 has some fun games, and while I don't really like Luigi, his boxing minigame is the one I enjoy the most. 81.5 Yep N/A
North American box art for WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! My first reaction to WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! was "MUH WARIO LAND!", but it grew on me and I still enjoy playing it in my spare time (I think I have one of the top records in Skating Board, with a score of 140). The microgames are really really fun, and there are plenty of them, all varying aesthetically as difficulty increases. Despite my heavy interest in this game, it's the only one in the WarioWare series that I own, though I have played and enjoyed Smooth Moves. 91.9 Yep Yep
North American box art for Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 I liked this remake a lot. Its selection of items is probably my favorite in any main series Mario game, and the Hammer Suit is my current fourth favorite power-up. Super Mario Advance 4 is pretty challenging too. Great game overall. 89 Yep N/A
File:Superstars.PNG Superstar Saga is one of my favorite GBA titles. Its soundtrack is decent and its storyline is superb. I still haven't beaten the game, as a testament to how challenging it is. 94 Yep Nope
Mvd.jpg The only good game in its series, IMO. I enjoyed employing strategy in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Mario, however, could stand to take more damage before losing a life (though that merely added to the challenge). I played through this game while on a field trip in summer camp in 2004, and enjoyed every minute of it. 84.9 Yep Yep
File:Mariop.jpg Eh, it's a decent game to play when you're bored. It has little content and a bad soundtrack, but excellent graphics. 43 Yep N/A
MariopartyGBA.jpg At the very least, I can appreciate the attempt to bring the joy of Mario Party games to a handheld, but it's sad to say this game brings very little joy, if any. Only four playable characters, bad minigames, and only one board to play on? Nah. The car is a nice touch, that much I admit. 31.8 Yep N/A

Other Game Boy Advance titles: Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Bomberman Max 2 Blue Advance and Red Advance, Hot Wheels Burnin' Rubber, Pokemon Ruby, Pokemon LeafGreen, Pokemon Emerald, Pokemon Pinball RS, Pinobee, Bomberman Tournament, Columns Crown, Fortress, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Lego Racers 2, Lego Bionicle, Sonic Advance, Sonic Advance 2, Sonic Advance 3, Sonic Battle, Metroid Fusion, Disney's Lilo & Stitch, Rayman Advance, Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase, Super Monkey Ball Jr.

GameCube

Game Comments Rating
File:Lmbox.jpg Now this is how launch titles should be. Luigi's Mansion is so engaging and thrilling that I don't mind that Luigi is the protagonist, and I don't mind its status as a landmark game (it full well deserves that title). It has smooth controls, excellent graphics, an extraordinary soundtrack, an epic final boss showdown, and a very likeable plot. Its extra mode though, while more challenging, is off-putting due to the only difference being Luigi dealing and taking twice the amount of damage he did in normal mode. I would have liked to see the mansion colored red or something, with the ghosts given palette swaps; any indicator that it was extra mode would have sufficed. The requisite for 100% is a little frustrating too, given how difficult it is to capture blue ghosts (which hold the necessary gems). 90.2
File:Super Smash Bros Melee Players Ch.jpg A huge step up from Super Smash Bros. This game has aged very well and still has a thriving community, albeit comprised mostly of pompous twits. With tens of thousands of hours recorded so far, I can't think of a game I've spent more time on. Its multiplayer mode being outstanding is a given, but its 1P Mode (Classic, Adventure, Target Test, and All-Star) is still the best out of all the games, even counting its successor's Adventure Mode. Why? The epic fights near the end of Adventure Mode made it worth playing using every single character, and Giga Bowser is perhaps the most well-designed "final" boss ever. Events are a nice touch and are very well-thought out, much unlike Melee's successor's events. A few things that bother me about Melee are its disabling of the C-stick as a way to execute smash attacks and aerials in 1P Mode (converting it into a 100% useless camera tool) and its subpar computer players. Melee is otherwise a fantastic game. My mains here are the same as in Super Smash Bros., plus Dr. Mario. 99.5
File:Box NA - Super Mario Sunshine.png Super Mario Sunshine is certainly unique as was intended by developers, but I still find it slightly inferior to Super Mario 64. I don't like that Mario's attacking options are limited to stomps and F.L.U.D.D. (though the variety of nozzles is sufficient), and I really don't like that bosses are recycled (Gooper Blooper is fought three times). Sunshine does have a relaxing atmosphere, magnificent graphics and soundtrack, an amiable premise, engaging worlds, and smooth controls and physics, which earn it high rankings in my book. 94
File:Mpp4.JPG Everyone who's tired of nostalgiaheads perpetuating that the Mario Party games "went downhill" upon entering the sixth generation unfortunately can't look to Mario Party 4 as a substantial counter-argument. If I were as impatient and uncommitted as the aforementioned nostalgiaheads, I'd have stopped being a fan when I played 4 as well. It's bland, to put it simply. The terrible designs of each board undermine the uniqueness of their themes, the soundtrack is the absolute worst in the series, and the minigames are mostly uninteresting (Challenge Booksquirm is a lot of fun, though). Its content rivals Mario Party 3's, but its not nearly as engaging. Oh, and the item selection sucks. I do appreciate the improved graphics, epic final minigame ("The Final Battle!", which I think is the best final minigame in the entire series), and the introduction of Bowser minigames. However, that's really all this game has going for it. 70
The boxart for Wario World. Wario World is fun, but short. I appreciate the variety in its levels, it has a pretty good soundtrack, and most of the boss fights are intense. I also enjoy the controls and physics. Again, though, it's painfully short, and the final boss fight is a bit anti-climactic. There needs to be another, lengthier Wario World game in my opinion. 87.3
America box art Improved physics? Check. Improved cast? Check. Improved graphics? Check. Awesome soundtrack? Check. Double Dash!! brilliantly improved on the flaws of past Mario Kart games. The gimmick is also interesting, I greatly appreciated the point system overhaul (no more forced retries when getting below 4th place), and the Battle Mode (especially "Bob-omb Blast") is the best in the series. I was kind of turned off by the laziness that went into Petey Piranha and King Boo. Why they were given every special in the game instead of a simple gunk shot or the actual Boo item respectively is beyond me, and I'm also curious about what inspired giving eyes to almost every background object. Unfortunately, Double Dash!! was the first Mario Kart game to give misleading information about the Fake Item Boxes. It states that they can be used to block oncoming shells, but shells actually go straight through them. This trend continued until Mario Kart 7, where the Fake Item Box is absent and hasn’t since been seen. Anyway, Double Dash!! is an overall great game. 88
File:MP5BOX.PNG Mario Party 5 is definitely better than 4, though I do miss Donkey Kong. Anyway, 5 has everything that makes a Mario Party game good: fun minigames, cool boards, a likeable cast, and a lot of extra content. However, these features are all moderately inferior to 2's and 3's. The Super Duel Mode, for example, is very slow-paced, and unlocking the parts for the machines you use can be tedious. Perhaps the best feature is the introduction of capsules, though they're still inferior to 3's items if only because laying them on spaces doesn't make your character invulnerable to them (you also don't reap the rewards of successful traps). And the soundtrack? Awful. I have to admit that I like the appearance of the Star Spirits as hosts (this is how I discovered that Kalmar's mouth is actually his mustache, lol). 76
Donkey Konga 2 game-cover. A kind of fun game I played in my spare time, but I lost interest in it very quickly. In fact, I haven't played it in years. 41.1
North American box art for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door The Thousand Year Door is a competent sequel, improving on Paper Mario's flaws in terms of graphics and Mario's abilities. The story isn't "Bowser took the Princess and/or a sacred object" as with most other Mario games, which I like. The boss fights (aside from Hooktail) don't require game-implied strategies, which means they're a lot more challenging (especially since they involve improvising), and the final boss fight is epic. There's tons of after-game content, too. I hate most of the partners, though, namely Goombella and Flurrie; the only partners I like are Koops, Bobbery, and the Yoshi Kid (I also really like their designs, however Koops's personality isn't too likeable). The dialogue is very crude and much of the humor is forced (Goombella's boisterous snarkiness and insults, for example). Another flaw is the physics of the hammers Mario acquires. Because the stone hammer is required to break giant yellow blocks, it can't actually break stone blocks, let alone giant stone blocks. The same is true with the metal hammer, which can't break metal blocks (as admitted by the game through Goombella). This flaw annoys me most of all, and I don't see why the hammers don't function they way they do in the first game. 98
North American box art for Mario Party 6 with the Nintendo GameCube Microphone included IMO, a large step up from 5. The day and night system reminds me of Mario Party 2's Horror Land board and is a nice touch overall. The minigames are slightly better than 5's and the story mode, while frustrating at times, is much more interesting. The capsules are improved since they're still under ownership of the user when thrown, and in general they allow for strategic play. 6's primary flaws are its subpar soundtrack, mediocre boards, useless Mic minigames, and the introduction of alternate methods to getting stars on certain boards (what was wrong with going up to the host and buying it for 20 coins? Some are OK, others are frustrating). 87
File:MP7BOX.PNG Hands down, the best Mario Party title on the GCN. Mario Party 7 has the best minigames since 2, awesome boards, slightly more pleasing visuals, a great cast (Dry Bones is the best addition), and a decent amount of extra content. The Bowser minigames are greatly improved upon this time around, with each one feeling like "The Final Battle!" from 4. Seriously, they can really generate the hype, even if you're playing by yourself. Unfortunately, the story mode's final minigame, as with the last two entries, is a little anticlimactic and annoying. I wish the mic minigames were removed (or at least the mic minigame spaces, which don't do anything if the mic option is turned off). I'm going to add here that the mic in general was a horrible accessory and concept. 89.8
File:SuperMarioStrikers.JPG I was generally uninterested in Mario sports games until I got my hands on Super Mario Strikers. The graphics are amazing, the controls and physics are smooth, and the cast is decent. I wish it had more content, though; the only unlockables are the Super Team robots and more challenging cups. 83

Other GameCube titles: Animal Crossing, Bomberman Generation, F-Zero GX, Hot Wheels Velocity X, Kirby Air Ride, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pokémon Colosseum (and the bonus disc), Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, Star Fox Adventues, Star Fox: Assault, Super Monkey Ball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Nintendo DS

Game Comments Rating
Sm64ds.jpg My very first DS game, not counting the Metroid Prime Hunters demo that came with the console. Most people say Super Mario 64 DS is inferior to the original, but I disagree. Given its vastly superior content and graphics but worse SFX, controls, and soundtrack, I give it a rating identical to the one I gave the original. Getting to play as characters besides Mario is fun, however I still mainly used Mario because as with Super Mario Advance, his stats are balanced and sufficient enough to complete almost every level. The multiplayer mode is fun too, and I honestly wish I had more people to play with. The minigames are also really fun, and there are plenty to choose from. 98
North American box art for Yoshi Touch & Go The only reason I asked my mom to buy this game for me was because I needed more DS games at the time (though looking back, I wasn't desperate, as I was still playing and enjoying Super Mario 64 DS). It's pretty boring, and as with most games that involve heavier-than-usual use of the touch screen, the controls are frustrating. As much as I don't mind revisiting, I have to ask: How long, exactly, is the story of Mario's childhood? 28.3
File:Superpeach.jpg The game starring Princess Peach that everybody wanted... isn't that bad. Super Princess Peach was my sister's, and she did decently until World 4, which is when I took over and got her to World 7. I haven't played the game in years and don't remember much besides slightly awkward controls, but I explicitly remember Gooper Blooper's infinite attack inciting a blinding rage. 73
File:Mario Kart DS Box (North America).png I spent nearly all of my middle school years playing Mario Kart DS. This installment has an amazing set of available characters and karts, my favorite additions being R.O.B. and the trendsetting Retro Tracks. Drifting is a little awkward, as command skidding isn't fully responsive, and collision physics are really annoying. Speaking of drifting, if you happen to be doing so, your character's side is still vulnerable to Red Shells. Not a huge deal, but that ruined my ranking a few times in the Grand Prix. Overall, Mario Kart DS is a really fun game. In retrospect, I really wish I was active online. 83
MarioLuigiPartnersTimeBox.jpg Partners in Time was the first and only M&L game I beat 100%, and has the best storyline in the series in my opinion. By holding both A and B (or X and Y, when the babies were alone or blocking with the hammer), I was able to make a purely damageless run after fighting Petey Piranha. This simple strategy allowed me to slice through the game like a hot knife through butter. I kinda wish it had after-game content, but the adventure itself is more than sufficient. 96
File:NewSuperMarioBrothers.jpg I thoroughly enjoyed New Super Mario Bros., beating it 100% (albeit with the help of a strategy guide) about a year after I got it (that's not to say it took a year). The Blue Shell is my absolute favorite power-up of all time in the universe, and I'm surprised it hasn't been seen since. NSMB's greatest flaw is perhaps its blatant lack of a co-op mode, which is made worse by the fact that it was intended, and an overall lackluster multiplayer mode. The game also lacks the difficulty of early Super Mario games. Despite all of this, NSMB is my favorite "New Super Mario" game. 90.1
North American boxart for Mario Hoops 3-on-3 It's sports. For a game from its time, the graphics are really good. Plus, there's tons of content in the form of unlockables, and I really like the soundtrack to this game despite how small it is (the menu music generated so much hype). However, the controls aren't ideal (some moves are specific to the touch screen, ugh) and the criterion for unlocking the Black Mage is asking for too much. 82
North American box art for Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis The only thing this entry has in common with the first MvD game is its plethora of problem-solving requisite for progression. I felt using Mario was a lot more fluid and a lot less frustrating than using only the Minis. I don't like this game, and I haven't touched the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series since. 10.9
North American box art for Yoshi's Island DS Excellent graphics and a decent cast (though it's a little annoying that some of the babies come and go), but terrible soundtrack and boring environments. I didn't spend much time playing Yoshi's Island DS. 63
File:250px-Wariods.jpg Not a WarioWare game, but not a Wario Land game either. I... just didn't understand it, and haven't played it since early 2007. 23
File:Cover DKRDS.png It isn't as fun to play as the original, with an inferior soundtrack, inferior controls, and barely improved graphics. I do appreciate the greater amount of content, though. 70
North American box art for Mario Party DS As a handheld Mario Party game, it's a huge step up from Mario Party Advance. As a Mario Party game in general, it's not as appealing as Mario Parties 1 through 8. It has good graphics and decent minigames, but a poor soundtrack and little content. 72
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Nintendo DS Box Art I don't know what I was thinking when I asked my mom to buy this game for me. I couldn't have been desperate for DS games, because I know that at the time I had plenty. Its appeal was probably the fact that it was a Mario and Sonic crossover, because I otherwise wouldn't have asked for it. I only played one event, and I remember the controls being ridiculous. 8.3
The North American cover of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. I was on the verge of sweeping through this game, but lost interest when I got to Plaque Beach. Bowser's Inside Story isn't a bad game, but it doesn't appeal to me as much as Superstar Saga or Partners in Time. I liked the plot and slightly improved graphics, but the soundtrack is mediocre and I find Starlow very annoying. 80

Other DS titles: Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon SoulSilver, Pokemon Black, Pokemon Black 2, Bomberman DS, Sonic Rush, Sonic Classic Collection, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Nanostray, Metroid Prime Hunters (and the demo), Metroid Prime Pinball, Snowboard Kids, Hot Wheels Track Attack, James Bond 007: GoldenEye, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, Pokemon Dash, Pokemon Platinum, Tetris DS, American Dragon: Jake Long - Attack of the Dark Dragon

Wii

Game Comments Rating
Smooth moves cover.jpg It's pretty fun, and the controls are actually very fluid. 80
Super Paper Mario North American cover art Super Paper Mario has a really good storyline, and the RPG and platformer elements were decently mixed (though the game is still inferior to the first two games). The graphics are a step-up from The Thousand Year Door, and there is plenty of content. I also liked being able to play as Bowser. However, the partner system was severely lacking; while the Pixls have unique and interesting personalities, they have very little dialogue, only speaking during their introductions (all but Tippi, who was boring compared to the previous living indexes). The crude humor from TTYD returns, though a little more modest. On the whole, Super Paper Mario doesn't deliver the same feel that its predecessors did. 84.7
USCover MSCF.jpg It's definitely not Super Mario Strikers, that's for damn sure. This game's controls and mechanics are different enough from its predecessor's that I was completely thrown off and quickly lost interest. Seriously, why make things difficult by having the player block multiple balls from a Mega Strike using wonky sensor controls? And why couldn't items be set off, or the difficulty be changed? I improved my skill in the first game by clearing the game on Easy for the unlockables and then proceeding to beat it on harder difficulties. As for items, them being default kind of discourages competitive play, which isn't ideal for a sports game (though I don't really mind items being on, as I was able to enjoy them in Mario Hoops). I appreciate the improved cast, the ability to pick three different teammates instead of having three of the same characters, and the addition of the Super Abilities which added more uniqueness to characters beyond their builds. The music is inferior, yet its soundtrack is the only one available online. Overall, it's a bad game. 42.2
File:MP8Box.jpg I'll admit that I thought this game would collect dust after one session of playing, but I was so wrong. Mario Party 8 follows 7 very well, playing very similarly with just as much content (if not more), plus a mostly enjoyable cast. This game gets too much flack for no good reasons ("It's not Mario Party 1/2/3!" is the most common, with "It's a Wii game!" being not too far behind), which hurts its recognition a lot. The controls are smooth, the graphics and sound effects are more than pleasant, and the music is the third best in the entire series. It also has some intense minigames not hindered at all by the Wiimote's functions. Unfortunately, only one board in the game hosted the traditional method for acquiring stars (DK's Treetop Temple), but all the other boards are still engaging with their mixups. My biggest problem with 8 is the removal of orbs. Candy is pretty, but the selection is mediocre in terms of use and variety, and that limits strategic play a little. I also didn't like thrusting the Wiimote upward to hit the dice blocks. The "A" button would have been sufficient, but whatever. Overall, Mario Party 8 is great and is in my opinion the last good Mario Party game, with every game after it being mediocre (Mario Party DS) or flat out terrible (9 and on). 86.2
File:SmG.jpg Another amazing Mario platformer, once more with breathtaking visuals thanks to vastly improved graphics. Super Mario Galaxy has tons of content, smooth controls, intense boss fights (Kingfin is one of my favorite bosses ever, and his theme is great), and engaging worlds. The gravity mechanic is fun as well. Its soundtrack is lackluster, and I think Mario's crawling animation is really bad, but other than that, this game masterfully delivers, much like the previous 3D Mario platformers. 96
Super Smash Bros. Brawl box art My current favorite Super Smash Bros. game and fighting game period, and my second favorite game overall, Brawl is almost a masterpiece. I say "almost" because it has a few glaring flaws in its content and gameplay. Initially I enjoyed the reduced hitstun since I saw it as leeway for more options and breaking combos, but all that really does is force players to play more defensively (camping, stalling, and retreating), which means competitive matches take longer to complete. To add, every character seems floatier and slower. Several characters got nerfed either by Brawl's physics (Captain Falcon) or by intention (Samus), which contributed to a gigantic lack of balance among characters (those familiar with the scene should know that Meta Knight is a dominating force, as are the Ice Climbers thanks to their chain grabs). Overall, the sound effects are slightly inferior to Melee's. As for content, I really appreciate character recognition through stickers, assist characters, and a greater selection of trophies. The Masterpieces are all unnecessary in my opinion (especially since most of the games of interest are owned in another capacity). Brawl's cast is great, but could have been much better if not for the Subspace Emissary, which has been confirmed to have hogged development time and storage space. The SSE was definitely not worth the characters that were cut (including Dixie, Mewtwo, Dr. Mario). The stage and music selection rival those of Melee's, though I think they're slightly better. Now onto the good things... basically everything I like about a [multiplayer] game is attributed to Brawl: a nice soundtrack, connectivity with friends through Wi-Fi, excellent visuals, amiable physics, and tons of content and replayability (I still play the game to this day). That said, this game gets an A+ from me. 99.8
Mkwii.jpg When I look at Mario Kart Wii's glaring flaws, such as its lazy recycling of character models and other graphics from Double Dash!! (plus lazy modeling in general; look at how Toad's, Toadette's, and all the babies' arms elongate when they're on bikes), worst-designed standard karts in Mario Kart history, absolute worst Rainbow Road, mediocre soundtrack, terrible voice acting, terrible item selection (with the absolute worst item of all time being the Thunder Cloud), and overpowered bikes, I sometimes forget about what makes this game so fun. Despite a mediocre soundtrack, MKW has the best menu music of all time (both off- and online). It also has the best cast (though I wish R.O.B. made it), and the available karts and bikes are plentiful with simple unlocking criteria. The ability to do stunts off ramps is a nice addition to the gameplay that I still enjoy, but the sideways ramps are 100% useless, and I'm glad they were removed in later installments. I liked that drifting mechanics are fixed as well (you can't skid on command anymore, so snaking is thankfully a lot harder to do). Speaking of drifting, for casual players who never got the hang of drifting, the available Automatic mode for karts and bikes is a feature very friendly to them (in future games, automatic is entered only at low speeds). MKW's Wi-Fi is much better than its predecessor's, and though that's based purely on my experience, I still think it's a safe statement given the amount of racers increased by 4, and the variety provided with an excellent selection of characters and karts made races a lot more interesting. Despite being exclusive to Wi-Fi and having access for a limited time, the after-game content was superb. I never participated in any of the tournaments (similar to the missions from MKDS, which involved battling and racing bosses) but I've seen gameplay of them on YouTube and they looked worthwhile. Overall, Mario Kart Wii is a great game, I just wish there was more attention paid to aesthetics. 91
File:Mariobox-noscale.jpg New Super Mario Bros. Wii had one thing the original didn't have that was sorely missed: co-op. Unfortunately, progress is heavily dependent on co-operative play if you're a casual, so the game isn't much fun by yourself. The improved graphics, return of the Koopalings, and the Wii version of the main theme are all really nice, but otherwise NSMBW is a mediocre title. 75.1
Boxart for Super Mario Galaxy 2. A nice successor to Super Mario Galaxy. I like new hub world, but the map layout being similar to that of the older platformer games was an unnecessary overhaul in my opinion. The game mirrors Galaxy 1 in terms of soundtrack, content, and visuals. 95.4
North American box art for Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition It's just like the original. Still fun, though I feel there could have been more on the disc. I only bought it for the bonus CD lol. 89.9
MP9Boxart.jpg Man, this game sucks. The other Mario Party games I had problems with are still playable to a degree, but this one? Other than a decent soundtrack, the best graphics, what I consider the best cast in the entire series (kind of sad that it went to waste on such a bad game), and an amiable new minigame winning placement system (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc for 4-player minigames instead of one player winning or tying with any of the other players), Mario Party 9 has nothing going for it and rightfully sees very little play, at least from Mario Party enthusiasts like yours truly. The minigames didn't keep me interested for very long, and the boards, while spectacularly designed, all sucked because of the overhaul of the requisites for winning a game. What makes the game so bad? Well, as mentioned, the system you were familiar with from the previous 8 titles was completely redone. Literally, the only thing that 9's system has in common with any of the older ones is the fact that you win by having more of a certain item than your opponents. The game is a lot more luck based, making strategy a lot more rare or at least a hell of a lot more difficult to carry out. Instead of items, you get different kinds of dice blocks. Some roll 1-6, some roll 4-6, some roll 0-1, but the default block no longer allows rolling to 10 (though there is one that lets you do it, and I do appreciate the closer resemblance to real-world board game die). Instead of looping, each board had a "start" and a "finish" with a boss minigame at the end... and that's not even the worst part. Are you ready? Here it is: ...the participating characters no longer move about separately. Every character is bound to some kind of vehicle that carries all of them as many spaces as the amount rolled in the leading character's (called the "captain") dice block. Of course, each character gets to roll once per turn, and the captain will suffer or benefit from the effects of whatever he or she travels through. This repeats until the end of the board is reached, and captains tend to get bonuses when they win. One thing I did like about 9 was its return to simply pressing the "A" button to hit a dice block. I'll also admit that some of the boss minigames (specifically the fight with Dry Bones and King Boo) were pretty intense and fun, but the rest didn't keep up. 45

Other Wii titles: Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, New Play Control! Pikmin 2, Pokemon Battle Revolution, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Sonic Colors

Mario Kart competency lists

Here, I list the characters I like to use in the Mario Kart games, and in the case of Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, I'll list which parts I prefer using. I'll also list preferred karts for Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. A hyphen ("-") indicates inapplicability due to there not being a selection of karts or bikes.

Game Favorite characters Preferred karts Preferred bikes
File:Super Mario Kart logo.gif File:SMKMario2.png File:MKTroopa.PNG - -
File:Mk64 logo.gif Animated GIF of Mario from the character select screen in Mario Kart 64. - -
File:Logo MKSC.jpg Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit. - -
File:Mkddlogo.PNG Mario's icon in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!Koopa's icon in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!Paratroopa's icon in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Red FireKoopa DasherPara Wing -
Mario Kart DS logo File:MarioMKDS.pngFile:R.O.B MKDS.pngFile:DryBonesMKDS.png Standard MR/RB/DB, ROB-BLS, Dry Bomber -
Mario Kart Wii logo.png Sprite of MarioSprite of Koopa TroopaFile:MK Wii Dry Bones icon.PNG Wild Wing, Tiny Titan, Mini Beast Zip Zip, Magikruiser
File:185px-Mk7.png Sprite of MarioMetal MarioSprite of Koopa Troopa Pipe Frame MK7 Standard.png File:Superglider.png
Bolt Buggy MK7 Mushroom Wheels.png Paraglider, also known as Parafoil.
Blue Seven MK7 Slick.png Swoop
-
The most recent Mario Kart 8 logo. Mario's head icon in Mario Kart 8 Metal Mario's head icon in Mario Kart 8 Koopa Troopa's head icon in Mario Kart 8 Pipe Frame body from Mario Kart 8 Standard Tires from Mario Kart 8/Blue Standard tires from Mario Kart 8 Super Glider from Mario Kart 8
Circuit Special body from Mario Kart 8 Slick tires from Mario Kart 8 Parachute glider from Mario Kart 8
Varmint body from Mario Kart 8 Monster from Mario Kart 8 Plane Glider from Mario Kart 8
The Duke body from Mario Kart 8 Monster from Mario Kart 8/Hot Monster tires from Mario Kart 8 Plane Glider from Mario Kart 8

Personal artwork

External links