Retro|Spective 075R: Super Mario

[Neon Ignition]

Game 55 - Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
The Gamecube was in full swing and so were the follow ups to the deluge of tie-ins the N64 had spawned. Next up was the next golfing entry which upped the visual quality and the number of selectable characters but was otherwise criticised for not adding much to the formula.







A hole in one effort?

[Mayhem]

Loved WarioWare. Didn't think the Cube version of Golf was quite as good as the N64 version for some reason.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 56 - Mario Kart: Double Dash
The fourth entry made its anticipated way to the Gamecube and offered kart racing with two players on each kart. Adding online play for consoles and some new characters alongside an array of new courses, the new entry scored strong reviews and went on to be the systems second highest selling entry but as time has gone on lacks the fan passion some other entries have enjoyed.







Did this entry make you Dash for the controller or was it the weakest of the four entries up until this point?

[Neon Ignition]

Double Dash isn't bad but I never rated it. I first played it in HMV a few days before its release and from the get go I felt winded by it, an experience it never recovered from. It's hard to pin point an precise issue with it, it's more a variety of small things that come together to spoil it. The tracks begin to feel a tad too wide, the visuals weren't great, it didn't feel like it controlled as satisfyingly as the other entries etc. If I had to mark out a slump period in the Mario Kart franchise then this would be where it began even if a weaker Mario Kart is still better than other kart racers.

[Deuteros]

As my first Mario Kart, I loved it! And after buying a few cheap, 3rd-party controllers, so did the rest of my family.

[Mayhem]

I still remember the eight Cube network set up at Charles' with 16 of us playing all together in various rooms of the house!

[wakka]

I still remember the eight Cube network set up at Charles' with 16 of us playing all together in various rooms of the house!

Oh wow, that's incredible. I hadn't even heard of that feature, just looked it up.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 57 - Mario Party 5
I know - why, why so many? - The fifth entry rolled around fast with seven boards and three additional characters to select from. Predictably, the stagnation in the series development led to weaker reviews for what was still a popular title.







Welcome to the Party, pal?

[Neon Ignition]

Game 58 - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
The franchise returned to the RPG genre for a third time with this GBA based title that took a stronger focus on humour and saw players control Mario and Luigi at the same time. The title was yet another acclaimed entry into the franchise, quickly proving a hit that would pave the way for more handheld based entries.







A Superstar Saga?

[Neon Ignition]

Game 59 - Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Tying in with the Gamecube game and following up on the GB entry, this new title featured an overworld mode that players could explore and interact with characters and items. Players use one of two new generic boy/girl type characters as they play through the games golfing single player mode.






A teed up hit or a sign of how wide of the shot the spin-offs were becoming?

[Neon Ignition]

Game 60 - Mario vs Donkey Kong
Following on from the success of the Game Boy DK94 title, this GBA entry introduced Mini-Mario's and saw Mario tackling puzzles and platforming challenges to face off against Donkey Kong. The game proved a hit critically and commercially effectively spawning another sub-series.





A worthy follow up to the Game Boy gem?

[Nu-Eclipse]

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is an excellent sequel to DK94 and pretty much the best game in the "Mario vs. DK" series. I hate the way that the sequels ditch the platform gaming for tedious Lemmings-style puzzle gaming.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 61 - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Peach has been kidnapped by aliens and another quest begins for Mario with the Paper aesthetic of the N64 title returning for this fourth RPG adventure. The game is broadly very similar to the N64 entry and with its tweaks and visual advancements was very well received by fans and critics alike.







A classic or an entry you slammed the door on?

[Mayhem]

Mario RPGs, yep, definitely!

[Neon Ignition]

I really enjoyed TTYD, it polished off the concept really well and I dropped off it a fair bit after this one