[QUOTE="Madmangamer364"][QUOTE="Sepewrath"] Mario World had more levels than Mario Bros 3 with the Star World and Special World and secret stages. And the stages with the special exits and such were more varied than SMB3. For me the only SMB3 did better than SMW was with the suits, or lack there of in SMW. Sepewrath
IMO, SMB3's levels were better designed, though. SMB3 was the game that actually introduced the multiple level exit idea (just not nearly as many as SMW), and then you had things like the auto-scrolling levels that would have you making ever-so-vital jumps, stages that required certain power-ups to access hidden areas or even beat the level you were on, and later on, stages that were very puzzle-like in the way you have to navigate through warp pipes or other level-specific gadgets. In comparison, SMW was much more straightforward and didn't throw quite as much at you (with the exception of a handful of stages), despite having more stages that were also larger. SMB3 was a little ahead of its time, and I'm amazed at the fact that after all of these years, some of SMB3's levels haven't been touched by more recent games (Galaxy comes somewhat close, though, considering its 3D).
What I liked more about SMW world level design is that even in a 2D world it managed to not make things so straight forward, from the hidden exits, to the hidden dragon coins, to entire levels that were puzzles like the Ghost House, and it also has scrolling stages, like riding the moving elevator in the castles, the scrolling levels felt more organic in MW than the did SMB3, so to me it was the superior game. And I do believe that SMW has more levels than SMB3 or at the very least about the same, either way levels were bigger and more robust in World.A difference of opinion, I suppose. Nothing wrong with that, though; if nothing else, the two games are so neck-to-neck with each other, it only takes thing or two to come to a conclusion as to which one you like more. :lol: I do agree that SMW gives you more reasons to explore a particular level, thanks in large part to the hidden exits and Dragon Coins, and the Ghost Houses did add a more puzzle-like element to the stages every now and then. I just personally find SMB3's designs a bit more devious when it comes to some of its puzzles and more creative in actual design and layout. I also have to recall those "what the..." first impressions you get in SMB3 when you first encounter the stage with the attacking sun in World 2 or going to World 4 for the first time and seeing giant enemies, among a few other things. I sense these are things that would still catch many young gamers off-guard even to this day, and I think some of World 7's levels would flat out scare a kid or two. SMW clearly evolved some of SMB3's ideas, but by then, they didn't have quite that same impression on me in shock/wow factor.
I think I'm also more partial to SMB3 because it was still an 8-bit game and had less to work with technically than World did. However, it was such a leap over the original SMB that it almost feels like it was on a different system. Even now, that's something you just don't see from one game to another on the same system. Every now and then, I still feel like there are secrets to that game that I haven't explored yet, and that's saying a ton. But yeah... both Mario platformers are superb games that every gamer should experience at least once in their lifetime.
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