Sonic 1 vs. Mario World

[Zebbe]

Sonic 1. Much better graphics and music, and I prefer the faster gameplay as well. It's not a standard platformer, they were much slower and less animated up to that point. Sonic's design has hills, loops and multiple paths, which are all worthy of mention as well. I'd take SMB3 over SMW any day as well, the worlds were so much more imaginary there.

[NerdXCrewWill]

When I was 5 years old, I could fly easily with Mario's cape and his tail. I never thought it was complex at all. Everyone I've ever put in front of Super Mario World has picked it up easily, including other 5 year olds (at least well enough to get through the level, although maybe not well enough to fly past everything). Super Mario World is hardly complex. There are more secrets that require some extra skill, but that was hardly mandatory.

Since I'm talking about my experiences as a kid, I figure I'll add something about Sonic 1. Sonic's momentum based running was really tough for me. I had to back up to get running starts to get through loops. I really disliked that aspect as a kid, as well as the slow as molasses walking throughout much of the game. Luckily Sonic 2 and Sonic CD fixed that. I think those two games are both much better than Sonic 1.

Also, I still stand by my belief that Super Mario World allows you to move through the levels faster than Sonic 1. The running just isn't as fast as Sonic's when you're moving full speed.

[PresidentLeever]

^Agreed on your last paragraph, SMW is the overall faster/better flowing game. Besides the lack of spindash in Sonic 1, the controls when turning are less responsive (fixed in later games), there are several parts where you're just waiting for objects to move (elevators in Spring Yard, floating blocks in Marble Zone etc.) and the game slows to a crawl during the underwater sections.

Nowadays if I want to play Sonic 1, I go for the romhack that lets me play as Tails as he can swim, spindash and even fly past some of the slower parts.

[starchildskiss78]

OK well, what I'd like to know is a gameplay-related reason not to like Sonic 1, I don't see how a three frame animation after the credits could swing someones overall opinion either way. The reward in both these games lies mainly in the enjoyment of beating the levels and collecting stuff, not so much the story/cutscenes.

I was replying to your argument about SMW being easier to beat and still get a good ending (didn't know there were different ones), which I don't see how it makes the game more rewarding when there's less effort involved.

I wasn't quite clear about the SMW bit. I didn't get to the end of the game taking the route where I skipped the special stages or alternate paths. I put the game down for a while (after getting to about World 5) and started from scratch. I may be being a stickler, but I do like to enjoy the ending of a game after putting forth so much effort to beat it.

My opinions between Sonic 1 and SMW are mostly just a matter of preference it seems. SMW was vibrant, colorful, and contained memorable enemies. Sonic 1 had beautiful stages and catchy music, but I felt like the speed and spinning was just a gimmick. Half the time I would be speeding along and get hit by an enemy! And I still stand by my stance that the story in Sonic 1 seems more contrived than SMW. Yes, Mario has saved Princess Peach's bacon two times before SMW but I guess I enjoy saving her.

Bottom line...it's a matter of preference. We don't have to share opinions on something. Sometimes our reasoning may not seem rational, but after 21 years since my exposure to Mario and the NES I still love Nintendo to the core.

Happy gaming my friend...play whatever causes you the most enjoyment!

[PresidentLeever]

Bottom line...it's a matter of preference. We don't have to share opinions on something. Sometimes our reasoning may not seem rational, but after 21 years since my exposure to Mario and the NES I still love Nintendo to the core.

Happy gaming my friend...play whatever causes you the most enjoyment!

Sure, and I don't mind that. I'm just here for the discussion and maybe finding a new angle on these games that have been talked about to death. I can definitely see where you're coming from regarding Sonic.

Same to you man

[goatdan]

The cape really isn't that complicated. Hold Y to run and press B to take off. No need to keep pressing a button to fly upwards like in SMB3.

From there, your only options are to either keep pressing left or right in a rhythm (Whichever is the opposite direction you're moving) if you want to fly horizontally, up on the d-pad if you want to dive, down if you want to soar upwards, or keep B pressed in if you want to glide back down (Far simpler than constantly hitting a button to wag your tail to glide down like in SMB3).

It's no more complicated than SMB3. In fact, other than the extremely easy to learn technique for horizontal flight (Which is 100% optional in this game), the cape controls are easier and more sensible than SMB3's raccoon tail is to use, if you ask me.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

Deal on the agreeing to disagree. For my part, the hitting the button on SMB3 allows you to make very precise drops in altitude which I felt like was impossible with SMW's cape. I played with it a lot -- I've beaten SMW multiple times -- but I've never felt like I could do everything with the cape that I could with the Raccoon Tail.

Man, all this talk makes me want to play SMB3 again

[chrisbid]

sonic the hedgehog had more to do with the success of the genesis than smw did with the success of the snes. in 1991 mario was stale, and nintendo was tired of him. in fact, it took nearly another 20 years before nintendo would release another console 2d mario game. the staleness of smw is one of the reasons why the snes stumbled out of the gate after launch.

sonic the hedgehog was a breath of fresh air in 1991. it legitimized sega as a real player in the industry. marketing alone can never sell a game, it can only provide a spark. when a game goes into the sales stratosphere like sonic the hedgehog (pulling up with it the install base of the sega genesis), the quality of the game is the workhorse.

in 1991, sonic the hedgehog was the better game. it sold better than smw, and it pushed more consoles sales than smw. people bought sega genesis consoles to play sonic the hedgehog the same way people bought NESs to play super mario bros 5 years earlier. people didnt start buying SNESs in big numbers until Street Fighter II was released.

in 2011, sonic and sega are laughing stocks and it is easy to forget that they were ever on top of the world. add to that modern gaming sensibilities (games should be easy, games should save progress, ability to grind, etc), then smw is the better game. but an old schooler like myself still appreciates how fun sonic the hedgehog is... with my limited time to play games, going back and whipping through the original sonic and collecting all the emeralds is still quite the challenge.

super mario world feels like a chore, i love to play through the first world, but things start to get dull in world 2. and with the ability to save, and go back and grind for lives and what not, there is no sense of danger of me losing all of my lives.

[Kevincal]

That's well said, I kinda feel that way too. The other thing Nintendo messed up on in 1991 was trying to sell their system with SMW at a higher price than the Genesis with Sonic. That is why I chose a Genesis with Sonic over a SNES with SMW. I can't remember the exact about but it was something like $25-50 more for the SNES SMW bundle. If they had been the same price I would have gone with the SNES bundle. I even remember one of my parents asking me "you sure you dont want the new nintendo system?" Heh. One thing is for sure I like Mario Bros. 3 more than SMW.

When you think about it, SMW and Sonic & Knuckles have a lot of similarities, 4th game in the series and getting to the point that the series is becoming tired and worn out and too similar to the previous game in the series to really have a wow factor. Sonic definitely had that wow factor. So much so that Sonic alone took hardcore NES gamers and turned them into Sega Sonic lovers, like me. I went running back to Nintendo when the N64 came out though lol. I never gave the Saturn a chance. :P

[Rob2600]

in 1991 mario was stale, and nintendo was tired of him. in fact, it took nearly another 20 years before nintendo would release another console 2d mario game.

I'm not sure where you're getting your "facts" from, but Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was released four years after SMW in North America, not 20.

And if Nintendo thought the Mario series was stale and tired, why did it pour so much effort into Super Mario 64? Your post makes no sense.

[Leo_A]

I'm not sure where you're getting your "facts" from, but Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was released four years after SMW in North America, not 20.

I think despite the tag line at the end of the title, most people consider Yoshi's Island its own series rather than entries in the 2D Super Mario platforming lineup. I know that's how I feel and that's the impression I've gotten from forums like this over the years,

Anyways, it isn't correct even if you take that point of view. Super Mario Land 2 was very much a traditional Mario platformer and was released after Super Mario World was. In fact, it even took several elements from Super Mario World and it's quite clear that that they took a lot of inspiration from it (The world map, alternate exits, the Mario sprite, the feather is a bit like the cape was, the midpoint level markers, etc.).

But after that, I think most people agree that we didn't get another one until New Super Mario Brothers was released on the DS.

[chrisbid]

- i did use the word console in my description. as good as handheld titles can be, even AAA handheld titles are not given the resources of their console older cousins

- super mario world 2 is not a proper mario game despite the title

[chrisbid]

I'm not sure where you're getting your "facts" from, but Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was released four years after SMW in North America, not 20.

And if Nintendo thought the Mario series was stale and tired, why did it pour so much effort into Super Mario 64? Your post makes no sense.

they put all of their effort into 3D mario, a completely different style of game from the first 4 super mario bros games. nintendo thought 2D mario bros games were stale. it showed in super mario world, and it furthered showed in the fact that they didnt make another one until the late 00's.

[Leo_A]

- i did use the word console in my description.

Sorry about that, I missed that the first time around.

[SonicBoom]

Look at my name and take a guess.

[ReaXan]

I think Sonic 2 was the real competitor to Super Mario World even though it was released a year after the SNES. Most people I knew didn't even start getting a SNES/Genesis until 92-93 and even up to 1995/1996 in some cases.


Sonic 3 is obviously the best Sonic in the series and Mario eventually dominates Sonic after the 16 bit era but Super Mario World didn't age well for me. Sonic 2 was a slightly better experience as a child compared to Super Mario World.

Also would have also been nice if Sega would have pushed the Sparkster/Rocket Knight Adventure character more, basically having it so there were more games with him and have commericals where he and Sonic team up and put Mario in a garbage can like that he is "old news" or something.Even make a crossover game with Sonic and Sparkster. Sega could have made a few harder hits on Nintendo looking back.

Basically there wasnt enough Mario content on the SNES while we got alot of mostly good Sonic content.. SMW2 came late in the SNES's life, which was around the time I started getting into the Playstation.

[o.pwuaioc]

For me it's Sonic 3 + Knuckles > Super Mario World > Sonic the Hedgehog. Out of the latter two, like here have already said, SMW just has the bigger game. So much more in it, but one thing I do like about Sonic better is the level design. Loops and twirls is where Sonic was at.

Basically there wasnt enough Mario content on the SNES while we got alot of mostly good Sonic content.. SMW2 came late in the SNES's life, which was around the time I started getting into the Playstation.

And it sucked at that. Sonic 1 through S&K was consistently getting better, while there was tons of controversy about SMW2.

[Rickstilwell1]

J_factor brings up a great point regarding Mario games and the run Button, I also find myself holding that down the whole time I am playing. I wonder what it would of been like with a walk button instead.

The Donkey Kong games and the first Gex are exactly the same way. It's just the norm in half the platformers, but Mario started it.

Oddworld also had a run button as well.

[hellraiser]

Sonic.


If you asked me way back when I would have said sonic. The game was just more fun. Mario world was an epic however I can remember thinking how boring it was.

20 years later I own both and while I've played more Mario world now then I ever did the same remains. It just gets boring after a while.

Sonic doesn't give you the time to get boring. Its all flash and action then bam its over. It's kinda like the old saying,"leave them wanting more".

[FLYBOMBER]

The Donkey Kong games and the first Gex are exactly the same way. It's just the norm in half the platformers, but Mario started it.

Oddworld also had a run button as well.

Mario didn't start it at all.

[treismac]

And it [SMW2] sucked at that. Sonic 1 through S&K was consistently getting better, while there was tons of controversy about SMW2.

Yoshi's Island is a kick ass gaming experience. It is certainly a departure from the classical Mario experience, but it is nevertheless a really great game. Also, what controversy are you talking about?