PixlBit

Yeah, I'm for remaking any older Zelda title, but not before Link's Awakening! Ha ha.

Ha, yeah, Pokemon Pinball was a good take on the past time. It lacks the charm of Mario Pinball Land, but plays better if I remember correctly.

That would be a fine way to play; loose copies of the game aren't too expensive, and it generally looks good on the Player. You can also download the game for five or six bucks on the 3DS e-shop.

If you don't mind black and white, you can always go for the original Game Boy game as well. It's basically the same, but the hidden ending is different and perhaps suggests a different meaning.

Ha, ha. You inspired me to actually go to my Wii and play the VC version I had downloaded ages ago. Still can't find any serious problem with the controls, although they do feel "weightier" than later Mario games, and maybe thus a tad less precise. Guess we'll just have to disagree on their overall quality, though.

That camera, on the other hand, is still pretty obnoxious.

Crash isn't big on powerups, but the third game does have plenty of "vehicles" that act as powerups in many ways. So, if you want a platformer that's a little less stringent on the actual platforming, you might want to try this one first. It's probably my favorite of the three (it's also the most accessible), but it's really a matter of taste as they're all pretty good.

Couldn't help but read your comments. If you're looking for a straight and pure platformer, you can't go wrong with the Crash Bandicoot games. All you do, literally, is run forward and jump over holes. There are even 2-D platforming segments. And virtually no powerups beyond invicibility.

I'd recommend the first two if you're curious--even the graphics hold up better than most games of the era.

You're incorrect about some of those later Wario Land games--many did sport a life bar and powerups, including Wario Land 4, Wario Land VB, and Wario Land Shake It. Additionally, the first Wario Land game felt nothing like a Mario game, even if it did sport powerups (which were also nothing like traditional Mario abilities). I mean, the fact Mario's barely even in the game makes the presence of it in your list a debatable one. But no biggie.

As for Mario 64, I have played it recently and find no real error with the controls. In fact, outside a few quirks, I think they're still pretty wonderful (it was the game that sold everyone on the analog stick, after all). That said, compared to simpler, more accessible games like Mario 3-D World, I can see how someone might find the controls trickier or harder to manage. Anyway, have you tried Mario 64 DS on a 3DS? Using the circle pad makes a world of difference there, although you'll have to hold a button down to run which is admittedly a slight bummer. Either way, I think a stronger case can be made against Mario 64's camera, which is indeed obnoxious in more demanding areas.

I don't have any huge complaints about your list, just some nitpicks here and there, like counting Super Mario Land 3 when it's really a Wario game. If you're going to do that, you'll also have to include Wario Land 2 through 4, plus all the other spin-offs (like Wario Land Shake It).

Well, I guess I do have one big complaint--your placement of Super Mario 64. You obviously don't seem to be factoring historical significance into your rankings, but even so, the game's free-roaming gameplay has aged well, and even the graphics are tolerable thanks to their clean, well-defined textures. In honesty, it's only real flaws are a sloppy camera and occasionally fussy controls. You may want to reexamine this game, or at least try the DS remake (which I notice you didn't include here).

I do appreciate your insights into the 3-D Land and World games, however. They're fine titles, but yep, they're pretty much the 2-D games skewed sideways. 3-D World, however, at least changes the formula enough within certain levels to keep things interesting.

(And, as a side note, what is up with all that Rosalina worship, anyway?)

Sorry to hear about your poor cat. I'm a huge cat lover myself and I know it's tough, especially with not having the money you wish you had to fix her up. Hopefully, she'll bounce back.

Well, I think you're right, but my point is that, by having a character speak, you then naturally grant him/her a personality. And Samus had been silent for so long, I don't think any kind of characterization would have lived up to the most obsessed fans' expectations. They were already convinced she was a certain way (tough, silent, independent, serious), and that was that.

Same with Link--if he was given a voice, even though I'm sure people would complain about how he sounded, it would be the inevitable personality thus inferred from that speaking part which fans would ultimately choose to accept or deny in the end.