I read quite a few gaming blogs. Halfway through writing my list, I read some excellent advice from a blogger. He said that you should try and keep the word "fun" out of your descriptions of games. He explained that fun is the most subjective word that can be used to explain a game's appeal. Everyone has a different opinion on what makes something fun.
I started following that advice at that moment. I have to abandon that advice now.
Super Mario World is the most fun game I've ever played.
Fun for me, in this instance, means quirky, humorous, exciting, timeless, polished, and perfect. SMW somehow hits a balance of being tense but forgiving, epic but down-to-earth, and challenging but accessible.
It had the fun, little features like bongos being added to the music whenever you were riding Yoshi or hilltops having to wear bandages. It had an amazing soundtrack with songs that we still know today.. It featured the only use of Mario's cape in a platformer (I used to spin with the cape around levels nonstop yelling "Welcome to the blender!!!"). It had the first use of Yoshi in a platformer. My wife loved Yoshi so much that whenever I had to let Yoshi die, she would yell at me. There was that much appeal for that pixelated dinosaur.
The addition of Star World and Special World made extra achievements for gamers to strive for. An average gamer may hope to only beat the main game and Nintendo set the difficulty accordingly. But a hardcore gamer might look to beat every single level possible including the extra worlds, which is still a difficult achievement today.
I've been told that I only have the game at the top of the list because of nostalgia. That's not the truth. I have nostalgia for games like Blaster Master, but that's a grueling game that I only love because I played it when I was young.
Super Mario World is not a game that's loved only because of nostalgia. It's a game that's loved because it's a perfect platformer.
I'll say it again. I've played hundreds and hundreds of games. Without any doubt, Super Mario World is my favorite game of all time.
Thank you for all that have followed the list all the way through.
Up next, Tych's top games list and our Video Game Weapons tournament.
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