After two incredible games in the Mario 3D Franchise (Land and World), I think the next logical step is to take advantage of the Galaxy name and just make that the title and theme of the next Mario 3D Game.

What do you think?

I know they've been terrible at naming games lately, but I think even Nintendo wouldn't stoop so low.

I'd really enjoy that in the future, as I like this design style. I'm hoping, however, that they are taking a break and going in a different direction with the next 3D Mario game from both Galaxy and 3D Land/World. Obviously, this is where Hinph says he wants to see Subcon and SMB2 type elements and design in 3D, but that is a very specific wish that is never going to happen.

It would be really great if they can once again come up with a new way to really shake things up. Failing that, we're also overdue for a 64/Sunshine kind of objective based platformer.

Then there's the 2D entries... I don't know what they can do there, but I don't ever want to see another "New Super Mario Bros" game again. Eveeer.

I hope not. I can't help but feel like Nintendo isn't as interested in pushing Mario forward anymore and is instead trying to zero in on the most inoffensive, safest Mario games why can make. Ever since NSMB the 2D games have played it extremely safe and after Galaxy the 3D ones started to as well. It just feels so stock now. World map to level that is a kind of a linear obstacle course, 3 secrets hidden along the way, occasionally with a secret exit that lets you go to a different section of world map, flagpole at the end to cap it off. Rinse and repeat. I have no issues with that for a couple games but I feel like this is the sole direction Nintendo is steering Mario and it will be a long time until we get another Galaxy level of ambitious leap forward in design.

If they do I will be disappointed. People look to Mario as a tried and true formula, we need something that shakes this up instead of staying safe.

I wouldn't mind another Galaxy installment but something tells me that they are already working on something different to keep it fresh.

I wouldn't be surprised if they just ported the first two games in HD. I felt like there was a lot of Galaxy love in SSB4, and seeing those environments in HD made me curious. Sounds like it'd be a low cost money maker for them. Both games on the same disc? What a ridiculous value that would be.

I'd also like to see them go back to something a little more open ended. I like the 3D ______ games but I miss the playground mentality of 64 and Sunshine to an extent. All of their 3D games in general feel like they've gotten more closed off and restricted. You can't even drive around Peach's castle in Royal Raceway anymore. Luigi's Mansion is more of a level by level game now. The only game that feels more open ended from the past several years is probably Link Between Worlds, unless we want to count Xenoblade.

No thanks. I'd rather see something back to the old open-world (though I hesitate to use that wordage) of Mario 64 or Mario Sunshine. 3D World and Land were nice distractions, but not what I want future Mario games to be. I want to explore, not be set onto a linear track and told to walk forward (which is the same with Galaxy, minus a few levels here and there).

That said, yes, I do think we'll see such a thing from Nintendo. They seem to be more and more obsessed with this idea of "Let's keep doing the same thing" now than they ever have before.

At this point, I wouldn't mind a return to the Super Mario 64/Sunshine design.

GameDadGrant said:

At this point, I wouldn't mind a return to the Super Mario 64/Sunshine design.

I want this AND the 3D World style games.

Super Mario 3D Galaxy doesn't seem particularly unlikely to me.

Throw me in the pile that wants a return to 64/Sunshine but doesn't expect to ever get it.

I think it depends on sales data. They thought if they made the 3D games more simplistic, linear, and family/multiplayer focused (like NSMB) they'd sell better than the Galaxy games. Did they? If so I think they'll just keep cloning them ad nauseam.

I've kind of written off 3-D Mario and another one of those Nintendo franchises not made for me anymore, I'd love it if another 64/Sunshine/Galaxy game came out but I'm not holding my breath. Just like I'm not holding my breath for another Metroid game, or Star Fox, or F-Zero.

I actually like the current "find three things and reach the flagpole" formula of the recent games. It might feel "safe" or samey but the way I see it, we're getting a greater quantiy of unique challenges and obstacles courses (and of a higher quality) than the few sandboxes of Mario 64 that we kept having to revisit. It's more bang for my buck.

We've kind of gotten over the newness of running and jumping around in a 3D environment for the hell of it at this point anyway, right? At least as vanilla Mario. Perhaps I wouldn't be opposed to a return to fewer, more open levels that you revisit a lot if Mario came with a whole new set of power-ups that changed significantly how you move around a level.

I'm thinking more something like a web-slinging Mario (with a cute spider suit) and less a stupid jetpack (sorry, FLUDD).

3D World was really fun as a multiplayer Mario thing to play, so I'm glad it exists, but I feel like we're about due for Super Mario Universe.

I could see a Super Mario Galaxy 3. With the Wii U's power, the planetoids can become actual huge planets to explore. If Galaxy 2 was made from left-over ideas from the first game, imagine how many ideas were still left over, and how many new ideas they could come up with since then.

Also, Nintendo knows that the Galaxy games are highly revered in gaming circles. A third installment would create such hype, unlike any 3D-world/land-esque or NSMB-esque game could at this point.

Edit: yep, Super Mario Universe is perfect.

@deathly_hallows

Miyamoto straight up told everyone at E3 this year that they are making a new Starfox game.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I find it kind of hilarious that people are so quick to say that Nintendo has moved on from titles like Galaxy forever. There's been exactly one 3D console Mario since Mario Galaxy 2 and people are acting like it's been dead and gone for a decade. I can only imagine what you guys must have gone through over Metroid during the N64 years.

@Jargon

I'm not even sure what "title like Galaxy" means. Linear, with semi-interactive mid-level cutscenes (when you're launched from a star), and without a timer?

Galaxy's level design=/=64's level design.

anon_mastermind said:

I could see a Super Mario Galaxy 3. With the Wii U's power, the planetoids can become actual huge planets to explore.

The Wii's power didn't prevent Galaxy to have "huge planets to explore". Huge planets to explore are basically just normal levels.

Galaxy had planetoids because it made its physics interesting. It was a choice, not a compromise.

@Guillaume

I just meant from a controls standpoint. There seems to be a perception that Nintendo will never go back to a full range of motion and will stick with the 3D Land/World kind of hybrid.

Miyamoto already said that just because they tried something a bit different with 3D Land/World doesn't mean that they are done making Mario games like Galaxy. Mario games like 64/Sunshine? No comment there. Heh.

I think the only reason objective based design like we got in 64 exists at all is because they couldn't fit 100 linear 3D platforming levels on a cartridge, nor did they have the experience with 3D development at the time to do that. It was a very clever solution that others copied, and it just sort of became the standard in 3D platformer design for awhile after that. I appreciate that they have mixed the series up since then and, as I have stated in the past, do believe that the Mario series is better suited for more linear gameplay... and objectively more popular with the masses that way. Still, the objective based platformer is now a great genre that has now been neglected for a really long time. I'd love to see it return, even if it's not with Mario.

Who knows? But while I think we'll see sequels to both 3D World and, eventually, Galaxy 2, I actually don't think they'll be combined like this. Could be surprised.

And I'm not dying for another jungle gym Mario in the style of 64. I wouldn't resent one if it were made, since it's been awhile since we've had one of those and other people really would like to play another, but I'm certainly not going to advocate for it. I think that's a significantly inferior approach to the Galaxy/3D World one when it comes to Mario.

Honestly, what I'd like right now is a 3DS version of Galaxy 1 and 2.