/vr/ - Retro Games

>>9953397
>>9953415
>>9953439
To be fair, it's a fact that in order to appreciate older games one may need to be able to understand and factor in the context of their release.

Ironically though, somebody aware of that notion would immediately realize how little weight it carries in the case of SMB3. The typical handling and level design traits that make older games weird or obtuse to modern mindsets/expectations are scarce in this game, except for basic zoomerproofing stuff like a save feature and whatnot. And even that is actually cushioned, with the Whistles functionally replacing a basic save feature (an intermediate player can reach any World in the game in less than a couple minutes), while at the same time preserving the core skill buildup provided by repeating earlier levels which a "straight" save feature tends to be less conductive of. And even THAT is cushioned, with short-ish levels and alternate paths across the maps.

So my guess is that most people who typically praise the game —and are not simply parroting a well-established widespread opinion— are starting from a judgement based on their ability for basic perspective regarding the game's place in the long list of imitators that followed (avoiding the solipsistic pitfall of considering "I've seen this before" as simply equivalent to "mediocre") and giving it a boost —consciously or not— based on the general impressive quality of a 35 year old game that feels almost modern by most objective standards, from both a player and a designer perspective.