I personally think that this is the greatest Mario game. While not story heavy (no Mario game really is other than the RPGs), it really shines in all other aspects. It's level design works pretty perfectly for how the game works, and bends itself to the movement mechanics. While movement is much more limited from 64 and Sunshine, if their movement was in this game, the levels wouldn't work nearly as well. The atmosphere is also perfect. While Galaxy 2 is a more well built game, with more unique content, this game nails the atmosphere way better than 2. It truly feels like space. The music and the visuals combine and makes it really feel like Mario is exploring the universe, with so much uniqueness and character. It's my favorite Mario game, and I think that everyone should play it.