I have to be realistic when reviewing this... if you didn't play this as a kid, then it's understandable why you might not get why people like this so much. This was my first ever video game- they had the old McDonald's kiosks at my daycare and I would run around Deflino Plaza and Bianco Hills, admiring everything about this game before I could even read. It became extremely elusive to me, because I never had a GameCube as a kid, and by the time we had a Wii I had no idea it could play these games. I actually only first got my own copy at PRGE in 2018.
There's no doubt that this game is a challenge, but I honestly end up having fun anyways. I don't blame this aspect for turning off other players, though. F.L.U.D.D is such a fun gimmick that gives the game so much whimsy anyways that it kind of balances out that element for me. My main personal gripe is just the rushed ending and amount of blue coins- my biggest wish for this game would to one day see an expanded version with a fleshed out ending and additional shine challenges (but not overly-updated graphics or anything... it's already visually perfect). I don't care if it's not the best Mario game on a technical level or whatever, it's my personal favorite and has a special place in my heart.
There's no doubt that this game is a challenge, but I honestly end up having fun anyways. I don't blame this aspect for turning off other players, though. F.L.U.D.D is such a fun gimmick that gives the game so much whimsy anyways that it kind of balances out that element for me. My main personal gripe is just the rushed ending and amount of blue coins- my biggest wish for this game would to one day see an expanded version with a fleshed out ending and additional shine challenges (but not overly-updated graphics or anything... it's already visually perfect). I don't care if it's not the best Mario game on a technical level or whatever, it's my personal favorite and has a special place in my heart.