realized i'd somehow gotten away with not reviewing super mario world despite covering the majority of the classic mario line-up prior, so here goes. in short - i think super mario world vs. super mario bros. 3 is a pretty legitimate argument and not nearly as far to one side as many would have you believe. that said, based on what i look for in mario games, and just as likely based on the fact that super mario bros. 3, being my first video game period, set the standard for what i was going to expect, i do feel that mario world comes up just a tad bit short. to elaborate -

i feel that super mario world is defined by excellence in simplicity. there's only two major power-up routes in the game - fire flower and cape - as opposed to mario 3's wide arsenal of abilities. you could argue yoshi balances this out, and i could see where you're coming from, but i often feel as if mario world doesn't really know what to do with him there. there's not really enough yoshi brings to the table in this debut title that really benefits from his being here. compare this, even, to his implementation - successful or otherwise - in titles like mario sunshine or galaxy 2. here, yoshi feels more like an extra hit and a temporary bulk to mario's powers, but not all that essential to the core game design. levels were designed around exploration with flight in mario 3, and that's still true here, though i do find that the cape is far more cumbersome to use. interesting mechanic but less reliable and enjoyable. and frankly, the lack of really cool abilities like the tanooki and hammer bros. suits are a bit disappointing.

is the level design better than mario 3's? sometimes. sometimes you have some really excellent challenges at hand like a plethora of the star road levels or the more uptempo platforming challenges, but just as commonly you'll get a level with poor enemy placement or confusing 'dungeon' mechanics. i love a good deal of mario world, but the amount of times i've hit forest of illusion and gone, "eh, i'll come back to this" and never do... it's pretty remarkable.

what's the point of lives here? since the game incentivizes you to seek out secret exits and with a half hour of gametime rewards light exploration with infinite flowers, capes, and lives, any potential threat of a game over - which also means next to nothing in this game - is rendered moot. for a console leap forward, this is the type of archaic design that, unless carried over with a deliberate purpose, really should've been left behind with the nes.

you might read all the above and think i find this game overrated or something. what do i look like? it's fucking mario world. the soundtrack manages to implement a single motif so many ways it's astounding. the visuals are great with some of the most iconic spritework in the series. the characters and enemies are timeless. prefer mario 3 as i may, i've played through mario world so many times i couldn't possibly count. there's a reason it's one of THE most iconic games ever made.