I'll start with Halo 3. It is a magnificent game. It has a memorable cast of characters and playing as either the Master Chief or the Arbiter is always fun, but eventually, once you clear the campaign, you have nothing but online to do anymore; and, let's be honest, Halo 3's online experience is not quite as refined as Halo 4's, therefore, Halo 3 is not my favorite game of all time.
Next came the showdown of the three Nintendo Gamecube games. The first to be eliminated was Luigi's Mansion. I love Luigi, and this also happens to be the Year of Luigi, and he game Luigi's Mansion is hella fun, but, what it came down to was the replayability issues. The game is really exciting and full of good moments, but there are no individualized levels, just one big 'ol story and then it is over. Want to replay a level? Play the game over again up to that point. A minor flaw, but these are high stakes, and that little slip-up will cost this game my "Favorite Game of All Time" spot.
So now I'm down to two choices: Paper Mario and Super Mario Sunshine. Both games are ridiculously fun and offer unique experiences that I had never experienced prior to playing them, both had an excellent cast of characters, (especially Paper Mario) and both had a marvelous visual experience, so what it came down to was originality. Nintendo is known for making original, unique experiences in their games, and this was especially true in Super Mario Sunshine.
Super Mario Sunshine was a risk. A risk that Nintendo was willing to take, and it paid off. Whoever had the bright idea to give Mario a water-shooting, talking backpack was a genius. Although Paper Mario was only the second installment in its series, and it significantly improved every single issue with the original Paper Mario, Super Mario Sunshine was its own thing. Its own idea. Its own series. The storyline is an intriguing one, and the challenge it presents is one of, if not the best in any Mario game to-date. Thus, claiming my spot at my favorite game of all time. (I am also one of those people praying for a Sunshine 2 on Wii U)
