Things Dream Team could have done better.

I know, I am a Psychology major, after all.

Some are more sociopathic than others, kind of like on a spectrum. they are not all the same, but have varying degrees of disorder. Mario is the least likely to be a sociopath. Wario would be more fitting, and even that is a stretch.

Everybody always seems interested on sociopaths and seem to focus on them or find them intriguing. Sociopaths are the most boring for me now because they usually become very predictable once you get past the charm and thrill -seeking behavior. There is not much there, unlike the other personality disorders. They have their own interests, but usually have little depth.

That is why this theory popped up and why people still discuss character like Hannibal Lector. People love looking at the dark side of things.

Well, many people like being scared so they watch scary movies. I guess exploring the worst parts of humanity also provides a thrill. I know tons of Psychology majors who analyze people upon meeting them and always try to label them into a category. I hate that stuff. If people look for symptoms then most of the time the situation becomes much like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You are bound to find something wrong if you are looking for it, especially if you are trying to prove your view or justify an agenda.

Dream Team should have made Neo Bowser Castle with my of Antasma's themes in mind, instead of lava. I wanted to see more of those eerie vines.

The horror genre is great if done right, but now they all seem like slashers. No more movies like The Thing.

I like the horror genre more in games because the games actually build atmosphere, like in Siren when you have darkness and fog. Turn on the flashlight and you become a target, but walk around in the dark and you might end up lost.

Neo Bowser City was a wonderful course. I thought of it when I saw the name Neo Bowser Castle, but then I was very sad to learn that they were not connected. And the castle sucked.

Yeah, I do not play the games with too many jump scares. I prefer the atmosphere. I like when it seems like something bad will happen, but nothing does. That is why I prefer Japanese horror game and movies to western horror.

I am sick of Mario Circuits too. Luigi got his mansion, so Mario deserves something.

You are spot on. I loathe jump scares. They are the cheapest method to scare an audience and once you play the game once it has nothing left, no substance. A creepy atmosphere, on the other hand, can stay with you for a long time. Than is why I prefer Silent Hill over Resident Evil.

Toad has good levels. DK has too many mountains now. I love Daisy's levels. Daisy Cruiser is one of my favorites of all time.

The first Resident Evil games focused on creepiness with jump scares, but the series switched to thrills with 4 and the others after it.

He had a mountain in Double Dash too.

Aw, I love the cruiser for some reason. I also liked Wario's Shipyard so maybe I just like ships.

Thrills and chills like in the Goosebumps books.

Ass, you say? Well, then he has too many jungles and mountains.

Tsk tsk. Get out.

I actually love puns. ^_^

Even though he lives in a jungle, his games have m,any diverse areas. He needs some more variety. Just like Bowser needs more than castles and Mario needs more than plain circuits.

Peach has more variety too, and Daisy.

Wario has it the best with a Stadium, a Gold Mine, and a Shipyard. Oh, and his Double Dash stage that is LONG.

Which course is that one again? I am blanking.

No wonder. I did not play much of that Mario Kart at all.

What could Dream Team have done better? Well, ignoring the obvious (removing the unnecessary gyro controls, cutting down on the number of tutorials):

It could have made the Ultibed part hunt a bit more interesting. It was literally just a bunch of random side quests and small side areas, and the concepts brought up there were never really used to the fullest degree possible. Maybe one or two of them should have been made into proper new locations with new ideas, abilities, etc, like Gwarhar Lagoon in Superstar Saga. The second journey up Mount Pajamaja, and the cavern area at Driftwood Shore are two places that should have made like this.

There should have been an extra giant boss in the Battle Ring. The normal one had Bowser Jr fought after Antasma X, so why not have say, a giant King Boo or Midbus fought after Giant Bowser?

More of a dream feel in general. The Dream World in game is quite interesting, but to be honest... only the bosses you fight there feel like something that wouldn't fit in the 'real' world. Should have been a bit more abstract in terms of feel.

Have to admit, I'm kind of conflicted about how Antasma was treated in Dream Team. On the one hand, he was an interesting character who's potential never really got explored due to Bowser taking a larger role in the story and being more of an active villain.

On the other hand, I did really like how Bowser was actually competent in this one. How unlike in the past games, he didn't 'lose' to the new guy, and showed that he could easily take over from a one shot villain if needed. It made up for his treatment in the Paper Mario series and the first two Mario & Luigi games.

Maybe it would have been best if he simply wasn't in Dream Team at all. And if his future 'hijacked by Ganon' type role was in a game where the new villain was kind of uninteresting, like the Shroobs.