I wish I could disable time limits in Mario games.

[Exit Music]

Our son is starting to play games and he really likes Mario games, but he runs out time a lot, especially in Mario 3D world. I love the accessibility options like the white raccoon suit, but the time limit feels unnecessary or at the very least should be a toggle so he can just take his time and enjoy exploring the levels.

I think the time limits make more sense in the 2D games, but I think they feel out of place in the newer / 3D games. Having smaller timed sections like the red coins add some timed challenge. They are fine in Bowsers Fury, but otherwise it's great not having a time limit in that.

Is this dark souls east mode all over again or do other people feel the same way?

 

[mopinks]

3D Land and 3D World are the only 3D Mario games with time limits, and they lean way harder into 2D Mario territory than the others do

 

[Satonaka]

Yeah, they should be a toggle, on by default. Finishing the level with spare time awards points so there's that.

 

[Lkr]

3D world has it because it is "styled" after 2D mario. I would have no problem if they removed the time limit, but not sure if this is a game that needs to be any easier? just IMO, but I'm not gonna complain if they added an accessibility option or something

I think the time limit adds to the 'challenge' of finding the bonuses of the level and is supposed to encourage multiple play throughs of a stage.

 

[Etrian Darkness]

I thought they were a non issue because why would I ever reach the time limit?

I got caught when I was a kid playing SMBW but like, I think that was on some of the final stages.

 

[ze_]

Your son may prefer Mario Odyssey if that's an option and if he hasn't played it yet. Odyssey is focused around exploring at your own pace and has no timers.

As others have covered, only 3D World and the 3DS' 3D Land have a timer, and this because they were Nintendo's attempt at bringing the 2D style into the 3D space.

 

[Bitanator]

Time is super generous in 3D world though, and the levels are small enough to jump back in and explore another area of it after you beat it

 

[Joker22Hero]

Tbh, I myself really hate the time limits in most levels in 3D world as I like to explore the whole level. Some levels with short timers can be a fun change of pace but I will never understand how anyone could enjoy having to play a level again because they were not sure where the stars and stamp are and therefore examined every nook and cranny. I ran out of time in the normal levels like 4 times and always came close to stop playing because it is so stupid

 

[Dyle]

The time limits are super generous and with checkpoints and the fact that you don't lose green star/stamp progress you can never lose that much from a timer death. It provides a nice little incentive for replaying levels to beat your high score and adds some nice drama that wouldn't exist without one.

The problem with it is that it doesn't scale to your ability level so it often acts as a gate against low-skill players like kids and isn't a factor at all outside of the stopwatch levels for skilled players. I don't think it would be good to get rid of them completely but having a sliding scale for users to select could be nice, both at the low end for someone like your son and at the high end for people doing speedrun challenges. That strikes me as a feature that would probably only be available after first beating the level though.

 

[Lkr]

Tbh, I myself really hate the time limits in most levels in 3D world as I like to explore the whole level. Some levels with short timers can be a fun change of pace but I will never understand how anyone could enjoy having to play a level again because they were not sure where the stars and stamp are and therefore examined every nook and cranny. I ran out of time in the normal levels like 4 times and always came close to stop playing because it is so stupid

Click to shrink...

pretty sure you have to beat each level with every character at least once to 100% it anyway, so its not like Nintendo isn't trying to torture you

 

[Vertpin]

I absolutely love 3D World but wouldn't mind if the time limit either went away or had an on/off toggle.

 

[Giga Man]

I never cared for time limits in any Mario game. I rarely pay attention to it or my score. Wouldn't bother me to disable it.

 

[oni-link]

A good compromise would be if the timer runs out you don't die, you just don't get any points for having time left on the clock

There isn't really a strong mechanical reason to kill you when the timer ends. I mean, there is not even a good reason using the logic of the game world lol

 

[Giga Man]

A good compromise would be if the timer runs out you don't die, you just don't get any points for having time left on the clock

There isn't really a strong mechanical reason to kill you when the timer ends. I mean, there is not even a good reason using the logic of the game world lol

Click to shrink...

Yeah, that's a good compromise. I like that, actually. Certain puzzle games like Part-Time UFO work like this where you're graded on various things included finishing the level before time runs out.

 

[Deleted member 5127]

It should have been taken out in the main adventure mode, and they should have added a time attack mode.

 

[Dogui]

Mario games nowadays still having an extra lives system and a timer are probably the most redundant game design decisions i can think of.

Of course some people probably wants it for nostalgia reasons, but toggleable options should be a no brainer.

 

[PaulloDEC]

I thought the same thing playing 3D World on the weekend. I just want to explore and the game keeps getting cranky at me for it.

Where time limits and lives are concerned I much prefer the carrot approach over the stick approach. Don't punish me for taking too long; reward me for going fast.

 

[VariantX]

A good compromise would be if the timer runs out you don't die, you just don't get any points for having time left on the clock

There isn't really a strong mechanical reason to kill you when the timer ends. I mean, there is not even a good reason using the logic of the game world lol

Click to shrink...

Yep. There are plenty of things that can kill you anyway. Taking your time to learn the level shoud not be one of them. It should work like it does in sonic games without the 10 minute limit. You just lose out on stage completion bonuses and it incentivizes people who want to shoot for full completion to go through the level faster while people just looking to get through the game are satisfied by getting through and going to the next level

 

[Lord Azrael]

I agree. I hate them, they add nothing

 

[Renna Hazel]

They're pointless. I like to hang out in the beach stage cause the music is cool, then I'm running out of time.

With that said, Mario Odyssey doesn't have any time limits so perhaps he'll enjoy that one a bit more.

 

[Matrix XII]

Completely agree OP.

I play 3D World with my sis a lot and we love the game but sometimes wish the time limit could be taken out so we can explore or just try out certain things in the level.

 

[onpoint]

Felt this way more in Sonic Mania myself. Some of those later levels... yeesh. So big. I may feel the same way when I get around to playing 3D World, but previous Mario games never really made me feel that way.

 

[KillstealWolf]

The hope is that with Odyssey and Bowser's Fury not having timers and lives it's not going to be in future games and was just a grandfather thing from 3D World (It was 2013 after all)

If a future game brings them back then I just dunno.

The 2D games don't need them anymore either as well.

 

[Hieroph]

They're a total relic. Why not allow the player to explore and play around?

 

[Kino]

It should have been taken out in the main adventure mode, and they should have added a time attack mode.

Click to shrink...

I love this idea

 

[Green Mario]

I agree. I've never really struggled when it comes to time and I don't have kids, but it'd be nice to just explore the levels at my own leisure.

 

[dunkzilla]

When the only defence for it is " well it doesn't really matter anyway" it shows the mechanic is pointless. There is absolutely no need for it in those games.

 

[Palazzo]

In theory the idea of having time limits in obstacle course stages is perfectly fine, and generally I'd argue against removing them. Keeping some pressure on the player to keep moving forward, no matter how slight it is (you aren't going to run out of time in the NSMB games or 3D World, typically) and to not tackle every scenario as slowly and safely as possible is a good thing, just as it was in the classic arcade games Mario is ultimately descended from. 3D World is easy enough that it doesn't really matter much, though, so in this case I don't think removing the time limit would be that big of a deal. (The NSMB games, though still easy, are just slightly rigorous enough that I would be totally against ditching the time limit there though.) It's kind of like how Mario implements lives - the system absolutely has merit but Mario's all-ages, lax implementation makes it feel like fluff.

That said, I get why a young kid who has barely played any other games would struggle a bit with the time limit, but I'm not sure why anyone else would take issue. The idea that people want unlimited time to "explore" Mario levels is confusing to me - these are straightforward linear obstacle courses; what is there to look at that the time limit doesn't allow for?

 

[404LinkNotFound]

Mario games nowadays still having an extra lives system and a timer are probably the most redundant game design decisions i can think of.

Of course some people probably wants it for nostalgia reasons, but toggleable options should be a no brainer.

Click to shrink...

Tbf Oddesey and Bowser's fury dont have lives and timers and those released after 3d world did so there is a good chance mario is dropping them for good

 

[KillstealWolf]

In theory the idea of having time limits in obstacle course stages is perfectly fine, and generally I'd argue against removing them. Keeping some pressure on the player to keep moving forward, no matter how slight it is (you aren't going to run out of time in the NSMB games or 3D World, typically) and to not tackle every scenario as slowly and safely as possible is a good thing, just as it was in the classic arcade games Mario is ultimately descended from. 3D World is easy enough that it doesn't really matter much, though, so in this case I don't think removing the time limit would be that big of a deal. (The NSMB games, though still easy, are just slightly rigorous enough that I would be totally against ditching the time limit there though.) It's kind of like how Mario implements lives - the system absolutely has merit but Mario's all-ages, lax implementation makes it feel like fluff.

That said, I get why a young kid who has barely played any other games would struggle a bit with the time limit, but I'm not sure why anyone else would take issue. The idea that people want unlimited time to "explore" Mario levels is confusing to me - these are straightforward linear obstacle courses; what is there to look at that the time limit doesn't allow for?

Click to shrink...

The problem is now you have Green Stars in the levels that you need to explore to find. Sometimes they are obvious to spot, sometimes they aren't. So there is a reason to explore... which goes against the time limit which doesn't want you to explore.

And you will need Green Stars to unlock levels in the game so they are mandatory as well (Unlike Dragon Coins in the past). So they do conflict with eachother.

 

[mopinks]

Tbf Oddesey and Bowser's fury dont have lives and timers and those released after 3d world did so there is a good chance mario is dropping them for good

Click to shrink...

it's not like it's anything new, none of the 3D Mario games before 3D Land/World had a timer either

 

[Joker22Hero]

pretty sure you have to beat each level with every character at least once to 100% it anyway, so its not like Nintendo isn't trying to torture you

Click to shrink...

Well, I will always define my own goals in a game, completing it as close as humanely possible without doing stupid chores, so while I enjoy (and mentally need) to collect every star and stamp, or finish every side mission in Yakuza, I will never play levels twice after finding everything in the first run (or touch Mahjong)

 

[FinFunnels]

The time limits made sense in the old 2D games because they had turn-based multiplayer and you didn't want to wait 10 minutes for your sibling to finish one goddamn level lol

I don't know why they exist in newer games other than to add some pressure/urgency. Which I guess is probably the real reason they existed back then, too.

 

[Bunty Hoven]

If there weren't time limits in Mario games I would spend most of SMB 8-3 sat in front of the grounded hammer bros waiting for the perfect time to jump past them. They're risk/reward games and generous time limits are the gentlest nudge they can give to avoid conservative play.

 

[unicornKnight]

LOL people defending an archaic design. There's literally no place for time limits in modern games with the exception of a few levels that time limit is at the core of the challenge. Points could be awarded based on the time it took instead of time remaining.

Tbf Oddesey and Bowser's fury dont have lives and timers and those released after 3d world did so there is a good chance mario is dropping them for good

Click to shrink...

SM64, Sunshine and Galaxy also didn't have time limits. 3D Land and World reintroduced them because they are closer to 2d games. Still not a good idea.

It should have been taken out in the main adventure mode, and they should have added a time attack mode.

Click to shrink...

That too.

 

[The Bear]

I mostly agree, especially with 3D World. The timer there felt like an afterthought.

However, there are few levels in that game where the timer is implemented as a proper game mechanic. Some of the levels give you a very limited pool of time, and you either have to rush as fast as possible, or gather time pick-ups. There is also the boss rush marathon level, where you can easily run out of time if you stall when defeating the bosses.

So the timer makes sense in those instances. They are still only maybe 1-2% of the content in the game. For rest of the game, they could have easily dropped the timer.

 

[KennyLinder]

Agreed 100%. My daughter is 4.5yo and we're playing Mario 3D World together and this is her first Mario game we are playing through. The time limit was a real issue at the start, and it's still an annoyance now tbh. Removing it from the game, or having it as a Time Attack option would be cool.

We tried Mario Odyssey, and that is significantly harder to learn how to play over 3D World. Controlling a 3d character, and a camera is a lot to learn to start off with. The Assist Mode is a great tool though.


Also, Lives are pointless in this game too. You can get booted out and lose your checkpoint/stars/stamp if you run out mid level. Odyssey ditched them, and had health instead.

 

[Last Jon Standing]

You have my sword, OP.

 

[CaptainDreads]

To be honest the time limits are so long I didn't even realise they were there until you mentioned them.

With that in mind, if it's a feature that most won't even notice and will frustrate the few that do, it serves no purpose.

 

[OGM_Madness]

Playing with my 4-year old, the time limit sucks. I'm trying to teach her how to hold the button to run, how to hold the jump so peach floats, etc and before you know it we need to restart. It also doesn't allow much room for exploration when you are with a kid trying to enjoy the game leisurely.

 

[NightShift]

I love 3D World. I think it's perfect.

I have no fucking clue why it has time limits. As a lot of people here have already said, they are generous enough that any moderately skilled player wouldn't have to think about them. They only discourage players who need all the help they can get.

 

[Weegian]

The only way a time limit should be used is to force the player zoom through the level. None of this weird 300-second stuff. Give me a tight time limit, or give me no time limit at all.

 

[shadowman16]

For me - I never get remotely close to hitting the time limits since in 3D Land/World the levels are so small and linear that I'd have to go out of my way to run the timer down (likewise for the old 2D games for the same reason). The levels are meant to be played pretty speedily, basically I do each level with the run button held down and I barely ever stop running unless I have to. Plus then you have a few stages (especially post game) which are designed around tight time limits so the whole point is that you gotta run through them super quick.

That said. I totally get where the OP is coming from with kids. It could totally be a toggle off option. I don't see how that'd really impact the levels any (aside from the ones that are designed around the tight time limits).

 

[Deleted member 20471]

I totally agree with you op, except for some specific trials/levels, the time limit is totally unnecessary.

 

[Coinspinner]

Time limits existed to force players to learn to dash. A lot of new players only dash when they absolutely need to, because Mario is easier to control when not dashing. Not really relevant to 3D World. A better timer mechanic for that game would be to have a timer that does not kill you but is fairly tight and yields another collectible when you complete a stage with time remaining.

 

[Camwi]

I thought they were a non issue because why would I ever reach the time limit?

I got caught when I was a kid playing SMBW but like, I think that was on some of the final stages.

Click to shrink...

Exactly. So they're pointless for those of us who can fly through the level, and they're a nuisance for younger kids (I've seen it with my 4 and 6 year olds).

Odyssey was smart enough to get rid of the archaic lives system, now it's time to move on from time limits too. Let people move at their own pace.

 

[LaoJim]

Yoshi's Crafted World doesn't have time limits and the kid can climb on your back during the more difficult sections.

 

[Jane]

The timer in 3D World seems like it's only there because it was in the older games. Even if you take your time to explore the level, it's unlikely you will run out of time, so it's a pretty useless mechanic for most players.

 

[Team_Feisar]

I feel like the timer put more pressure on the player in the Wii U Version where Green Stars and Stamps were lost on Death. Now you can just bascially kill yourself and restart once you´ve found a collectible and maybe wasted too much time on searching for it.

 

[Nostremitus]

Our son is starting to play games and he really likes Mario games, but he runs out time a lot, especially in Mario 3D world. I love the accessibility options like the white raccoon suit, but the time limit feels unnecessary or at the very least should be a toggle so he can just take his time and enjoy exploring the levels.

I think the time limits make more sense in the 2D games, but I think they feel out of place in the newer / 3D games. Having smaller timed sections like the red coins add some timed challenge. They are fine in Bowsers Fury, but otherwise it's great not having a time limit in that.

Is this dark souls east mode all over again or do other people feel the same way?

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the newer games with time limits are among my least liked Mario Games.