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Super Mario 3D World Review

The cat's pajamas

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In fact I think this game has more power ups that any other Mario, often tossing them at you for one level and not revisiting them until a few worlds down the line. And of course, at the forefront of them all, is the now iconic Cat Mario – a design that plays into the deepest, darkest desires of the Internet. Cat Mario looks a little goofy, is ridiculously overpowered, and yet incredibly fun. The pounce is great, and a good way to get across levels fast, the swipe makes dispatching enemies easier, and being able to run up walls seems like a natural progression for a genre that is primarily about jumping over them. It also allows for some great hiding spots for the three green stars littered throughout each level that would be out of reach with any other costume. I won’t say too much about other power ups for fear of spoiling them, but the double cherry, which duplicates your character, and continues to add another clone each time you find one, is a particular highlight. The first time I came across the double cherry, I finished the level with a small army of five fireball wielding Princess Peaches. It was brilliant.

Super Mario 3D World, however, is not the best advert for the poor Wii U Gamepad. As far as I’m concerned, it’s virtually useless. Aside from a couple of instances of blowing on the mic to move platforms, or tapping boxes to raise them in order to let you progress, there really isn’t much point to it. That is, unless you count off-screen play and Miiverse, which again has a new wrinkle – stamps.

Super Mario 3D World

There’s one hidden somewhere in each level, and each new stamp offers a picture of a new character or enemy or Mario-related trinket that you can use in your Miiverse posts. This comes as an extension and answer to all the amazing drawings that people have been doing for other games, now giving anyone the chance to get in on the fun, creating unique and funny illustrations without having to painstakingly draw them out. I found this to be an engaging distraction, and was one thing I did find myself using the gamepad for. But as always with Miiverse, it’s more of an optional bonus rather than something that affects the main game itself.

Coming back to the multiplayer for a moment, I do want to say that even with its faults and busyness, it is inherently fun. At the end of a level, whoever has gained the most points throughout is given a crown at the start of the next level. This is entirely meaningless, and yet, it is something that becomes increasingly sought after when your friend has just thrown you off of a cliff. In multiplayer, some of the harder levels require cooperation just to reach the end of the stage, but when the flagpole is found, all bets are off, as whoever gets to the top first often has the most points and so therefore the crown. Hint: this is easier with Cat Mario who climbs to the top even if you miss. It’s a fun metagame that adds an extra layer to the multiplayer. But, as previously stated, I think this way of playing the game is best suited to a second playthrough once you’ve already had the chance to experience the game and explore the levels at your own pace.

Super Mario 3D World

The design of these shorter stages, then, which were first introduced in the portable 3D Land for bus journeys and train rides, make less sense on a home console and I can’t help longing for the larger stages of Galaxy, Sunshine or 64. The semi-top down perspective, too, is built to accommodate multiplayer better, and is not as intuitive as having the camera behind Mario as in other 3D games in the series, meaning that you don’t have the precision of those games and are not as likely to land a jump exactly where you want, which is somewhat pivotal in a platformer. It works most of the time, but it’s not perfect.

All in all, 3D World is a brilliant Mario game, but it definitely has some shortcomings, and I think many of them come down to the multiplayer-centric design, which I suppose is not a bad thing if that’s what you want. But those hankering for a Galaxy or 64 style experience might be a little disappointed. Although, of course, the imagination on display here is so consistent that you won’t be able to stop smiling throughout most of the experience, and it’s hard to ask for much more from a game. It’s a marvelous ride for what it is, and it’s the best Mario in three years, but whether that’s enough to warrant a purchase will come down to how much you love the little plumber, and how ready you are to experience another of his adventures.

Our ratings for Super Mario 3D World on Wii U out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)
Presentation
90
The best looking game on the Wii U. It shows what Nintendo can really do in HD. Eye-meltingly good.
Gameplay
85
A great Mario with tight controls and a vast amount of content, but not as precise as either the 2D or fully 3D Mario games.
Single Player
80
A solid Mario adventure with a wealth of imaginative levels, but not as involving as the Galaxy games.
Multiplayer
85
A game, for better or worse, that seems designed around four-player co-op. Great fun with a competitive edge, but not the best way to experience the game for the first time.
Performance
90
No issues at all, runs flawlessly and looks gorgeous.
Overall
85
Better than 3D Land and the New Super Mario Bros series, but doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of Super Mario Galaxy.
Comments
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 3D World box art Platform:
Wii U
Our Review of Super Mario 3D World
85%
Great
The Verdict:
Game Ranking
Super Mario 3D World is ranked #179 out of 1953 total reviewed games. It is ranked #24 out of 158 games reviewed in 2013.
179. Super Mario 3D World
180. Guacamelee
PC
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Screenshots

Super Mario 3D World
15 images added Dec 3, 2013 20:15
Videos
Super Mario 3D World - Gameplay Trailer
Posted: Oct 12, 2013 11:54
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