The first 3D Mario game to be released on the Wii U takes everything that is good about the Mario games and vastly improves upon them. With excellent gameplay, beautiful graphics and a ton of content, Super Mario 3D World is a must-have for any Wii U owner.
When it comes to story, it has never been the main focus in Mario games. The Princess gets kidnapped by Bowser blah blah blah..... Wait a minute!! Princess Peach is a playable character! How could she get kidnapped, then?! Well, she doesn't. Instead, these little fairies called Sprixies are kidnapped by Bowser and Mario and friends have to rescue them. It's a tiny change in formula, but Mario games clearly only focus on the gameplay.
The gameplay in this game is perfect. The controls are tight and responsive and the level design is brilliant and inventive. Each level brings something entirely unique here, and, given the number of levels, that is a massive accomplishment.
There are a ton of great new power ups. It probably has the most power ups I have ever seen in a Mario game. One of them is the Cat Suit, which lets you climb up walls (and to the top of flagpoles), pounce of enemies. There's also a Double Cherry, which has the same design as the cherries in Super Mario Bros. 2, but now it makes you turn into 2 of the character you're playing as. There can be Double Cherries all over a level and you could end up controlling 6 Marios! There's a lot of other cool power-ups such as Light Boxes, which help you kill Boos and ghosts, Cannon Boxes which makes you shoot cannons, along with being able to ride inside a Koopa Shell and being able to disguise yourself as a Goomba so that they will think you're one of them and won't attack you. There are also a bunch of returning power-ups such as Fire Flowers and Tanooki Suits, among others. This game crams in as many power ups as possible!
Playing this game with the Wii U gamepad really makes the game more fun. There are a few levels which let you use it to tap blocks to move them outward so you can jump on them and get from one point to another. You can also slide open doors and use the microphone to move certain platforms or blow certain enemies further back. It's extremely fun to do these types of things on the gamepad.
There is a ton of content in this game. When I thought I completed the game, another world would open up, then, and this happened at least 4 times. Don't think I'm complaining, because I'm not complaining at all. I love how the game constantly surprises me! The more content, the better! In fact, I would love to see some Downloadable Content for this game, like how they made New Super Luigi U DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U. With all of the different and unique levels, the replay value is tremendously high. This game can also get very challenging. Getting lives is not nearly as easy as it was in previous Mario games, which is good since previous Mario games were a bit too easy.
The multiplayer in this game is excellent. It is extremely fun and is a massive improvement from the messy and confusing multiplayer in the New Super Mario Bros. games. You have the option to play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad and an unlockable character I won't tell you about, so you can find out when playing the game. Some people have criticised the fact that Super Mario 3D World does not have online multiplayer. When considering the fact that you have every opportunity to be a jerk to the other players, I like to play this game with people who are in punching distance.
There are a lot of strong aspects of the multiplayer. For example, if players are far away from each other, the camera moves further away so you can see your character and catch up. Also, the multiplayer actually gives points some meaning again! Yes, the numbers on the top right of the screen in a Mario game is, in fact, a points counter, despite points not having any meaning since the Atari days. However, when playing multiplayer in Super Mario 3D World, the player who gets the most points gets to wear a crown on the next level. This crown can be knocked off by other players, giving them yet another option to be a jerk.
The graphics in this game are jaw droppingly beautiful. And people say the Wii U can't pump out gorgeous eighth generation graphics?! Ha! This game makes the perfect use of color. Everything is extremely colorful and really pleasant to look at. In fact, it's one of the most colorful games I have ever played! The textures are also great to look at. One perfect example of how amazing the graphics are would be the rainy levels, where everything looks wet, including your character and raindrops actually fall onto the screen! There are a lot of other levels that showcase how beautiful the graphics look. They are really something too look at in awe.
The music in this game is really catchy and fun. It has a very jazzy feel to it and it is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. I would love to see Nintendo make a Super Mario 3D World soundtrack!
Super Mario 3D World is an excellent game that anyone who has a Wii U or is planning on getting one should get. It is the most inventive Mario game since Super Mario Galaxy and is everything you would expect from a Mario game, and so much more!
Game Score: 10/10
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