Mario is back for a new adventure on Wii U but he isn’t alone this time. Mario will work together with Peach, Toad and Luigi to defeat the evil. Super Mario 3D world might not be as innovating as Mario Galaxy was back in the days but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. The game is one of the first real reasons to buy a Nintendo Wii U.
Super Mario 3D World is unlike any Mario game released. The big difference is that this game is the first true 3D Mario that can be played with up to four players. Gamers can pick their favorite character and go on a quest together with their (offline) friends. This results in a very innovating and fun way to play.
Before we go into details, let’s start with the story, why is Peach playable and not kidnaped? It all starts with the four friends walking in Mushroom Kingdom. Nothing special happened, until the four saw a clear pipe for the first time. Wondering what this could mean, a creature named Sprixie appeared out of the warp-pipe. The creature asks for help, a terrible monster is terrorizing its town and captures all other Sprixies to put them in glass bowls. Short after the Sprixie told its story, Bowser appeared out of the clear warp-pipe to steal away the last Sprixie. Needless to say, our four heroes immediately jump in the warp pipe to stop Bowser once more.
As always, the story is rather light and you won’t really feel the need to pay a lot of attention to it. It’s a shame that you won’t feel a true connection with the Sprixies and their faith but that’s probably one of the only points of critique we can give this game. Super Mario 3D World doesn’t offer an emotional or thrilling story, what it offers is a lot of fun!
Unlike other 3D Mario games, 3D World features a world-map and different sections to play in. You’ll see some of the most popular themes such as volcano, ice, water and many more. New however is the ability to walk on the map anywhere you want, no longer will you be forced to follow a set path. It’s in moments like those that you remember you’re playing a full 3D Mario game. Every world offers a big variation of levels, the Mario Galaxy feeling isn’t that far away when you jump in the different stages. Each stage has its own rules of playing and you won’t find two stages of the same kind. The stages are open, beautiful and extremely fun to play, definitely when you try out the different characters.
It’s not the first time that Nintendo includes four playable characters, the first time was in Super Mario Bros. 2 on NES. This system is back on Wii U and plays like a charm! If you aren’t familiar with Mario games or you can’t jump as far as you would like to, Peach is your character of choice. Peach has the ability to float for a certain time, giving you the opportunity to cross platforms more easy. Want to go as fast as you could possibly go? Then Toad is your character of choice, Toad is way faster than other characters and therefore offers a bit more challenge. Luigi is there for you if you want to reach higher platforms, he’s the best at jumping. Want to be good at everything? Play as Mario. Mario is an all-round character without special abilities but with good controls. Playing the same stage with different characters results in other experiences and a lot of replay value.
Your number one reason to buy a Wii U!
A Mario game won’t be a Mario game without the power-ups. Super Mario 3D World isn’t any different and features the best new power-ups in ages. The most important new power-up is the Cat suit. Wearing the Cat Suit, you’re able to climb walls or attack enemies with your claws or tail. The Cat Suit really transforms the character into a cat, forcing them to walk on four feet as well. It’s a fun new power-up that opens up a lot of new puzzles and gameplay, it’s way more than just a gimmick!
The second new power-up is the innovating Double Cherry. When a player picks up a Double Cherry, he will be cloned. For example, if you pick up a Double Cherry as Mario, you’ll play as two Marios. This also means that your power will be doubled, firing two fire balls at the same time is within your reach. If you are cloned and pick up another Double Cherry, you’ll even be able to play as four Marios. This innovating power-up also opens up the door for brand-new and hard to solve puzzles. Nintendo really went all out on this.
Aside of those new power-ups, old and familiar ones such as the Mega Mushroom, Tanooki suit, Coin Box and more also make a return. Nintendo also included the ability to use some power-ups by carrying them around. You can for example carry around a pet Piranha Plant to defeat enemies.
As for as items go, it’s safe to say that this Super Mario game offers the best experience yet, the same goes for level design. Nintendo tried to unite the 2D and 3D Mario games for a long time but never really succeeded, with this game they finally did. 3D World offers the plug and play experience of 2D Mario games and combines this with the creative and open levels of 3D Mario games.
At first you won’t be impressed by the levels, World 1 and 2 feel like you’ve done everything before but that feeling changes when you enter World 3. All levels after World 2 offer a lot of fun. New enemies, hidden paths, power-ups and a lot more result in open and innovating worlds. You won’t need to just jump around in the levels. Nintendo also included shooter-like levels, races and a lot more. The levels are very hard to explain on paper thanks to the high level of innovation. Just take it from us, those levels need to be played by fans and newcomers as fast as possible.
Nintendo also learned from mistakes made in Super Mario 3D Land on Nintendo 3DS. No longer will you face the same boss multiple times without it becoming any more difficult. The big bosses and mid bosses are really entertaining to play in the Wii U version and offer a decent challenge. Not all bosses are completely new but don’t let that ruin the fun for you. Just like the levels, the boss battles are created with a lot of love and eye for detail.
What about the Game Pad?
Of course you’re playing this game on the Wii U so one of the biggest questions is: “what about the Game Pad?”. If you play with the Game Pad you’ll be able to break Purple Blocks or reveal invisible blocks with just one touch. But that’s not all, you’ll also be able to freeze enemies so you or a friend can jump on them before they attack. The Game Pad isn’t obligated in most levels but in some it is. The Game Pad integration isn’t really that big of a deal but it’s fun to play with nonetheless and you can use it for off-screen sessions as well. If you don’t like playing with it, you can use a Pro Controller or WiiMote and Nunchuck.
Aside from Game Pad support, the game also supports the MiiVerse, allowing you to post screenshots or commentary on the levels. New are the stamps hidden in some levels. You can collect those stamps to decorate your messages on MiiVerse with several designs.
Multiplayer Madness!
The biggest innovation remains the ability to play every level with four players together. Each person plays as a different character and is able to play the level the way they want. Multiplayer means a lot of fun and challenges to complete together. The game isn’t playable online which is rather a shame but nothing beats playing with your friends in the same room. The multiplayer will start as fun but shows a very competitive side as well.
Whoever wins the round by collecting most coins or defeating most enemies will gain a crown for the next level. The crown is an extra safety, players who wear the crown can be hit by enemies or environments one extra time.
The multiplayer is a true addition to the game and really shows how much fun a Mario game can be. It’s fun to play alone but together with some friends you’ll probably have an even better time!
Super Mario 3D World is a very complete game and even offers new challenges such as Captain Toad’s Adventure Courses. On those bonus-courses you’ll play as Toad but you aren’t able to jump. This means every platform is a challenging puzzle to complete. The goal is to collect all Green Stars (you need those in the main game as well) without getting hit.
Aside of that you’ll also find a lot of bonus houses where you can participate in crazy but fun to play mini-games. If you hadn’t figured it out yet, this is a very complete Mario experience!
Conclusion
Super Mario 3D World turned out to be everything Nintendo and Mario fans hoped it would be. It offers a lot of innovation and challenging worlds combined with fantastic new power-ups. It might not look as impressive as Mario Galaxy did back in the days, but don’t let this deceive you! Super Mario 3D World is one of the best in the legendary franchise and is your number one reason to buy a Wii U!
