There’s something so inherently special about turning on a first party Nintendo game, and few games inspire the same jaw-dropping awe in me that a new Mario game does. Mario 3D World is a peculiar kind of Mario game, and while it may not technically be new, it’s new to be. On top of releasing on the Wii-U, a console we can safely call a failure now, it was the first home console Mario game after Super Mario Galaxy 2, and the first Mario game to come after one of my all-time favorites, the previously reviewed on this site Super Mario 3D Land. While you always want there to be a leap forward in feel between Mario games, especially between the handheld and home console iterations, Super Mario 3D World is a rare exception where more of a good thing is… still a pretty good thing.
Oh hey buddies
It’s a bummer that the Wii-U wasn’t more successful, because Super Mario 3D World is probably the best Mario game no one’s played. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe recently came to the Nintendo Switch and I hope against hope that 3D World is the next game to come over because simply put, this game is a must play for fans of platforming games or fans of seeing Nintendo do what they do best.
For the first time since Super Mario 2 on the original NES, Princess Peach has not been kidnapped. Instead, Bowser kidnaps the Sprixie Princesses and it’s up to Mario, Luigi, (a) Toad, and Princess Peach to save them. Where this game somewhat cheats is that, as previously mentioned, it’s basically just a blown up version of the 3DS title and honestly… I’m not mad about it. The levels are bite-sized and can be completed in three minutes or less. Each one is designed with a very specific idea in mind. Whether it’s a seasonal theme or a particular power-up, you’re given the rules of what to expect at the beginning of each level and it’s up to you to figure out the best way to navigate it according to whatever the level’s tasking you to do.
I know being a dick is his thing, but why does he have to be such a dick?
Each level is just short enough where replaying it never feels like a bother, and exploring it on subsequent playthroughs for all the secrets therein is a manageable proposition. In each level there are three green Stars hidden that you’ll need to use as currency to unlock later levels. This encourages creativity on the player’s part and tasks you with thinking outside the box to see all the game has to offer. There’s also a small stamp collectible you can look for but honestly I was never compelled to go after them since all they do is unlock the hard as fuck levels that I’ve personally never been interested in going after in any Mario game.
There aren’t a lot of new power-ups here but the new ones are pretty fun. Most famously associated with the game is the cat suit, which gives Mario a swipe attack, an aerial attack, and the ability to climb most surfaces. Beyond that, the only real new item is the double cherry - every one you collect doubles the amount of Marios on screen. While you get to keep whatever power you have when you double, not much is done with this power up after that - it’s fun to have 8 Marios throwing fire balls, but that’s about it; you basically need a certain amount of Marios to place on platforms to unlock certain hidden areas. As far as new elements to the game, there’s no question; the real star is definitely the cat suit.
What’s not to love about the Cat Suit?
Besides that, a bunch of old favorites return, like the Fire Flower and the Super Leaf. The Mega Mushroom returns and I can only remember using it once and good grief they need to find a way to actually use that power up regularly because it’s fun but so, so underused. There’s also the Boomerang Flower which isn’t anything special, but the fact that it’s able to collect Coins, attack enemies, and even be used to collect the green Stars, is super helpful in later levels when collecting all of them can be a pain in the ass.
And you’ll need to collect a lot of them. Super Mario 3D Land has a hub world that’s pretty reminiscent of Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World- essentially an open board you can navigate and select which course you want to run. This time it’s a full 3D space and you look like a giant running around on a map, but boss levels are gated based on how many stars you’ve collected, so exploration is encouraged. Thankfully though, you’re not terribly pressured to explore every nook and cranny if you don’t want to.
I think I like this more than hub worlds?
There are mini-bosses every few levels that test your skill with a newly learned mechanic and then a battle against a Koopa kid. These aren’t any different than they’ve been in any other Mario game and while they’re frankly pretty boring, the typical Nintendo charm oozes out of this game’s most mundane pores and makes repeating the same three jumps you’ve been doing for 20 years fun enough if not particularly inventive. It feels like the short chorus of a novelty song you haven’t heard in a while- you’re happy you know the words but they tend to lose their impact after doing it over and over again.
But it’s still at least always a little fun to sing. I’m lookin’ at you, Chumbawumba.
We get it, dude
In addition to the the mini-boss levels there are also levels where you get to play as a special Toad known as Captain Toad. These levels are small and they’re even more meticulously designed than the typical platforming levels. When playing as Captain Toad, you can’t jump, so you have no way of defending yourself from enemies which makes the task of collecting five Green Stars throughout the level more difficult than in a traditional level. These require a bit of pattern memorization but they’re incredibly fun and help pad out your Star count to access later levels. These are so much fun in fact, that Nintendo spun these levels out to be their own own game in Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, and holy hell is the Switch version of that game is a tripppp.
You can play as multiple characters each with their own specific movements and physics that make the game either more difficult or more easy depending on your play style. Mario can’t jump as high as Luigi but he controls a little more responsively. You can play as Toad and move around the fastest but with an underwhelming jump, and for the first time in a while you get to play as Princess Peach, who can’t run particularly fast but she has a floaty jump which may make narrow platforming easier for certain players. This game seems like it’d be a blast to play Multiplayer but unfortunately I didn’t get to do that after the first few levels. That said, because these are essentially adapted levels from the 3DS game, the levels are pretty linear, so working together is actually pretty easy from my limited personal experience.
What’s harder in 2019? Finding three other friends or three Wii remotes? The answer is three Wii remotes.
I’m personally really happy about the level design. It feels like a 2D game made into a series of dioramas that make for really fun environments. There’s less cohesion between levels in this game than in traditional 2D games but I actually really like that - the variety kept me engaged and curious about what was coming next. I’ve always really liked the handheld Mario games, especially Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins. It generally feels like the handheld titles experiment more, and a few of the levels here do just that. A lot of Mario games make it feel like you need to complete levels, but there are a few sprinkled in here where it feels like you have to solve them, and those layouts are where the game truly shines. Y’know, there and the Captain Toad levels.
Where the game doesn’t shine is in the fights against Bowser. You’re basically on an autoscrolling platform following Bowser in a car who drops bombs that you need to swat back at him. I found these not particularly fun and occasionally they were just outright frustrating. Navigating the hazards Bowser throws at you never feels as smooth as you want it to. These are technically more interesting than jumping on the Koopa Kids for a quick three and out but at least those handle the way you want them to. That said, the final boss encounter with Bowser is easily the best because it takes certain elements of the car levels but dials them up to eleven.
The only real drags of the game
I’m really happy I finally got a chance to play this Mario adventure. Besides Sunshine, it was the only one I was missing. It feels more like an extension of a slightly better game that really took advantage of its hardware, but it’s still a very good game in its own right. I played it on the Wii-U gamepad so it still felt like a handheld game but except for a few standout moments, it generally felt safer than what came before it. I’m sure this game will make its way onto the Switch before too long but if you have a Wii-U and missed this game or have a friend with one who’d lend it to you, it’s an insanely fun way to spend the weekend, and I recommend it highly.