Mario fans have a reason to cheer again! A new adventure of their favorite plumber is landing on the Switch. But how good is Super Mario 3D World? It's a port, after all. Can the new Bowser's Fury mode convince us? Find out in our review!
In Super Mario 3D World you play as Mario... Ooh, who would have thought? But wait a minute, that's not all! There are a total of four playable characters with unique abilities. Of course, there's Mario, the all-rounder, who is suitable for every level and every challenge. Then, you can also play as Luigi, Peach and Toad. Luigi is a little harder to control than his brother but can jump higher. Peach can hover for a short time and Toad is super-fast... like really fast! And that's in a game that plays surprisingly fast on the Switch... but more on that later.
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The biggest innovation in Super Mario 3D World is the new Super Bell item. This turns our four heroes into sweet, fluffy cats. Cute! They get new abilities in their cat costume too. For example, you can climb up walls and reach new heights as Cat Mario. Or you can give your opponents a swipe with your claw and scratch out their eyes. Meow! The Super Bell is the special feature of this 3D adventure, but other items will also be very helpful - and you'll need all the help and your skills to rescue the Sprixie fairies from Bowser!
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Review – The Bad: A Reheated Mario Game
Unfortunately, we need to say: Super Mario 3D World is NOT a new game! It's a port. It's also not the first game Nintendo has subsequently re-released on the Switch. Super Mario 3D World actually appeared on the Wii U back in 2013. Even if hardly anyone had this failure of a console and the game is "new" for many Switch players: It's actually already over 7 years old.
Nintendo already has a pretty poor game line-up for 2021 so far and here we get a mere port of a game that sold quite well on the Wii U... well, by the standards of a Wii U game, that is. Super Mario 3D World is simply that dish put back in the oven and warmed up again to be served as 'new'. Especially for the few Wii U buyers who remained loyal to Nintendo, this is a slap in the face. They long for new adventures, new Mario games.
As mentioned earlier, Super Mario 3D World plays fast on the Switch. That sounds like a good thing, right? Well... to be honest, it's almost too fast. Mario on crack? Sort of. If you're playing speedy Toad, even more so. The thing is: sometimes you realize that the game wasn't originally developed for the Switch.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Review – The Good: Fresh Ideas & Bowser!
The fact of Super Mario 3D World just being a port is, as I said, disappointing. But that doesn't change the fact that it's a port of a great 3D platform game! Super Mario 3D World is literally super – and it's bursting with new ideas! Of course, the new Cat Suit power-up plays an important role here, enabling many new level designs. But not only that!
The levels are simply full of incredible variety. Of course, you have the typical desert, snow and lava levels that we know from every Mario game. But still, almost every level has a new creative idea that is superbly implemented. Level with an Asian theme? Check! Level full of biscuits and cookies? Check! Trampolines, baseballs, lots of items that make all these diverse levels even possible? Check! Plus, as mentioned, there are four characters that play so differently that it can be a whole new experience to play a level again with Peach instead of Mario. Speaking of four characters... you don't have to enjoy this game alone! You can also play Super Mario 3D World in multiplayer with up to four friends and have fun together!
We don't want to forget the magnificent graphics, which are now even more apparent on the Nintendo Switch than before on the Wii U – they also received an upgrade. Ports are not all bad! The wonderful soundtrack, which is full of nice tunes and spreads the typical good vibes Mario games are known for, is also here and we're loving it.If you're still not convinced because you've already played the game on the Wii U... Nintendo has something new in store for you: Bowser's Fury! A new adventure, where you have to face the colossal Fury Bowser – a real horror version of our favorite video game villain! We've never seen Bowser this dark and angry before, and we don't like meeting him in this form. But we have to, in order to stop him and experience the extra content.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Review – The Verdict
Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers's Fury is a fantastic game and 3D platformer. If you're completely new to this game and never played it on the Wii U, don't hesitate and get this gem of a platformer! There are few games that come close to Super Mario 3D World in terms of level design and inventiveness.
If you've already played Super Mario 3D World on Wii U, there's not much new to experience here. Of course, you have the new additional content with Bowser's Fury. But whether it's worth it... you'll have to decide that for yourself in the end. You already know the main game. However, that doesn't change the excellent quality of this game, but it does make a difference whether you experience the adventure for the first time or you already know it.
- Release date: February 12, 2021
- Developer: Nintendo
- Genre: 3D Jump'n'Run, Action Platformer
- Single Player & Multiplayer
- Play time: between 5 and 25 hours, depending on whether you're rushing or going for 100%
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
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