Spoiler alert: Bowser's back in Super Mario 3D World and he's up to his usual tricks,
kidnapping the Princess once again...Wait a second--what the heck? That's not Princess
Peach, Bowser! Yeah, it is a Princess, but not the princess.
So Princess Peach actually gets off scott-free this time and Bowser's instead set his sights
on the inhabitants of the Sprixie Kingdom.
Sure, the story's familiar, but it's not too familiar.
And this is a theme that permeates the entirety of Super Mario 3D World. Although it seems
extremely similar to Super Mario 3D Land on the surface, if you dig just a little deeper,
you'll quickly discover that there's a lot more to it than being a simple expansion pack.
Now at its core, the game is actually extremely similar to Super Mario 3D Land. And yet, it
feels like the game's trying to defy that obvious comparison at almost every turn.
And little else represents that change better than the brand new Cat power-up, which completely
changes how your character controls and feels--most notable by allowing them to climb up walls.
And the game takes full-advantage of its unique play-style, providing all kinds of surfaces
for you to scamper up.
The Cat suit is simply a joy to use, turning almost every level into a makeshift play-ground.
It really does make the exploration feel more open and for lack of a better word, frictionless.
And that same feeling also comes through in the form of another new addition called Clear
Pipes, which literally are frictionless. They effortlessly transport you between locations
like Warp Pipes, but actually give you control along the way. allowing you to turn at intersections
to find secrets, avoid enemies, or choose the proper exit.
And even normal enemies can make use of them too, with Goombas effortlessly travelling
around, or Fire Bros. using them to snipe at you from a distance. It's all very cool--and
they're a lot of fun to use.
Really, Super Mario 3D World provides more options than ever in how you get around. And
this is made evident by the fact there are now four characters for you to choose from
that all handle quite differently. Luigi can jump higher, Peach can float over gaps, Toad
is the fastest of the bunch, while Mario's the jack-of-all-trades. It's a lot of fun
to switch between the characters, particularly when you replay levels looking for secrets
or to get a faster completion time.
But there is one downside: you can only change your character before entering a level, instead
of after every death, which kind of takes away from the fact that it's an option after
all. It mean, it almost completely undermines the fact that certain characters are better
for specific situations, so it's silly that the game essentially locks you into your choice
every level.
There were a few points that I kept dying at and I would have loved to have been able
to switch characters before retrying--ala Super Mario Bros. 2--but the only way to do
so is to quit out of the level and re-select it, which takes far longer than it should,
and also wipes out your checkpoint progress. It's not a huge deal, but it's baffling to
me how this feature wasn't included.
Now beyond the additions we've already mentioned, Super Mario 3D World is filled to the brim
with creative ideas that you'll find sprinkled throughout every level. Whether it's riding
a Sea Creature through rough waters, or creating a clone-army that's a ton of fun to use, you'll
encounter new ideas all the time. In one particularly memorable stage you'll explore a Japanese-style
temple while using the GamePad's touchscreen to slide open doors. There's even an entire
stage themed to the original Super Mario Kart, complete with the original music.
In fact, there are almost too many ideas as there were several gameplay mechanics I would
have loved to have seen even more of, such as the shadow-based gameplay of Shadow Play
Alley.
But as is, all of these gameplay mechanics end up making almost every level feel entirely
distinct and memorable.
And adding to that is the game's brilliant soundtrack, which like the gameplay itself,
is familiar. and yet very much its own thing offering some unusual musical styles for a
Mario game. Check out the game's jazz-like take on the series' theme.
Just check out this boss music,.
It's pretty great, right?
And it doesn't hurt that the game's quite pleasant visually too, even if there's nothing
that'll blow minds
Super Mario 3D World does a ton of things right, but I do have a couple of small complaints.
For one, I'm still not a huge fan of the sticky 8-way directional movement that first appeared
in Super Mario 3D Land. Although I can appreciate its benefit for those new to the series, it
actually lent the game a slight feeling of imprecision for me. And this also applies
to the odd tiered running-system that the game also shares with 3D Land, where you'll
get a sudden burst of speed after running for a few seconds. There were several points
where the boost would come at just the wrong time, throwing off a jump, whereas at other
times, I had to run around in circles simply to maintain my top-speed.
Another slight downfall is the camera perspective, which of course was lifted from Super Mario
3D Land. But without the aid of the stereoscopic 3D screen this time,, I actually did have
some trouble gauging depth at points, which is especially surprising considering Mario
Galaxy's more dynamic camera largely resolved this issue years ago.
And with that said, it's perhaps only when compared to the high-pedigree of Mario Galaxy
that the game can possibly feel lacking--and I really do mean that as a compliment. Super
Mario 3D World offers a breadth of gameplay that we haven't seen outside of the Galaxy
series in years--and tons of it too, with over 80-levels that all feel largely unique.
And it even introduces several elements that I truly hope become series staples, including
the Cat Suit and Clear Pipes--oh, and the free-roaming 3D map is pretty cool too
It really does put the New Super Mario Bros. series to shame in terms of variety, memorability,
and just sheer fun.
And that even applies to the game's 4-player co-op, as it's one of the best cooperative
multiplayer experiences I've had in recent years. While I often found playing with others
to be a nuisance in the New Super Mario Bros. series due to the limited amount of room you
had to maneuver in, the 3D-World of 3D World makes this a non-issue. plus it's just a blast
to scamper around looking for secrets, while your friends go off and do their own thing.
All in all, Super Mario 3D World is one of the best Mario games of recent years. Although
it is superficially similar to Super Mario 3D Land in many ways, it betters it in almost
every way, offering a newfound sense of freedom. Plus the Cat Suit very well might be my new
favorite power-up
And although Super Mario 3D World never quite delivers the incredible peaks that both of
the Super Mario Galaxies have, it offers a consistently entertaining and imaginative
experience that's at least as fun--if not more so--with friends, which is why I'm giving
both the single-player and multiplayer 4.5 stars out of 5.
Thanks for watching and make sure to stay-tuned to GameXplain.com for lots more on Super Mario
3D World and other things gaming too.