Super Mario 3D World was a launch game with the Wii U in November 2013. It was technically a few days after the system debuted but it is close enough. The point here is that this game is eight years old.
There have been a lot of games, both Mario and otherwise, that have come out in this time span. That is to say the industry has changed a lot. So, has time ravaged Super Mario 3D World? It added in some new features but was that enough to modernize it and have gamers justify purchasing it all over again?
10 Holds Up: Bowser’s Fury
Bowser’s Fury is like a surprise sequel to Super Mario Sunshine. It starts with Mario running into an all too familiar inky black M before getting sucked into another dimension. It is here where Bowser Jr asks for Mario’s help to stop his father who has been infected with the inky blackness. It’s like a small open world filled with Cat Shines to collect. It’s short but fulfilling.
9 Doesn’t Hold Up: Fast Travel
As cool as the island archipelago structure of Bowser’s Fury is, it has no fast travel. It technically does but it’s an example of too little too late. One must obtain fifty Cat Shines and beat the main game. Only then will fast travel be unlocked but it is almost pointless by this stage in the game. Super Mario 3D World proper has fast travel right away from world to world so what gives with Bowser’s side gig?
8 Holds Up: Multiplayer
Playing with one, two, or three friends is just as fun now as it was back in 2013. It’s actually even better now because this version supports online play.
Dealing with four players at once can make the game chaotic, but it is still a great family friendly choice for small gatherings. Even Bowser’s Fury supports co-op with Bowser Jr acting alone when playing solo.
7 Doesn’t Hold Up: Music
The music is not bad in either adventure. The overall score just isn’t as memorable as some of Mario’s other adventures. The main theme to Super Mario 3D World is catchy along with Bowser’s final world theme. The music that plays when Bowser attacks in Bowser’s Fury literally rocks. It actually sounds similar to “Otherworld” from Final Fantasy X. It has good tracks, but again overall it is a weaker selection.
6 Holds Up: Powers
The power that steaks the show here is the cat suit. The cutest character of which is a Toad since he is so pint sized already. The other three are a bit odd looking like adults wearing cat pajamas. Costume criticism aside, the actual powers are great from clawing at enemies to running up walls. The support powers are also good including boomerangs, canon blocks, giant mushrooms, and the return of the tanooki leaf.
5 Doesn’t Hold Up: Super Easy
Both campaigns are very easy though. This is because of the items and the way they are integrated into the game. In Super Mario 3D World there is a spare power-up always at the ready. In Bowser’s Fury every power-up gathered stockpiles into an item selection menu. Both examples are handy but it makes the game a cakewalk for the most part. This is good depending on if one wants to get this Switch re-release for a casual player, or a child. For the hardcore, it can be disheartening.
4 Holds Up: Level Design
The level design isn’t as bit sized as this game’s direct predecessor on 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land, but overall they are still quick. Some roll into others in terms of repeating ideas but at least half of the game is filled with levels different from the last. This is where Captain Toad was introduced and his side missions are still inventive and fun eight years later. Another standout are the clone cherry levels.
3 Doesn’t Hold Up: World Themes
The theme of each individual world on the other hand is quite basic. There is a starting grass world followed by a desert world, ice world and so on. This made for some creative levels, but Super Mario Odyssey showed that Nintendo was capable of being more inventive when it came to designing world themes. That came after this game of course but the point is the world choice in Super Mario 3D World relied on a tired trope.
2 Holds Up: These Cats Though
The cat costumes are great but there is something better in this game regarding cats. In Bowser’s Fury there are real colored kittens who run up to Mario in his cat costume and run away in any form.
They are too adorable for words. They don’t do anything besides look cute, but that is enough. It’s also fun to take pictures with them in the new photo mode which works across both adventures except during multiplayer for whatever reason.
1 Doesn’t Hold Up: Camera Angle
Super Mario 3D World can get chaotic with four players at max, but at least the camera is pulled far enough away. No matter if one is playing alone or in co-op, the camera is always too close for comfort in Bowser’s Fury though. It can make exploring and just looking around more of a hassle then it should be. It’s not as bad as the camera from the first Kingdom Hearts but it is not good either.
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