by Thought I should write a review of Super Mario 3D World because I wrote one for 3D Land on the 3DS. (which was a terrible review by the way) I hope you enjoy this one though!
Super Mario 3D World seems a bit strange as a full-blown 3D Mario platformer. Generally, a 3D Mario game has large open worlds to explore and collect Stars in. However, similarly to the original game on the 3DS, these are now gone in favor of more linear levels with a flagpole at the end. In this sense, 3D World is actually more like a 2D Mario platformer rather than a 3D one, which can be both a good and bad thing.
Story
I don't have to go into too much detail here, Mario games are not known for their intriguing storylines, and 3D World is no exception. The 7 Princesses of the Sprixie Kingdom have been captured by Bowser, and Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad must go save them!
Again, Mario games are not known for their story, so this really doesn't factor in to how much I enjoyed the game as a whole.
Gameplay
I previously stated that 3D World plays more similarly to a 2D Mario game rather than a 3D one. This allows for more linear level design, which I personally was disappointed with as one who enjoys exploring large open worlds. While there are a couple of levels which are not completely linear, these are very small in quantity, which is a disappointment. On the other hand, the levels, power-ups, and new concepts are extremely creative and fun to play around with. Of course, the Mario series is a platforming series, meaning you will jump around from platform to platform, just in case you are unfamiliar with the series. (which should be nobody...)
One big new addition to 3D World is the Cat Suit, a brand new power-up which turns your character into a Cat. The Cat Suit allows you to climb up walls, scratch enemies, and do an air dive. This is by far my favorite power-up in ANY Mario platformer to date. Simply watching or reading about what it does doesn't allow you to understand the sheer greatness of the Cat Suit, you must control it. It simply feels great to use, and whenever given in a level as a power-up, it's always great to have it. There are also 2 or 3 other new power-ups which play a minor role, which is a bit disappointing as they are also great power-ups. My personal second favorite Mario power-up of all time is introduced in World 2 of the game.
The level designs are fantastic. Being as linear and straight-forward as they are, however, makes them, to an extent, less enjoyable than in previous 3D Mario titles. There are some new concepts and enemies, probably one introduced in nearly every single level of the game, which adds for a lot of variety. A few old concepts return as well, such as the flip switches from Galaxy, which is always nice. These are only in a couple of levels, though.
Another new addition is multiplayer, which is in 3D World for the very first time in any 3D Mario game. I must say, the multiplayer is fantastic in 3D World, and is much more enjoyable than in the New Super Mario Bros. games. One annoying aspect of it, however, is that one player cannot stray too far from the others, or an annoying blue border will appear around the screen warning you that you are too far from the others. But otherwise, the multiplayer option is incredible.
3D World is the sequel to 3D Land on the 3DS. 3D Land was made with the stereoscopic 3D feature in mind, which made for some perspective issues when in 2D mode. 3D World was made with the stereoscopic 3D in mind, which the Wii U doesn't even have. This makes for some really annoying perspective issues throughout the course of the game, where you can't tell where you are. In most levels it's okay, but there are a few where this issue was too persistent, and made me wish they had fixed it. It's almost like the game was made for the 3DS in this respect.
Controls
The controls work well for the most part, and a variety of controllers are available for your usage, including the Wii U Gamepad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Classic Controller, Wii Remote, and Wii Remote with Nunchuck. There are many options, so you can go with whatever your preference is.
One problem with the controls is that this is a 3D game, and Mario can only move in 8 directions. Personally I only had a problem because of this in one level, but it may be annoying if you're using a control stick.
Music
The music in 3D World is AMAZING. While the style is a bit more similar to 3D Land rather than the Galaxy games, you can expect Galaxy-level music quality here. Especially with the fully orchestrated tracks in there, it sounds amazing. My favorite music are both of the athletic themes.
Overall
Overall, Super Mario 3D World is a good game, but by standards set in previous 3D Mario titles, it can be a bit disappointing. If you enjoyed the original, you're most certainly in for a thrill. But don't expect to see something as great as Galaxy or 64 here.
Super Mario 3D World seems a bit strange as a full-blown 3D Mario platformer. Generally, a 3D Mario game has large open worlds to explore and collect Stars in. However, similarly to the original game on the 3DS, these are now gone in favor of more linear levels with a flagpole at the end. In this sense, 3D World is actually more like a 2D Mario platformer rather than a 3D one, which can be both a good and bad thing.
Story
I don't have to go into too much detail here, Mario games are not known for their intriguing storylines, and 3D World is no exception. The 7 Princesses of the Sprixie Kingdom have been captured by Bowser, and Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad must go save them!
Again, Mario games are not known for their story, so this really doesn't factor in to how much I enjoyed the game as a whole.
Gameplay
I previously stated that 3D World plays more similarly to a 2D Mario game rather than a 3D one. This allows for more linear level design, which I personally was disappointed with as one who enjoys exploring large open worlds. While there are a couple of levels which are not completely linear, these are very small in quantity, which is a disappointment. On the other hand, the levels, power-ups, and new concepts are extremely creative and fun to play around with. Of course, the Mario series is a platforming series, meaning you will jump around from platform to platform, just in case you are unfamiliar with the series. (which should be nobody...)
One big new addition to 3D World is the Cat Suit, a brand new power-up which turns your character into a Cat. The Cat Suit allows you to climb up walls, scratch enemies, and do an air dive. This is by far my favorite power-up in ANY Mario platformer to date. Simply watching or reading about what it does doesn't allow you to understand the sheer greatness of the Cat Suit, you must control it. It simply feels great to use, and whenever given in a level as a power-up, it's always great to have it. There are also 2 or 3 other new power-ups which play a minor role, which is a bit disappointing as they are also great power-ups. My personal second favorite Mario power-up of all time is introduced in World 2 of the game.
The level designs are fantastic. Being as linear and straight-forward as they are, however, makes them, to an extent, less enjoyable than in previous 3D Mario titles. There are some new concepts and enemies, probably one introduced in nearly every single level of the game, which adds for a lot of variety. A few old concepts return as well, such as the flip switches from Galaxy, which is always nice. These are only in a couple of levels, though.
Another new addition is multiplayer, which is in 3D World for the very first time in any 3D Mario game. I must say, the multiplayer is fantastic in 3D World, and is much more enjoyable than in the New Super Mario Bros. games. One annoying aspect of it, however, is that one player cannot stray too far from the others, or an annoying blue border will appear around the screen warning you that you are too far from the others. But otherwise, the multiplayer option is incredible.
3D World is the sequel to 3D Land on the 3DS. 3D Land was made with the stereoscopic 3D feature in mind, which made for some perspective issues when in 2D mode. 3D World was made with the stereoscopic 3D in mind, which the Wii U doesn't even have. This makes for some really annoying perspective issues throughout the course of the game, where you can't tell where you are. In most levels it's okay, but there are a few where this issue was too persistent, and made me wish they had fixed it. It's almost like the game was made for the 3DS in this respect.
Controls
The controls work well for the most part, and a variety of controllers are available for your usage, including the Wii U Gamepad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Classic Controller, Wii Remote, and Wii Remote with Nunchuck. There are many options, so you can go with whatever your preference is.
One problem with the controls is that this is a 3D game, and Mario can only move in 8 directions. Personally I only had a problem because of this in one level, but it may be annoying if you're using a control stick.
Music
The music in 3D World is AMAZING. While the style is a bit more similar to 3D Land rather than the Galaxy games, you can expect Galaxy-level music quality here. Especially with the fully orchestrated tracks in there, it sounds amazing. My favorite music are both of the athletic themes.
Overall
Overall, Super Mario 3D World is a good game, but by standards set in previous 3D Mario titles, it can be a bit disappointing. If you enjoyed the original, you're most certainly in for a thrill. But don't expect to see something as great as Galaxy or 64 here.
- score:
- 8 out of 10 Points
