Super Mario 3D World review by Tyson
Overall
Buy
I feel that Super Mario 3D World is the best Super Mario game since Super Mario Galaxy. If you are looking for a game to justify buying a Wii U over or one to play on the Wii U then this is the game.
Gameplay
Super Mario 3D World starts off with Mario and the gang taking a nice stroll through the Mushroom Kingdom and then stumbling across a broken warp pipe. After fixing it up they come in contact with a Sprixie who mentions that Bowser has kidnapped other Sprixies and taken over their land. It’s now up to Mario and the gang to defeat Bowser and save the Sprixies. I liked this story since it broke away from the classic save Princess Peach mold that the Super Mario games usually take after. Plus I enjoyed how this meant that characters such as Princess Peach could be playable once again.
I found 3D World to be a huge improvement over 3D Land. Levels feel a bit longer but some are still not as long as I wanted. Level design is just as good if not better then previous Super Mario games. They have some cool designs in levels such as one using shadows or one that is built like a Mario Kart stage. Boss battles feel so much better then in 3D Land as well. While you fight the same bosses multiple times you get much more bosses this time around. Fighting Bowser in his car or fighting that giant worm Hisstocrat were some awesome moments in the game.
3D World also has a good collection of power-ups. The newest one is a Super Bell that turns you into a cat. As a cat you can do things like climb up walls or swipe your claws at enemies. 3D World also introduces this Double Cherry power-up that will add a replica of your character onscreen. You can get up to 5 replicas with the cherries and it’s really fun to try to control them all. The classic Super Mario power-ups like the Fire Flower and Super Mushroom return as well.
I did come away not enjoying every element that 3D World has to offer. I really didn’t like how the game forced you to collect Green Stars in order to progress throughout the game. The camera also caused me to miss a few jumps or get hit as I played through the game. Playing multiplayer can also cause some chaoticness which can make some levels a lot harder then what they are designed for.
Control
I ended up playing Super Mario 3D World using the Wii U gamepad and I had no problems controlling the game. My only gripe with the Wii U gamepad is that the screen on the gamepad is just a copy of what is being displayed on the television screen. Still even this gripe isn’t one that caused any gameplay problems for me.
Graphics
I came away really impressed with the graphics in this game. The character models are excellently done, the gameplay runs buttery smooth, and everything has that colorful Nintendo magic to it. Being able to see Mario and the gang in High Definition is just a treat to the eyes.
Sound
Super Mario 3D World has excellent music just as any Mario game should. The background music is great, the sound effects sound well designed, and the characters have some nice voice samples.