Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Wii-U/Switch) - It's the cat's meow!

[Kaabiitorori]

Right, I am near 100% completion of this game, I am absolutely enjoying every single minute of it. It's about time I come in here and spread words about this wonderful game. I have heard how the level design is so great and fun to play with, how the controls and the characters are very well combined, how the game looks and sounds incredibly amazing, and how the multiplayer is extraordinary.

 

After experiencing the game myself, I can describe Super Mario 3D World as a therapy. A fun, entertaining therapy indeed.

 

The moment you insert the disc is like an invitation to the best treatment you can ever have. You pick your favourite character and you embark yourself on an adventure that you are ready and excited to discover. Every level you traverse through the game you are guaranteed to find many ways where you can experiment. You run and jump into enemies, collect coins and explore every place possible in the levels. Suit up with the Cat Suit, running and attacking enemies while climbing up into new places to discover. Use the Double Cherry to duplicate yourself and create such mayhem. You see a snowball and all what goes right through your mind is wanting to pick it up and throw it to the closest enemy you see, right in his face; you see a baseball, pick it up, and throw it at someone around you; you see Goombas ice skating in skating boots, and all you want to do is get in one of those and skate around; you see a football bomb, ready to be kicked and exploded. The game drops you all these wonderful items, expecting you to interact with all of them, inviting you to play with them, fool and goof around, make loads of mischief, all with the ultimate goal to put a smile on your face, or even crack up a laugh. And all while these levels never attempt to frustrate you, even when your character dies: you still want to keep the game running and to keep yourself entertained.

 

But the best part of the therapy comes when you share it with your friends. When all of your friends suit up on the Cat Suit, when they grab a snowball and decide to play a snowball fight with everyone (enemies and allies included), when you decide to play catch by grabbing a baseball and throw it to those who are by any chance dressed up with the Cat Suit, when everyone invade the screen with multiple copies of their characters due to the Double Cherry... any fun situation is possible with this game. Added up with eye-popping, bright and colourful graphics, and a wonderfully crafted soundtrack that will delight your ears.

 

At the end of this so-called therapy session called Super Mario 3D World, it left me with the sensation of feeling like a child once again: whenever I ran around and explored every corner of these levels, or transformed into Cat Mario, or picked up any object to throw at the enemies, I felt like I was thrown back to my childhood, where all I cared as a kid was to have loads of fun, where you wanted to share such enjoyment with your friends, and where you wanted to make the most of this entertainment while it lasts. Yet such throwback felt very familiar to me. I played no other than a Super Mario game: a game that's already part of an amazing line-up established since the NES days, and that I had the pleasure to be part of his legacy for more than 20 years. Whenever you pick up a Mario game, you already know where it's coming from, and 3D World is no exception.

 

And the responsible for bringing such brilliant therapy was all down to none other than Nintendo EAD Tokyo. All I can say is thank you for making it possible. =D

[TearForFear]

Buyed for my birthday (along with a full hd tv 32''), and I'm loving it.

 

My favourite level is probably 5-4 Sprawling Savanna

 

 

If it wasn't for the time limit, I would spend all day in that glade chasing rabbits and looking at the sunset.

 

But there's something that bugs me to no end.

 

The final boss.

 

Why are we still NOT allowed to directly kick Bowser's ass?

 

When I think about a "boss fight" the first thing that comes to mind is a FIGHT, not a vertical autoscrolling level where the boss is just an obstacle that does the same pattern of attacks like a goomba.

 

For such a great game, this is a very huge letdown

[SilentDoom]

But there's something that bugs me to no end.

 

The final boss.

 

Why are we still NOT allowed to directly kick Bowser's ass?

 

When I think about a "boss fight" the first thing that comes to mind is a FIGHT, not a vertical autoscrolling level where the boss is just an obstacle that does the same pattern of attacks like a goomba.

 

For such a great game, this is a very huge letdown

 

Well

 

A platforming based final boss in a platforming game does make sense.  It tests the most relevant set of skills required for the game.  Mind you I did also find it a little disappointing despite the novelty of Cat Bowser and considering that I absolutely loved the 3D Land final boss.

[Celestia]

I enjoyed the final boss, but I do agree actually dealing damage to him throughout the fight would have been more satisfying. I don't see why they can't combine that with platforming. *shrug*

[Thigolf]

The main problem I have with the boss is how slow it's scrolling. It's just waiting for the screen to catch up half the time. It's still a good finale, but it's miles away of the (faster paced) SM3DL final boss IMO.

[JezMM]

Re: Final Boss

 

I love that the final bosses have been proper platforming rather than ground pounding balls into his face or throwing him at bombs (fun as those fights were of course).  But yeah there is something a little "ehh" about the POW Block just being set up there for you.  At least with 3D Land they were justified by nostalgia, it was literally the original Super Mario Bros. boss fight expanded to its absolute amazing epic limit.

 

If I could remake the last boss, the only thing I'd change is the auto-scrolling speed (agree with Thigolf, this is a problem on most auto-scroll levels in 3D actually, I wish I could progress if I go off the far edge of the screen and have the camera catch up with me as it does when you reach the warp pipe on a Tank level), and, rather than a random pow block defeating Bowser, it'd have been amazing if he was on a distant tower or something and you had to do one giant cat pounce onto his noggin from far away to defeat him.  The only issue is I'm not sure how one would set it up so players who don't know how to cat pounce, or have lost their cat suit, would still be able to have a fun, satisfying final moment, without that methodology seeming like the obvious solution even to someone who DOES know how to cat pounce.

 

Really though, to me Bowser is better represented as a foe Mario cannot defeat simply by jumping on him like his other foes.  The problem is making defeating him with the environment feel clever rather than set up for you to win.

 

As an example, if POW Blocks had featured as some gameplay mechanic found at the top of towers frequently on the course leading to the boss, or even an earlier course, it would have felt more justified to find this one randomly at the top of the final tower.

[jords]

They could of easily mixed it up by getting chased by Bowser and then reach a certain part to give him a few hits, then go on with a chase again.

 

At first when I tried the final boss I was with 4 people and boy it was chaotic, I think that's why the screen was too slow because it would be pretty hard with 4 people but I think that shouldn't be an excuse.

 

The thing I liked about it was just how the final boss was shown with the music, the visuals, and at the part were we going through the pipes and Bowser climbing up the walls beside you, i'm like "oh shit whats gonna happen now." Too bad it was another slow auto scrolling part.

 

Easy but fun.

 

It would of been better if they used the clear pipes as part of the boss fight, maybe have Bowser destroy it and making quick decision to which pipe to go in or which way to turn.

[Kaabiitorori]

Re: Final Boss

 

Warning for everyone else: big spoilers ahead since I am listing boss fights from past Mario games!

 

Bowser has been indeed, in most cases, an enemy you cannot defeat by simply jumping on him. It's a tradition that has been on since the very beginning. SMB, the classic bridge-breaking tactic; SMB3, making him buttstomp blocks to break a bottomless pit and make him fall into it; World, hitting him with his own Mecha-Koopas; 64, grabbing his tail and swing it towards bomb/mines; Sunshine, crumbling down his own volcano hot springs by pounding its supports; Galaxy 1 could be the slight exception since you have to spin-punch him after you make him burn his butt on the lava (part of the environment-damage plot is still there though), while Galaxy 2 brought back the tradition by having to butt-stomp rocks straight in his face.

 

3D Land brought back that classic, nostalgia-feel from SMB but taken into a whole new level of epicness alongside with intense, fast-paced platforming. Needless to say, I loved it so much. 3D World had quite an intense platforming segment too, climbing up the tower as you ultimately hit the POW Block that Bowser was sitting on. Wasn't as frantic and fast paced as 3D Land, but it was pretty good nonetheless. I do agree on the camera issue, it was painfully slow if you were a bit further ahead, especially near the end when you ran up the stairs to the top of the tower: that part alone can cost you a life if you are not careful. Although I gotta say the orchestral score played on the final boss adds a good chunk of epicness to the battle.

[Doctor MK]

"Hardcore" Trailer:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKrKMMxxDIk

[Dantemustdie00]

Man I wish the game had Online play with it, sucks for some of of us who don;t got friends near them or are a only child.

[Celestia]

Yeah, I'd really love to play this game with internet friends. I don't really know anyone IRL who'd be interested in playing the game with me. :C

 

Also I recently replayed the final boss...

 

I really do agree with the criticism that the autoscrolling is too slow. It made sense in those Fuzzy levels, but come on, it's the final boss! At least speed it up a little, or have the camera catch up if you go too far. It's still a good final boss, but yeah...

 

Also not gonna lie, I'd like to actually physically hit Bowser again, even if in a new game it was just for a final hit or something. Galaxy was cool about that. :V

[StaticMania]

Yeah, I'd really love to play this game with internet friends. I don't really know anyone IRL who'd be interested in playing the game with me. :C

 

Also I recently replayed the final boss...

 

I really do agree with the criticism that the autoscrolling is too slow. It made sense in those Fuzzy levels, but come on, it's the final boss! At least speed it up a little, or have the camera catch up if you go too far. It's still a good final boss, but yeah...

 

Also not gonna lie, I'd like to actually physically hit Bowser again, even if in a new game it was just for a final hit or something. Galaxy was cool about that. :V

Only the 1st Galaxy...every other game is just indirect.

[jords]

I'd played this game more if they had online.

 

I still don't get why they choose not to do it.

[MegasonicZX]

It might be because of online lagging issues maybe since I could imagine it would be hard to play a platformer with lag.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

FINALLY all my waiting pays off as I am now in ownership status of a Super Mario 3D World official OST.

[StaticMania]

I'd played this game more if they had online.

 

I still don't get why they choose not to do it.

This game has Miyamoto behind it...he's never had online in any games he worked on.  

[Detective Shadzter]

Just noticed this updated cover at Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Super-Mario-World-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B00CMJ1JSY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1392252006&sr=8-6&keywords=donkey+kong+country+tropical+freeze

 

Nintendo advertising at its finest.

[Agie]

I need to get this game at some point. It'd be wrong of me not to play a 3D Mario game on the Wii U.

[JezMM]

Yeesh, why didn't they move the Nintendo Network logo to the left side and put the review quote in that empty space?

[Indigo Rush]

Or get rid of the logo on the sticker. Really, did they not bother to get a competent graphic designer to do this? Are the legal constitutes really necessary for a videogame journalist's quote? In fact, the legal garbage wouldn't even be needed if they didn't put the logo on the sticker to begin with.

 

In fact, I'll make one.

 

 

IN MS PAINT

 

 

THERE, DONE

[Dejimon11]

I need to get this game at some point. It'd be wrong of me not to play a 3D Mario game on the Wii U.

I just got the game yesterday it's awesome you have to get it

[Kaabiitorori]

I need to get this game at some point. It'd be wrong of me not to play a 3D Mario game on the Wii U.

Here's the thing: if you own a Wii U but you don't have this game you are using your Wii U wrong. XD

[JezMM]

There's some new official art pieces illustrating Wii U Gamepad uses.

 

And

 

 

they

 

 

are

 

 

adorable.

 

[Gabz Girl]

I love it, absolutely love it! <3 I hope this means Nintendo will continue using new 2D artwork for Mario stuff for years to come.

 

I chuckled at Mario watching tv. He looks so happy.

[Alluusio]

 

 

 

I love how Luigi is again the one who's left out here.