Welcome back, Mario!
Rayman has been keeping your throne warm while you were off selling out!
I think it's safe for me to say that I've never been impressed by any of Mario's 3D iterations, no not even Galaxy. Okay, Galaxy did a little bit. But I've never been WOW-ed as everyone else seemed to be when it came to them. Due to the fact that after every level you had to be teleported back to the main hub area, you were asked to save, you save (because why wouldn't you?), and then you have to jump back in, wait for the loading screen to finish, and then you're back into the thick of it. While that may seem rather minuscule in one scenario it does add up over time. Quite frankly, that causes me to lose interest in beating the entire game. Hence, why I'm more partial to his 2D games (up until the New Super Mario Bros. series started.) namely Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. Ridden with nostalgia? Indeed, but honestly it would be the last time Mario would make something so...timeless again. Since then, several other platformers have started springing up,. Namely, Sonic (Colors & Unleashed), MegaMan (9), and Rayman (Origins & Legends). Hell, it go to the point that I started questioning if Mario was even still fit to wear the crown that deemed him King of Platformers. That is until Super Mario 3D World.
I've heard several complaints circulating around this game being "Just another Mario game". While that may hold some weight that's really only at surface-level. The level design is some of the best I've seen in the entire Mario franchise, there are some interesting level aesthetics, original and brand spanking new power ups, each character having their own unique abilities a la Super Mario USA, and an overabundance of gold coins to collect. I'm not saying that this game is completely original, but it's the closest we've gotten to the games of old that have remained stellar even after all these years. Yes, I'm saying that 3D World is of THAT quality. I'm saying that even 10 years later, I will fondly remember 3D World the same way I look at Super Mario World each time I look at my shelf of games. Still though, every game has it's shortcomings and 3D World is no different. More at 11.
I still remember when this game (and many others) would be the highlight of my day as a kid.
Thankfully, Nintendo's getting set to make the magic happen again.
While there are certainly no shortage of interesting levels in 3D World, each World follows the same trope that Mario has been following since NSMB hit the scene. Grass World, Desert World, Water World, you get the picture. The individual levels are bursting with creativity and inspiration, but the over worlds feel bland, empty, and souless (just like the NSMB series.) Thankfully you don't spend much time on said overworlds as 3D World takes a page out of the old design of Mario titles, by just having the player jumping from one level to next. There is a brief autosave that happens after every stage you beat, but it's over so quickly and you're already in the next level that you're never fully aware of it. They did a fantastic job of getting rid of my number one complaint from previous Mario games. The fact that you don't notice being in the overworld for very long (if you even notice at all) is a stroke of genius on Nintendo's part.
There are a plethora of new and fun power-ups as well as some returning favorites like the Fire Flower and Tanooki Leaf. Being that I never played Mario 3D Land on the 3DS, I haven't seen the Tanooki Suit since Mario 3. Quite frankly that made me feel much more lineant on it being here unlike other's who spoiled it for themselves in 3D Land. Well, how was I supposed to know 3D Land would be soulless like the others too? Because unlike 3D Land, 3D World didn't advertise the Tanooki Suit and push it in our faces out of desperation like REMEMBER IN MARIO 3 THEY HAD THE TANOOKI LEAF!?!? Instead, they push the cat suit in our faces, fully confident of their new idea and that it will sell like hotcakes. They didn't have to bank on the nostalgia to sell it for them, they just threw it in for variety. The Cat Suit is probably the most versatile of all the new power ups being that it lets you swipe at enemies, perform a DiveKick-like maneuver, and climb up walls to reach secrets you couldn't reach otherwise. My personal favorite was the Boomerang Flower which allows you to don the Boomerang Suit allowing you to toss a boomerang and annihilate anything in your path, even grab items that are out of reach! Next is the Cherry power-up which creates a copy of yourself up to as many Cherries as you can find. While it is the most underutilized of the power ups, it's certainly interesting. Having four versions of Toad running around with Boomerangs flying all over the place is certainly impractical, but damn if it ain't fun!
Onto the characters themselves. You have Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. Mario is balanced and well-rounded. Luigi can jump higher and hover for a split second. Peach can float but runs the slowest. Toad is the fastest of the bunch. I stuck with Toad for much of my adventure with my brother choosing Peach. Why did you choose Toad? Because SPEED RUN. Among their own abilities every character also has access to the side-jump, roll-jump, long-jump, and super-jump abilities. Using these different jumps you can reach secrets normally only available to the cat suit. With enough trial and error you can even sequence break into other areas! On the subject of sequence breaking, after completing a level Ghost Miis will appear of other people around the world who have beaten your previous time. Making this a prime venue for speed runners and sequence breakers such as myself!
We promise this one's not gonna be a dream too! Though if anything, this does make for a Dream Team! HAH! Get it? It's like that new Mario & Luigi RPG game? No? Okay then...
Speaking of the multiplayer. As far as I can tell it works pretty darn well! Me and my brother never really had a problem launching off to our deaths because we bounced off each others characters. Chalk that up to only there being two of us. It's also really cool that we finally have a sort of co-op mainline 3D Mario game. It's pretty swell.
I mentioned having an overabundance of gold coins and you may ask yourself why is that a cool thing? Well, to me finding secrets in previous Mario games were nice when they included power-ups and Switch Palaces. But since then it's only ever been 40-60 coins at the most which is kind of a sad amount. The whole coin-collecting mechanic in NSMB2 almost made me want to get it. Almost. But in 3D World, there are opportunities to get HUNDREDS of coins. Some of it also comes from gambling! See back in the day with Mario 3, it was always a gamble whether or not you would get a mushroom or a Hammer Bros. suit and that's really what made that suit so special. Because you had to win it! You had to have a bit of luck on your side, or you would just get a pitiful mushroom. It's the same thing with slot machines and the Toad Houses, if you mess up on the Slots you get 10 pity coins instead of the 777 coins you wanted. If you mess up the Toad House you get the pity mushroom and not the Boomerang Suit, Fire Flower, Tanooki Leaf, Cat Suit, nothing. That just adds to how special each power-up feels. Is it a bummer when you don't get it? Yes! Is there anything stopping you from trying again? No! The game can be a bit generous with power ups at times, but given that you can only hold one extra power up in your inventory it becomes really easy to lose those power ups almost instantly. Which in my opinion makes the power ups feel that much more valuable!
I swear in another life, I must be a gambling addict or something!
Alongside coins you'll also have the ability to nab three stars in most of the levels in the game. These are often given to a player via challenge rooms or jumps. For example you have to jump across a bunch of enemies to reach higher elevation and you'll be rewarded with a Green Star. Or you can find it hiding in secret rooms or by helping out Captain Toad.
Yeah, this little scumbag is back from Mario Galaxy... Why can't you play as him? Because he can't jump, that's why. Boy ain't got no hops to his name!
Rev3Game's Tara Long mentioned the Green Stars being like crack cocaine. I though she was goofing around but these things are pretty addicting to get! It's crazy. You almost never want to pass an opportunity to get one of these suckers! Even if they lead to death to restarting the level! It's that insane!
Get your leaves off that Star, you mutated freak of nature/evolution do it's work!
(Gonna go off on a tangent here.) That's the thing about this game and A Link Between Worlds. Slowly but surely Nintendo is heading back to that mindset that people are able to think for themselves and don't need to be told every minute detail of this world, this game, that they partake in. People have seen this as being just another soulless Mario game, but in my honest opinion, they aren't looking hard enough or just straight up refuse to move past whatever ignorance keeps them from appreciating even the smallest amount of good that Nintendo does for the industry. I know Nintendo has had plenty of bullshit decisions in their games especially lately with the NSMB series, Skyward Sword, Other M, and so many others. I'm willing to admit that, but it seems to me that when Nintendo actually makes something worthwhile again...people will rag on Nintendo just because it's Nintendo. It really begins to feel that way sometimes. I'd rather I be wrong on something like this, but given that I haven't been able to see any huge glaring flaws with either A Link Between Two World and Super Mario 3D World, that's just the impression I'm given.
Anyways, Nintendo has always had incredible soundtracks to each and everyone of their games, good or bad. and 3D World is no exception. There's just something about that mix between retro chip tune and casino music that just sounds so pleasant. For some reason, Nintendo's music is always just...I dunno, spot on! It just is! Here, have a listen:
I couldn't tell you how many times this theme got stuck in my head! It's so catchy!
My personal favorite.
I also never understand why people consider the Wii U to be under-powered console, Nintendo's always two steps behind the other competitors when it comes to graphical capabilities. But graphics are not what sell Nintendo products, never has, hopefully, never will. I mean it's 720p Mario running at 60 FPS! What more could a kid who grew up on Nintendo ask for? (anothermetroidgame) The game looks absolutely stunning. The HD effect only means a bit more because I mean this is the first time ever we're getting Nintendo franchises in HD! I know that won't be moving consoles anytime soon but doesn't that just sound rad?
That Tanooki Suit is still just as adorable as it was in Super Mario Bros. 3!
There are a few occasions where you'll not correctly read where a platform is and end up falling just inches to the right of said platform. Bosses are pretty underwhelming, though Mario games never really have difficult bosses anyways. Minus the RPG games of course. Um, that's about it really. Yeah, Miiverse isn't very obtrusive (I'm looking at you Sonic Lost World.), levels are well drawn out, some are even aesthetically surprising! (I won't spoil those.) The game feels a bit easy early on, but it really picks up around the 3rd or 4th world. And trust me those final worlds! THEY ARE SO AGGRAVATINGLY HARD. It's gotta be the hardest Mario title to date!
As far as Mario games go this would have to be my absolute favorite 3D Mario game...Super Mario Bros. 3 is still my favorite though, mostly cause the power-ups aren't broken like in Mario World which is kind of a bummer cause I do love World but the cape is too good. 3D World has enough new characters, enemies, power-ups, secrets, collectibles, and fun to be ranked amongst some of the greatest Mario titles. And given, Nintendo's recent history of releasing...THIS!!!
I wish we didn't have to speak of it, but every company needs to be criticized.
Goddammit Nintendo! At least it's over...for now.
I'd say that's 3D World is nothing short of extravagant. You owe it to yourself to pick this one up if you have a Wii U. Here's to Zelda Wii U being just as well-designed as A Link Between Two Worlds! (And no, I don't mean Hyrule Warriors.) Good luck, Nintendo! You're gonna need it!
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