

The levels are short and varied enough that they don't wear out their welcome, and there are plenty of inventive and challenging mini-bosses that make the Koopa Kids look a little boring. New features such as maze-like transparent pipes, trapeze-style swings, periodically disappearing blocks (timed wonderfully to the catchy music), and even doubling cherries that let you clone your character make sure things don’t get too repetitive. It's not an impossible challenge to overcome, but it can become an annoyance.ĭespite the simpler formula, 3D World does a good job keeping things fresh with bright, colorful level designs and interesting new architecture. You have to rely heavily on your character's shadow to know where you're about to land, and even then it can be pretty easy to misjudge your distance from an enemy or your landing area for a small jump. On the downside, that wide-angle isometric camera can also make it a bit difficult to gauge distances in three dimensions. It also means a lot less fiddling with a shaky camera system to get your bearings the camera in 3D World generally remains locked in an isometric perspective that provides a clear view of your environment to know what to do next.

The main benefit to this design is that there tends to be a lot less wandering around semi-aimlessly, searching for a hidden goal with only a vague hint to guide you. We'll see whether this high-quality connection will persist when playing with friends when the game is actually live. We tested this mode briefly in a tightly controlled demonstration with Nintendo representatives, and the online play worked perfectly, with no noticeable lag or connection issues, even with our local Switch running on in-home Wi-Fi. But the Switch port also introduces online play that lets one user host up to three friends connected through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription (up to two of those players can share a single system in online play). Reach out and touch LuigiLike the Wii U original, 3D World lets up to four local players play simultaneously on a single system in a mode that's as chaotically fun as it is crowded. There are plenty of hidden trinkets for completionists, but also the simplicity of old-school 2D Mario where you always generally knew which direction to go. There may be a few twists and turns along the way, but those twists are laid out at stark 45- or 90-degree angles, with only minor detours on the obvious path to that ending flagpole.
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In their place are more linear levels, full of direct paths and relatively narrow passages that present something more akin to the "just get to the goal" challenge of old 2D Mario adventures. Much like the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land before it, 3D World generally avoids the wide-open areas and level-specific goals of games like Super Mario 64. If you missed out on Super Mario 3D World the first time around, you might have to adjust your expectations for a 3D Mario platform game a little bit. The result is a package that should have any 3D platforming fan at least taking a second look, even if they already bought the game a few years ago.


The Switch port of the excellent Super Mario 3D World comes packaged with Bowser's Fury, a brand-new bit of "open world" content that extends 3D World's gameplay ideas in some interesting new directions.
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While it's nice that these underloved Wii U games are getting a new lease on life (and a new fully portable play option) on the much more popular Switch, the idea of paying full price for a light update to a game you bought less than a decade ago on the Wii U might feel a little grating.įor its latest Wii U rehash, Nintendo seems to have acknowledged this issue to some extent. (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.)
