Super Mario 3D World pounced onto store shelves back in 2013, but since the Wii U sucked, here it is on Switch! Not only that, but Bowser is madder than ever in the Bowser’s Fury side-mode.
So, does the 3D World game hold up in 2021, and is Bowser’s Fury any good? Let’s have a look.
Spoiler alert: yes.
SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD
Characters
There are not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE characters playable in this game! Mario, Luigi, Peach and Blue Toad are available from the start, with Rosalina being unlockable post-game.
Mario generally isn't picked much in any game where he's playable, and in this game, unless you're playing multiplayer, is probably your last choice for a character. He has no abilities, he's just an all round dude...
Let’s be honest though, do you ever play as him?
Luigi, the green man himself, isn’t all that great in this game. His jump is supposed to be floaty and high but in this game it feels a bit too floaty and uncontrollable, making platforming areas a little harder at times, making Luigi not the best choice to play as. Poor Luigi.
Peach isn’t that bad. Her floating ability is incredibly useful, especially for newcomers who aren’t experienced with 3D Mario. Granted, she is slower than the other characters, however I believe her better control in the air makes up for that.
Toad is the fastest of the group. He’s super fun to speedrun with, and just blasting through levels with him is, well, a blast.
Rosalina is undoubtedly the best character in this game. Early-game stages are a piece of cake with her, it’s no wonder she isn’t unlocked until World Star. Her spin attack, the same that Mario used in Galaxy, is amazing for killing enemies and correcting missed jumps. Definitely the main character I use for the special worlds.
My only gripe with having five characters is that some levels have special switches to unlock stamps or green stars. These switches require a certain character to stand on them. Unfortunately, this means that you will have to replay that level with the character the game wants you to use, which usually makes it harder, to use the switch and get the collectable.
Levels
The levels in 3D World feel like 2D Mario levels, but in 3D. Do you know what? I quite like them. Yeah, I find the levels to be fun. The themes are fairly generic, like grassland, desert, water, snow, etc. However, some really stand out.
Plessie's Plunging Falls
Found in World 1, Plessie’s Plunging Falls introduces Plessie. Plessie is basically a mix of Yoshi and Dorrie from Mario 64. Plessie is adorable, and you ride her throughout the level, bouncing on weird fish blob things and racing through waterfalls. She appears a few more times throughout the game, but this level is definitely the best Plessie stage.
Mount Must Dash
This level is just cool for the fact that it’s one big Mario Kart reference. You race through the level, bopping your head to a remix of a Super Mario Kart music track, it’s all just good fun.
Beat Block Skyway
I really like the idea of a level where you have to keep up with the beat of the music, and this is what happens in Beat Box Skyway. The music is so simple, too, and yet I can’t help but bop my head along to it.
Sprawling Savanna
Sprawling Savanna is strange, in that part of it is just a small open world. I kinda like it, but at the same time, it feels somewhat out of place. It certainly looks good, though.
Clear Pipe Cruise
The introduction of clear pipes in 3D World was awesome. The way you can control which direction you go in really opens the door to a lot of level creativity, and that is put on display here. My favourite thing about this level is that you don’t even have to use the pipes - you can skip every single one!
The Road to 100%
The road to 100% is truly something. You have to beat Bowser, beat the three secret worlds, beat the Boss Rush, collect all green stars, stamps and hit the top of the flagpole in every level, beat every Captain Toad stage and complete all Mystery Houses, and then you are challenged to Champion’s Road; the hardest level in 3D Mario history.
Not only that, but if you want to get five shiny stars on your save profile, you’ll have to complete every level, including Champion’s road, with all five characters.
If you can do all of that, you have my utmost respect.
General Thoughts
Super Mario 3D World is clearly a competent game. It is full of creative concepts and levels, all of the gimmicks feel fun and not really out of place in a Mario game.
The game shows that it cares about Mario’s legacy too, with references to the American Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Kart, and other Mario titles.
As a whole, this game deserves all the praise it gets. It was a great Wii U title, and holds up really well years later. On the Switch, it’s even better. We now have online multiplayer, general improvements like a movement speed increase, which makes the game feel much faster, and...
BOWSER’S FURY
Bowser’s Fury is, not to get ahead of myself, amazing.
In this mode, you are placed in the giant open world archipelago Lake Lapcat, where literally everything is a cat - it’s adorable, really. However, Bowser is mad so Mario must team up with Bowser Jr. to take him down. To do so, you must complete tasks to collect Cat Shines. These tasks range from reuniting a cat family to collecting a key to challenging Boom Boom in a coliseum.
Bowser wakes up periodically to add tension between collecting Cat Shines, but you can put him to sleep again by collecting a shine if you aren’t ready to activate the Giga Bell. The Giga Bell unlocks after a certain amount of shines, and turns you into Giga Cat Mario - or as the internet calls him, Super Saiyan Kitty Mario.
Plessie returns too. You ride her across the waters and complete some tasks with her to get more Cat Shines.
I actually initially thought there was just one area to explore, but as I progressed, I ended up uncovering several more islands, which was a pleasant surprise.
I like the premise of the game, the controls are really nice in a 3D sandbox environment, there’s a full 360 degree camera, and you can hold up to 25 items in reserve, which is awesome.
And the music, oh man, the music is SO good. Just like 3D World, there are some really solid tracks, like Lake Lapcat, Scamper Shores, Mount Magmeow and the Fury Bowser theme.
It should also be mentioned that the game mode takes a solid frame rate dip during certain areas, but it almost never impacts the gameplay.
Bowser’s Fury isn’t long. It’ll probably take you three to four hours to beat on your first try, but considering it’s only a small side-mode to an already stellar game, I’m happy with that.
Overall, Bowser’s Fury is a really fun addition to an amazing port of an amazing game. I highly recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury to anyone who may consider picking it up, it’s really worth your time.
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