Super Mario 3D World

 Wii U
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1804 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,619 out of 1804
  2. Mixed: 86 out of 1804
  3. Negative: 99 out of 1804
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  1. youlouz
    Jan 19, 2015
    7
    This is a fun game that is worth checking out, but other mario games were much better

    -PROS
    -good story
    -Outstanding graphics
    -fun abilities
    -Awesome bosses

    CONS
    -boring at times
  2. Jackrov
    Dec 11, 2013
    7
    A serious perspective problem leads to way too many cheap deaths.
    In many levels based on isometric view it's simply too difficult to judge your position in the 3d space, with irritating outcomes.
    I utterly loved 3D LAND on the 3DS, but there the 3d screen really helped to judge your position. Absent the real 3d depth perception, Nintendo decided to build this game on a flawed premise.    A serious perspective problem leads to way too many cheap deaths.
    In many levels based on isometric view it's simply too difficult to judge your position in the 3d space, with irritating outcomes.
    I utterly loved 3D LAND on the 3DS, but there the 3d screen really helped to judge your position. Absent the real 3d depth perception, Nintendo decided to build this game on a flawed premise.
    It's a richer but inferior counterpart of the 3DS game.    … Expand
  3. plugmonkey
    Dec 3, 2013
    5
    Ugh. I find it very hard to believe anyone would rave about this game were it not a Mario game, which seems to make people want to celebrate its flaws rather than criticise them.

    The multiplayer revolves entirely around whoever is sprinting through the level the fastest, so less experienced players rapidly become frustrated at being marginalised to the point of complete irrelevance. I    Ugh. I find it very hard to believe anyone would rave about this game were it not a Mario game, which seems to make people want to celebrate its flaws rather than criticise them.

    The multiplayer revolves entirely around whoever is sprinting through the level the fastest, so less experienced players rapidly become frustrated at being marginalised to the point of complete irrelevance. I would predict tears and fights when placed in the hands of small children. If your eldest isn't solely devoted to the enhancement of their gaming colleague's enjoyment, then expect to be consoling your youngest in fairly short order.

    The camera angle makes precision platforming and jumping on enemies tricky. I can never work out where I'm likely to land, or how far away the ground is from me, which is extremely unfortunate for a platforming game.

    Most annoying of all, the whole game is mired in legacies that no longer make any sense. For example, every time a character picks up a power-up, the game freezes. In a four player game, this happens frequently and is constantly jarring. I'm told that this is because Mario games have *always* frozen when you pick up a power up. When three players are having their game freeze so that the fourth can experience a self indulgent recreation of a 1980s technical limitation, and people are supposed to cheer it, the world has gone officially mad.

    If you're a huge Mario fan, and you're completely absorbed in all the legacy and reference, then you'll probably have a high old time here. If you're not, and you're not already well couched in the universe and how it works, then you'll find it hard to escape the feeling that you are playing a game that has long since disappeared up it's own big, green pipe.

    There's some fast paced, random, knockabout fun to be had here, but I found it mostly buried beneath a confusing, frustrating mess.    … Expand
  4. SuperAttackGame
    Jan 6, 2014
    5
    Mario, you have failed me. Your latest game is a massive let down, and I really don't have much nice to say about it.
    Level design is bland, generic and no-thrills. It's even worse than New Super Mario Bros. 2 in terms of unoriginal level design, there's just nothing new or fun to do in any of the levels. New power-ups are ho-hum, not terrible but don't really help make the gameplay    Mario, you have failed me. Your latest game is a massive let down, and I really don't have much nice to say about it.
    Level design is bland, generic and no-thrills. It's even worse than New Super Mario Bros. 2 in terms of unoriginal level design, there's just nothing new or fun to do in any of the levels. New power-ups are ho-hum, not terrible but don't really help make the gameplay better. Multiplayer feels tacked on as it is not fun at all. 4-player Mario should've stayed in 2D, because if you dare play with 4 players in this game, you'll lose friendships faster than Mario Party ever could.
    If I were to say one good thing about this game, it's that it at least looks pretty, being the first 3D Mario in HD, but in the end, graphics are the least important part of the game. So if you can't manage the gameplay to be as good, all the cosmetics are irrelevant.
    It's not one of the worst Nintendo games ever that titles goes to Metroid: Other M. But it's definatley the weakest Mario platformer I've seen to date, and if Nintendo wants to sell the Wii U, they'll have to do a lot better. Then again, given the aforementioned game sunk their reputation, the Wii U was doomed from the start. I shouldn't set my expectations so high for post-2010 Nintendo. Pardon me.    … Expand
  5. ignore78
    Nov 30, 2013
    7
    i think the game runs on to many safe cards. the formula is the same as every mario game. but its a fun game. but i feel that i already played this. its not like mario galaxy, or mario 64. more like family feeling over it. you play it and have som fun.
  6. Verhunzt
    Dec 8, 2013
    7
    It's a nice platformer, although if it wouldn't be about the Mario-Franchise, nobody would rate this game THAT high.
    Graphics arn't that nice, but overall decent, even the logo looks pixelated with 720p on a 42'' TV.
  7. LORJUSTICE
    Feb 13, 2014
    5
    Extremely easy and short, gets really boring after playing for 30 minutes. The multiplayer is horribly broken, every time someone gets hurt the game lags a second and it becomes annoying, making the rest of the team lose as well. Nintendo has gone lazy as f**k
  8. Lindysd
    Dec 16, 2013
    5
    The game is fun-but it doesn't save the progress we've made past the 4th world. It's frustrating for the kids. We will be at world 8, make absolutely sure that we have saved them game, and when we return later it's back to world 4. Anyone else have this problem? Is it a glitch? My rating reflects this:(
  9. Zeugirdor
    Nov 26, 2013
    6
    Although I am having fun with this game, I am extremely disappointed in it. New Super Mario Bros. was fun too, but they should have stopped the 2D remakes right there. I couldn't believe the first Mario game that came out for the WiiU was another one! I took that game as a slap in the face, honestly. "Here's the remake again, this time in HD!" Then, the Luigi game came out!! Are theyAlthough I am having fun with this game, I am extremely disappointed in it. New Super Mario Bros. was fun too, but they should have stopped the 2D remakes right there. I couldn't believe the first Mario game that came out for the WiiU was another one! I took that game as a slap in the face, honestly. "Here's the remake again, this time in HD!" Then, the Luigi game came out!! Are they serious? Good gawwwwd. Now to top it off, this new game "Super Mario 3D world" is pretty much the same game with some 3D movement as well. Not only that, but the controls are not as tight as any Mario game I've played which make it very frustrating at times. The mini games??? All of them are luck based and are absolutely no fun. They make me angry every time I have to play one actually. I'm so disappointed with the lack of exploration involved in this game, mostly. In my opinion, there has been a severe lack of exploration in Mario games since Sunshine and 64 and maybe Paper (Another 2D Mario game omg!). This game is for a very young audience it seems.… Expand
  10. TitaniumDragon
    Feb 4, 2017
    5
    Super Mario 3D World’s name might suggest that it is a sequel to Mario 64 – a 3D Mario game.

    Interestingly, it isn’t. Super Mario 3D World is actually a sequel to the 2D Mario games much more so than it is Mario 64. The game is quite familiar by this point. You start out at the start of a course, and your goal is to run through a series of platforming obstacles until you reach the    Super Mario 3D World’s name might suggest that it is a sequel to Mario 64 – a 3D Mario game.

    Interestingly, it isn’t. Super Mario 3D World is actually a sequel to the 2D Mario games much more so than it is Mario 64.

    The game is quite familiar by this point. You start out at the start of a course, and your goal is to run through a series of platforming obstacles until you reach the end of the course. There are blocks with question marks on them that pop out coins or, on occaision, power ups of various sorts. Three of these are familiar – the Tanooki Suit is similar to the Raccoon suit of Super Mario 3, though it does not allow you to fly, only to fall more slowly and swing your tail to kill enemies. The Fire Flower is exactly the same as it has always been, allowing Mario to lob fireballs at people that bounce along the ground. The Boomerang Suit is a rarely-seen suit, but it allows Mario to toss out a boomerang – this can wipe out lines of enemies, as well as collect coins and items, and returns to Mario after being thrown. It can’t be spammed, though.

    The final suit is the cat suit, which is new to Super Mario 3D World. It allows you to run up the side of walls, as well as run around levels faster and kill enemies by swatting your claws at them. It also has a mid-air dive attack, allowing you to dive forward through the air. Due to all this, it is pretty much the best suit for 90% of the game, with the other suits only really being situationally useful (the Boomerang suit is necessary to collect certain power-ups, the fire suit can light torches in a few levels, and the Tanooki suit’s slow-falling ability is occasionally useful, but is most useful in the very final level – but we’ll get to that).

    Interestingly, Super Mario 3D World is a multiplayer game, and moreover, has multiple characters. Those who have played Super Mario Bros. 2 can guess at the lineup – Mario is pretty much a decent all-around character, Luigi is slippery but can jump higher, Peach is slower but can float in mid-air (though not nearly so much as she could in Super Mario Bros. 2 – it is quite brief, though still useful), and Toad is faster but can’t jump as high. You also unlock a fifth character – Rosalina – who has Luigi’s height on jumps, but is slow like Peach (though she isn’t slidey). She also has a spin attack in her base form, which both can serve as a double jump (albeit a short one) as well as kill nearby enemies.

    Multiple people can play the game at once, running through the levels alongside each other. I only played it single player, though, with only a couple levels of multiplayer; it seemed fairly similar, though the ability to throw each other around was sort of useful, and it made it significantly easier to beat levels because EVERYONE had to die at once to get a game over.

    The game itself is very much in the style of the 2D Mario games – the levels are very linear, with very little actual 3D movement. While sometimes you’ll be going one direction, then another, there are few expansive 3D spaces in the game. Instead, it is mostly a series of platforming puzzles which are heavily reminiscent of the 2D games – there are only a fairly small number of levels which actually make much interesting use of it being a 3D environment. While this is good in some ways – hopping off of enemies’ heads is more of a pain in 3D than 2D, and precision platforming in 3D can be annoying – it also makes the game linear like the 2D Mario games. And while those games are decent enough, this really doesn’t add a whole lot to the genre. I’ve played a number of those games, and while they are decent enough, it wasn’t really the itch I was wanting to scratch with a 3D Mario game.

    While the levels are mostly reasonably well-designed, there are a few flaws to it. One problem is the difficulty curve; while most of the levels follow a fairly standard curve, a few levels are significantly more difficult than those around them, acting as pretty steep difficulty spikes. While most of these difficulty spikes center around the collectibles, in a few levels, simple progression can be rather frustrating, especially if you’re not playing the right character.

    It also suffers a bit from its final levels being not particularly interestingly designed, using checkpoint starvation to make them artificially more difficult (or at least, more arduous to complete). These two levels ended the game on a sour note, and I have to admit, none of the rest of the game really impressed me all that much – while the Cat Suit was a decent enough addition, and the three stars + one stamp hidden in each level were a reasonable collection challenge, in the end it was Just Another Mario Game.    … Expand
  11. Doodahday66
    Apr 18, 2014
    6
    Not a bad game, but to me slightly disappointing considering all the praise it got. I was expecting something like Super Mario Galaxy or Sunshine, but it's really just New Super Mario bros on a 3D plane with enhanced graphics. I've never expected much 'story' from a Mario game but 3D world's plot was pretty pathetic. The game made poor and limited use of the gamepad, it was too easy, oneNot a bad game, but to me slightly disappointing considering all the praise it got. I was expecting something like Super Mario Galaxy or Sunshine, but it's really just New Super Mario bros on a 3D plane with enhanced graphics. I've never expected much 'story' from a Mario game but 3D world's plot was pretty pathetic. The game made poor and limited use of the gamepad, it was too easy, one can breeze through the game in 4-5 hours, plus another 2-3 hours to go back and get all the stars/stamps. On the other hand, there are some memorable little tunes and fun levels. The cat transformation, while strange, was perfect for some levels and bosses. A decent game overall, but not something I would call the best the Wii U has to offer.… Expand
  12. francisjairam12
    Feb 13, 2014
    7
    Well this game sure has a lot worlds and some of the hardest stages its a good game but the only thing that bothers me its a Mario game and I didn't expect too much of it. But overall its a good game.
  13. rikz
    Dec 18, 2013
    6
    This game is very cool, fun, interesting, it is easy to catch onto, but the quality isnt very good. The game is more aimed at the younger generation as it is more cartoon based. It is by far the funnest Mario game in years! I would urge anyone with a Nintendo Wii to purchase this game. This is pure AAA grade Nintendo gaming. It is a perfect game for families as it can bring so many laughsThis game is very cool, fun, interesting, it is easy to catch onto, but the quality isnt very good. The game is more aimed at the younger generation as it is more cartoon based. It is by far the funnest Mario game in years! I would urge anyone with a Nintendo Wii to purchase this game. This is pure AAA grade Nintendo gaming. It is a perfect game for families as it can bring so many laughs and joys.… Expand
  14. Dhulfiqar
    Feb 21, 2014
    7
    The reason why i give it 7 is because after beating the whole game, it is not what i expected an quality Mario platform game. It is because the levels are too simplistic, easy and repetitive. This itself makes the game boring even with 3-4 players. The level design, the music, the annoying camera with multiplayer are all low quality. It seems this game was made in rush.
  15. ZeekLTK
    Jan 10, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was a letdown for me. Just felt like another rehash of the 2d Mario games they have been putting out since the original Wii.

    I guess my main criticism of this game is that it seems like they just came up with a bunch of ideas, but then never actually decided on an actual plan to implement them, so they just got sprinkled throughout the game without any rhyme or reason.

    Some examples:

    *Using green stars to unlock levels - It's like they couldn't decide if they wanted to make it like Galaxy where you had to unlock just about every level, or if they wanted to make it like a "normal" game where you don't have to unlock anything, so rather than making a decision and doing one or the other, they tried to do both. There is one level, very early on, where you need 10 stars to unlock (at a point when some players may not have 10 stars), which would force you to go back and re-play some levels to get enough stars. But after that, you don't see another unlockable level for a long time, and by then you have plenty of green stars, but it only requires like 15 or something, which is no problem. It's like this for the rest of the game, the unlockables are spaced out so far that it's not a challenge at all to unlock them, you will certainly have enough stars by the time you get to them, even if you aren't trying to collect any. So that begs the question - what is the point of having to unlock levels at all?

    *Cherries - another idea that seems to have no purpose, so they just threw it into a few levels. The levels that actually have them are few and far between, so you've about forgotten about them by the time you get to the next one. I think it would have been better to just make an entire world dedicated to "cherry levels" so that you use them in several levels and can develop some kind of strategy as to how to use them/control the characters.

    *Touching stuff on gamepad to interact with the world - again, this is just randomly spread out throughout the game for no reason. There will be one level where you have to use the gamepad to get through and then you won't see another for a long time. Why not just make a specific world where this is the main feature so that the users learn what to do and then actually apply that knowledge to beat even trickier levels. Instead, they waste time teaching the player something new, and then they go right back to the "original" game again. What's the point? Why are you wasting our time making us figure out how to use a new feature if you aren't going to have us actually use that feature for a long time?

    There are plenty of other "one off" features that only appear in a single level and then you don't see it again for ages. The flow of this game is just so bad. It's like there was no team effort at all in developing this; it's like they just had individual people make levels on their own and then at the end of development, they just drew numbers out of a hat to decide where to put them.

    It's also annoying that you still can't play as a Mii character. Why not? How much effort would it be to set that up? Probably minimal, and it would be way better than having to play as Toad.

    However, if you ignore all of this, it's still decently fun - especially in multiplayer. I do like that they tried to make the boss battles different, so that it's more than simply jumping on a koopa three times. So I'll give it a 5 overall. Could be a 9 or 10 if the game was designed properly and the new features actually made sense, instead of feeling forced in.    … Expand
  16. fishyFUNK
    Jan 22, 2015
    6
    Well first off I want to say I really do like this game, there are a lot of things I love but too many odd things to keep it from being a game I would recommend spending 50$ on. I'd say If you can get this title for 20 - 30$ that would be just perfect.
    The biggest disappointment coming from a game called "3D world" was that it isnt really in fact 3D. When you first get into the game you    Well first off I want to say I really do like this game, there are a lot of things I love but too many odd things to keep it from being a game I would recommend spending 50$ on. I'd say If you can get this title for 20 - 30$ that would be just perfect.
    The biggest disappointment coming from a game called "3D world" was that it isnt really in fact 3D. When you first get into the game you kind of look past the camera angle being stuck in two spots and the fact that its almost impossible to jump or ground pound on anything the first time because of the "new car affect". Meaning holy cow this new game is so awesome.....everything is aweeesomeeee...I'm a cat!!! When the polish wears off youre stuck with a frustrating controls and a "3D" platformer that just doesnt really do anything special. Another thing that revealed itself pretty quickly is how easy 3D world is. There is literally 0 challenge. To be honest with you I'm not sure why they even have 1ups and lives in as you are always hovering around 50-70 once you get going. Another thing that bugged me is how pathetic and uncreative the boss fights are, I swear I fought each boss 2 times with each one being barely more difficult than the first time...as in like, add one extra fire ball. Heck I even fought bowser 2 or 3 times in an identical fight!!!

    On the bright side if youre looking for a super casual mario game with great graphics and lots of fun power-ups this game is just for you. You even get a taste of one of the new games just released toads treasure hunt in a few levels.    … Expand
  17. perydwyn
    Sep 18, 2014
    7
    I will begin by explaining that I have been playing Mario games for the past 25 years. I have played every title in the main series, so I am reviewing this game from the perspective of a Mario 'expert' if you like.

    My relationship with Super Mario 3D World is a little odd. I will admit that on first seeing the game I wasn't really that excited. It looked very pretty in HD and    I will begin by explaining that I have been playing Mario games for the past 25 years. I have played every title in the main series, so I am reviewing this game from the perspective of a Mario 'expert' if you like.

    My relationship with Super Mario 3D World is a little odd. I will admit that on first seeing the game I wasn't really that excited. It looked very pretty in HD and everything, but everything looked a little sterile (especially when compared to the 2 Super Mario Galaxy games. Of course graphics do not make a game, so I thought I would reserve judgement until I finally got my hands on it.

    My first few hours with it I kept thinking to myself that something just felt a bit off about it. It controlled perfectly, the enemy designs and animation were flawless, but it still felt strangely flat. I decided to replay some Super Mario Galaxy to see if I could figure out what was wrong. I instantly realized that in comparison Super Mario Galaxy just 'felt' more like a 3d Mario game...Mario 3d World didn't. Super Mario 3d World is like a classic 2d Mario game, but in the 3rd dimension. I think it is largely down to the level design. Most of the levels here do not really utilise the 3rd dimension to any great effect in their gameplay. They could just as easily be played with the camera locked horizontally with you moving from left to right, but also allowing your to move in and out of the screen. In fact there is a level set on a beach in this game that does just that.

    It seems to me that this has been a design choice that Nintendo have been moving towards with their 3d Mario games for a while now. Super Mario Galaxy's levels were less like the open playgrounds of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Then Super Mario Galaxy 2 had levels that were even less free roaming. Maybe it is a concerted effort of Nintendo's to unify the design of both 2d and 3d Mario games? I hope not. I really enjoy a good 2d Mario game, and some of the 2d games are among my favorite games of all time. But I really love having the variation between the 2d and 3d series.

    Don't get me wrong, this is still a good game. I still enjoy playing it occasionally. And it packs in a real challenge towards the end (in fact I think this game represents the best difficulty balance compromise of any game I have ever played. Most players will be able to reach the ending with perseverance, but there are optional and hidden levels that even veterans will find a struggle. The graphics are still for the most part a bit sterile and plastic-like. I think Nintendo were still figuring out the whole HD thing here, and you can see clear experimentation of textures on some levels. Mario Kart 8 is an indication that the have finally sussed this issue out, and I hope that the next 3d Mario game will have a richer, more 'organic' look.,

    I should mention the multiplayer, as it seems this was a big focus for Nintendo when making this game. It is fun, and me and my regular group of gaming friends will play together every now and then, but it hardly an essential multiplayer experience (it is usually discarded in favor of Mario Kart 8 or Nintendo land in our group).

    So to summarize...this is a bit of a Mario by numbers. Still a really good game, but not up there with Super Mario 64, or the Mario Galaxy games.    … Expand
  18. wesker2012
    Aug 16, 2017
    7
    Super Mario 3d World is a solid game. The game's presentation is top notch with gorgeous hd visuals and colors that really pop. It also nails its cheerful atmosphere. Gameplay-wise, controls are tight and responsive. The game scales well from easy to hard. The levels are not too long, so it keeps the game engaging as well as hunting for the bonus objectives. It's one of the few gamesSuper Mario 3d World is a solid game. The game's presentation is top notch with gorgeous hd visuals and colors that really pop. It also nails its cheerful atmosphere. Gameplay-wise, controls are tight and responsive. The game scales well from easy to hard. The levels are not too long, so it keeps the game engaging as well as hunting for the bonus objectives. It's one of the few games that had gameplay engaging enough to where I actually beat the game. Lately, I had been getting tired of games concentrating on other categories but lacking on the gameplay department, so SM3D World really hit the spot for me. The downsides for me was that I felt the game had too many levels and could have been shortened to enhance the overall quality. Near the end, I started to get burnt out and the levels started to feel repetitive. The world design also lacks creativity and is rather stale. Overall, the game is a really solid title and held my interest enough to beat it which says a lot in this modern age of gaming. It could use improvements though and is definitely not one of the best games I've ever played.… Expand
  19. Brennnan
    Jun 10, 2014
    7
    This game is a... little bit better than meteoker mario title. let'sjust say it had very few flaws but they where big ones.one of which is how easy this is. I should be done with the game and i bought it a week ago! but I can't. Why? In the game there is in each level 3 green stars and you have tto get a certain number of stars in order to get to places like other levels or castles. BUT IThis game is a... little bit better than meteoker mario title. let'sjust say it had very few flaws but they where big ones.one of which is how easy this is. I should be done with the game and i bought it a week ago! but I can't. Why? In the game there is in each level 3 green stars and you have tto get a certain number of stars in order to get to places like other levels or castles. BUT I CAN'T FINISH THE FRICKING GAME BECUASE I NEED 200 STARS WHEN I ONLY HAVE LIKE 115!! I DON'T WANNA GO BACK AND GET 200 FREAKING STARS. I like the whole power ups thing like the cat. but that's it.… Expand
  20. cwepahguy225
    Jul 5, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really enjoy this game. Great level design, the return of classic enemies, along with some new ones. The new power up was great, with very smooth and fun gameplay. AA grade.The multiplayer is more competitive than team based, and it isn't fun at all. Also, why is there no white tanooki suit to help you on the very last level in the special world.… Expand
  21. MightyMING
    Mar 23, 2015
    5
    Not a bad game but not a good one either, my biggest complaint is the game is too easy and doesn't offer much of a challenge, I'm convinced Nintendo's target audience was for children age inbetween 5 and 10 for this one. The graphics are nice but simple, I don't understand why WII U owners boast over this having 60 fps, 60 fps isn't too hard to achieve when the graphics look this simple.Not a bad game but not a good one either, my biggest complaint is the game is too easy and doesn't offer much of a challenge, I'm convinced Nintendo's target audience was for children age inbetween 5 and 10 for this one. The graphics are nice but simple, I don't understand why WII U owners boast over this having 60 fps, 60 fps isn't too hard to achieve when the graphics look this simple. Also the game is very short. However saying that the game did have it's fun moments when playing multiplayer.… Expand
  22. FuriousFajita
    Apr 18, 2015
    7
    Pretty as it is, it's still just a 3D version of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

    Super Mario 3D World is a sort-of successor to Super Mario 3D Land. As you might have guessed, this means the gameplay is almost identical. I wasn't the biggest fan of the new gameplay style at first. I though it took a lot of the creativity and wonder out of the Mario games and made 3D Land far too easy. 3D    Pretty as it is, it's still just a 3D version of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

    Super Mario 3D World is a sort-of successor to Super Mario 3D Land. As you might have guessed, this means the gameplay is almost identical. I wasn't the biggest fan of the new gameplay style at first. I though it took a lot of the creativity and wonder out of the Mario games and made 3D Land far too easy. 3D World still feels formulaic, however it does bring some new ideas to the table. It is also much harder than 3D Land ever was. One major bonus of the new gameplay that is exploited in 3D World is 4-Player Local Multi-Player. This is great fun and I would highly recommend that you play this game with friends and family. I also recommend it because the game is no-where near as fun alone. Just like it's predecessor, it fails to be as fun as Mario's previous 3D solo adventures.

    It's a shame because everything else in this game is well done. It looks very pretty, the soundtrack, while generic at times, is pretty decent, the controls are nice and simple and the game has plenty of content and replay value. But the lack of a fun single-player experience stops this game from being another great Mario title.

    If you are a die-hard Mario fan, you will probably find enough enjoyment playing single-player. But as for everyone else, this game is best with other people. And if you play it that way you will likely have a great time. But for those who are waiting for the next great 3D Mario adventure, this is not the game for you.    … Expand
  23. nadavkr3
    Aug 8, 2016
    6
    I am shocked that this game is supposed to be a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy 2.
    The gameplay is a little bit fun but not challenging and creative as the SMG games/
    Disappointing!
  24. Ammer1981
    Nov 15, 2015
    6
    The reason why i give this a 6 has to do with the fact that they just took the Mario 3d land design, narrowed it down and made it HD. I must admit it looks gorgeous in HD but the full potential of the Wii-u is not used by far. The levels are very small and simple, there is very little to do, the emphasis is all about the o so fresh and new catsuits and above all there is no exploration orThe reason why i give this a 6 has to do with the fact that they just took the Mario 3d land design, narrowed it down and made it HD. I must admit it looks gorgeous in HD but the full potential of the Wii-u is not used by far. The levels are very small and simple, there is very little to do, the emphasis is all about the o so fresh and new catsuits and above all there is no exploration or feeling at all. This is by far not a mario game of epic proportion or has the impact that Mario 64, Sunshine or Galaxy had .. all that is gone to shreds. Super Mario 3d land is a way better and greater game.… Expand
  25. Djungelorm
    Mar 1, 2016
    7
    When compared to other 3D Mario games, I can't help but feel disappointed by this game. The levels feel very linear and the time limit forbids you from fully exploring the levels, stopping me from enjoying this game to the fullest. The levels are also fairly short, and are rather easy throughout the first 4-5 worlds.
    The new powerup, the cat bell, is creative and can open up new ways to    When compared to other 3D Mario games, I can't help but feel disappointed by this game. The levels feel very linear and the time limit forbids you from fully exploring the levels, stopping me from enjoying this game to the fullest. The levels are also fairly short, and are rather easy throughout the first 4-5 worlds.
    The new powerup, the cat bell, is creative and can open up new ways to get through levels, meanwhile the double cherries do not add much to the gameplay in my opinion besides 'get to the end of the level with all copies intact to get a star/stamp'.
    The game is far more fun to play in multiplayer, which can be played as a team, or fighting over who gets the crown for the next level, and this is how I would recommend playing the game.
    Overall, the game is enjoyable and worth buying, but don't expect anything amazing or close to the levels of the Super Mario Galaxy games.    … Expand
  26. aguarner11
    May 16, 2016
    7
    This game is really overrated. I had a lot of fun playing with my friends but... when I played alone it felt boring and it didn't feel as a special Mario like Galaxy did. Great multiplayer, but too normal.
  27. mvpeter24
    Jul 3, 2016
    6
    It's all about expectations. High expectations killed Super Mario 3D World for me.

    Super Mario 3D World is the worst 3D Mario game ever. Or is even a 3D Mario game? Does that matter? This game raises a lot of questions, and it has a lot of issues. A jaded person might say that this game is microcosmic for the Wii U as a whole: it's... something. It's not what I thought it would    It's all about expectations. High expectations killed Super Mario 3D World for me.

    Super Mario 3D World is the worst 3D Mario game ever. Or is even a 3D Mario game? Does that matter?

    This game raises a lot of questions, and it has a lot of issues. A jaded person might say that this game is microcosmic for the Wii U as a whole: it's... something. It's not what I thought it would be, it's not what I hoped it would be, it's hugely worse than its predecessor, it raises concerns about the future of the label, and I'm not sure if it's the product of a company that doesn't care about its ideas, or one who cares too much about a failed idea.

    Clunky comparisons aside, this game underwhelms on many levels. Just to name a few:

    The controls aren't great. For some reason, the character can only move in eight directions, like you're using a D-Pad, even if you use a control stick. The player also has to hold down a dash button 24/7 in order to move. This strange decision causes you to often miss jumps that you could swear were easy. Super Mario 64 created an amazing new element in all games (not just mario) by introducing the analog stick. Why go back in time and not use it now, 20 years later? If the explanation for this change is "we wanted better multiplayer for people who have 4 wiimotes but no nunchucks" then that's not good enough.

    The camera was a step back, it seemed. The game threw away the responsive, interactive camera of Mario Galaxy and Mario Sunshine, and replaced it with a camera very similar to that in Super Mario 3D Land. The problem is, 3D Land was on 3DS, and had a 3D effect to help with depth perception... but there is no 3D effect on Wii U. Depth perception became an actual issue in this game when it wasn't in games before it with freer camera control.

    For some reason, this game totally throws any idea of a story out the window. While previous Mario games had simple stories, and goofy, colorful Non-player characters to talk to, this game has almost no story, and no fun non-player characters to talk to. When you see a person, it shows a text bubble and a picture. It felt like Nintendo took out all the text from the game to appeal to kids who couldn't read. I started playing mario at age 6, and the text was never too difficult or important to hinder my enjoyment of the game. I just don't understand the thinking here. A part of the game that used to make me laugh and smile in the past has been surgically removed with no apparent reasoning behind it at all.

    Without doubt, the game's biggest offense was its total lack of exploration. There was also no exploration in this game, unlike its predecessors. This game had far less exploration than even the more linear Galaxy series. This was sorely missed. In fact, each level had a time limit it must be completed in. The time limit was a slap in the face in each level. If I'm supposed to explore and enjoy these 3d areas. Why kill me after 300 seconds? It was just unintuitive and odd.

    Now, of course this game isn't all bad. It had some great visuals and awesome music. It just was less than we should expect from the only main mario game this generation.

    The series is going in the wrong direction... but maybe they'll get it next time.

    6/10    … Expand
  28. Untitled94
    Feb 26, 2018
    7
    This game is alright and can be fun with friends, but they could've done a little better. This did have more variety than Super Mario 3D Land, and the graphics are really great, but it's just the same set up, like all the New Super Mario Bros games. It's still fun though.
  29. BluesBrothers
    Oct 26, 2017
    7
    Super Mario: 3D World is a pretty good game. It continues the linear touch the flagpole trend that Mario 3D Land started, and it works pretty well. It has fun levels and interesting new power-ups as well. Not everything is rainbows and lollipops however. A good chunk of the levels feel exactly the same, aside from a few standouts, and there's little to no challenge until you reach theSuper Mario: 3D World is a pretty good game. It continues the linear touch the flagpole trend that Mario 3D Land started, and it works pretty well. It has fun levels and interesting new power-ups as well. Not everything is rainbows and lollipops however. A good chunk of the levels feel exactly the same, aside from a few standouts, and there's little to no challenge until you reach the bonus levels after Bowser is defeated. The music tracks are great, but are constantly being re-used, either from other levels in the game or from 3D Land. Overall, it's definitely recommend but is one of the weaker 3D Marios.… Expand
  30. Foxmccloud01
    Oct 20, 2017
    7
    Súper Mario 3D world es el principal juego de Mario en 3D de la consola Wii U. Este juego resulta bastante distinto a los demás juegos de Mario en 3D, esto no significa que el juego sea malo dehecho el juego es bastante bueno, pero al ser compararlo con las entregas anteriores de Mario en 3D (en consolas de sobremesa), el juego resulta ser inferior que sus antecesores ya que pierde suSúper Mario 3D world es el principal juego de Mario en 3D de la consola Wii U. Este juego resulta bastante distinto a los demás juegos de Mario en 3D, esto no significa que el juego sea malo dehecho el juego es bastante bueno, pero al ser compararlo con las entregas anteriores de Mario en 3D (en consolas de sobremesa), el juego resulta ser inferior que sus antecesores ya que pierde su identidad como un juego de Mario en 3D asemejándolo más a un juego 2D de Mario , con la cámara estática y los niveles más cortos y con menos exploración, Esto es debido a que el juego, en términos de jugabilidad, es idéntico a Mario 3D land, un juego pensado para una consola portátil no para una de sobremesa, por lo que el juego se vuelve fácil, repetitivo, corto y con una banda sonora poco memorable (prácticamente todas las canciones de este juego son con instrumentos aerofonos). Aunque el juego también tiene su virtudes como el multijugador más sólido (el mejor de a saga) y la calidad gráfica. Pero sus virtudes no alcanzan a justificar sus defectos.

    Lamentablemente este es el principal y único juego de Mario 3D de la Wii U (repito no es un mal juego solo no está a la altura de sus antecesores). El juego no generó las suficientes expectativas para ser un vende consolas (como lo fueron y son galaxy y odyssey).

    Yo creo que este juego debió ser presentado como un juego de Mario multijugador no como el siguiente plataforma de Mario 3D. Que bueno que aprendieron de ese error con la Nintendo Switch.    … Expand
  31. matt0909
    Jan 6, 2018
    5
    Its an average game with not the best game play. Levels follow to much of a linear pattern which gave it a Super Mario Bros feel rather than a Galaxy or Odyssey feel. The levels are mostly boring and easy with exception to the last one. Finally, the green stars can be a pain to collect and take time out of the actual game play. This is not the best 3D Mario game and I would recommendIts an average game with not the best game play. Levels follow to much of a linear pattern which gave it a Super Mario Bros feel rather than a Galaxy or Odyssey feel. The levels are mostly boring and easy with exception to the last one. Finally, the green stars can be a pain to collect and take time out of the actual game play. This is not the best 3D Mario game and I would recommend Galaxy or Odyssey over this.

    Score 5/10
    Mediocre    … Expand
  32. Phazonblue
    Jan 28, 2014
    10
    Super Mario 3D World is a multiplayer masterpiece. I'm 28 and had a blast playing this game with my other adult friends. Nintendo has a way of making great timeless games for EVERYONE! If you own a Wii U, there's no reason not to pick this game up. And if you haven't purchased one yet, now is a great time to consider. There are many great games out for the console, with many more to come.!Super Mario 3D World is a multiplayer masterpiece. I'm 28 and had a blast playing this game with my other adult friends. Nintendo has a way of making great timeless games for EVERYONE! If you own a Wii U, there's no reason not to pick this game up. And if you haven't purchased one yet, now is a great time to consider. There are many great games out for the console, with many more to come.! Support Nintendo. I don't want to live in a world without them.… Collapse

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Wii U Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2013
2
#2 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 83 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 83
  3. Negative: 0 out of 83
  1. DarkZero
    Jan 28, 2015
    90
    This game was yet another solid, fun-for-days title in the Mario series.
    Read full review
  2. Thunderbolt
    Jul 25, 2014
    100
    While not as revolutionary as Mario 64 or Galaxy, 3D World manages to feel simultaneously fresh and nostalgic in a way the New Super Mario Bros. series never quite realized.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    93
    Mario Galaxies have finally gotten the follow up they so rightfully deserve. Fun, exciting and surprising, Super Mario 3D World is everything a good platformer needs to be. [Dec 2013]
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