Super Mario 3D World

You wanted a reason to buy a Wii U? Here you go. [March 2014, p.67]

A mastery of games design, Super Mario 3D World shows that Nintendo are still on top of their game. Blending the old and the new into platforming gold, this is everything we could’ve wanted and more. The reason to own a Wii U has arrived.

As usual, expect pure gameplay with a lot of amazing ideas, both old and new, thrown in the mix. Currently the best game available for the system. [Issue#237]

It’s fun, it’s fast and it’s the best multiplayer experience on the Wii U!

In the end, everything comes down to the incredible level design and the pure joy of playing. Super Mario 3D World makes 3D Land seem like a prototype. It's a product from a team at its creative peak - it's Mario in its purest essence.

It’s a masterpiece.

A peerless title full of virtuosity and richness that combines the tight mechanics of old school games with sophisticated formal experimentation, full of liberty, complexity and mastery that reminds us that art has no limits.

It's more than just a simple Mario title with multiplayer bolted on. The game weaves together a plethora of unique, compelling and occasionally downright bizarre ideas that simply work.

Super Mario 3D World is a master class in platforming fun, and deserves every bit of praise heaped upon it.

It really is a fantastic game. That thrill of hitting the top of the flagpole is still there after all these years, Mario and co leap about at the top of their game, it's colourful, friendly, joyful, and the most fun I've had with a platform game since Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Super Mario 3D World is a great game full of amazing games inside. The boundaries of the imagination were again overcome and the strong interactivity and magnificent achievements in technical terms prevails.

World might not be the same revelation that Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Galaxy were, but it doesn't look at traditions as a crutch, and instead uses what you know as a way to delight and entertain.

Super Mario 3D World justifies a Wii U.

To some, Super Mario may appear tired: a mascot whom Nintendo trots out every few years to sell another console with repackaged but fundamentally stale ideas. Super Mario 3D World is a fierce rebuttal to the accusation. Mario and his makers once again assert their dominance of spatial navigation games, displaying a rude abundance of ideas to delight, surprise and celebrate innocence and playfulness.

A triumph from start to finish. Beautiful, colourful, amusing, and bereft of any cynicism whatsoever. An utter breath of fresh air that plays like a dream; this is almost certainly the game Nintendo should have launched the Wii U with. However, here we are, finally getting the incredible Mario title we deserve.

Once again, Nintendo completely re-defines platforming with the latest Mario installment. This is the game to buy a Wii U for and co-op will probably never be much more fun than this.

The closest we will ever come to a perfect Mario game, one that is a culmination of every right decision ever made in the series. Alone, or with friends, the first time, or the tenth time, it does everything right. It's a wonderful adventure.

It's platforming perfection, brimming with clever ideas and flawless execution.

Super Mario 3D World is both gorgeous and about as enjoyable as a video game can be. There is an immense amount of depth that kept me coming back for more, time and time again. This is the rare type of game that I believe ten years down the road we will be coming back and playing again and again. It’s that good.

Put simply, Super Mario 3D World is stunning. Its world is beautiful, its design is impeccable, and its fun is infectious. I'm running out of superlatives here, so let me finish where I started: Go play it.

Super Mario 3D World can be easily summarised — it’s a terrifically enjoyable, tight and impeccably structured experience. It recalls the mascot’s 3D heritage while providing the perfect starting point for those that prefer 2D platforming, catering to an audience of beginners and skilled veterans alike. Nintendo’s also mastered Mario multiplayer for, arguably, the first time; it’s still manic and can be either co-operative or competitive, but there’s also a sense of space that allows determined groups to progress coherently.

Thankfully 3D World isn’t just a refinement of the Mario formula, it’s a powerful re-imagining. It’s an explosive cavalcade of color and excitement as well as a well thought out evolution of Mario.

It was then that I realized that Super Mario 3D World had achieved a level of platforming design that's close to perfection, and there was almost never a moment where I didn't have a smile on my face. This is the unequivocally the best Mario game since Galaxy 2, and it shows up anything the "New" series has ever done, and then some.

Compact by the standards of the Galaxy adventures but still loaded with bountiful secrets, beneath the warm familiarity of 3D World lies one of the strangest Mario games in years - or at least one of the most random in its influences and its moment-to-moment indulgences. And that's a very, very good thing.

The game is breathtakingly simple, polished to perfection, and tonnes of fun - by yourself or with friends. The only reason it’s not getting a perfect 10 is because I miss the story elements, and some of the bosses were just far too easy to overcome.

There is no doubt that this is the best game available on the Wii U system to date, and in my opinion it may just be the best game in Super Mario history. Make no ‘ifs’ ‘ands’ or ‘buts’ about it, Super Mario 3D World is a must buy as it is the game Wii U owners have been waiting for.

It is beautiful. It sounds amazing. Its controls are perfect. It loves you with its pacing and variety, and it never wants you to get bored.

Super Mario 3D World is another fantastic example of what it means to be a Nintendo game. If you have a Wii U, you can't miss this one.

It fulfills the promise of a multiplayer Mario much better than anything that the Japanese game maker has done before. Super Mario 3D World is marvelous, and its constant variety and fantastic light-hearted co-op play proves that Nintendo still knows exactly how to tweak their Mario formula in fun ways.

Endlessly creative, relentlessly delightful and eminently playable by all levels of player, SM3DW is perhaps the best 3D platformer released since the series’ heyday.

A game with heart. That's such a rare thing these days, but Nintendo still seems to be able to create wonders. Super Mario 3D World is an amazing platform, with brilliant levels and quite a few surprises. Wii U needed a killer app? Here it is.

Super Mario 3D World is another masterpiece in the history of platform games, successfully achieving the mission to build a bridge between the 2D and 3D Mario history. With gorgeous visuals, perfectly oiled mechanisms and lots to be unlocked and discovered, it stands as the best Wii U game to date.

Super Mario 3D World is much more than the console big brother to 3D Land, incorporating the series’ every idea into a well-tempered concoction of imagination fueled by jumps and 1-ups for a new experience that transcends nostalgia to enter the realm of the sublime.

Super Mario 3D World is a masterclass of game design, and the result of decades of iteration and improvement — which makes its overall brevity that much more painful.

Super Mario 3D World is one of the best Mario games. It's a perfect mix between New Super Mario Bros co-op, 3D Land platforming experience and some of the best skills of other franchise games. This game has one of the most varied and brilliant level design that we remember in any EAD Tokyo development.

Super Mario 3D World takes the excellent gameplay from its 3DS predecessor and expands upon it with 4-player co-op, new gameplay and even more creative levels. Mario's first 3D, HD adventure is bar none the best game on Wii U right now and the console's undisputed killer app. Whether played solo or with friends, it is a master class of platformer design and more importantly, one hell of a good time.

For any Mario fans worried their favorite paesano plumber wasn’t about innovation anymore, Super Mario 3D World shows the franchise that created the platforming standard continues to set the bar. The new Super Bell and Double Cherry power-ups augment the Mario experience in a brilliant, meaningful way, and the Wii U’s HD capabilities deliver the prettiest-looking game in series history.

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]

Any Mario game runs the risk of the final encounter being too traditional or featuring a frustrating gimmick, but this one brought a smile to everyone’s faces on my co-op team from beginning to end. While it’s not the most difficult challenge, it is suitably epic and entertaining – an exceptional finisher to an excellent entry in the series.

Not so much a baby step into HD 3D platforming as a triple backflip onto a Goomba's dome. A constant source of joy, surprise and ideas, ideas, ideas.

It's not a game that'll single-handedly save the Wii U, but it is a typically brilliant, typically Nintendo experience - and one that'll live in the memory long after the final flag pole has disappeared from view. [Jan 2014, p.45]

Under a thick layer of polish and charm, you’ll find yet another top-notch platforming adventure, chocked full of secrets and clever twists and about as challenging as anything Mario has thrown our way thus far. It isn’t groundbreaking or approaching the level of perfection that the Galaxy games did, but if nothing else, it’s a must-have title for Wii U owners.

The best Wii U game. The title the console needed at launch. Beautiful, fun, clever... A must-have if you like platformers, and a good reason to consider buying the console if you don't have it already.

This game was yet another solid, fun-for-days title in the Mario series.

Super Mario 3D World is not only a great Wii U game. It’s a great reason to buying the whole system. Everything from the graphics to the controls is sculpted to perfection. It’s also one of the best co-op games we’ve played in a long time.

Super Mario 3D World is a joy from beginning to end, and is the best game for the Wii U so far.

It's one of those games that only Nintendo is capable of delivering. If you own a Wii U, this is the best Christmas present you can get for you and your friends or family.

Super Mario 3D World is a must-own title for every Wii U-gamer out there. It's fun, fast and only occasionally let down by minor quirks. Whether you play it alone or with friends: Mario 3D World is a romp.

While Mario may have stumbled a bit in his last few releases, Super Mario 3D World proves that Nintendo is still one of the finest makers of platform games out there. Everything from the visuals, the music, character animation and level design is incredibly well thought out and implemented, and it is one of those games that's worth buying a Wii U to play.

Super Mario 3D World is not only a fantastic game in and of itself, it's a mandatory buy for any Wii U owner.

Traditional Mario, who perfects all the possible aspects of the plumbing trade. Indeed, this is not a revolution, but you will be frequently surprised, and you will never be bored in his company.

Super Mario World 3D pares back some of the complexity seen in recent Mario games in favour of multiplayer gaming, and it works wonderfully.

Super Mario 3D World is vibrant, fun and reaches a new level of excellence for the franchise, creating the right kind of cat-astrophe.

Super Mario 3D World is a sublime Mario adventure. Finding the three stars and one stamp every level contains quickly becomes an obsession, which is a result of Nintendo's brilliant level design.

Super Mario 3D World is filled with dynamic, creative and varied levels that we've gotten used to with the Galaxy-games. The result is a fantastic platformer, that not only plays like a dream, but also is a pleasure to simply observe.

All told, Super Mario 3D World is a difficult game to pigeonhole. It borrows elements from multiple Mario games and ends up creating something new in the combination. It’s not as profound as Super Mario 64 but it’s still an interesting expansion of the Mario experience. 3D World is full of smart ideas and everything works.

There is tremendous variety to Super Mario 3D World. It’s a game that mashes a thousand clever, creative ideas into one cohesive whole, which of course comes under the Mario umbrella.

Simply put, if you own a Wii U and love Mario, then you should definitely pick it up.

Charming, varied and almost perfectly balanced: This is pure platforming fun.

After the not-so-original New Super Mario Bros games, it is lovely to see Mario and his friends in an adventure that is truly worth playing. The vast range of power-ups is great, especially the catsuit which makes Mario not only adorable looking, but also handy. His claws are an awesome extra to fight the fun, new enemies. It is a pity that this game is a bit easy, but you can challenge yourself by playing co-op with annoying friends or go on a green star hunt. It's not Mario Galaxy, but very surprising and of very high quality like we know of that plumber.

While I’d still like to see a proper 3D Mario game on Wii U, 3D World does so much right that it’s hard to bash the formula, especially when it veers off course so often.

Super Mario 3D World is not only the essential videogame Wii U so desperately needed, it's another master class in gameplay design by Nintendo.

This is a game you need to own a Wii U for. There’s enough new that it shouldn’t be seen as a rehash of past glories, and there is a wealth of variety crammed into the game.

Super Mario 3D World is without a doubt the most important work of rewriting the classical dynamics of the series since the days of the Nintendo 64.

Probably the best option to enjoy Wii U nowadays. It lacks difficulty, online options are conservative and it hasn't any competitive modes, but it's pure Mario fun, with multiplayer and cats. Definitely, the Mario game this console needs.

Super Mario 3D World might not be a “game changer” like Super Mario 64, but it’ll always be remembered as the one that let the cats out.

3D World sees the plumber at the top of his game, and it’s finally as fun to play with friends as it is solo. It doesn’t redefine the franchise like previous entries have, but when the total package is as fun as 3D World, that’s hardly a complaint.

Super Mario 3D World is a tightly-designed platformer, raucously fun in multiplayer, and a master's class in level design. Don't pass it off as just another Mario game. This one is not to be missed.

It gets the balance right between nostalgic touches and clever new twists, and never once let me down with a boring boss or too-familiar retread. In all my years of playing with the Mario gang, I've never been quite so happy to hurl myself into the unknown, and 3D World delivers challenge, surprise and joy in almost every moment.

The fact that 3D World remains lively and interesting despite calling back to so many well-loved classics serves as a succinct reminder as to why Mario remains successful after so many years and so many games: At its heart, the series is ultimately just about having simple, unpretentious fun.

Easily the best game on the Wii U and one that can proudly stand alongside Nintendo’s greatest, even if it doesn’t quite top the Super Mario Galaxy games.

This is Mario like you’ve never seen him before, and unlike so many of his next-gen rivals, he nips along at an effortless 60fps. If the true measure of new hardware’s worth is how stark the difference is between it and what came before, then this is the most next-gen game that 2013 has yet produced.

With a secret world so good it'll make long-term fans (and me) squeal with glee, and how easily it oozes personality and skill, Super Mario 3D World is the best entry the series has offered up in years. It may not hit the highest of highs that the plumber has done in the past, but it's awfully close.

Everything that you can see and do within its enchanting levels is so bright, colourful, and full of wonder that it's impossible not to be taken in by its charms.

Super Mario 3D World is simply awesome. With this game Miyamoto has changed many elements of both the historical gameplay and level design of Super Mario, crafting a brand new but still nostalgic experience. Rayman Legends is still the best platformer available on Nintendo Wii U, but 3D World is a gorgeous runner up.

Super Mario 3D World is a strong and beautiful sequel to 3D Land, but after the amazing heights of the Galaxy games this console platformer feels somewhat more like a step back: the gameplay doesn't allow for many new elements anymore. Despite that disappointment, 3D World is a varied and balanced adventure where newcomers and veterans alike will find many hours of good old fashioned fun.

Super Mario 3D World is using mechanics from another century, but is Nintendo to blame if old recipes still work? The risk-taking stays minimal, and the core gamers will mostly enjoy the two last worlds in spite of a difficulty level that has improved significantly. Impossible to forget the level design and the precision of the gameplay, which defines the game. Even the multiplayer mode is good in spite of some camera problems. Nintendo set everything to perfection and most players should enjoy this Super Mario 3D World.

The game is at odds with itself for not being as inventive as it should be, but being so good because of all invention that's come before it. Mario, in this sense, is his own worst enemy.

Super Mario 3D World combines the best of both worlds, offering a solid solo mode, deep in its gameplay mechanics as its content, and an exciting multiplayer, friendly fun, packed with inspired 3D levels.

Super Mario 3D World is a very good Mario game that suffers only in that the unrealized potential for it to have been a great game, period, keeps peeking in between the cracks. Fun to play for veterans and newcomers alike either as a single-player challenge or frenetic multiplayer party-brawl; and a definite must for current and prospective WiiU owners.

I'm sure some players will get a kick out of throwing each other into pits or causing chaos in a cat suit, but 3D World stands squarely in the shadow of other, greater entries in the series.