[Review] Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Nintendo’s ongoing celebration of Super Mario Bros.‘ 35th anniversary has arrived at a very exciting juncture with the Switch release of Super Mario 3D World, an enhanced version of the Wii U classic that’s joined by the brand new game mode Bowser’s Fury. Super Mario 3D World by itself feels like a celebration of the series, tying together design philosophies from many other Marios into one great platforming adventure that’s as much fun to tackle alone as it is with your buddies in its raucous co-op experience.

Like all other great software that released for the troubled Wii U console, Super Mario 3D World never had as large of an audience as it deserved. Sure, it enjoyed plenty of acclaim from fans and became the second best-selling Wii U title with nearly six million copies, but it has always had the potential to endear itself to many more gamers. If you’re a Switch owner who missed out on Super Mario 3D World the first time around, this is very likely the best Mario game you’ve never played. Thanks to a few updates and all of the fun to be had in Bowser’s Fury, it may even be well worth a second look for those Nintendo fans who already saved the Sprixie Princesses and found every Green Star back in the day.

As good as it’s ever been

Super Mario 3D World has something for every Mario fan to enjoy. Its level design is the most diverse of any 3D Mario game, as the game always brings fresh challenges and objectives as you work your way through its many stages. Some levels are filled with tricky platforming sections that we come to expect, testing your reflexes and ability to nimbly navigate hazardous obstacles. Others are much more laid-back affairs where the stages are open for you to freely roam about and explore. There are boss battles against monstrous foes, timed challenges that force you to race against the clock, and even some stages based around clever puzzles that would get The Legend of Zelda’s nod of approval. The Captain Toad stages were so popular that he went on to get his own game!

Even the more action-packed levels give you reasons to explore. Super Mario 3D World is always rewarding you for inspecting every corner of the stage and figuring out how to get to those seemingly out-of-reach places. Each level has three hidden Green Stars (in the tradition of Super Mario Galaxy 2), and most levels will have a collectible stamp waiting to be found. The stamps — which were previously used on Miiverse for the Wii U — can now be used in the brand-new photo mode. The Green Stars, meanwhile, allow you to progress further throughout the game, so try to grab as many of those as you can. That will often be easier said than done, of course, as a lot of these items are really well hidden or are locked away behind some of the game’s toughest challenges.

Some levels are also very open-ended, depending on what power-ups you have at your disposal. Should you have something that grants additional mobility, such as the Super Bell or Super Leaf, you might be able to skip entire sections of a stage. Turning into a cat with the Super Bell and being able to scale vertical walls will be a favorite for many players, but Super Mario 3D World is loaded with an array of other power-ups to help you overcome obstacles. There’s the Double Cherry to create clones of your character, the Propeller Box to send yourself sky-high, the Mega Mushroom to temporarily make your character gigantic, and plenty more.

Super Mario 3D World is a delight no matter how you play. It’s as compelling as any other 3D Mario when you go it alone, with many of the later levels offering a considerable challenge. But there’s also a distinct kind of fun that comes from playing through the game with a friend or two. After you and your pals decide which characters you’ll play as (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and later Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy are your choices), you’re in for a rowdy good time.

The camera, which is almost always set to an overhead, isometric view or a side view in the style of 2D Mario games, manages to contain the action fairly well for the most part, although you’re still bound to lose track of your character more than once when the action ramps up. Much like the insanity that is Mario Party, get ready to hear a lot of blame be barked between one another whenever someone loses a life. But when you manage to coordinate yourselves effectively and your teamwork results in everyone getting to that goal flag at the end of the level, there are few accomplishments that feel more rewarding in a Mario game.

A few new [Super] bells and whistles

For those ready to enjoy a second go-around with Super Mario 3D World, there are a few new touches to the Switch release that can make the experience a bit different than the last time. You’ll notice one of these as soon as you start racing across the first level in the game. The characters’ movements have all been sped up, with Mario and the gang now walking and running faster than before. If you’ve been playing any of the three games in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection lately, it’s going to take you a few levels to adjust to the new pace in Super Mario 3D World. Those players who use Toad are in the biggest adjustment; the little guy moves like the Flash now, especially when he grabs the Super Bell and turns into Cat Toad.

Simply transitioning to a new platform after being developed with the Wii U’s unique features in mind meant that some changes were in order. Miiverse may have gone offline years ago, but all of those stamps hidden throughout the levels can be used to spruce up your surroundings in the brand-new photo mode — and the stamps are now in color! The photo mode doesn’t exactly have a wealth of editing options, particularly in regard to what angles you can take your snapshot, but it’s a harmless addition that you might be able to have some fun dabbling in once you acquire most of the stamps.

Those who played Super Mario 3D World before may remember that there were a few stages where either the touch screen or the microphone on the Wii U GamePad was used to interact with the environment. The Propeller Platforms that had you blow into the microphone for have been replaced by normal lifts, while the touch-screen function is now handled by the gyroscopic pointer on the Switch controllers. Just aim your cursor at the object in question, and you can activate it with the tap of a button (the Switch’s touch screen can still be used in handheld mode).

Coming to a platform with portable capabilities was ideal for a game with such potential for multiplayer entertainment. Now you can team up with friends no matter where you meet, with each player getting their own screen through their personal Switch console. When you want to play with a buddy or two but can’t get together in person, there is now the option to play online. The online component is relatively painless to set up. From the main menu while on the overworld map, you can open a room at any time. All that anyone on your Switch console’s Friends list has to do is search for available rooms on their game, and they can hop right in.

Just how smooth everything plays out from there is very much up in the air. Don’t be surprised if you run into noticeable lag on the busier levels, especially if you have four players going at once, but it all works for the most part. We here at Zelda Universe played a session with one of us in the United States, and the other in Australia — that it was even remotely playable was impressive. And should you see your cache of lives start to dwindle through the chaos, the newly implemented amiibo functionality can grant you a few 1-Up Mushrooms or useful power-ups.

Supersizing the fun

Then there’s the biggest (pun oh-so intended) addition that comes with this Switch release. Bowser’s Fury is a brand-new mode separate from the base game, where Mario and Bowser Jr. form an unlikely alliance to help purify Bowser after the Koopa King has been turned into a titanic, enraged behemoth by a mysterious black goo. You don’t even have to wait to dive into it. Bowser’s Fury is available right from the start-up menu, so anyone returning to Super Mario 3D World can instead try out this new romp first before taking another run through the main game.

Mario and Bowser Jr. find themselves in Lake Lapcat — a vast body of water dotted by numerous islands and sandbars that play host to all kinds of different platforming challenges. It feels like one of the massive levels pulled straight out of Super Mario Odyssey. Like the various worlds in that Switch standout, Lake Lapcat is one great sandbox that you’re free to explore at your whim. The goal is to collect the many Cat Shines that are hidden all across the map, with some being acquired simply by investigating a suspicious spot, and others being the reward for one of the many crafty platforming sections made up of familiar environmental features and power-ups from Super Mario 3D World.

You don’t have your choice of characters as you do in the base game, so you’re limited to only controlling Mario. That doesn’t mean he’s alone for the job, however. Bowser Jr. follows alongside you in his Junior Clown Car, swiping at enemies and collecting nearby items. You can toggle how much assistance he provides, and through the gyroscopic pointer on the Switch controllers, you can direct him to uncover secrets in out-of-reach areas. The lovable aquatic dinosaur Plessie also takes up a prominent role in Bowser’s Fury, offering a quick means of transportation throughout Lake Lapcat. Plessie also helps with several water races for Cat Shines. Clearly, Bowser’s Fury has its priorities in order with the cast.

It’s a terrific mix of elaborate platforming sequences and leisurely exploration through the idyllic Lake Lapcat — at least until Bowser wakes up and goes full Godzilla on you. As Fury Bowser, he puts other ongoing threats in video games like Mr. X from Resident Evil 2 and the Blood Moon from Breath of the Wild to shame. Desperately racing across the map to either find shelter or acquire the Giga Bell — all while avoiding Fury Bowser’s rain of spikes and devastating fire breath — is a nerve-wracking experience every time the big guy emerges. The interruptions do start to feel more frustrating down the stretch once you’ve seen so many of them, and the Kaiju-sized fights against Bowser once you grab a Giga Bell, which turns Mario into Giga Cat Mario, are more style than substance due to the cumbersome controls and camera. But they hardly spoil what is an otherwise thrilling and unique experience for a Mario platformer. The final challenge is also one for the ages, both for its epic scope and its hilarious absurdity.

Bowser’s Fury will likely take you between three to four hours if you just want to get to the end credits. For those who want to take in everything that Lake Lapcat has to offer, you’re probably looking at six to eight hours in total to nab all 100 Cat Shines. Some are very difficult to acquire, after all. That still may not be enough content to sway those fans who aren’t eager to return to Super Mario 3D World, but for anyone who will happily take another jaunt through the stellar base game alongside their ventures through Bowser’s Fury, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is easily the best version of a truly wonderful Mario adventure.

Score: 9.0/10