Super Mario 3D World

Luigi, Toad, Peach, and Mario sprint through Really Rolling Hills

The game levels play similarly to those of Super Mario 3D Land, which combine the free-roaming gameplay of the Super Mario franchise's 3D games with the mechanics of its 2D side-scrollers, including a timer and a level-ending flagpole.[9] Up to four concurrent players may control player characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and the unlockable Rosalina. Similar to their appearances in Super Mario Bros. 2,[10] each of the characters possesses unique abilities and controls differently: Mario has balanced running speed and jump height; Luigi jumps higher and falls slower, but has slightly lower traction; Peach can jump and briefly float through the air, but runs slowly; Toad runs the fastest, but cannot jump as high and falls faster; Rosalina can use the spin attack move as seen in the Super Mario Galaxy games, but has the slowest running speed.[11] The player can select any of the five characters to use before beginning a level, and up to four players may explore the same level simultaneously, sharing from a pool of lives. Players are also able to pick up, carry, and throw each other.[12]

Levels are accessed through a world map, in which players can find hidden areas to earn more items or coins. Each level contains three collectable Green Stars, which are required to access certain levels, and each main level contains a hidden Stamp which was used in handwritten posts to the now defunct Miiverse online community. Players can also view messages left by other players, both on the world map and after clearing a level, and can download 'Mii Ghosts', which are live records of other players completing levels. Ghosts can be raced against, and may hold gift prizes such as coins or extra lives.[13] Additional Green Stars can be earned in Captain Toad, Mystery House, and Challenge levels.[14][15]

Along with items returning from previous games, such as the Fire Flower, Super Leaf, Mega Mushroom, Propeller Box, and Boomerang Flower, several items are introduced. The Super Bell gives players a Cat Suit, allowing them to run faster, perform unique attacks and climb up walls to reach new areas. A variation of the Super Bell, the Lucky Bell, allows the player to temporarily transform their character into a lucky cat statue that awards coins under certain conditions.[16] Double Cherries make a clone of the player, allowing for more effective attacks and a higher chance of survival; the more Double Cherries a player uses, the more clones appear. Players can wear Cannon Boxes which fire shots at enemies, Light Blocks which can defeat ghosts, and Goomba masks which let them blend in with enemy Goombas. Players are able to pick up various objects, such as bombs, baseballs, and Piranha Plants (which can be used to defeat enemies or solve puzzles), and can ride in a Skating Shoe or on an aquatic dinosaur named Plessie.[17]

The Wii U GamePad allows players to rub the touchscreen, blow into the microphone to reveal hidden blocks or items, hinder enemies, activate mechanisms, and use Off-TV Play.[18] The game is compatible with the Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Classic Controller, and Wii U Pro Controller.[19] An unlockable Luigi-themed version of Mario Bros., Luigi Bros., is accessed by clearing the game or by having save data from New Super Luigi U.[20]

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are watching a fireworks show until they find a tilted glass pipe. After Mario and Luigi fix it, a green fairy-like Sprixie princess appears and tells them that Bowser has kidnapped and trapped the rest of the Sprixie princesses in jars. He arrives and captures her before escaping through the pipe, while the heroes enter it and pursue him. They find themselves in a realm known as "The Sprixie Kingdom" and set off to find the Sprixies. After the heroes save the final one, Bowser recaptures all seven and heads to his amusement park fortress. Thereafter, Bowser uses the Super Bell to transform into a cat form. The group proceeds to climb the tallest tower and defeat Bowser. The heroes say goodbye to the Sprixies and travel home through the pipe back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Development on Super Mario 3D World began shortly after the release of Super Mario 3D Land with Nintendo EAD Tokyo heading the project; 1-Up Studio provided developmental assistance.[21] A staff of 100 personnel, including producer Yoshiaki Koizumi, wrote ideas for game mechanics on sticky notes, which were collected upon the studio walls. If the team liked an idea, they would implement it in-game to test it. Co-director Kenta Motokura, stated "We discussed and discarded a huge number of ideas during development – sometimes you just can't tell if an idea is good or bad by looking at it on the drawing board; when this happens, we try it out in-game. If we don't find the idea fun, it won't make it into the final product. There was a lot of back and forth on the course designs due to this."[22] Co-director Koichi Hayashida stated that Super Mario 3D World was intended to be a Wii U game that fans of New Super Mario Bros. could enjoy, as well as a de facto continuation of Super Mario 3D Land.[22]

Ideas for the game's feline costumery came early in development, to implement an attack mechanic, introduce the ability to climb walls, and help novice players to clear obstacles. Inspiration for the Double Cherry, which clones a player character, came late in development when a level designer erroneously inserted an extra copy of Mario's character model into a level. The team was relieved to see that the game did not crash with two identical characters present, and were amused that both could be controlled simultaneously. Developers "scrambled" to include this feature in the final game.[22]

According Hayashida, Peach was originally not going to be a playable character until Yoshiaki Koizumi suggested for her to be added. Koizumi reasoned, "I think she adds a lot to the sense of competition when you get in multiplayer. You can have different people choosing different characters based on their personality or whoever they like."[23] Similarly, Rosalina was later added as a playable character. Kenta Motokura said, "I was thinking about what would be pleasing after the ending and wanted to bring in another female character in addition to Princess Peach. Rosalina has a following among the Super Mario Galaxy fanbase, and she appeared in Mario Kart recently, so I think she's well known."[24]

The game's soundtrack was composed by Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo, and Yasuaki Iwata, and performed by the Mario 3D World Big Band, which they formed after being inspired by jazz music. A soundtrack was released for Club Nintendo members in Japan, Australia, and Europe, featuring 77 tracks across two CDs.[25][26]

Director Koichi Hayashida promoting the game at E3 2013

In a January 2013 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that a new 3D Mario game was being produced by the development team from Super Mario Galaxy.[27][28] The title was announced during the E3 2013 Nintendo Direct on June 11, 2013, along with its tentative release date of November 2013.[6]

Super Mario 3D World received critical acclaim. It has scores of 92.77% and 93/100 on aggregate review websites GameRankings and Metacritic, respectively.[65][38] It also won many awards from media outlets, including Game of The Year from Eurogamer, Digital Spy, and MSN UK.

Famitsu gave the game a score of 38/40.[45] IGN's Jose Otero gave 3D World a 9.6/10, praising the visual design's "youthful energy," the "interesting risks" taken with the level designs, the "maddening challenge" offered by later worlds, and the "genuinely funny and memorable co-op". He said, "I reveled in the sheer brilliance of how much energy and gameplay mileage Nintendo has packed into every world." Otero's only complaint was that "the camera becomes a slight obstacle in four-player multiplayer".[55] GameTrailers gave the game a score of 9.5, praising its gameplay and presentation, while criticizing camera issues and some odd control choices.[66] GamesRadar gave the game a score of 4.5/5, praising improved multiplayer and some moments so brilliant that they can make some other levels seem dull by comparison.[49] Luke Plunkett of Kotaku called the game "a terrific Mario game. just not a very good Wii U game", praising the game itself, but lamenting that it doesn't do much to show off the Wii U's capabilities.[67] Patrick Klepek at Giant Bomb, saying "World continues to make the case that it's possible to reinvent a classic over and over again".[68]

Anime News Network gave the game an A grade, calling it "fun, imaginative, and filled with little surprises and delights".[69] Edge rated the game 9/10, calling it "Wii U's best game to date," and "the most next-gen game that 2013 has yet produced," and stating that Mario is the most fun character to play as because "his cohorts' abilities aren't anything special".[42] Destructoid's Chris Carter awarded the game a 10/10, praising the power-ups (especially the catsuit, which "opens up doors platforming-wise that weren't there before" and the Double Cherry with which "Nintendo really outdid themselves in terms of the technical mechanics" to make possible), the "incredibly sharp" graphics, and "one of the best OSTs I've ever heard". Carter wrote that "the only downfall of the design is the selection of boss fights", as Nintendo "had achieved a level of platforming design that's close to perfection".[41] Joystiq's Richard Mitchell gave the game 5/5 stars, praising the "astounding" visual craftsmanship, "excellent soundtrack", and "artful, purposeful design" which "communicates goals with complete clarity".[56] GameZone's Mike Splechta stated "With multiple characters to play as (harking back to Super Mario Bros. 2) and an unlockable fifth, a fantastic and unobtrusive multiplayer component and enough new power-ups to make even Mario's head spin, you're bound to have a highly enjoyable time with one of the best 3D platformers released thus far."[70]

Eurogamer's Christian Donlan gave the game a 10/10, describing it as "an endless freewheeling treat of a game" with an "ad-libbed drive to...explore how many different situations Mario can be squashed into". He noted that this inventiveness carries over to the "lavish and quick-changing" soundtrack: "This is pastiche at its most skillful, its most panoramic."[44] Cheat Code Central's Jenni Lada gave the game a 5/5, calling it "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."[71] Nintendo World Report stated that it's a Mario game that one would want to continue playing once the game is beaten and may be the killer app of the Wii U, saying "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."[58] The Escapist gave the game four out of five stars, but was slightly critical of it, saying "Buy it if you love that little plumber, and enjoy the new toys, but don't expect your mind to be blown."[72]

• Official website