by

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury: The Kotaku Review

Super Mario 3D World would be incredible if I didn’t already know who Mario was and what he was all about.

In his 2013 review of the Wii U original, Kotaku writer Luke Plunkett described Super Mario 3D World as a “greatest hits collection, bringing together all the best things Mario has already done in a single package.” It should come as no surprise that Super Mario 3D World (plus Bowser’s Fury, but we’ll get to that in a bit) is still a great game on Switch, if only a little lacking as a Mario outing.

Much of my disappointment with Super Mario 3D World centers on the fact that Mario just doesn’t feel very spry. Even with the Switch version’s increased movement speeds, I never quite feel 100% in control of my characters, which is further compounded by a dearth of movement options (the lack of a triple jump is a glaring omission). Super Mario 3D World just doesn’t play as effortlessly as I’d expect of a Mario game, a feeling perhaps compounded by this re-release coming hot on the heels of last year’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a compilation which included some of Mario’s best 3D outings. Add in a wonky camera that only gives the player a bare minimum of control, and the Super Mario 3D World experience often feels more full of frustrating deaths than the satisfyingly precise platforming for which the series is known.

Read Full Story

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *