Mario co-op is often frenetic as players bump into, lift up, and toss one another around, so what you lose in platforming precision you make up for with chaotic frolics. The other major addition to this version is the online play, which essentially replicates the existing couch co-op for an online environment. It's not enough of a boost to feel like you've lost control, but it does require more finesse and some of the narrower platforming bits can be skill-testing. That has been tweaked in this version, with all characters getting a noticeable speed boost. While the original Super Mario 3D World was a great Mario game in its own right, it received some valid criticism that the pace was sometimes languid and unchallenging. Then again, everyone is extra-speedy in this version of the game. Playing as Peach in Super Mario 3D World on Nintendo Switch Find yourself running out of time? Use Toad, who's extra-speedy. Is this stage particularly vertically-oriented? Luigi's your man, thanks to his fluttery high-jump. Does this stage have a lot of tricky falling platforms? Consider using Peach, who can float right past them. But Mario 3D World actually does introduce multiple characters, and they're well-differentiated to suit different playstyles or even gameplay goals. Mario games don't traditionally let you select alternate characters-Luigi was just a palette swap and the one game most famous for multiple characters, Super Mario Bros. When revisiting stages, you can add a little variety to the mix by choosing a new character. If you skip over one part of a branching path to get to the next world that much faster, you probably will hit the wall. But I found that visiting each stage just to see what creative idea is behind every corner gave me more than enough stars to progress normally without needing to backtrack. The recent Mario trend of gating progress behind collectible doodads can be annoying. The world also has occasional time attack stages to finish a gauntlet of mini-bosses or platforming challenges for a total of 10 green stars. Captain Toad stages, by comparison, each have five stars to collect, and finding them all is key to finishing the stage. Most of the traditional platforming stages have three green stars tucked away in hidden nooks, encouraging exploration or challenging you to hang onto a power-up like the Double Cherry long enough to unlock a gate. The Captain Toad stages are one key way that 3D World fills your coffers with green stars, a sort of in-game currency for unlocking new stages. He can't jump on enemies due to his comically massive backpack, so instead, Captain Toad puzzles become subtle games of timing and patience, manipulating the camera to view the 3D space from all angles and plumbing its depths for treasure. They feel familiar enough to Mario's standard platforming that it isn't distracting, but Captain Toad's natural pacifism makes for a unique challenge. His platforming puzzles are cute departures from the main platforming challenges. Super Mario 3D World on Wii U was also the debut of Captain Toad, and it's easy to see why he became a breakout star. The game keeps up this regular pace of delightful surprise from start to finish. One stage is essentially a Mario Kart riff, recognizable from its rainbow-colored bumpers and dash pads that speed you along the entire length of "track." Another is clearly modeled after a classic Zelda dungeon, with your Fire Flower power-up serving to ignite lanterns and solve simple puzzles. The game also frequently pays homage to other pieces of Nintendo history. One stage might have you navigating a forest or a battleship, while another will time its rhythmic block switching to a steady beat. The sheer variety of ideas on display in 3D World is its biggest asset. Each stage is presented as a diorama slice and usually include a limited degree of Z-axis depth, but the core idea between them is the same: Get in, see a clever application of Mario mechanics, then get out before the concept overstays its welcome. The stages are relatively small, self-contained bouts of creative platforming, often with their own theme or mechanics at the forefront. It's a successor to Mario Galaxy, not in direct mechanics but in a broader design philosophy. It's easier to see Super Mario 3D World's place in Mario canon with the benefit of hindsight. Because of this very split design, though, it only makes sense to examine them as separate games. This makes sense-the two share some superficial traits but are otherwise very different design philosophies and platforming approaches. The two experiences are bifurcated to the point where you need to quit out of one completely to start the other. Now Playing: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Video Review By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
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