Welcome to the the first written edition of the QQ Review!
Mario games have always been the flagship product for Nintendo; in my opinion no Nintendo console is worth buying until it has a true new Mario game to play on it. Regardless of my view on the New Super Mario Bros franchise, my fears concerning the Wii U's legitimacy have finally been laid to rest with the release of Super Mario 3D World. This game is a masterful followup to the portable Super Mario 3D Land, and a worthy successor to Super Mario Galaxy series.
Super Mario 3D World is platforming at its best. The game is nothing less than the polished, well rounded, and creative experience that you have come to expect from the core Mario franchise, but what keeps this series great is that it does not stop to rest on its laurels. While Super Mario 3D World may not arrive bearing the same level of innovation as some of its predecessors, it pulls together a fresh combination of ideas and tweaks the traditional formula enough to make this a unique experience all its own.
Gameplay
Let's start with the big game changer: cooperative multiplayer, which is an absolute blast to play with friends. While the New Super Mario Bros games felt almost PVP, Super Mario 3D World feels like a true cooperative PVE experience. Admittedly, a few level types do not lend themselves well to multiplayer but the vast majority of stages in this game invite you to play with friends without the fear of getting in each others' way. There is enough space to freely run around the worlds together without feeling cramped or hindering other players' desire for exploration of the map.
Another game element that people are obviously raving about, and with good cause, is the Cat suit. All of the suits and power-ups in Super Mario 3D World are fun and well balanced, but the Cat suit adds a type of gameplay that the franchise has never seen before: the ability to truly climb walls. It may sound like a bit of a cheat to be able to climb walls in a platformer, but the designers use this new mechanic masterfully by enticing you to climb out over every ledge and put your self in danger, being motivated solely by the hope of finding another hidden item or power-up.
As expected, Super Mario 3D World is filled with nods and references to its predecessors; bur surprisingly, it often seems to make tongue-in-cheek jokes at its own expense. My favorite example of this is the new overworld map. At first glance the map looks like other traditional Mario games, filled with level nodes and lines drawn to connect and unlock them. When pushing the analog stick, the game literally blows your mind as Mario is free to move about the whole world, unencumbered by linear paths for movement. There are now hidden areas and items on the map itself, making it exciting to explore each time you reach a new world.
Graphics and Sound
In HD, Mario still looks like Mario, but Mario's World is bright, vibrant, and feels alive with color, texture, and fluid animation. This is not your old Mushroom Kingdom, no, literally, you are adventuring in the Sprixie Kingdom this time. Here each item glitters in a unique and random pattern, each blade of grass moves individually, and enemies render all the way across the map. Speaking of enemies, there is a great mix of foes from throughout the entire Mario franchise, all of which look great, but there are admittedly a few new additions.
The camera in Super Mario 3D World has been greatly simplified from the Italian plumber's other 3D outings. The camera now sits on a simple and static isometric axis to the playing field and you may turn it in a single 45 degree increment in either direction. This may sound oversimplified and you may fear that it will not provide enough freedom of motion to let you see around the course, but these concerns could not be farther from the truth. The simplified camera angles provide you with enough freedom to see the world while never becoming obstructed by landscape or jumping around unexpectedly. When on a track level you can tilt the camera to look straight on and see what lies ahead or tilt it sideways to view platforms from a traditional side scrolling view. It sounds simple and it is simple; it is simply glorious.
The sound in this game is excellent but nothing special; the soundtrack on the other hand is absolutely phenomenal. Super Mario 3D World is scored with an inspired and jazzy sound, and the world is enriched because of it. While mostly based upon remixed previous Mario tunes, these tracks are fun and upbeat, each with enough unique elements to make them memorable. For example, there is one level that is an homage to Super Mario Kart, and while the visuals do portray it, the music is what really sends it racing across the finish line. This is a rare example of a game that makes me want to run out and purchase the OST.
Story and Cast
Super Mario 3D World has a traditional Mario story. Bowser is terrorizing people and Mario has to chase him around the world to stop him. This time Bowser has not kidnapped Princess Peach from the Mushroom Kingdom but instead eight fairies from Sprixie Kingdom. Truth be told there is absolutely nothing new here, but then again "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
The cast on the other hand has been spruced up! This is a return all the way to the 1988 Super Mario Brothers 2 (or for true nerds, Dokie Dokie 2) setup of having four different playable characters. Mario is well rounded, Luigi jumps high, Peach floats, and Toad runs fast. Not only is this fun in multiplayer but there are also levels that will make you want to play as different characters in the single player mode. Again none of this is revolutionary but it is very well polished and fun.
Really this whole subsection of the review is so that I can bring up one particular subject. I do not feel that this game falls back on the damsel in distress trope that plagues the Mario series. I bring this up in the hopes that that reviewers like Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency will go easy on this one. The two main points I would like to raise are as follows: 1) Peach is a valuable member of the team in this game, equally as strong as the male protagonists, and, 2) while Mario and his crew are rescuing princesses, they are pixie princesses; there is absolutely no reason to feel that they are being oppressed or discriminated against due to their gender...pagans or anyone into Celtic mythology, feel free to raise hell.
Verdict
I love this game. While I could complain that it is not the open world Mario 64 sequel that I am still waiting for, it has strengths that are uniquely its own. However I will confess that while I do feel that this game is very creative, it is not exactly innovative. Additionally, while it does look great, it treads no new ground visually. Unfortunately these concessions make me have to be honest about the final score. It is a great game, I thoroughly enjoyed this game, I highly recommend this game, but it is not a perfect game.
Super Mario 3D World earns a score of One Q. *
...but if I had to give it a number, it would be 8/10
Game on,
Tom
* Good to average; we probably recommend it. At one Q there are things that we didn't like, but it was still enjoyable. Ask me about it next month and I'll probably say "meh." Learn more about the QQ Review scale.