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Introduction:
In Super Mario 3D World (+ Bowser's Fury), the story starts with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad going on a walk when they all see a mysterious clear broken pipe. Mario and Luigi decide to fix this pipe discovering a new world called the Sprixie kingdom, when, a magic fairy pops up warning them of Bowser’s latest activities: capturing the other fairies! After the fairy warns them, Bowser comes up the pipe and snatches the fairy away, with the Mario crew following closely behind.
Let’s A-go!
In “Super Mario 3D World”, each of the levels are varied with unique challenges and levels that remind me of “Super Mario 3D Land” (for the 3DS.) The graphics are cute and colourful for each of the levels, and I like how you can free roam the levels far more than the older Mario games levels.
The levels are filled with obstacles like moving platforms, tricky jumps and enemy encounters that requires quick thinking to overcome. You can also encounter mystery boxes and Captain Toad stages, which offer short challenges and puzzle-solving opportunities.
I like the new power ups (new to me anyway!) like the cat powerups as this allows you to climb walls and swipe at enemies, making this game feel new and more fun! The levels still have the challenge of collecting Green Stars and Stamps, which help to unlock new worlds and scratches the itch of 100% collecting items in your games like I do.
I personally enjoyed the levels where you get to swim on Plessie’s back as they remind me of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 where there were galaxies which you would do water courses on the back of a ray. I also like how this game still feels like classic Mario where the levels still include puzzles and collecting 3 stars per level to be able to progress further into the game. The timer feature in the game makes the levels more challenging and makes you feel like you have to rush and are under pressure and is something I was introduced to in “Super Mario 3D Land”!
Bowser’s Fury:
The story starts off with Bowser Jr. tricking Mario into talking to him where he says after Bowser was defeated, he started acting really strange and that he wanted Mario to help Bowser go back to normal.
Mario decides to help and starts his adventure in Lake Lapcat. You start navigating this landscape with challenges and avoiding Fury Bowser. Again, you collect Cat Shines to unlock new areas and power-ups. Plessie is again introduced later on to help navigate the water and explore other areas alongside some fun challenges with Plessie.
One of the unique parts of this game is the weather system where periodically, Fury Bowser wakes up from his sleep, causing a storm to engulf the islands. During this, you need to avoid Bowser’s powerful attacks while continuing to explore.
To combat Fury Bowser, Mario can collect Giga Bells scattered throughout and transform into Giga Cat Mario. In this form, Mario can face Fury Bowser unleashing powerful attacks to subdue him.
You can also have a second player for “Bowser’s Fury” where the second player can play as Bowser Jr, who assists Mario by attacking enemies and retrieving items.
You might like You might not like
Very nostalgic to previous
Mario games Not much change from the WiiU
A nice mix of 2d platforming and open world Don’t get much play time from Bowsers Fury
Creative level designs
Fun multiplayer
Bowser’s Fury is a fun and
innovative addition
Graphics:4/5
Multiplayer:3/5
Story (Career mode):3/5
Originality:5/5
Final Thoughts
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury brings fresh new energy into the classic series, with fast-paced action and charming characters. I enjoyed the inventive level design and colourful worlds that can also be played in multiplayer mode which is a big bonus for me! Some may find the level design to be too linear and the difficulty spikes could be drawbacks, the creativity and fun that can be had makes up for this.
Exploring the new worlds and collecting the Green Stars and stickers with different characters itches the scratch for those that like to 100% their games.
Even for those that aren’t new to the franchise, the excitement remains with the game’s fast pace, racing through levels while Bowser’s Fury expands further on this with freer roaming and yet again collecting more items.
