By Jamaal Ryan
Super Mario 3D World has earned an apology.
From the undeserved “Galaxy 3” expectations to the deflated
response at E3 2013, 3D World wasn’t given the chance it deserved. With a
franchise that has given us iterative installments in the past 7 years, many of
them console and handheld pairings in the form of “New Super Mario…”, little
could we have expected that Super Mario 3D World is the best Mario title since
Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Justifying that Super Mario 3D World isn’t just a consolized
Super Mario 3D Land is a tough argument because there’s no significantly
distinctive theme such as gravitiational platforming or a water backpack
mechanic like what was seen in Mario’s previous 3D console installments. And if
you’ve spent a short amount of hours with the game alone, it’s difficult not to
see that 3D World isn’t just another Mario game.
However sticking to its classic world based formula has
allowed Nintendo to relinquish any commitments and do whatever the f**k they
please. Top down shmup styled level? Put it in. Donkey Kong Country-esque silhouetted side scroller? Why not. Drivable ice skates and throwable
snow balls? I dunno, because it’s fun. Super Mario 3D World gleefully plays
with inclusively “kitchen-sink” ideas that fit brilliantly together no matter
how crazy or out of place they seem.
The level design, as expected, is often exceptionally crafted
with 3D World’s various power-ups in mind if not a display of Nintendo’s
mastery on the platformer genre alone. The Cat Suit – 3D World’s premier
power-up – is a significant addition to the Mario formula outside of just being
cute. It literally opens up a new dimension of level exploration as you can
scale walls to higher ground. But the Cat Suit doesn't just change the way that
you explore environments, it also offers an additional recovery technique.
Though slightly less as easy to pull off as the wall jump, you can dive to the
nearest vertical surface before falling into the abyss and climb your way up.
Being a cat can be a bit sticky however as you’ll have to make an effort to
dismount off of walls, but the substantial level of maneuverability it offers
makes it arguably the best power-up in Super Mario 3D World.
That is, of course, unless you are a fan of the Cherry power-up
which multiplies your character up to six strong and can turn your crew into a force
to be reckoned with if equipped with the Fire or Boomerang Flower. The
Cherry-power-up is as achingly infrequent as other situationally designed
abilities and suits you can pick up, such as the Cannon Box, the Propeller Box,
and the Goomba Suit. This deliberately flippant approach liquefies the game’s
pacing and presents many levels that are very specific and isolated, yet
relevant and highly entertaining. It’s refreshing level progression in a modern
era where most game mechanics and encounters deviate and iterate from their
baseline.
Serious fire power
3D World may be many little things, but if nothing
else, it manages this: far and away, Super Mario 3D World is the most replayable proper
Mario game in the series’ history. As a Nintendo platformer, a significant portion
of the experience rests in gathering collectables to later unlock bonus stages.
Finding and earning every Star, Sticker, and Golden Flag will keep you coming
back to previous stages, tapping into even the most resistive completionists.
But where 3D World earns its place as the most replayable title in the series
is the differences between its multiple characters.
Play through as Mario with his baseline skill sets, then play
through a second time as the floatable Peach to sweep up any missed
collectables; speed runners will enjoy taking advantage of Toad's quicker
little legs, and Luigi is a viable alternative for those who prefer higher
jumps. Each character offers their own skillsets making multiple playthroughs
different if not essential. In some cases, Super Mario 3D World feels
revolutionary, particularly with one specific character that’s unlike any other
character in Mario’s history.
Part of Super Mario 3D World’s charm is its discoverability. 3D
World is purposefully mute, withdrawing from communicating explicit information
to the player on how to play. It’s rewarding to find out certain items can
devour everything in its path like a Baby Yoshi, or how certain power-ups have
a hidden special ability. This becomes an all new phenomenon in multiplayer
when four different minds can unearth many of 3D World’s number of secrets.
Super Mario 3D World’s multiplayer is vastly different from its
2D counterparts as it sways organically between togetherness and
competitiveness. The crown – that’s awarded to the player with the highest
score at the end of each level – is a tangibly meaningless item, but naturally
taps into our self-esteem of wanting to be special. Silly fights break out
in-game as the crown wearer is targeted while the next person is seeking
royalty with no power. However often players will run into a complex obstacle
set that forces everyone to shake hands and work together. Such experiences can
only exist in couch co-op as the social entertainment of adversarial
playfulness and discoverable “oopsies” can easily get lost in an online
environment. Cooperatively and competitively, Super Mario 3D World is
effortlessly designed for both styles of play. The hilarity of the constant
retaliation after happy accidents and devious griefing keeps the action
infinitely spontaneous.
Rat race, err... Cat race!
As welcoming 3D World’s 8 worlds may be to a party of two to
four, the game’s later unlockable stages get increasingly difficult and are
often relentlessly unforgiving even for one player. It's here where 3D World
hits its classic stride, offering some of the best and most demanding level
design the franchise has ever seen. They iterate in old ideas making them both
challenging and new again. Pressured speed runs, subverted stage returns, and well
hidden collectables make up these unlockable stages. Some of them even benefit
from sophisticated item management to keep up with the level design.
Unfortunately, the franchise’s traditionally strict camera exacerbate the
game’s strange depth perception in Mario’s more difficult stages, despite the
fact that some levels allow camera rotation within limited degrees.
Nevertheless, Super Mario 3D World's traditional 8 world set up deliver great
stages for both single player and multiplayer, but the game absolutely shines
in its later half.
Like Galaxy before it, Super Mario 3D World puts its best foot
forward in terms of overall presentation. The game has a constant glow to it,
lifting every detail with slick, smooth rendering and gorgeous color
assortment. Each stage breaths with catchy jazz tunes or an epic orchestral
score that create an unmistakable immersion that only a Mario title can
provide.
The Bottom Line
Super Mario 3D World represents the best results of Nintendo’s unwavering
approach to game design. While fans begged for Mario Galaxy 3, Nintendo knew
they wanted to do something different, and it worked. Super Mario 3D World
works as not only a masterful and unparalleled handle on the platformer genre,
but it offers multiplayer and replayability like non other in the franchise.
The jury’s out, Super Mario 3D World is Wii U’s definitive
title.
+ Exceptional visual and orchestral presentation
+ Spontaneously creative level design
+ The most replayable proper Mario title in the franchise
+ Transformative multiplayer
SCORE: A+
No comments
Post a Comment