Obviously, Super Mario 3D World isn’t a sequel to the ingenious Super Mario Galaxy 2, but the overall design feels every bit as informed. 3, Super Mario 3D World doesn’t rest on its laurels or lean on any form of predictability. Much like the NES classic Super Mario Bros. I fought quirky new bosses and jumped across platforms on a speeding train. I rode on the back of a co-op controlled dinosaur named Plessie, and later sped through a charming stage paying homage to Super Mario Kart.
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I explored a circus carnival full of tricky platforms, then carefully rode on oversized ants by bouncing on their heads as they crossed over deadly spikes. These levels are even better than in SM3DL, since they have much more entertaining flair and don’t constantly reward you with enough extra lives to render death meaningless. Much like Super Mario 3D Land, many stages present a unique and clever idea, play with it, and then bow away gracefully before it becomes boring. The amount of visual variety genuinely surprised me, but just as importantly, the level designs take interesting risks and aren’t restrained by obligatory grassy-field motifs or other well-traveled Mario stage themes. These tiny whimsical details add up, and Super Mario 3D World’s overall visual design captures a youthful energy that flows into the expertly made levels themselves.
A random pattern of stars popped out each time I pounced on an enemy. And then there are the little things: Mario and crew leave tiny puffs of smoke with each step and, after you’ve run for long enough, the trail explodes into a smoke trail. There’s a surprising amount of texture detail stitched into these worlds, along with subtle lighting and effects that accentuate each onscreen action beautifully. Of course Mario games have seen their share of vibrant hues and stylized art direction, but Super Mario 3D World outdoes the simplistic visuals of New Super Mario Bros. But, most importantly, Super Mario 3D World nails something that the New Super Mario Bros games could not: it gracefully switches back and forth between a fun solo game and great competitive co-op play. The characters and levels all showcase an unbridled sense of joy the soundtrack crisscrosses between trendy jazz and orchestral arrangements of familiar Mario tunes and even the surprisingly adorable cat suit managed to melt my stone-cold heart. But Super Mario 3D World defies such logic and creatively sets itself apart – in good ways – from its outstanding recent predecessors, Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario Galaxy 2. After 28 years of making marvelous Mario platform games, you’d think Nintendo would run out of ideas.