Getting back to the more traditional gaming experiences that dotted Nintendo’s Toronto PR office, it’s time to touch upon Super Mario 3D World, which is another one of the company’s most anticipated new announcements, and for good reason. Not only is it beautiful to behold (especially to someone who has spent over twenty years playing Mario games), but it’s also a heck of a lot of impeccably designed fun.
If you’ve been hoping for a new, high-definition title that plays similarly to Super Mario 64, then you’re in luck here, because Super Mario 3D World takes a lot of influence from that years old gem. It doesn’t do so by including paintings or a large castle over world (that I know of, at least), but by offering 3D stages that employ the same type of look and feel as those from yesteryear. I only got to play about four of the five or six on offer, but each one was a blast, to put it simply.
The first stage I jumped into through drop-in and drop-out co-op, was a platform-based level that was set in the sky. It tasked us with exploring intertwined clear pipes (which allowed for direction changes and housed standard items, plus progression items), and also had us moving up a ginormous wall using directional pads and smarts. All of that was fun, but I wouldn’t say that it was the best stage I played. In fact, some of the others were more fun, but I did get to start those from their respective beginnings, which made things easier.
Note: This is evidently a great co-op game, and its bubble system has been refined to the point where it’s certainly better than what came before it. On top of that, its newly-introduced cat suit makes climbing up tall walls and platforms a breeze.
Unsurprisingly, the most difficult level on offer was a team-based minigame scenario, wherein up to several players had to work together to get from one point to another safely. Sure, that may sound easy, but it’s not, because perfect communication is required. Why? Well, all of the characters are sitting atop a beast, which moves in the way that it’s told to through directional inputs. However, each player’s input is taken into account, meaning that the direction you’re pushing won’t always be the way in which you travel. That’s why talking is important, and why Nintendo stresses couch co-op with this one.
We never beat that level, but it’s something I plan to do in the future with friends. That way, it’ll be easier to communicate, as I’ll know the people I’m playing with well, and will be able to navigate the chasm-filled course in an easier fashion. The problem that presented itself at the event was that we weren’t talking enough and, while one or two players were going for secrets, another was trying to survive the course through basic means.
Needless to say, I cannot wait for Super Mario 3D World either. It’s sure to be a fantastic game, and will probably end up being a major system seller for the Big N.
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