I enjoyed Super Mario 3D Land when it came out on the 3DS, but ended up missing 3D World due to taking a pass on the Wii U. As such, I was glad to have a second chance to play 3D World, as well as Bowser's Fury, on the Switch, so I recommend it to Mario fans.
Like most Mario platformers, the story doesn't really matter, except that you end up fighting Bowser again.
The game is similar to 3D Land in that it's a retro-style Mario platformer in 3D. Most of the levels are linear, but some stages have multiple routes to the finish or other features that take advantage of the game being set in three dimensions. Each level also has three green stars and one stamp(although many of the secret levels lack the latter), which rewards careful exploration and gives you reason to replay the levels.
3D World effectively builds on 3D Land. It adds a Cat Suit that lets you climb on walls, a cherry that clones your character, as well as other new features. The new powerups are effectively used, since not only will they make getting through stages easier, you will often be required to use them to obtain green stars or stamps.
If I had to name a flaw with the game, it's that it's relatively short and suffers from Fake Longevity. If you want to 100% the game, you need to not only complete all stages, but:
Collect all green stars and stamps. This is reasonable enough.
Reach the top of the flagpole in each level. This can be easy or difficult depending on the stage and your powerups, but won't have to go too far out of your way for this one.
Complete every stage with all playable characters. This is just tedious.
Despite that, you don't have to do all this. The game is easy enough to complete for casual players, especially since it offers a Raccoon Suit with invincibility if you die often enough, but it offers increasingly difficult optional levels to challenge skilled players.
The Switch version has Bowser's Fury, an open-world Mario game that involves Mario collecting Cat Shines in gameplay reminiscent of Odyssey, in order to power up the Giga Bell in order to fight Fury Bowser. This is a nice change of pace that provides a distinct experience from the main game, even if it's relatively short. I was able to collect all 100 Cat Shines and complete the game in about 5-7 hours.
While Super Mario 3D World is relatively short, it still delivers a classic Mario platforming experience that still manages to innovate and build on its predecessor, so it's well worth playing.
Switch Version: An enjoyable fusion of classic Mario and new twists
I enjoyed Super Mario 3D Land when it came out on the 3DS, but ended up missing 3D World due to taking a pass on the Wii U. As such, I was glad to have a second chance to play 3D World, as well as Bowser's Fury, on the Switch, so I recommend it to Mario fans.
Like most Mario platformers, the story doesn't really matter, except that you end up fighting Bowser again.
The game is similar to 3D Land in that it's a retro-style Mario platformer in 3D. Most of the levels are linear, but some stages have multiple routes to the finish or other features that take advantage of the game being set in three dimensions. Each level also has three green stars and one stamp(although many of the secret levels lack the latter), which rewards careful exploration and gives you reason to replay the levels.
3D World effectively builds on 3D Land. It adds a Cat Suit that lets you climb on walls, a cherry that clones your character, as well as other new features. The new powerups are effectively used, since not only will they make getting through stages easier, you will often be required to use them to obtain green stars or stamps.
If I had to name a flaw with the game, it's that it's relatively short and suffers from Fake Longevity. If you want to 100% the game, you need to not only complete all stages, but:
Despite that, you don't have to do all this. The game is easy enough to complete for casual players, especially since it offers a Raccoon Suit with invincibility if you die often enough, but it offers increasingly difficult optional levels to challenge skilled players.
The Switch version has Bowser's Fury, an open-world Mario game that involves Mario collecting Cat Shines in gameplay reminiscent of Odyssey, in order to power up the Giga Bell in order to fight Fury Bowser. This is a nice change of pace that provides a distinct experience from the main game, even if it's relatively short. I was able to collect all 100 Cat Shines and complete the game in about 5-7 hours.
While Super Mario 3D World is relatively short, it still delivers a classic Mario platforming experience that still manages to innovate and build on its predecessor, so it's well worth playing.