March 18, 2021

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury: Quick Thoughts


I am not going to spend much of this blog post talking about Super Mario 3D World other than the fact that this game is as enjoyable as any other 3D Mario game. I have already talked about games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyssey, and the great things about those games are similarly prevalent in Super Mario 3D world. Super Mario 3D World has incredible level design, and nice graphics and audio to boot. I would rank Super Mario 3D World as the third best Mario game I have ever played, behind Super Mario Galaxy at #1, and Super Mario Odyssey at #2.

There is not one thing that Super Mario 3D World pioneers, but the game rather borrows things from past 2D and 3D Mario games to create an enjoyable and accessible package of content. There is a start and a finish with the flagpole, like the original Super Mario Bros. There are four playable characters (at the start) just as in Super Mario Bro. 2. The world map is reminiscent of Super Mario Bros 3. Because the levels are an expanded 2D in a 3D environment, the level design can feel similar to 3D Mario games such as Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy.

Now, I am going to talk about Bowser's Fury, which presents a clue as to where the Mario franchise is going to go in the future. Bowser's Fury is one giant Odyssey level where Mario needs to collect Cat Shinies in order to release a particularly menacing Bowser from the control of a mysterious black sludge. I like the Mario franchise going towards a fully open-world style, but Bowser's Fury is nowhere near as enjoyable as the levels in Super Mario Odyssey.

Do not get me wrong, I like the idea of Bowser occasionally waking up, turning the sky dark, and trying to kill you, which gives this game a true sense of danger. I like that when you touch a Giga Bell, Mario essentially turns into a cat Super Saiyan. However, Bowser's Fury needed more variety in trying to obtain all 100 Cat Shinies, which was something that Super Mario Odyssey excelled. Also, the fact that Bowser's Fury uses the recycled controls, enemies, and mechanics of Super Mario 3D World felt like it was more of an extension of that game, rather than the stand-alone game that was seemingly marketed by Nintendo.

Despite the flaws of Bowser's Fury, the game was still fun, and there was a nice constant flow between levels and activities.

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