Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World is a 3D platformer action game for the Wii U. It was released on November 21, 2013 in Japan, November 22, 2013 in North America, November 29, 2013 in Europe, and November 30, 2013 in Australia. It's the fifteenth title in the Super Mario series and the sixth 3D Mario title. The title of this installment is the indirect sequel to the Nintendo 3DS game Super Mario 3D Land.

Story
On an evening in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad come to view and enjoy the fireworks outside of Princess Peach's Castle when they discover a slanted Clear Pipe along the path. Mario and Luigi fix the Clear Pipe with hammers and wrenches, causing the pipe to eject a large number of items as well as a Sprixie Princess, a fairy-like creature of the Sprixie species. The Green Sprixie Princess begins to explain that Bowser has kidnapped six of her fellow Sprixie Princesses and that she needs their help; however, Bowser thereafter emerges from the pipe and traps the princess inside a bottle before disappearing back down the pipe with her. Peach tries to save the princess but winds up falling down the pipe herself, and the others soon follow in order to assist Peach. The heroes soon end up in the Sprixie Kingdom, where the journey mainly takes place.

Gameplay
The game plays very similarly to Super Mario 3D Land, being closely based on the 2D side-scrolling games, while being a 3D platformer, like Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and the Super Mario Galaxy games. This game retains its predecessor's similarity to Super Mario Bros. 3 (with colorful blocks, the Super Leaf, Spikes and the Lose a Life theme returning from that game); many elements from Super Mario World are returning as well, such as Chargin' Chucks and Kuribons, now with an official English name, Galoombas. Lives also make a return, but in multiplayer mode, players share their lives. Stages are once again open yet linear, have a time limit, and end by grabbing the classic Goal Pole at the end. Green Stars return from the Super Mario Galaxy games, taking the role of the Star Medals from Super Mario 3D Land. There are also various stamps that the player can find. There is one in each level and they can be used in Miiverse posts. The game also seems to be slightly more puzzle-focused than its predecessors. The path from the start of the level to the goal is no longer a straight shot, and the players would often have to use certain power-ups and items in order to find the way ahead. Additionally, the game also features a score system, the first time one has appeared in a 3D Mario game. Power-ups, like the Fire Flower and Super Leaf, make a return, along with almost every item from Super Mario 3D Land (excluding the Statue Leaf and P-Wing). The Mega Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros. also make an appearance. There are also some new power-ups and suits; one in particular is a bell that grants the player a Cat Suit, allowing the player to lunge at enemies and climb up walls. The can also be used to unveil hidden blocks and objects, as well as stun enemies and platforms, like the Co-Star Luma from Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Boost Mode from New Super Mario Bros. U. The game also supports Off TV Play. Also, the can be used to control the camera during gameplay. It works in a similar fashion to the camera from Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.

The game features 4-player multiplayer (a first for 3D Mario games), allowing players to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad (Blue colored), Princess Peach, and Rosalina; additional players can drop in and out at any time, similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U; however, in this game, players can also switch characters at any time. Each character has different abilities, much like they had in Super Mario Bros. 2. The game uses a cooperative and competitive multiplayer system; each player works together to get to the end of the stage, but is ranked based on score at the end. The player that gets the highest score for one stage receives a crown, which can be stolen by the other players and gives the player wearing it at the end of the stage a score bonus.

Another feature is a Luigi-themed game that can be played from the title screen after beating the main game once (or immediately if New Super Luigi U save data is present). The game, titled Luigi Bros., has gameplay similar to that of Mario Bros., but Luigi is the only playable character. The game can be accessed by touching the Luigi button found in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Also similar to New Super Luigi U, multiple Luigi sprites can be found throughout the game.

Worlds
The game features a large world map, consisting of 8 worlds, in a similar vein to Super Mario Bros. 3, with 4 unlockable bonus worlds. Each world is connected by Clear Pipes. Unlike previous maps, where players followed a simple path through the maps, the map here can be freely roamed with full control of the characters, except with a limited jump. Each map will have a set of levels along with Enemy Blockades, a Toad House, Sprixie Houses where a Sprixie denizen offers a stamp, a slot machine used to win coins, and either a Mystery House or a puzzle-focused area called "The Adventures Of Captain Toad" with Captain Toad playable. The maps also contain items such as coins and 1-Up Mushrooms and other secrets.

When the player finishes a course with all Green Stars, the ball ornament on the flagpole will be replaced with a Green Star, which can even become gold when the stage is cleared with all five characters, the stamp from that stage is collected (if any), and at least one character touches the top of the flag at the end of the stage. Upon reaching World Crown, the player can also see which stage has been cleared with which characters on the Map Progression screen or when approaching a stage. When all the stages in a world have been cleared with every character, a paw print mark will be shown on the upper-right corner of the Map Progression screen.

Supporting Cast

 * Sprixie Princesses
 * Sprixies
 * Lumas
 * Plessie
 * Rabbits
 * Big Rabbits
 * Toads

Bosses
This is a list of all the bosses in the game. There is a total of 22 boss battles in the game.
 * Bowser ×3 (as Meowser ×1)
 * Boom Boom ×3
 * Pom Pom ×3
 * Hisstocrat ×3
 * Boss Brolder ×3
 * King Ka-Thunk ×2
 * Prince Bully ×2
 * Motley Bossblob ×3

New power-ups

 * Super Bell
 * Double Cherries
 * Lucky Bell

Reception
Super Mario 3D World received widespread critical acclaim. IGN gave the game a 9.6, criticizing its four-player camera, but praising its "phenomenal level design, art direction, and multiplayer". Destructoid gave the game a perfect 10/10 score, praising practically everything. GameXplain gave the game's single and multiplayer modes a 4.5/5 stars. Joystiq also gave the game a perfect score of 5/5 stars.

The game has been praised for its gameplay, visuals, music, level design, the Cat form's usefulness, and its improved 4-player co-op compared to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, its few negatives vary from its camera issues with co-op to some control issues.

References to other games

 * Mario Bros.: There is a bonus game starring Luigi available on the title screen called Luigi Bros. It is played similarly to this game except both playable characters are Luigi. The big POW Block on the very top of The Great Tower of Bowser Land must be hit multiple times, getting flatter every time it's hit, just like it does in Mario Bros.
 * Super Mario Bros.: Some levels have tiles that resemble the ground tiles from this game. The main theme from Super Mario Bros. is covered for bonus areas and Coin Heavens (whose theme comes from Super Mario 3D Land). An 8-bit Luigi sprite from this game can be seen swimming in the background in Bowser's Highway Showdown. Additionally, Beep Block Skyway has 8-bit Luigi, Coin and Super Mushroom sprites moving along the walls of the stage.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach's abilities are based off of theirs from this game. In addition, Toad having blue spots is possibly a reference to Toad in the original NES version of this game, in which his sprite appears blue. Doors have the same design and color. A cover of the character select music from this game will play in the casino slot minigame, as well as in the Coin Bonus areas of the game.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Like its predecessor, Super Mario 3D World shares some similarities to this game. The "Too Bad!" music is a cover of the death jingle from this game. Tank levels return from this game. The "Golden Express" level is possibly inspired by the Treasure Ship. In American and some European versions of the game, when first visiting a Toad House, the Toad will instruct the player to "Pick a box. Its contents will help you on your way." which is a direct quoting from this game's Toad Houses.
 * Super Mario World: Chargin' Chucks and Galoombas return, and in the case of the former enemy, use the same sound effects for running and being defeated as in this game. Trampolines also use the same sound effect as in this game. Koopa Troopas become Beach Koopas after jumping on them. The Beach Koopa artwork is also reused as a Stamp. World Bowser have neon lights like Bowser's Castle did in the Valley of Bowser.
 * Super Mario Kart: The level Mount Must Dash contains Dash Panels, asphalt and blocks that reference Mario Circuit courses from this game. Also, the music is a cover of Mario Circuit.
 * Mario Paint: The Cat Goombas make a similar meow to the cat notes from this game.
 * Super Mario 64: In levels when players are riding Plessie, the music that plays is a cover of that of Rainbow Ride, Tick Tock Clock, and The Princess's Secret Slide from this game. In Shifty Boo Mansion, the first Green Star is found by jumping into a painting, similar to how Mario enters areas in this game and its remake.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee / Super Smash Bros. Brawl: There are two Mystery Houses. The one in World 2 is named Mystery House Melee and the one in the later World Mushroom is named Mystery House Brawl.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: Characters can do a spin jump similar to the one in this game.
 * Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3: Stone Brick Blocks return.
 * New Super Mario Bros.: The player can jump on Koopa Troopas to steal their shells and ride in them, similar to the Blue Shell power-up. The sound that plays when the character jumps while riding in the shell is similar to New Super Mario Bros. jump sound effect as well.
 * Super Princess Peach: Blue lava and Blue Lava Bubbles return.
 * Super Mario Galaxy / Super Mario Galaxy 2: Green Stars make an appearance, replacing Star Medals from Super Mario 3D Land. The Captain Toad character from Super Mario 3D World was based on the Toad Brigade Captain. The levels where Captain Toad is playable contains the Toad Brigade theme from the Super Mario Galaxy games. There are secret underground rooms where the player can collect sequences of Coins for a limited time and receive a prize if all Coins are collected. Rosalina appears in this game as an unlockable playable character, and her special ability is the Star Spin attack. Rosalina's emblem is a Grand Star. Super Galaxy, a stage based off of the Super Mario Galaxy games appears, and so do Octoombas, Fizzlits and the Comet Observatory. The Comet Observatory theme (3rd version) plays in the World Crown map area, while a cover of the Gusty Garden Galaxy theme can be heard in Honeycomb Starway, Honeycomb Skyway and Champion's Road. The overworld map of the Star World has Star Bits in the background. Also, Grumblumps have a similar appearance to Rhomps.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: The ability to do a simultaneous Ground Pound with multiple players, pick up other players, and place their character in a bubble make a return. The rolling hill platforms from World 1 return.
 * Super Mario 3D Land: The game is the indirect sequel to this title, and thus has some similarities to said game. The game's cover of the Super Mario Bros. theme is reused, and a cover of the jazz variation of the main theme plays in Super Block Land. The snow theme and castle theme return in this game, but they are now orchestrated.
 * New Super Mario Bros. 2: Red POW Blocks from this game return. The Golden Express level is possibly a reference to this game, where it stores a lot of coins. Also, three bonus worlds are called World Star, Mushroom, and Flower, just like the bonus worlds in this game. Also, Golden Koopa Troopas and wearable coin blocks return in Golden Warp Pipes.
 * New Super Luigi U: Hidden Luigis randomly appear in levels, but unlike in New Super Luigi U, they are usually completely random.

Trivia

 * If one counts the wearable items (such as boxes and shoes), Super Mario 3D World has the most power-ups in any Mario platformer thus far, with 17 power-ups (compared to Super Mario Bros. 3, which has 9).