Super Mario 3D World


 * Not to be confused with Super Mario World or Super Mario 3D Land.

Super Mario 3D World is an upcoming 3D platformer action game for the Wii U that will be released on November 22, 2013 in North America. It will also be released in November in Japan, Europe, and Australia. It is the fifteenth title in the Super Mario series, the sixth 3D Mario title, and the follow-up sequel to the Nintendo 3DS game Super Mario 3D Land.

Story
On a starry night in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Blue Toad take a walk outside of Princess Peach's Castle when they discover a Clear Pipe along the path. There, the Sprixie Princess, a frantic, green, fairy creature, pops out in front of them. Suddenly, Bowser, who emerges from the pipe, captures the fairy and puts her inside a bottle before disappearing back down the pipe with her. Mario and the group enter the pipe to pursue Bowser. They 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 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 the Chargin' Chucks and the round version of Goombas. 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 as of now 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, Blue Toad, and Princess Peach (who replaces Yellow Toad from New Super Mario Bros. U); additional players can drop in and out at any time, similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U. 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.

Playable and abilities

 * Mario: Mario is an all-around character.
 * Luigi: Luigi is capable of jumping higher than other characters.
 * Princess Peach: Peach is capable of hovering in midair similarly to Super Mario Bros. 2.
 * Blue Toad: Blue Toad can run faster than other characters.
 * Toad Brigade Captain: Toad will have his own levels with five Green Stars instead of the usual three.

Others

 * Rabbits
 * Sprixie Princess
 * Sprixies
 * Miis dressed as Sprixies appear as recorded data of a previous level performance, similar to Ghosts from the Mario Kart series.
 * Plessie - A rideable orange dinosaur that resembles Yoshi and Dorrie.
 * A potted Piranha Plant that snoozes, which can be carried and used to eat other enemies.

Bosses

 * Bowser
 * Boom Boom
 * Pom Pom
 * A giant purple snakelike creature with a king outfit (World 4 Boss)
 * A round robot in a suit of armor slightly resembling a Bully.
 * A spiked frame that attempts to smash the players, revealing a weak point on the other side of its face (similar to the Whomp King.)

New power-ups

 * Super Bell
 * Double Cherries

Forms

 * Super Mario (default form)
 * Small Mario
 * Cat Mario
 * Invincible Mario
 * Tanooki Mario
 * Fire Mario
 * Boomerang Mario
 * Double Mario
 * Mega Mario
 * White Tanooki Mario

Worlds and levels
It's been confirmed that the game will have a world map, consisting of 7 islands so far, in a similar vein to Super Mario Bros. 3. As of now, only three themed islands have been shown; a grassland island, a desert island and a snow island, though there are possible chances of a beach island, a forest/ruins island, a amusement park island and a volcanic island. Unlike previous maps, the players will have all control of the characters, except with a limited jump. Each map will have a set of levels, along with optional lettered levels (much like in New Super Mario Bros.), a Toad House, a slot machine with an unknown use and a puzzle-focused area, with the Toad Brigade Captain playable.

World 1
World 1 is a grassland world.

World 2
World 2 is a desert-themed world.

World 3
World 3 is an ice-themed world.

World 4

 * World 4-2: A canyon featuring many Clear Pipes and Fuzzies.
 * World 4-Boss: A boss area featuring the snake-like boss.

World 6

 * World 6-3: A fortress-like overworld with Bullet Bills and Banzai Bills.

Confirmed

 * A canyon level with ant-like enemies.
 * A bluish underground area with many Boost Pads and red POW Blocks.
 * A snow stage with snowballs and Pokey-like snowmen.
 * An ice level with a frozen lake.
 * A level with a rising swarm of Fuzzies.
 * A dessert-themed desert level with Stingbies.
 * Ruins with Chargin' Chucks and swinging platforms.
 * A grassy area made of blocks.
 * A lava-themed stage with Fire Bros.
 * A Ghost House.
 * A metal bridge with lava and Magmaargh-like creatures.
 * A tower covered in sand.
 * A rocky underwater tunnel with stretching Piranha Plants.
 * A tower where the player must escape from purple gas.
 * A purple cloudy area with Bill Blasters and lit towers.
 * A savanna during sunset with rabbits.
 * A set of colorful block ramps.
 * A tower with Thwomps and Spikes.
 * A dojo with Goombas.
 * A fortress during dusk filled with water.
 * A misty ghostly graveyard where a Big Boo is found.
 * A forest with torches and stretchy Piranha Plants.
 * A golden temple with the golden P-Switch.
 * A brightly-lit Bowser amusement park.
 * A China Town-styled level with Key Coins and a Propeller Box
 * A level in the sky with moving mushroom platforms and Para-Biddybuds.
 * A beach-themed stage with big Goomba statues made out of sand (similar to the snow statues found in Freezy Flake Galaxy)
 * A castle with blue lava
 * A jungle with Mega Mushrooms, big blocks and big Kuribons
 * A stage where Mario has to slide on Beat Blocks.
 * A area featuring a 8-bit Mario Sprite, similar to World 2-3 from Super Mario 3D Land.
 * A ghostly sky area with narrow steel platforms.
 * A level with speedy trains and Cat Banzai Bills.

References to other games

 * Super Mario Bros.: Some levels have tiles that resemble the ground tiles from this game. The main theme from Super Mario Bros. is remixed 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.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad's abilities are based off of theirs from this game. In addition, Blue Toad is possibly a reference to Toad in the original NES version of this game, in which his sprite appeared blue. Doors have the same design and color.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Like its predecessor, Super Mario 3D World shares some similarities to this game. The music that plays when the player loses a life is a redone version of said music from this game.
 * Super Mario World: Chargin' Chucks and Kuribon return. Koopa Troopas become Beach Koopas after jumping on them.
 * Super Mario 64: When players are riding the creature in World 1-5, the music that plays is that of Rainbow Ride, Tick Tock Clock, and The Princess's Secret Slide from this game. Also, some Piranha Plants are seen asleep.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: The sound that plays when a player is launched out of a Clear Cannon Pipe sounds similar to the sound from Super Mario Sunshine when Mario acquires a ridable Yoshi.
 * Super Mario Galaxy / Super Mario Galaxy 2: Green Stars make an appearance, replacing Star Medals from Super Mario 3D Land. 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. In the promotional spread, a silhouette which appears to be the Comet Observatory can be seen in the stars behind Bowser's Highway.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: The 4-player co-op (which was introduced in this game), and 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 are back. The "Jungle" theme from this game has vocal "bah" like sounds, similar to the ones in the New Super Mario Bros. games.
 * New Super Mario Bros. 2: Red POW Blocks from this game return.
 * New Super Mario Bros. U: Green Coins and Green Rings return.
 * New Super Luigi U: An 8-bit Luigi sighting similar to those from this game can be seen in Bowser's Highway Showdown.