Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World is a 3D platformer action game for the Wii U, released in November 2013. It is a follow-up game of the Nintendo 3DS installment Super Mario 3D Land, the fifteenth title in the Super Mario series, the seventh 3D Mario title overall, and the fifth 3D Mario title on a home console after Super Mario Galaxy 2. The game builds upon the previous installment, following a similar 3D level-design convention inspired from the 2D platformer titles where players must navigate through a linear-designed level within a time limit to reach a level's Goal Pole. The game's plot centers around Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad having to rescue the rulers of the Sprixie Kingdom, the Sprixie Princesses from Bowser.

One key aspect introduced in this title is the simultaneous multiplayer: while not the first game in the series to do so, it is the first 3D title in the Mario series to incorporate up to four players cooperating with each other to reach the goal. Players can select their character from a pool of playable characters prior to starting the game; each of these characters have their own unique playstyle that gives them advantages and disadvantages over other characters. The game makes use of several Wii U exclusive features, such as tapping blocks with the touch screen on the GamePad and blowing into the mic to reveal hidden items and blow away enemies. Various new power-ups are introduced in this title, with the trademark suit being the Cat power-up, which enables characters to perform a melee attack, climb up walls, and leap while midair, as well as the game generally having a cat-based theme.

It included Miiverse integration through collectible stamps that could be used in Miiverse posts, and the Ghost Mii functionality that emulates players replaying levels for other players to view; however, the service was terminated on November 7, 2017, meaning that stamps can be collected but not used. Also, the Miiverse posts that appeared on the course select screen and when selecting courses are now gone.

The game introduces a smaller set of levels called Captain Toad's Adventures, which were later reused and expanded into its own standalone title and prequel, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Story
On an evening in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad come to view and enjoy the fireworks outside of 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; thereafter, however, Bowser emerges from the pipe and traps the princess inside a bottle before disappearing back down the pipe with her. Peach, in trying to stop Bowser, falls down the pipe herself, and the others soon follow in order to assist her. The heroes soon end up in the Sprixie Kingdom, where the journey mainly takes place.

After going through six worlds, the group encounter Bowser in World Castle, where he is keeping the Red Sprixie Princess; the only Sprixie Princess whom has not been saved yet. After the group successfully defeats Bowser, the Sprixie Princess is saved. However, the celebration is cut short by Bowser surprisingly returning, capturing all seven Sprixie Princesses in a large bottle, and escaping to World Bowser: a theme park modeled after the Koopa King.

The heroes make their way through this world, and encounter Bowser again in The Great Tower of Bowser Land. Here, Bowser makes use of a Super Bell, turning into Meowser, and initiating the final battle. The group manages to defeat Meowser after climbing the tower, and rescue all of the Sprixie Princesses. Now safe from Bowser, they thank the heroes as they go through a Clear Pipe back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Gameplay
Super Mario 3D World is a linear 3D platform game with gameplay similar to the 2D games. The player must navigate through levels, defeating enemies and collecting power-ups on the way. The player clears a level by reaching the Goal Pole at the end before losing a life or running out of time. The player can store collected power-ups in the item storage, allowing them to be collected by pressing. The player can also collect Green Stars and Stamps, which allow the player to unlock certain levels or can be used in Miiverse posts, respectively. Points are earned by collecting items and defeating enemies, and are used to determine the player's high score in a level. The player completes the main game when they clear World Bowser and completes the entire game when all bonus worlds are complete and all Green Stars and Stamps are collected.

Multiplayer
For the first time in a 3D Super Mario title the game supports up to four-player simultaneous multiplayer, allowing players to control Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and Rosalina; additional players can drop in at any time by pressing /, and can drop out by pausing and pressing on the pause menu, similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U; in this game, however, players can also switch characters before entering a stage. Each character has different abilities, much like they had in Super Mario Bros. 2. The multiplayer works similarly to New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U, in that players can enter a bubble at any time, pick each other up and throw each other, bounce on each others' heads, and so on. Players also share lives when playing in multiplayer, rather than each player having a separate life counter. 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 points earned out of the total score at the end. The player that scores the most points 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.

In addition to being the default player one controller, the can be used at any point during gameplay (multiplayer or not) to interact with the environment, allowing players to stun enemies, momentarily reveal hidden objects (both in levels and on the map), hit blocks, stop moving platforms, and various other functions, similar to the Co-Star Luma from Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Boost Mode from New Super Mario Bros. U. The can also be used to control the camera during gameplay by pressing the button on the bottom corner of the GamePad screen and tilting the controller, in what is known as Free Camera Mode. It works in a similar fashion to the camera from Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The GamePad can also be used for Off-TV Play at any point.

Nintendo Network
Super Mario 3D World features Nintendo Network support in the form of Miiverse integration and Ghost Miis. These features are first enabled on a given save file after progressing a bit into the game. With Miiverse, players could make a post at any point on the World Map or after completing a stage by tapping the "Post" icon; other players' posts could also be viewed on the World Map by walking up to their Miis and pressing /, or on the top of the stage results screen. Ghost Miis are created after the player clears a course without losing a life, and they perfectly recreate the player's movements throughout the course, automatically distributing them to other players. Players who receive the data can play through an already cleared course with three Ghost Mii characters. While traveling through a course, the Ghost Mii characters occasionally carry gifts behind them that when caught can contain various items. The Nintendo Network settings for this title can be changed at any point by pausing the game and selecting the Nintendo Network icon button.

Returning elements
Super Mario 3D World plays very similarly to Super Mario 3D Land, being a 3D platformer with gameplay similar to the 2D 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 return as well, such as Chargin' Chucks and Galoombas (the Goombas of that game renamed). 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 makes an appearance. There are also several new power-ups and suits; The most prominent of the new power-ups is the Super Bell, a power-up that grants the player a Cat Suit, allowing them to lunge at and claw enemies and climb up walls.

Luigi Bros.
As part of the Year of Luigi celebration, also included is another game that can be accessed 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., is a modified ROM of Mario Bros., but with Luigi as the only playable character. The game can be accessed by touching the Luigi button found in the bottom-left corner of the screen. As it is a modification of the original NES game, it makes use of the Virtual Console interface and allows the use of save/restore points. Also, similar to New Super Luigi U, multiple 8-bit Luigi sprites can be found throughout the game.

Worlds
The game features a large world map, consisting of eight worlds with four unlockable bonus worlds. Each world is connected by Clear Pipes. Unlike previous games, where players follow 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 world features a set of levels along with Enemy Battles, Toad Houses, Sprixie Houses, Lucky Houses, and either Mystery Houses or a puzzle-focused series of levels called Captain Toad's Adventures 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 Goal Pole 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.

Level names with a subscripted number appended to them are locked and require that many Green Stars to unlock.

Luigi sightings


Like with New Super Luigi U, Super Mario 3D World commemorates the Year of Luigi by featuring 8-bit Luigi sprites hidden in various parts of the game. However, they are not just restricted to levels, with some appearing in the worlds and elsewhere.

Development
Super Mario 3D World was first mentioned during the January 2013 Nintendo Direct alongside Mario Kart 8, in which it was announced that a new 3D Mario platformer was being developed by the same team behind Super Mario Galaxy. It was later properly announced in the June 11, 2013 Nintendo Direct during E3 2013, when its release window was also revealed.

Plans for Super Mario 3D World picked up following the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Like with Super Mario 3D Land, the developers intended to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D to appease fans of the New Super Mario Bros. games that did not care for the 3D installments.

According to Koichi Hayashida, early in development Peach was planned to reprise her role as damsel-in-distress. However, Yoshiaki Koizumi suggested to the development team that she should instead be a playable character, akin to Super Mario Bros. 2. Super Mario 3D World ended up being the first, and so far, the only 3D Mario platformer in which Princess Peach is playable and not kidnapped. Similarly, Rosalina was added into the game in response to her rise in popularity among fans.

According to game director Kenta Motokura, the game went through numerous concepts suggested by over one hundred staff members via sticky notes that were extensively playtested, such as the Mystery Houses and The Adventures of Captain Toad levels. The Cat form was one of the earliest ideas that passed development, with the intention of creating a method of directly attacking enemies and assisting novice players in clearing obstacles. The Double Cherry, on the other hand, was conceived entirely by accident when a staff member inadvertently loaded two identical character models into a test level, which was well-received by the developers and thus hurriedly added into the final game.

Critical reception
Super Mario 3D World received widespread critical acclaim and 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, it has been criticized for camera issues and co-op control issues. The game currently has a score of 93 on Metacritic based on 83 reviews and a score of 92.56% on GameRankings based on 54 reviews.

Mark Walton, reviewing for GameSpot, called the game an "exceptional craft" with "painstaking focus on the minute details that are integral to making it feel special." He also added that "[every one of the game's levels] is a golden nugget of heavenly platforming joy, where ideas are rarely repeated--and if they are, they're given such a twist as to make them feel new again." Jose Otero of IGN gave the game a 9.6 out of 10, commenting that, "After 28 years of making marvelous Mario platform games, you'd think Nintendo would run out of ideas. But Super Mario 3D World defies such logic and creativity sets itself apart-in good ways-from its outstanding recent predecessors." Chris Carter, reviewing for Destructoid, called it one of the greatest Mario games ever made and gave it a 10 out of 10, stating, "Why is 3D World so good? Because it's essentially a complete refinement of everything that was great about 3D Land, a game that I happen to think is criminally underrated. 3D World is pretty much a joy ride from start to finish--and that "start" is as quick as ever." Adam Cook from God is a Geek scored the game as a 100, saying, "Unimpeded creativity drips from every moment, forcing an awed expression from the most cynical of mouths. Decades old ideas are renewed with such ease and simplicity that it’s almost unnerving. I’ve fought Bowser more times than I can even remember, yet the first encounter somehow feels fresh. There’s always a princess, there’s always another castle, Bowser is still involved (this time he’s stolen Sprixies and locked them in jars) – it’s the design and execution of it all that makes it so special."

Sales
As of March 1, 2020, Super Mario 3D World is the second-best selling game for the Wii U, selling 5.83 million units worldwide.

Original soundtrack
The game's official original soundtrack, "Super Mario 3D World Original Sound Track" has been released to Club Nintendo members in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and has been performed by the Mario 3D World Big Band.

Staff
The game producer is Yoshiaki Koizumi, and the game direction is done by Koichi Hayashida and Kenta Motokura. The main characters' voices are done by Charles Martinet, Samantha Kelly and Laura Faye Smith. General game production is done by Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto.

Pre-release and unused content
Early concept artwork reveals that Cat characters were going to have five fingers, and that Princess Peach's Cat Suit was going to incorporate her brooch. The levels shown off in the E3 demo also have different world and number placements than the final game. Additionally, several sound clips were changed to brand new ones when they were reused ones from previous games in the demo, and several pieces of music were changed to being orchestrated in the final product.

Long Jump glitch
If Small Blue Toad Long Jumps into a Snowball, he sits down and slides right while holding the Snowball. He will be unable to jump and will continue gaining momentum while moving. This glitch can be canceled by letting go of the Snowball.

World Map Out of Bounds
If done correctly, one can get on top of the World Bowser entrance pipe by jumping onto the nearby pole first, and then fall to the worlds down below. Additionally, if the player quits the game while he/she is falling out of bounds, the progress will not be saved, and when restarting the game, the music of the world the player was in when the glitch was activated plays for a short time.

Quotes

 * It's-a Me, Mario! (Mario being selected)
 * Oh, nooooo! (Peach while falling)
 * Let's go! (Rosalina while the level starts)
 * He he he, gotcha! (Luigi while collected a stamp/green star)
 * Gotcha! (Toad getting a stamp)

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. Also, 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 an 8-bit Luigi, Coin and Super Mushroom sprites moving along the walls of the stage. Likewise, all of the Luigi sightings are based on his sprite from this game. In addition, the bonus area in Bob-ombs Below resembles Mario's 8-bit sprite from the game. After Bowser gets defeated in his regular boss battles, the bridge beneath him collapses, much like the castle bosses from this game.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Link's 8-bit sprite from the game can be found in the secret area of Rainbow Run.
 * Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic: The player is required to beat all levels with all of the characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Rosalina, the last one being a secret character) in order to unlock all the stamps and all five profile stars, mirroring how it was required that all characters in the game beat all the levels to unlock the true ending.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are playable characters. The Mario Bros. and the Princess's abilities are based off of theirs from this game, as well as Toad's speed advantage. 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 plays in the casino slot minigame, as well as in the Coin Bonus areas of the game. Rocket Ships make an appearance. The two game's stories are also similar, with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad going to another land and saving it from an evil villain in both games.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Like its predecessor, Super Mario 3D World shares some similarities to this game. The death jingle is a cover of that from this game. Tank levels return from this game. 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 are green and also use the same sound effect as in this game. A similar artwork for Beach Koopa when he is knocked out of its shell is as a Stamp. Hitting the Koopa Chase Lv2 at the beginning of The Great Tower of Bowser Land occasionally causes Super Mario World sound effects to play. Jumping while sliding in the Green Shell makes the same jumping sound effect from this game.
 * Super Mario Kart: The level Mount Must Dash contains Dash Panels, asphalt, and blocks that reference the Mario Circuit courses from this game. Also, the music is a cover of that heard in the Mario Circuit courses from that game as well.
 * Mario Paint: The Cat Goombas make a similar meow to the cat notes from this game.
 * Super Mario 64/Super Mario 64 DS: In levels when players are riding Plessie, the music that plays is a cover of the one that plays in 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 paintings in this game and its remake. When the player catches a rabbit, the rabbit will give an item to the player, similar to how the rabbit gives Mario an item right after getting grabbed.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee/Super Smash Bros. Brawl: There are two Mystery Houses named Mystery House Melee in World 2 and the one in the later World Mushroom named Mystery House Brawl. Their objectives are to defeat all enemies to advance and go forth. This is a reference to both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: Characters can do a spin jump similar to the one in this game.
 * 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.
 * Super Princess Peach: The theme for Super Bell Hill has similarities to this game's Ladida Plains music.
 * Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2: Green Stars make an appearance, replacing Star Medals from Super Mario 3D Land. Captain Toad returns and 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's 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 Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme can be heard in Honeycomb Starway, Honeycomb Skyway and Champion's Road. The final boss themes (and the Meowser defeated fanfare) have portions of the themes for the Battlerock Galaxy, Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, and Bowser's Galaxy Generator. The overworld map of World Star has Star Bits in the background. Also, Grumblumps have a similar appearance to Rhomps. The Beat Block mechanic returns under the name "Beep Block", and the Beep Block stages return to the "beep-beep-beep-switch" rhythm as in Super Mario Galaxy 2 with the same tempo as the Beat Block Galaxy theme as well. There is additionally a level called Boss Blitz; this is in reference to the Boss Blitz Galaxy.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii/New Super Mario Bros. U: The abilities to do a simultaneous Ground Pound with multiple players, pick up other players, and place their character in a bubble make a return. Assist Play is similar to Boost Mode from the latter game in that the player can stop/hinder enemies with the GamePad, as well as pause stage obstacles like the rolling hills. In Snowball Park, the night-time setting with the background aurora mirrors Spinning-Star Sky. Fire Toad's colors are exactly the same as Fire Yellow Toad's colors from these games.
 * Super Mario 3D Land: The installment is the follow-up game of this title, and thus has some similarities to said game. Many of this game's music is reused or remixed, 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. The base beat and some tunes of the music in Simmering Lava Lake is similar to the music that plays in World 8-5 and World 8-Bowser: Part 2 in this game. Warp Boxes, Mystery Boxes, Peepas, Coin Coffers, Goomba Towers, Stingbies, Biddybuds, and Para-Biddybuds all return. The levels in World Mushroom and World Flower are similar to the levels in the Special Worlds from this game.
 * Mario Kart 7: Princess Peach's portrait from this game, located in Sherbet Rink, is reused.
 * New Super Mario Bros. 2: Golden Koopa Troopas and wearable ? Blocks return in Golden Warp Pipes.

References in later games

 * Mario Kart 8: The Piranha Plant returns as an item. Stamp images are reused in N64 Rainbow Road's fireworks. The Double Cherry appears as an ad in Toad Harbor. There is a DLC cup named the Bell Cup, which has a course called Super Bell Subway. Cat Peach also appears as a playable character.
 * Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: The crown mechanic in Battle Mode is similar to the mechanic in multi-player of Super Mario 3D World, where the player with the highest score from one stage will be wearing a crown in the next stage.
 * Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: The game is a spin-off title based around the Captain Toad's Adventures levels which originated from Super Mario 3D World. Several elements also return, including music. Super Bell Hill, Shadow-Play Alley, Clear Pipe Cruise, and Conkdor Canyon return as stages in the Wii U version. The ending cutscene of the Wii U version also reveals that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a prequel.
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: Peach and Rosalina's red costumes are based on their Fire forms in Super Mario 3D World.
 * Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: Three pieces of music from Super Mario 3D World (Super Bell Hill, The Great Tower Showdown 2, and Champion Road) can be selected, and the Toad trophy refers to Captain Toad's inability to jump.
 * Super Mario Maker: Rosalina's Mystery Mushroom costume reuses several voice clips from Super Mario 3D World. Cat Mario and Cat Peach appear as Mystery Mushroom costumes, with their voice clips from Super Mario 3D World playing when jumping, and the "course clear" and "lose a life" jingles are reused.
 * Super Mario Odyssey: Several sound effects and voice clips from Super Mario 3D World are reused. When RoboBrood is defeated, the Broodals appear as fireworks in the sky similar to when Bowser is defeated in The Great Tower of Bowser Land. Ty-Foos and Parabones reappear as enemies, as do Chargin' Chucks with their design from Super Mario 3D World. Captain Toad's design is reused. The sprites of Cat Mario and Cat Peach from Super Mario Maker appear in various Kingdoms.
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Sprixie Princesses, Cat Peach, and Plessie appear as spirits using their artwork from Super Mario 3D World. Additionally, Boom Boom appears as a spirit using his in-game model from Super Mario 3D World.
 * Super Mario Maker 2: A theme based on Super Mario 3D World can be used. Enemies such as Ant Troopers and Piranha Creepers also appear. Levels from Super Mario 3D World such as Super Bell Hill, Conkdor Canyon, and Gargantuan Grotto appears in the background of certain themes in the game.

Trivia

 * If one counts the support items, Super Mario 3D World has the most traditional power-ups in any Mario platformer thus far, with eighteen power-ups (compared to Super Mario Bros. 3, which has nine).
 * The character icons from this game (with the exception of Rosalina and Captain Toad's icons) are used in Club Nintendo prizes.
 * If one looks closely, the plants dance to the background music, changing animations based on a part of the song.
 * Oddly, the Spin Jump move is not mentioned in the game's manual.
 * The Play Nintendo website features a trivia game based on power-ups from Super Mario 3D World.