Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World (スーパーマリオ ３Ｄワールド Sūpā Mario 3D Wārudo in Japan) 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 Europe, Australia, and Japan. It is the fifteenth title in the Super Mario series, the sixth 3D Mario title, and the follow-up 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. 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.

Power-ups, like the Fire Flower and Super Leaf, make a return, along with a new power-up; 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: Toad will have his own levels with five Green Stars instead of the usual three.

Others

 * Rabbits
 * Sprixie Princess
 * Sprixies
 * 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 creature with a king outfit (World 4 Boss)
 * A round robot in a suit of armor slightly resembling a Bully.

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

Worlds/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 two islands have been shown. Unlike previous maps, the players will have full control of the characters, except with a limited jump. Each map will have a set of levels, a Toad House, a slot machine and a puzzle-focused area, with the Toad Brigade Captain playable.

World 1
World 1 is a grassland world.


 * World 1-1: A standard grassland level.
 * World 1-2: An underground level.
 * World 1-A: Chargin' Chuck Blockade
 * World 1-3: Mount Beanpole: A course with colored blocks and Cat Bell poles.
 * World 1-4: A water course where the players ride the Dorrie-like dinosaur.
 * World 1-5: Switch Scramble Circus: A festival tent level with Flipswitch-like platforms.
 * : Bowser's Highway Showdown: A castle with soccer ball bombs and a boss fight with Bowser in his car.
 * A block tower with Toad Brigade Captain.

World 2
World 2 is a desert-themed world.


 * World 2-1: A grassland with rolling hills and colorful blocks.
 * World 2-3: Shadow-Play Alley: A dark house with Potted Piranha Plant, and a 3D shadow overworld
 * World 2-5: Double Cherry Pass: A level with cherry grass hills.
 * : Bowser's Bullet Bill Brigade: A castle with tanks and Boom Boom.

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 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 savannah 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 level with Boom Boom and Pom Pom on a train consisting of a Bullet Bill steam engine and flatbed cars.

References to other games

 * Super Mario Bros.: A bonus room in World 2-1 features blocks similar to those found in underground areas in this game. The song played here is also a remixed version of the overworld and invincibility themes. Also, Fire Peach's clothes resembles those of her sprite from this game. An 8-bit Luigi sprite from this game can be seen swimming in the background in Bowser's Highway.
 * 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.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Like its predecessor, Super Mario 3D World shares some similarities to this game. Spikes make a return, along with the Super Leaf and Tanooki Suit. 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.
 * Super Mario 64: When 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.
 * Wario Land 4: Bowser's car bears a resemblance to the Wario Car.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: When Princess Peach is in her Fire Flower form, her hair is tied back, similar to her hairstyle in this game. Soccer balls are unused items from this game.
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis: Fire Peach's color scheme is almost the same one used to Fire Mini Peach.
 * Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2: Some elements, such as the Goomba animation for chasing the players, are from these games as well as Super Mario 3D Land. The Rabbits behave similarly to Star Bunnies. 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 similar to 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.
 * Super Mario 3D Land: The game is a follow-up to this title; the majority of the game elements for Super Mario 3D World were taken from this installment. Also, the game's Underground, and Castle, and Starman themes are remixed. This game's "Retro Mario" theme is used in this game as well. Photos make a come back in this game. Being able to see further ahead is also include in this game, however the Player uses Sprixies with binoculars.
 * New Super Mario Bros. 2: Red POW Blocks from this game return.
 * New Super Mario Bros. U: The ability to stun enemies with the Wii U GamePad returns.
 * New Super Luigi U: A Luigi sighting similar to those from this game can be seen in Bowser's Highway.

Trivia

 * This is the first time that Fire Bros. and Spikes appear in a 3D Mario plaformer game.
 * Also, this marks the first appearance of Chargin' Chucks in the main Mario series since their debut in Super Mario World (not counting remakes and ports).
 * This is the first 3D Mario game to feature a score system.
 * Not counting remakes and ports, this is the first time Princess Peach is playable in a mainstream Mario game since Super Mario Bros. 2, released 25 years prior. This game is also the first 3D Mario title in which Peach and a Toad are playable.