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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.
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 slanted Clear Pipe along the path. Mario and Luigi fix the Clear Pipe with hammers and wrenches, and the Sprixie Princess[1], a frantic, green, fairy creature, pops out in front of them. Suddenly, Bowser, who emerges from the pipe, roars, 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.[2] They end up in the Sprixie Kingdom, where the journey mainly takes place.[3]
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 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; however, in this game, players can also switch characters at any time.[4] 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.[5]
Blue Toad: Blue Toad can run faster than other characters.[6][7]
Toad Brigade Captain: Toad will have his own levels called "The Adventures of Captain Toad" where the player cannot jump, and must collect five Green Stars instead of the usual three.
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. Each world is connected by Clear Pipes.[9] As of now, only three themed islands have been shown; a grassland island, a desert island and a snow 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 used to win coins, a Mystery House[28] and a puzzle-focused area called "The Adventures Of Captain Toad" with the Toad Brigade Captain playable.
World 1-5: Switch Scramble Circus: A festival tent level with Flipswitches.[12]
World 1-Castle: Bowser's Highway Showdown: A castle with soccer ball bombs and a boss fight with Bowser in his car.[30] The level requires ten Green Stars to unlock.[4]
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.[38]
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. The music that plays during the roulette minigame is a remix of the character select music from this game.[4] Another musical reference to this game is in the Coin Bonus areas of the game, where a remixed version of the character select theme plays.[39]
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.[40]
Super Mario World: Chargin' Chucks and Galoombas return. Koopa Troopas become Beach Koopas after jumping on them. The Beach Koopa artwork is also reused as a Stamp.
New Super Mario Bros.: The mountain music track from Super Mario 3D World has vocal "bah" sounds, similar to the music from this game and its successors.
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. The Light Boxes' light can defeat ghosts like in this game.
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. The first three world themes are identical in both games (World 1- Grassland, World 2- Desert, World 3- Snow).
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 16 power-ups (compared to Super Mario Bros. 3, which has 9).
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