I remember being somewhat underwhelmed by my first experience with this game back on the Wii U. Not because it was disappointing or mediocre, but because it was just a good mario game that didn't blow me away in any regard.
Something I've come to realize is that not every entry in a series needs to be groundbreaking or reinvent the wheel. Yes - that's always an exciting experience - but sometimes a game just needs to take familiar ideas and polish them to a ridiculous degree. Not that this game lacks new ideas, but it builds upon previous games with a sharp focus on tight level design and smooth controls.
I feel like this game has somehow come back and shattered my original impression. I cannot confidently say that this is my favorite mario game or anything, but I firmly believe that 3D world is one of the most beautifully paced and creative platformers I have played.
One thing I realized upon my replaying of this game is just how varied and consistently creative these levels are. It's apparent within the first several levels. The world design and mechanical variety is on full display pretty quickly. The new power ups are utilized for creative problem solving or player freedom - rather than a gimmick surrounded by an environment that isn't built for it. You never need a power up to progress, but you are provided a multitude of ways to reach your goal.
There may be a few levels that border on becoming tedious - but those are sparse and nothing outstays its welcome. 3D world also has one of the best post-game worlds of any mario game. There is a shocking amount of content here and it isn't a tiresome experience to fully complete this game (excluding the whole 'beat the whole game with every character' thing. That's a bit too far).
It isnt flawless though. Kind of a pointless statement as this applies to any video game - but there are a couple things worth noting.
If this is your first time playing this game, this is a really good deal. You get a better version of the original with a free expansion. It somewhat justifies the $60 price.
However if you have completed this game before - there isnt much in the realm of new content (aside from Bowser's Fury which I will touch on later in the review). The movement has been updated and I do believe this faster pace fits this game perfectly. It feels better in my opinion. There is also the use of gyro aiming with a cursor to replace the touch screen controls - which some levels require the use of. This new control scheme works pretty well - but it isnt as natural as the touch screen, but the effort to make it work is appreciated. It is also surprising to see that there are no new characters. People returning to this game may not have much incentive to do so unless theyre utterly curious what it is like to run a little faster.
This re release is saved by the fact that you get Bowser's Fury with it, but on its own it is not worth the $60 bucks. If you haven't played it before though - I think its a safe purchase.
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Now let's touch on Bowser's Fury.
I think this might be the most inventive idea the mario series has seen since the first Galaxy game. It takes the engine of 3D world and puts you in an open world platformer essentially. The full camera control feels great and the transition to this style works shockingly well for this engine. The freedom to explore and collect Cat Shines in any order makes for a really unique platformer. Bowser is actually a threatening foe for once. Every encounter is exciting, and the new musical compositions made for this expansion are incredible. It's an addictive and satisfying journey, and I would love to see a full title attempt to utilize this formula if possible. It may only keep you busy for 3-4 hours, but it provides a lot of post game content to do squeeze another couple hours out.
If you only want to play BF and plan on skipping 3D World - BF does not warrant 60 dollars on its own. If for some reason it was ever sold on its own for 20 dollars maximum - I'd say go for it. Nintendo proves they still have new ways to reinvent the platformer genre and I hope they continue to tap into that creativity.
Although 3D world on its own is an incredibly standard re-release of a superb game - its worth is validated by Bowser's Fury being included. If you are dying to replay this or haven't given it a shot, it is 100% worth your time.
Something I've come to realize is that not every entry in a series needs to be groundbreaking or reinvent the wheel. Yes - that's always an exciting experience - but sometimes a game just needs to take familiar ideas and polish them to a ridiculous degree. Not that this game lacks new ideas, but it builds upon previous games with a sharp focus on tight level design and smooth controls.
I feel like this game has somehow come back and shattered my original impression. I cannot confidently say that this is my favorite mario game or anything, but I firmly believe that 3D world is one of the most beautifully paced and creative platformers I have played.
One thing I realized upon my replaying of this game is just how varied and consistently creative these levels are. It's apparent within the first several levels. The world design and mechanical variety is on full display pretty quickly. The new power ups are utilized for creative problem solving or player freedom - rather than a gimmick surrounded by an environment that isn't built for it. You never need a power up to progress, but you are provided a multitude of ways to reach your goal.
There may be a few levels that border on becoming tedious - but those are sparse and nothing outstays its welcome. 3D world also has one of the best post-game worlds of any mario game. There is a shocking amount of content here and it isn't a tiresome experience to fully complete this game (excluding the whole 'beat the whole game with every character' thing. That's a bit too far).
It isnt flawless though. Kind of a pointless statement as this applies to any video game - but there are a couple things worth noting.
If this is your first time playing this game, this is a really good deal. You get a better version of the original with a free expansion. It somewhat justifies the $60 price.
However if you have completed this game before - there isnt much in the realm of new content (aside from Bowser's Fury which I will touch on later in the review). The movement has been updated and I do believe this faster pace fits this game perfectly. It feels better in my opinion. There is also the use of gyro aiming with a cursor to replace the touch screen controls - which some levels require the use of. This new control scheme works pretty well - but it isnt as natural as the touch screen, but the effort to make it work is appreciated. It is also surprising to see that there are no new characters. People returning to this game may not have much incentive to do so unless theyre utterly curious what it is like to run a little faster.
This re release is saved by the fact that you get Bowser's Fury with it, but on its own it is not worth the $60 bucks. If you haven't played it before though - I think its a safe purchase.
--------
Now let's touch on Bowser's Fury.
I think this might be the most inventive idea the mario series has seen since the first Galaxy game. It takes the engine of 3D world and puts you in an open world platformer essentially. The full camera control feels great and the transition to this style works shockingly well for this engine. The freedom to explore and collect Cat Shines in any order makes for a really unique platformer. Bowser is actually a threatening foe for once. Every encounter is exciting, and the new musical compositions made for this expansion are incredible. It's an addictive and satisfying journey, and I would love to see a full title attempt to utilize this formula if possible. It may only keep you busy for 3-4 hours, but it provides a lot of post game content to do squeeze another couple hours out.
If you only want to play BF and plan on skipping 3D World - BF does not warrant 60 dollars on its own. If for some reason it was ever sold on its own for 20 dollars maximum - I'd say go for it. Nintendo proves they still have new ways to reinvent the platformer genre and I hope they continue to tap into that creativity.
Although 3D world on its own is an incredibly standard re-release of a superb game - its worth is validated by Bowser's Fury being included. If you are dying to replay this or haven't given it a shot, it is 100% worth your time.
Luxqaer
3 years ago