A recent replay of this game has seen some of this game's understated merits. I continue to hold the stance that in most ways this is a very traditional Mario game, and at least part of its acclaimed status in the 3DS library has more to do with being a first-party title than anything about how it innovates in its own right, however I think that this is a bit more substantially impressive than I was willing to give it credit for at one point, and I can definitely see why one might even recommend this game over 3D World. The short levels and easily obtained collectibles aren't an ideal Mario approach personally, but are more par for the course considering its handheld context when compared to its Wii U/Switch counterpart. The Bowser fights also have a cinematic edge to them that invokes the kind of dramatic tension the Galaxy games were able to achieve without being over-indulgent in referencing them outright, the final quarter of the game has some pretty tough levels (without the Tanuki suit), and the requirement for true 100% is also nowhere near as ornery as 3DW, which helps by some measure. Despite this, I finished the game feeling I had my fill of its format and it's not nearly as must-play as numerous other Mario titles on the whole, so it's cooler than I thought but not much more.