I have realized that I really don't like course-based Mario games at all. 3D World is fine, sure, but wow did it leave me absolutely unfazed and cold. Perhaps it is due to the quantity of ideas devalueing the quality of the experience as a whole and robbing it of a cohesive identity. Part of it definitely is the fixed camera, which absolutely infuriated me to no end in many levels.

Bowser's Fury, on the other hand, absolutely slaps, might I say. From the first minute I had more fun than the whole of 3D World. The inventory system is a really neat concept that could shine in a dedicated game not tied to the confines of 3D World systems. I hope this is a test run for a truly open world Mario game, but this is a stellar product all on its own.