06/08/2014 (2 of 2 found this helpful)

Fun and Frustrating in Equal Measure

A lot of people have called Super Mario 3D World the first must-have game for the WiiU - even going so far as to say this game is a reason to buy Nintendo's floundering system. While I have to say the game was fun (in parts) it's far from the "amazing" experience I was hoping for and, other than the 3D and some new, unique powers, didn't feel much different than New Super Mario Bros. 2. For me, the Mario franchise has been stuck in a rut as of late and I don't think Super Mario 3D World does enough to dissuade me from continuing to think that way. Is it a fun time when you get some friends together and play? Sure. But it's far from the system savior it has been presented as in my viewpoint.

Presentation: The game does look nice. The colors and characters pop, the music is a nice blend ...

Rating of
3/5 

06/07/2014 (2 of 2 found this helpful)

One D Too Many

Despite inventing the 3D Platforming sub-genre with “Super Mario 64” on the ill-fated Nintendo 64 back in 1996, Nintendo has increasingly minimized the 3D-ness of subsequent 3D ‘Mario’ games ever since, culminating in the two ‘Mario Galaxy’ games on the Wii, which felt more like traditional 2D ‘Mario’ games translated into 3D instead of games designed around 3D space from the ground up. It is no secret that I break with the accepted position among the gaming media in that I hated “Super Mario 64” when it was released, and still can’t stand to play it to this day. Likewise, as the 3D-ness was tempered out of the franchise (along with drastic improvements to the general mechanics of gaming in 3D space), I came to appreciate 3D ‘Mario’ more and more. The subject of ...

Rating of
3.5/5