Super Mario 3D World

Before I say anything about the game itself, let me just say this: I'm a huge Mario fan, and I have been ever since I was a little kid. The first Mario game I remember playing was the Super Mario World game that came with the SNES. It was a fun and innovative game, and that's what made it so memorable. That tradition continued with Yoshi's Island, Super Mario RPG, Super Mario 64, etc.

The point is: as a gamer, and as a Mario fan, I don't feel like playing a Mario game that feels like deja vu. Because to me, what drives a Mario game home for me is the two factors that I listed above. Super Mario 64 for example was something new entirely. A 3D world that you could explore freely, a hub that gave you even more freedom, and the fact that in order to go into a level you had to jump into a painting. I love it!

You may be asking: what does this have to do with Super Mario 3D World? Everything. When you look at the cover, it already looks like nothing I've ever seen before. Mario and company being cats? I love it!

You're able to play as Mario and Luigi, which is expected. However, this game supports 4 players and has Peach, Toad, and Rosalina being the other playable characters.

One of the things that I love about this game is the freedom that you have to explore around the level, which makes the game feel fresh for me. But it also has some 2D side-scrolling  platform that we're used to. It's a nice combination that works out exceptionally well.

Let's talk about the suit power-ups. Every Mario game has these, and they should as it's one of their trademarks. In this game, you have the classic Fire Flower, The Boomerang flower, Super Leaf, Mega Mushroom, and Propeller Block--I love using that thing. New additions include Cat Suit, which you get when you acquire a Super Bell. Being a cat is fun and allows you to run faster, use your claws as an attack, and gives you the ability to run up walls and the flagpoles at the end of the stage. You also can transform into a lucky Cat Statue that awards coins. You get this by getting the Lucky Bell. Double Cherries make a clone of the character in question. The more you eat, the more clones you get. You have a Cannon Box that allows you to fire shots at enemies and Light Blocks that can defeat the ghosts. And last but not least, one of my favorites, The Goomba Mask. This has your character donning a mask that allows him to blend in with the other Goombas. Very cool.

You can also pick up Bombs, Piranha Plants, and Baseballs that you can use to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.  You can also ride around in a Skating Shoe or ride on the back of an aquatic dinosaur that goes by the name of Plessie.

Another cool thing about this game is that it features functionality with your Wii U Gamepad. Touching the screen can have a wide variety of effects such as opening doors, revealing hidden blocks or items, hinder enemies, and active mechanisms.

This game is compatible with other Wii U items such as the Nunchuk, Wii Remote, Classic Controller, and Wii U Pro Controller.

You can also unlock a Luigi-themed variation on the classic Mario Bros game by either clearing the game or using date from New Super Luigi U. Speaking of unlockables, Rosalina is able to be unlocked later on, which I think is pretty cool.

All in all: this game feels new and innovative, but it also features suits and power-ups from previous games. It's new with a slight mix of old sprinkled in. It's a great combination.