Platformer · 2021 · Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 8 · local · online
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Four characters on one screen, and at the end of every level exactly one gets the crown.
What it is about
A Mario in three dimensions that is nonetheless built like a two-dimensional one: self-contained levels with a flagpole at the end, each with its own idea. The best known is the cat suit, which lets you climb walls.
Up to four characters run on one shared screen, and they play noticeably differently: Mario balanced, Luigi with a higher jump and less grip, Peach with a float after every jump, Toad faster and without extras. At the end of each level the scores are compared — whoever leads gets a crown.
The Switch version includes Bowser's Fury, a separate, openly built piece of about five hours in which the second player takes Bowser Jr. You play on one television from one copy, or online.
Our verdict for couples
At the end of every level the game puts a crown on exactly one of you — that is all the competition needed, and it carries a whole evening. The characters differ enough that the choice matters: Peach floats a little further after every jump, making her the pick for anyone who has never jumped, while Luigi slides and punishes overconfidence. Because you run on one shared screen rather than two halves, you can pick each other up, throw one another and just as reliably send each other into a pit. Bowser's Fury hangs off it as a second, entirely differently built half where the second player steers Bowser Jr. and mostly helps out. Fifteen hours for both, and after that come levels that do mean it.
Pros
- One console and one copy cover you both
- Peach floats — the character for anyone without practice
- One shared screen instead of two halves
Cons
- On one screen you can carry each other into a pit
- The camera is fixed; whoever runs at the back sees less
- In Bowser's Fury the second player mostly assists
Suitable from
Casual
- Conflict potential
- Spirited
- Cosiness
- Mixed
- When you can stop
- After 15 minutes
- How long it lasts
- 5–15 hours
What other co-op fans say
On Metacritic the user score sits at 8.6 from 1,704 votes, and what gets written there is almost entirely about playing together. Several say outright that it is fine alone but many times better with others. Praise also goes to a small thing with a large effect: fall behind and you come back with your power-up, rather than suddenly being worse off than the other. The recurring objection comes from the other side — some find the level design too indulgent.
- “Great game to play with family. 3D world is something to enjoy with others. This games teaches you to collaborate during multiplayer experiences”
- “this game is sooo good for co-op if you get lost you get back WITH your power up so it stays fair”
- “If you want to see the exact moment Nintendo gave up on level design and started treating their fans like they're stuck in a padded room, look no further than Super Mario 3D World.”
Summarised by machine from 1704 Metacritic user reviews, not written by our editors. The quotes appear verbatim in those reviews.
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