

But the Switch port also introduces online play that lets one user host up to three friends connected through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription (up to two of those players can share a single system in online play). Reach out and touch LuigiLike the Wii U original, 3D World lets up to four local players play simultaneously on a single system in a mode that's as chaotically fun as it is crowded. There are plenty of hidden trinkets for completionists, but also the simplicity of old-school 2D Mario where you always generally knew which direction to go. There may be a few twists and turns along the way, but those twists are laid out at stark 45- or 90-degree angles, with only minor detours on the obvious path to that ending flagpole. In their place are more linear levels, full of direct paths and relatively narrow passages that present something more akin to the "just get to the goal" challenge of old 2D Mario adventures. Much like the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land before it, 3D World generally avoids the wide-open areas and level-specific goals of games like Super Mario 64. If you missed out on Super Mario 3D World the first time around, you might have to adjust your expectations for a 3D Mario platform game a little bit. The result is a package that should have any 3D platforming fan at least taking a second look, even if they already bought the game a few years ago. The Switch port of the excellent Super Mario 3D World comes packaged with Bowser's Fury, a brand-new bit of "open world" content that extends 3D World's gameplay ideas in some interesting new directions. While it's nice that these underloved Wii U games are getting a new lease on life (and a new fully portable play option) on the much more popular Switch, the idea of paying full price for a light update to a game you bought less than a decade ago on the Wii U might feel a little grating.įor its latest Wii U rehash, Nintendo seems to have acknowledged this issue to some extent. (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.)
