Super Mario 3D World Reviews

Super Mario 3D World is ranked in the 100th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Nov 21, 2013

Overall, this is the game that Wii U owners have been waiting for and it shows that there's still plenty of fight left in a console that many may have written off.

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95 / 100
Nov 19, 2013

On the eve of the next generation of consoles, it's comforting to know Super Mario still has potential to excite and astound with some of the best gameplay found on the Wii U, or any platform. It may be short and easy, but Super Mario 3D World finds a place within the cacophony of this year's whiz-bang shooters and next-gen tech demos. This is exactly what the Wii U needed.

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Nov 20, 2013

The famous plumber's latest outing on Wii U is the most fun you'll have with a platform game this year.

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Nov 18, 2013

To some, Super Mario may appear tired: a mascot whom Nintendo trots out every few years to sell another console with repackaged but fundamentally stale ideas. Super Mario 3D World is a fierce rebuttal to the accusation. Mario and his makers once again assert their dominance of spatial navigation games, displaying a rude abundance of ideas to delight, surprise and celebrate innocence and playfulness.

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9.5 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013

...there hasn't been a Mario game like this for me since Super Mario World.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013

Super Mario 3D World justifies a Wii U. It is rare these days that there is one game to make a console worthy of purchase, but I cannot express how much pure fun I had with this title. If you own a Wii U it is a no-brainer, you should own this game. If you don't own one, but have considered buying one, this is the game that makes it all worthwhile.

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98 / 100
Nov 27, 2013

Make no 'ifs' 'ands' or 'buts' about it, Super Mario 3D World is a must buy as it is the game Wii U owners have been waiting for.

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9.5 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2013

Super Mario 3D World takes the excellent gameplay from its 3DS predecessor and expands upon it with 4-player co-op, new gameplay and even more creative levels. Mario's first 3D, HD adventure is bar none the best game on Wii U right now and the console's undisputed killer app. Whether played solo or with friends, it is a master class of platformer design and more importantly, one hell of a good time.

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Nov 18, 2013

Like 3D Land on the 3DS before it, Super Mario 3D World is a must have for existing owners and enough for anyone on the fence to make the plunge. Similarly, while it isn't a strong case for the Wii U's unique features, that doesn't make it anything less special. It's platforming perfection, brimming with clever ideas and flawless execution.

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Nov 18, 2013

Super Mario 3D World is a very good Mario game that suffers only in that the unrealized potential for it to have been a great game, period, keeps peeking in between the cracks. Fun to play for veterans and newcomers alike either as a single-player challenge or frenetic multiplayer party-brawl; and a definite must for current and prospective WiiU owners.

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JVL
Alc!de
Top Critic
18 / 20
Jan 13, 2014

More than ever, we find on the cake the very essence of the "fun video game", namely the diabolical precision of a renewed and perfectly rhythmic gameplay, all in a level design to fall and a remarkable density.

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EGM
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2013

For any Mario fans worried their favorite paesano plumber wasn't about innovation anymore, Super Mario 3D World shows the franchise that created the platforming standard continues to set the bar. The new Super Bell and Double Cherry power-ups augment the Mario experience in a brilliant, meaningful way, and the Wii U's HD capabilities deliver the prettiest-looking game in series history.

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Nov 19, 2013

Super Mario 3D World is the missing link between 2D and 3D Mario games and is chock full of more fresh ideas than we've seen from Nintendo in some time. If you own a Wii U, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 3, 2013

Super Mario World 3D pares back some of the complexity seen in recent Mario games in favour of multiplayer gaming, and it works wonderfully.

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Nov 22, 2013

Unsurprisingly, Super Mario 3D World is yet another fantastic platformer starring Nintendo's iconic, red-clad plumber. Although it doesn't necessarily reinvent its genre, the must-play game does a great job of improving upon the elements that made its predecessors classics. Don't miss out on it!

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013

I'll admit that my expectations were high going into this game. I wanted to relive that feeling of awe that washed over me when I witnessed "Galaxy" for the first time. I wanted this game to make me root for the Wii U. It still continues the trend of Nintendo's quality when it comes to first-party titles, and it's even better if you have friends to play with. It just doesn't take enough chances to achieve that rare level of greatness that Nintendo can sometimes reach.

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10 / 10
Nov 18, 2013

This is a definitive 3D Mario experience, successfully finding a middle-ground between the iconic Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy. You may not swing Bowser by his tail or run upside down, but it's bursting with creativity nonetheless, while delivering on the craft and skill that defines the Tokyo EAD studio. It's unmissable.

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9.5 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2013

We play games to have fun, and that is what Super Mario 3D World is best at delivering.

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Nov 19, 2013
Super Mario 3D World - Video Review (Wii U) video thumbnail
9 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2013

Super Mario 3D World is vibrant, fun and reaches a new level of excellence for the franchise, creating the right kind of cat-astrophe.

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