Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (for Nintendo Switch) Review

Not everyone has been pleased with the number of Wii U ports released on the Nintendo Switch. Sure, the Switch’s exponentially larger audience gives these excellent games a much-needed second chance, but hardcore fans who stuck with the beleaguered old console sometimes feel like they’re being asked to double dip, especially when these ports contain little, if any, new content.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is the newest Wii U port on Nintendo Switch, and it is also by far the best. Whereas previous ports added a new mode, a new mission, or nothing at all, Bowser’s Fury is a wildly ambitious, new separate side game. It’s a fully different type of 3D platformer compared to the main package. Combine that with an excuse to revisit what’s still an excellent take on Mario-style multiplayer action, and you’ve got an Editors’ Choice-worthy Nintendo Switch game that you shouldn’t miss.

The Best of Both Mario Worlds

Super Mario 3D World first launched in 2013, making this updated version one of the larger time gaps for a Switch port of a Wii U game. It follows the formula established by Super Mario 3D Land, a 3D Mario platformer that borrows ideas from the franchise’s 2D side, such as a run button, flagpoles, and more linear level design. Instead of being an intimate portable affair, 3D World is a sprawling HD behemoth that also plays great in Switch’s handheld mode.

The game is chock full of creative and delightful concepts, from its trademark wall-climbing catsuit to the multiplying, double-cherry power-up. At the time, some fans were disappointed to see a 3D Mario game still refuse to return to its more sandbox roots. But now that we have Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Odyssey, it’s much easier to appreciate 3D World’s approach to polygonal plumber platforming. The 3D World content in Super Mario Maker 2 already had me nostalgic for this game’s vibe, with its clear pipes and bizarre recurring dark carnival motif. Collecting the Sprixie Kingdom’s green stars all over again brought me endless pleasure.

3D World still reigns supreme when it comes to multiplayer Mario platforming. Whereas playing with four people in a New Super Mario Bros. side-scroller can be a chaotic diversion, 3D World feels built from the ground up to support satisfying multiplayer sessions. The characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad) all handle slightly differently. For example, Peach floats and Luigi jumps extremely high. The stages are a bit larger than you might expect. This extra space accommodates the extra players, and makes the game look more epic in scope. Competing to see who gets the crown is the first and only time I’ve ever cared about high scores in a Mario platformer.

Shiny New Pipes

Bowser’s Fury is the flashiest addition to this collection, but it’s worth going over the changes to 3D World as they are welcome, too. Overall, the game is slightly speedier than the Wii U version; characters run faster and climb higher. I initially didn’t notice this while playing alone, aside from the fact that I finished the game earlier than expected. However, I immediately noticed the speed increase while playing with others.

Speaking of multiplayer, you can now play online with friends. On its own, this is a huge selling point, something I criticized Pikmin 3 Deluxe for not implementing. I played a few levels online, and they worked flawlessly. I experienced none of the lag or connection issues that plague Super Mario Maker 2 or certain Super Smash Bros. Ultimate bouts. However, note that I played during a special pre-release session coordinated by Nintendo, and we all used wired connections. Results may vary in the real world. Also, only the host system can save any progress made during online multiplayer play.

As for other changes, the old touch screen functionality is tweaked so that you can now use collected stamps in a spiffy photo mode since Miiverse no longer exists. You can also play the Captain Toad levels with four players, but the puzzle-box dioramas rely so much on shifting perspective that playing with friends, who can all control the camera, just isn’t fun. I recommend playing the expanded, standalone Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on Switch instead.

Anger Management

Super Mario 3D World is a great, familiar game that makes me happy. Bowser’s Fury is a brand-new game that makes me elated. Before I gush too much, I do want to set some expectations. This is a side game that took me two sittings to beat, and will maybe take an additional hour or two to complete one hundred percent. If sold separately, it might be worth $30, not $60. Even with that caveat, though, I could honestly see Bowser’s Fury being someone’s favorite 3D Mario game with no qualifications. In ways, this journey across Lake Lapcat is arguably closer to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine than Super Mario Odyssey, all while adding fantastic, original ideas.

In this adventure, Bowser has become gigantic and full of hatred. Mario and Bowser Jr. team up to stop him. Instead of playing through different levels or visiting different kingdoms, Mario has access to a single massive archipelago map that’s full of locations to freely visit in any order, like a mini Breath of the Wild. On each island, you’ll complete various platforming challenges to earn Cat Shine collectibles. Each time you revisit, the island remixes itself somewhat to provide new challenges until you collect every reward. It’s just like Super Mario 64, except every environment exists in one interconnected zone to explore. You even mount a ride: the aquatic dinosaur Plessie.

I adore this take on 3D Mario. I love its sense of freedom and density. Instead of trying to be realistic spaces, the stages feature the pure, abstract kind of platforming that made Super Mario Galaxy so special. The game is clearly made of assets from 3D World. Still, they feel revitalized in this new perspective. You can move the camera! The cat suit becomes so powerful here that I don’t mind the slightly more restrictive 3D World controls and its slightly less detailed Mario model. Arguably, the cat theme here is visually stronger than in the base game. Every tree, building, and enemy sports fuzzy ears.

Then there’s Bowser himself. In the game’s most unique twist, every few minutes Bowser goes berserk and starts blasting you from across the map. This drives home the fact that you’re in one seamless area, not a series of discrete levels. Bowser’s fire breath activates special blocks and reveals secrets, so sometimes you want him to intentionally wake up (perhaps using an Amiibo) and bait him into uncovering a shine for you. You’re not just playing defense against an annoying timed event you have no control over. It’s such clever design. To open up the world, you periodically turn yourself into a massive golden lion for a fun, kaiju-like boss fight. Plus, Bowser’s enraged, oily, obsidian design is perhaps the coolest and most threatening he’s ever looked. His intense theme song recalls Sephiroth’s “One-Winged Angel.”

You can play Bowser’s Fury right from the start at the main menu. You don’t need to play 3D World first. You can also let a friend or the AI control Bowser Jr. to help you out.

I can’t believe how complete and relatively-extensive Bowser’s Fury feels as a side project. If a leak suggested this began as a scrapped experimental prototype for Super Mario Odyssey DLC, I would believe it. Honestly, its ambition might be its only flaw. The frame rate drops from 60 frames per second in docked mode down to 30 frames per second in handheld mode, perhaps because 3D World’s engine is being pushed to the limit. Still, compared to other upgraded Wii U ports on Switch, such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s revamped battle mode, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition‘s new epilogue, and Donkey Kong’s Funky mode, Bowser’s Fury blows them away when it comes to quality and scope. It’s worth buying again.

Play It Again

A 3D Mario game is a rare and precious thing; most Nintendo consoles only get one in their lifetimes. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is mostly an old game, an improved version of an underplayed classic that will most likely be new to you. That said, the chunk that is actually new is so fresh, substantial, and fun in such unexpected ways that it genuinely feels like we’ve been given a gift from a franchise known for its gameplay generosity. In return, we give this game our Editors’ Choice award.