Super Mario 3D World
There's three games that Leia has forced me to play almost to the point of ruining that game for me. First it was The Maw, then Pikmin 3; currently it's in the hands of Super Mario 3D World for the Nintendo Wii-U. The upside is that 3D World is such a huge game to explore that although we've been playing it for four months straight we still haven't tired of it. It's also helpful that this game supports up to 4 players simultaneously and so the two of us enjoy the game together and at times she'll just play it on her own.
There's been a few key games in the Mario Brothers series that will always stand out as everyone's favorites thanks to solid controls, large selection of levels and immense replayability. Namely Super Mario Brothers 1, Super Mario Brothers 3, Super Mario World and to a certain extent Super Mario 64. I hadn't personally come across another Mario title that offered the same charm and tightly refined controls until I tried Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS. So when it was announced that there was going to be a (sequel?) to this game on the Wii-U, I knew it was a sure buy.
Super Mario 3D World on the Wii-U may not have the advantage of stereoscopic 3D, but offers up to 4 players at once working cooperatively or competitively (Depending on who you're playing with I suppose.) and the added bonus of 5 different characters to choose from rather than simply Mario and an unlockable Luigi in 3D Land. This is of course a huge bonus as far as I'm concerned since it really expands the range of appeal for different players. Especially someone like Leia who is always looking to play a female character and now gets to choose from (shock) two of them as the roster for 3D World includes Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach and an unlockable Princess Rosalina. (From the Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Kart series.) And to spice things up a bit, each character features slightly differing traits as we once saw and haven't seen since, Super Mario Brothers 2.
Super Mario 3D World may not be as tough as some of the older titles but it certainly offers extensive replayability. After defeating Bowser at the last castle and the credits roll, you are offered access to a whole new set of levels; almost doubling what was on the map. Though a lot of the levels are 'remixed' versions of earlier levels, they offer a much higher difficulty level and that extra challenge you're looking for. There's also the star-collecting requirement. Each level contains 3 stars, some more hidden than others, and some contain a collectible 'stamp'. The stamps (so far as I know) are just there for collecting but the stars are necessary to continue forward. Eventually you will find yourself returning to older levels in order to find stars you missed so you can unlock the next set of levels and move on.
Beyond all this as well, the multiplayer element really changes how the game is played. Being able to carry, throw and bounce off of other players means accessing otherwise inaccessible areas and finding better ways to defeat bosses. Which include Bowser's kids again from Super Mario World, something I really enjoyed at the time and was happy to see return.
Basically, Super Mario 3D World is one of those fantastic gems of a game that is not only quite perfected, but also enjoyable for everyone. It's graphically beautiful and overall very charming. This is one of those games that I could label as 'timeless' because I am certain that in a decade or so I will be playing this again in the same way I still play Super Mario World on my Super Nintendo.
There's been a few key games in the Mario Brothers series that will always stand out as everyone's favorites thanks to solid controls, large selection of levels and immense replayability. Namely Super Mario Brothers 1, Super Mario Brothers 3, Super Mario World and to a certain extent Super Mario 64. I hadn't personally come across another Mario title that offered the same charm and tightly refined controls until I tried Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS. So when it was announced that there was going to be a (sequel?) to this game on the Wii-U, I knew it was a sure buy.
Super Mario 3D World on the Wii-U may not have the advantage of stereoscopic 3D, but offers up to 4 players at once working cooperatively or competitively (Depending on who you're playing with I suppose.) and the added bonus of 5 different characters to choose from rather than simply Mario and an unlockable Luigi in 3D Land. This is of course a huge bonus as far as I'm concerned since it really expands the range of appeal for different players. Especially someone like Leia who is always looking to play a female character and now gets to choose from (shock) two of them as the roster for 3D World includes Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach and an unlockable Princess Rosalina. (From the Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Kart series.) And to spice things up a bit, each character features slightly differing traits as we once saw and haven't seen since, Super Mario Brothers 2.
Super Mario 3D World may not be as tough as some of the older titles but it certainly offers extensive replayability. After defeating Bowser at the last castle and the credits roll, you are offered access to a whole new set of levels; almost doubling what was on the map. Though a lot of the levels are 'remixed' versions of earlier levels, they offer a much higher difficulty level and that extra challenge you're looking for. There's also the star-collecting requirement. Each level contains 3 stars, some more hidden than others, and some contain a collectible 'stamp'. The stamps (so far as I know) are just there for collecting but the stars are necessary to continue forward. Eventually you will find yourself returning to older levels in order to find stars you missed so you can unlock the next set of levels and move on.
Beyond all this as well, the multiplayer element really changes how the game is played. Being able to carry, throw and bounce off of other players means accessing otherwise inaccessible areas and finding better ways to defeat bosses. Which include Bowser's kids again from Super Mario World, something I really enjoyed at the time and was happy to see return.
Basically, Super Mario 3D World is one of those fantastic gems of a game that is not only quite perfected, but also enjoyable for everyone. It's graphically beautiful and overall very charming. This is one of those games that I could label as 'timeless' because I am certain that in a decade or so I will be playing this again in the same way I still play Super Mario World on my Super Nintendo.
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