Super Mario 3D World Reviews

Super Mario 3D World is ranked in the 100th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
10 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2013

There was a moment where I was taking in the beautiful soundtrack, hovering over a tricky jump as cat Peach, and watching the glistening water below where the game really came together. It was then that I realized that Super Mario 3D World had achieved a level of platforming design that's close to perfection, and there was almost never a moment where I didn't have a smile on my face. This is the unequivocally the best Mario game since Galaxy 2, and it shows up anything the "New" series has ever done, and then some. Good work, Nintendo.

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9.5 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2013

There's so much to say about this game, but to sing all its individual praises outside a message board or playground would be ruining the fun. Once again, these talented plumbers cross generations to bring the fun to everyone. Even questionable control choices do little to mar the magic that is simply Mario in each and every way.

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9 / 10
Nov 18, 2013

Easily the best game on the Wii U and one that can proudly stand alongside Nintendo's greatest, even if it doesn't quite top the Super Mario Galaxy games.

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9.5 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2013

If you could turn a smile into a video game, it would look something like this

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9 / 10.0
Feb 17, 2021

The cat’s out of the bag: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a must-play for Nintendo Switch owners — and it might just be the redeemer of the downtrodden Wii U.

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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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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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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.

Review in French | Read full review

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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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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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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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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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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9 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013

Super Mario 3D World is undoubtedly the most important intervention of rewriting the classic dynamics of the series since the days of the Nintendo 64.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10
Nov 19, 2013

Super Mario 3D World brings together the best of both worlds, offering both a solid solo, deep in its game mechanics as well as its content, and an exciting, user-friendly multi, in 3D levels with level design inspired and of course totally mastered by Nintendo.

Review in French | Read full review

Jordan Minor
Top Critic
Nov 19, 2013

Bursting with imagination and immensely satisfying to play, Super Mario 3D World feels like the culmination of everything the series has done so far.

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5 / 5.0
Nov 19, 2013

I thoroughly enjoyed playing solo as well as with my wife and son, and I'd say this is a must-get game if you've got a Wii U — and, quite possibly, a reason to think about getting one if you don't, even amid the frenzy of other next-gen consoles breaking into the market.

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10 / 10.0
Dec 1, 2013

The launch of a three-dimensional Mario platformer on a console always carries huge expectations with it.  Ever since Super Mario 64 redefined 3D gaming and single-handedly sold countless people on the Nintendo 64, each 3D Mario game is expected to somehow match its impact.  Well, that's physically impossible — literally, we'd have to make a 4D game to recreate it — and we need to accept that.

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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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Nov 19, 2013
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