Most of the traditional platforming stages have three green stars tucked away in hidden nooks, encouraging exploration or challenging you to hang onto a power-up like the Double Cherry long enough to unlock a gate. The Captain Toad stages are one key way that 3D World fills your coffers with green stars, a sort of in-game currency for unlocking new stages. He can't jump on enemies due to his comically massive backpack, so instead, Captain Toad puzzles become subtle games of timing and patience, manipulating the camera to view the 3D space from all angles and plumbing its depths for treasure. They feel familiar enough to Mario's standard platforming that it isn't distracting, but Captain Toad's natural pacifism makes for a unique challenge. His platforming puzzles are cute departures from the main platforming challenges. Super Mario 3D World on Wii U was also the debut of Captain Toad, and it's easy to see why he became a breakout star. The game keeps up this regular pace of delightful surprise from start to finish. One stage is essentially a Mario Kart riff, recognizable from its rainbow-colored bumpers and dash pads that speed you along the entire length of 'track.' Another is clearly modeled after a classic Zelda dungeon, with your Fire Flower power-up serving to ignite lanterns and solve simple puzzles. The game also frequently pays homage to other pieces of Nintendo history. One stage might have you navigating a forest or a battleship, while another will time its rhythmic block switching to a steady beat. The sheer variety of ideas on display in 3D World is its biggest asset. Each stage is presented as a diorama slice and usually include a limited degree of Z-axis depth, but the core idea between them is the same: Get in, see a clever application of Mario mechanics, then get out before the concept overstays its welcome. The stages are relatively small, self-contained bouts of creative platforming, often with their own theme or mechanics at the forefront. It's a successor to Mario Galaxy, not in direct mechanics but in a broader design philosophy. It's easier to see Super Mario 3D World's place in Mario canon with the benefit of hindsight. Because of this very split design, though, it only makes sense to examine them as separate games.

This makes sense-the two share some superficial traits but are otherwise very different design philosophies and platforming approaches. The two experiences are bifurcated to the point where you need to quit out of one completely to start the other. Now Playing: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Video Review By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

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