A Purrfect Melding of Two Mario Styles
Nintendo Switch gets two cat themed Mario games in one double release.
By Riley Fink
Nintendo Switch gets two cat themed Mario games in one double release.
By Riley Fink
While the Super Mario series needs absolutely no introduction, the plump plumber’s 2D side scrolling entries have almost always drastically outsold their 3D sandbox counterparts. Though the series was defined by its simple, fun platforming challenges, when the time came to move to 3D with Super Mario 64, due to memory limitations they decided to create a short list of bigger levels, with multiple objectives required to collect stars that unlock more levels. Super Mario Sunshine doubled down on this new formula, but the Wii controller lacked a second analog stick for camera control, so Super Mario Galaxy went for a much more linear experience, with Mario losing much of his complex movement and the focus shifted to obstacle course-style levels and platforming challenges. After Galaxy performed so well, this design philosophy was expanded upon by Galaxy 2 and the Wii U’s Super Mario 3D World, each pushing further towards the 2D games’ philosophy of pure platforming.
This streak of linear Marios ended with the Switch’s Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, but on Feb. 12, 2021, Nintendo re-released Super Mario 3D World on Switch with the added expansion Bowser’s Fury, which is what I’d like to focus on today. I think that Bowser’s Fury represents a true melding of the two main 3D Mario styles. Nintendo has been trying to ease players into controlling Mario in a 3D space ever since 1996, and I think Bowser’s Fury is the best implementation of this quest for accessibility thus far, while still providing the core explorative experience long time fans crave.
The setup is almost never required for a Mario game, though in this case it’s more interesting than your typical Mario fare. In this game, Bowser has become Fury Bowser, taken over by some strange black substance that also covers the locked parts of the map. Fury Bowser awakens every once and a while and shoots some fire at you before going back to sleep, and you progress further in the game by collecting enough stars to repeatedly fight him, unlocking new levels. The concept rarely seems to be pushed further than its surface level spectacle, and was clearly not a large focus.
While the Galaxy games and 3D World tried to hook casual players in by simplifying the movement and objectives, Bowser’s Fury gives us the 3D sandbox gameplay that players loved so much from Super Mario Odyssey and presents it in an open world format. The game is one big level, with islands that function like traditional levels scattered around the map, each with a “get to the end” objective, alongside a handful of other stars each. The main flaw of Odyssey was that the only challenge of getting a lot of the stars was just finding them, where Bowser’s Fury focuses much more on platforming, allowing the complex level design of the linear games and the open explorative feel to coexist gracefully. This is all tied together with the aquatic dinosaur Plessie, who you can ride between the islands, creating an addicting sense of freedom.
Though the game is running on 3D World’s engine, the movement has been tweaked and refined for the sandbox format, and though every change that was made was positive, one unfortunate symptom of being in that engine is that Mario still has a run button, meaning you either have to hold the controller uncomfortably or not run when moving the camera. This could’ve been easily fixed by removing the button, though it’s good that this is my only gameplay gripe.
Bowser’s Fury is a fantastic time beginning to end, though that’s the kicker, the game is really short. It’s why it’s packaged with the Switch port of 3D World. For me, most of the enjoyment comes from the idea that this is a sneak peak at the direction of the rest of the series. The idea that we might get a full Mario game where you get to choose the levels you want to play, not by selecting them from a map, but by just going there, sounds like a dream come true. I had a ton of fun with Mario 64 and Mario Odyssey, but could never finish the Galaxy games or 3D World since they always felt like they sacrificed too much mechanical complexity in order to achieve their pure platforming identity, but Bowser’s Fury is more than proof that the two styles can comfortably coexist.
Even with its short run time, I can wholeheartedly recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Even though it sounds like I didn’t enjoy the former, it’s still a fun, very polished game, and Bowser’s Fury is almost worth the price of admission alone if you’re not concerned about length.
This streak of linear Marios ended with the Switch’s Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, but on Feb. 12, 2021, Nintendo re-released Super Mario 3D World on Switch with the added expansion Bowser’s Fury, which is what I’d like to focus on today. I think that Bowser’s Fury represents a true melding of the two main 3D Mario styles. Nintendo has been trying to ease players into controlling Mario in a 3D space ever since 1996, and I think Bowser’s Fury is the best implementation of this quest for accessibility thus far, while still providing the core explorative experience long time fans crave.
The setup is almost never required for a Mario game, though in this case it’s more interesting than your typical Mario fare. In this game, Bowser has become Fury Bowser, taken over by some strange black substance that also covers the locked parts of the map. Fury Bowser awakens every once and a while and shoots some fire at you before going back to sleep, and you progress further in the game by collecting enough stars to repeatedly fight him, unlocking new levels. The concept rarely seems to be pushed further than its surface level spectacle, and was clearly not a large focus.
While the Galaxy games and 3D World tried to hook casual players in by simplifying the movement and objectives, Bowser’s Fury gives us the 3D sandbox gameplay that players loved so much from Super Mario Odyssey and presents it in an open world format. The game is one big level, with islands that function like traditional levels scattered around the map, each with a “get to the end” objective, alongside a handful of other stars each. The main flaw of Odyssey was that the only challenge of getting a lot of the stars was just finding them, where Bowser’s Fury focuses much more on platforming, allowing the complex level design of the linear games and the open explorative feel to coexist gracefully. This is all tied together with the aquatic dinosaur Plessie, who you can ride between the islands, creating an addicting sense of freedom.
Though the game is running on 3D World’s engine, the movement has been tweaked and refined for the sandbox format, and though every change that was made was positive, one unfortunate symptom of being in that engine is that Mario still has a run button, meaning you either have to hold the controller uncomfortably or not run when moving the camera. This could’ve been easily fixed by removing the button, though it’s good that this is my only gameplay gripe.
Bowser’s Fury is a fantastic time beginning to end, though that’s the kicker, the game is really short. It’s why it’s packaged with the Switch port of 3D World. For me, most of the enjoyment comes from the idea that this is a sneak peak at the direction of the rest of the series. The idea that we might get a full Mario game where you get to choose the levels you want to play, not by selecting them from a map, but by just going there, sounds like a dream come true. I had a ton of fun with Mario 64 and Mario Odyssey, but could never finish the Galaxy games or 3D World since they always felt like they sacrificed too much mechanical complexity in order to achieve their pure platforming identity, but Bowser’s Fury is more than proof that the two styles can comfortably coexist.
Even with its short run time, I can wholeheartedly recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Even though it sounds like I didn’t enjoy the former, it’s still a fun, very polished game, and Bowser’s Fury is almost worth the price of admission alone if you’re not concerned about length.