• Official Nintendo Magazine: 93 - Not so much a baby step into HD 3D platforming as a triple backflip onto a Goomba's dome. A constant source of joy, surprise and ideas, ideas, ideas.
• The Escapist: 4/5 - Super Mario 3D World is a very good Mario game that suffers only in that the unrealised potential for it to have been a great game period keeps peeking in between the cracks. Fun to play for veterans and newcomers alike, either as a single-player challenge or a frenetic multiplayer party, and a definite must for current and prospective Wii U owners.
• Eurogamer: 10/10 - Compact by the standards of the Galaxy adventures but still loaded with bountiful secrets, beneath the warm familiarity of 3D World lies one of the strangest Mario games in years - or at least one of the most random in its influences and its moment-to-moment indulgences. And that's a very, very good thing. The Wii U sees Nintendo's mascot racing into venerable middle age by going wonderfully loopy - by dialling up the energy, even if the end result is often absolutely insane. After all these years, who could blame him?
• Polygon: 9/10 - Super Mario 3D World doesn't reinvent the Mario formula. But it is in every way its own game, with a bright, joyful aesthetic that's supported by inspired level design and a cast that matters. It gets the balance right between nostalgic touches and clever new twists, and never once let me down with a boring boss or too-familiar retread. In all my years of playing with the Mario gang, I've never been quite so happy to hurl myself into the unknown, and 3D World delivers challenge, surprise and joy in almost every moment.
• GameSpot: 9/10 - Sure, co-op play is hardly a game changer, but when so much of 3D World is so successfully built upon a bevy of brilliant ideas, this can be forgiven. Everything that you can see and do within its enchanting levels is so bright, colourful, and full of wonder that it's impossible not to be taken in by its charms. Mario has always had that uncanny ability to cross the boundaries of age and gender, to bring a smile to the face of every player who crosses his path. Super Mario 3D World is no different. This is a dazzlingly inventive game that brings the fun in spades, and will leave you grinning like a loon from start to finish.
• Kotaku: Yes - SM3DW is a fantastic game. Just...fun, from beginning to "end". I had a smile on my face almost the entire time. It's packed with charm from front to back, contains some memorable levels and provides seamless multiplayer fun. If you own a Wii U, congratulations, your wait for a truly special game for the system is over.
• IGN: 9.6 - Super Mario Galaxy 2 successfully iterated on one of the most inventive platformers of the last console generation. Super Mario 3D World takes slightly smaller steps in the grand scheme of the platformer genre, but it fulfills the promise of a multiplayer Mario much better than anything that the Japanese game maker has done before. Super Mario 3D World is marvelous, and its constant variety and fantastic light-hearted co-op play proves that Nintendo still knows exactly how to tweak their Mario formula in fun ways.
• GameInformer: 9.25 - Despite this annoyance, I loved Bowser's egocentric concept for the final world in the main campaign, and the last boss battle is plenty entertaining. Any Mario game runs the risk of the final encounter being too traditional or featuring a frustrating gimmick, but this one brought a smile to everyone's faces on my co-op team from beginning to end. While it's not the most difficult challenge, it is suitably epic and entertaining - an exceptional finisher to an excellent entry in the series.
• Joystiq: 5/5 - Put simply, Super Mario 3D World is stunning. Its world is beautiful, its design is impeccable, and its fun is infectious. I'm running out of superlatives here, so let me finish where I started: Go play it.
• VideoGamer: 9/10 - With a secret world so good it'll make long-term fans (and me) squeal with glee, and how easily it oozes personality and skill, Super Mario 3D World is the best entry the series has offered up in years. It may not hit the highest of highs that the plumber has done in the past, but it's awfully close.
• Destructoid: 10/10 - 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.

I will probably never pick up a Wii U so enjoy this game Wii U owners!!

Giant Bomb: 2/5

Not enough catsuit for my tastes. Meeeeeeee-ow.

Jeff Gerstmann

I'm buying a WiiU this Christmas for this, Pikmin 3 and Wind Waker HD. And I am pretty pumped about this game (despite still disliking Mario a lot and getting bored of Mario Galaxy - but this looks like some of my favourite parts of the games I have liked).

And every single comment on the review is Patrick just typing "CAT MARIO!!"

That napping Goomba is now my new desktop background. Awesome.

Glad to hear games are comin for that thing. I got rid of mine a while back. Sadly I just lost my passion for those Nintendo games, just aren't my thing anymore I guess. But hopefully this game with the other releases helps the console in sales, I want Nintendo to do good.

Great! Now all 5 people that own a WiiU can play it. Seriously I hope a lot of people will pick up a WiiU and this game.

Now that Nintendo's used their adorable cat trump card, what do they have left?

All those reviews sound like they were written by the same person! I doubt I'd be grinning from ear to ear from all the infectious fun myself :/

I will be playing it this Christmas. :-)

One thing the GB community can take pride in is kick-ass review roundup threads. Nintendo has so much talent I wish they would put them on something new, but really cannot argue with the results apparently.

i think that almost all WII U users will pick this game => 3 to 4 mil copies sold hope the game also moves 1 mil sistems

That's cool, although for the life of me I can't keep any of these new Mario games straight. I thought this one already came out. Blerp.

Anybody have experience with the pro controller? I've been thinking about getting one for this.

@bbalpert said:

"I'M A CAT! LOOK AT ME, I'M A CAT!"

this is 3d world, the 3ds one was 3d land

and as we all know, the 3d land is only one part of the 3d world

Can't wait for this game. Looks like pure joy, and I can use a little of that right now. Although, Wind Waker HD has helped a bit in that regard.

I need a Wii U so badly. Might need to start playing the lottery.

fuckkkkkk.

i want a WIIU now, but im scared.

Purchased a WiiU a few months back with the Zelda Bundle. LOVING IT! This will hold me over till a winner is declared in the next gen console war.

Nintendo Doomed? I think not.

Oh, naturally. Quite so.

I'm not exactly a Nintendo buff, but between all the Mario Worlds, Lands, Supers, New Supers, Luigis, Bros, Papers, Karts, and Parties, it feels a bit much to keep track of sometimes, like Kojima designed their output or something. They should make a chart like they did with Zelda. WHAT IS THE TRUE MARIO TIMELINE?

B-b-but why is it called 3D?

Yay, the WiiU got one game thats half decent! Now lets all wait another 6months before it gets another one.

Super Mario 3D Land is the most fun I've had with a Mario game in years, since this seems to be more or less a direct continuation of 3D Land with new powers, playable characters and local co-op among any other new things I possibly don't know about, I'm really excited about this.

I'm super pumped for Friday.

I... kind of want a WiiU. Think I might pick one up and make WiiU and PS4 my next gen consoles.

Just imagine what this team could do if they weren't tied down with Nintendo/WiiU stuff.

Man I'm glad this is probably gonna do really well for Nintendo. Hopefully, this and Smash Bros. next year gives them the boost they need to really put some focus and creativity into the Wii U. Still not quite enough for me to justify spending the money on one yet, but come next holiday season if they announce a new Zelda and if they really go places with the Virtual Console I'll most definitely pick one up then. I can't wait to see the guys play it, I hope they can squeeze some time in after the Xbox launch.

Probably be forced to make a first person shooter or an "interactive, cinematic experience" like everybody else.

Do eeeeeeeeeeeeet

WiiU by Christmas or Xbox One early next year...I don't know man, it is a toss up at this point.

I'll wait for the PS4 port, thanks.

As good as these reviews are it needs to translate to very high sales as this game should be a system seller otherwise the Wii U is doomed.

@jothel: Imagine what any other team could do held to Nintendo's rigid standards and with their pedigree.

Who gives a shit about Cat Mario? Fire Peach is where it's at.

I own a Wii U. I might pick this up.

Wait a minute - since when does Nintendo of all companies make amazing games?

@theblue: I think the virtual console could be such a strength for Nintendo if only they didn't drip releases out like they do. If the Wii U had released with the virtual console revamped as a monthly subscription service that provided access to aii first party Nintendo games up to, say, the N64, I know that I and many of my Nintendo-loving friends would have bought one immediately. I'm sure this would be a nightmare from an infrastructure perspective, but the value add would be huge for anyone with a shred of Nintendo nostalgia. Do you know of anything that makes you think they might "go places" with the VC next year, or is that just wishful thinking?

Glad, though not surprised, that this game has been well received. I will certainly pick it up when I inevitably buy a Wii U at some point in the next few years.

Babies.

Watch for baby cat Mario coming soon in Yoshi's New Island.

@aajf: Most of it is wishful thinking, but Iwata remarked in this interview that he would like to "enrich our Virtual Console lineup": http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/131031qa/02.html It's the last question on the page. Mainly I'm just thinking adding GBA titles to the 3DS and Gamecube titles to the Wii U would be a fantastic development. Obviously the meandering pace that they roll this stuff out would ideally need to be fixed first.

But it has me a little hopeful for the future, definitely.

Wii U still needs either another price drop or Zelda game for me to get one

For fuck's sake, just don't shake them, Nintendo

i should probably wipe off that thick layer of dust on my wii u and put this game in.

Um what? They've made one of the best games of the year and you're complaining?

All I need now is an Animal Crossing-U and you've got me Nintendo, actually at £220 with NSMBU/LU I'll probably grab it and Windwaker for Christmas, still need my nook fix!

I'm still holding out for Smash Bros, but its good to know there will be other good games to pick up along with that as well.

Looks awesome but no way I'm getting a Wii U (again) to play 3D World.

Yes, Super Mario 3D World will instantly solve all of the Wii U's problems (like selling -10.000 units in Europe the last three months). There's no question that Nintendo can make great games, but from what I've seen Super Mario 3D World doesn't even sell the Wii U and its features all that well.