POSTED 1/12/13


SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD

Nintendo
Wii U

Now we’re not ones to cast nasturtiums – ’cos chucking flowers is so 1983 - but we’ll happily cast aspersions.

Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad are ambling about a lovely primary-coloured lan- erm, world - one day and stumble upon a glass pipe protruding from the ground. A pixie appears – actually a ‘Sprixie’, so no Black Francisishness here – followed by big, bad, bruising Bowser, who bags said lemonade/Kim Deal hybrid and disappears back down the pipe.

Our intrepid quartet enter said pipe and plop into a curious kingdom of fluffy growths, marshmallow platforms, green stars and mucho more weird shit.

OK, fairly normal for Mario games, so allusions to our favourite tradie and company hitting the bong are superfluous. But we had to start somehow, and fill space too.

You see, while Super Mario 3D Land is new, it’s also familiar like old trackie dacks that you just can’t chuck out. The music – while wondrously remixed - regularly recalls Mario’s first steps, as do several gameplay mechanisms. Imagine Super Mario 64’s adventure diced into bite-sized, flag-ended chunks like those original 2D platformers and that’s this.

Naturally new bits have been introduced. Mario’s now catty. Literally – he hasn’t taken up that guest spot invitation from TMZ just yet. Yep, he gets in touch with his inner Liz Hurley, meowing it up with wall-climbing and pounce abilities. Then there’s other new stuff like cloning. We’re seeing double here – four Marios!

You can also play as any of the quartet, or if you’ve friends you can all go nuts simultaneously. “Nuts” being descriptively apt.

Some sordid past remnants remain. Insanity-inducing re-spawn points, insulting virtual invincibility power-ups if you stuff up a few times and intrusive game saving.

But good way outweighs niggly. Significant history plundered masterfully, mucho shiny-shiny honing, a non-helpless Peach. Creativity, music, colours... or maybe it’s just the bongs typing?

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