Just when the Wii U needed a hero, Mario has returned in Super Mario 3D World, the plumber's latest console outing. Don't confuse it with last year's 2D sidescroller New Super Mario Bros. U , though.

Lush, expansive HD worlds; Overflowing with creative power-ups; Nostalgic without being stuck in the past; The best multiplayer in a Mario platformer yet

Gamepad controls don't add much to the experience; Doesn't feel quite as ambitious as past console Mario games

Super Mario Galaxy 2 successfully iterated on one of the most inventive platformers of the last console generation. 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...

Unabashedly creative; Great co-op multiplayer; Skillful platforming; Excellent music; Great art direction

Four-player camera

Mario games are filled with branching paths, letting players pick between the obvious route or the more challenging one, and the series as a whole has seen a similar divergence. While the Galaxy series went in an incredibly rewarding and complex direction, Super Mario 3D World (and its predecessor,...

Pure platforming fun; Multiplayer finally works; Makes great use of HD visuals

Some lackluster boss fights; Highs make occasional lows more annoying

Nintendo's initial reveal of Super Mario 3D World was not a resounding success. The video of Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach prancing through green, Mushroom Kingdom-like isometric levels looked too pedestrian for many gamers to accept as the next big 3D Mario game that would breathe new life into...

Weirdly paced multiplayer doesn't stop this game from being awesome!

Brilliant presentation; Cat power-up is a joy; Control options and characters for all; Many secrets to uncover; Strong level design

First two worlds are a bit unsurprising; Multiplayer has some setbacks

For a franchise featuring a hero that constantly makes such spectacular leaps, the Mario series is surprisingly steadfast against such transitions. The two Mario formulae Nintendo has been perfecting over the last couple of generations - the classic sidescrolling Mario of yesteryear with a few new...

Nintendo is making platformers for folks who have been playing them since the 80s. Which is a fine way to carve out a niche, and a dedicated niche at that. Probably even a huge niche consisting of people with Nintendo hardware.

Super Mario 3D World is the newest release from publisher/developer Nintendo and gives fan exactly what they have been waiting for. There hasn't been a lot of noteworthy titles released for the Nintendo Wii U, and Super Mario 3D World offers gamers a combination of everything they loved from the...

There are certain games in the video game industry that I just inhale. I play level after level enjoying the experience from the beginning until the end. I look out for secrets, and find all of the stars that I can. Super Mario 3D World is one of those games.

Once again Nintendo's plumber is out to save a damsel in distress, only this time it's the Wii U. Peach, Toad and Luigi are along for the ride in the first cooperative 3D Mario game, 'Super Mario 3D World.