November 22, 2013 - Jeff's Gaming Blog

Today was a big day for Nintendo games, with a new Mario game and a new Zelda game released on the same day. These are the games I’ve been waiting for, so I picked them both up today: Super Mario 3D World for Wii U and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for 3DS.

Mario and Zelda are two of my favorite game series, but I have to say Mario just slightly edges out Zelda. So Super Mario 3D World is the first of the two games I played, and it will be the focus of this blog entry. Right near the beginning of the first level, there is a bell power-up, which turns you into Cat Mario. Of course the first level is a great place to just explore and learn how to be a cat. Cat Mario can use his claws to scratch enemies and climb up walls. The game has transparent pipes, which you basically fly through. I had fun just going back and forth through some of them. When you hold the run button, you can see a steam trail behind you. Here, you can see me chasing a rabbit.

The game feels surprisingly fresh and innovative. That’s something that couldn’t be said of any Mario game of the past few years, not since the first Super Mario Galaxy on Wii. Most levels have three green stars to collect (so far), which you can grab all in one go–you don’t have to keep restarting the level to collect them one at a time like in some previous games.

Some levels are completely different, including this stage where you must play as Toad. Toad can’t jump in these levels, so you have to cross bridges and platforms to reach ramps that let you ascend the tower.

There was also a racing-type level where you ride a dinosaur named Plessie down a river.

I’ve only played the first world, but I’m very impressed with the game so far. If the remaining worlds are as good as the first, this could be the best Mario game in a very long time. Other Mario games have had solid gameplay, but this one seems to have that spark of innovation that’s been lacking from Mario games in recent years. I’ll have more updates in the coming weeks, so check back for more. Here is a video of the first level, World 1-1. I’ll be sure to make more videos of this hot game, so subscribe on Youtube if you want to see more.