Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Critic Reviews

To be clear, I’d still wholly recommend this version of 3D World even without Bowser’s Fury.

Despite multiplayer now being online, it still feels superfluous, but otherwise Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might just be one of those fabled "perfect" games.

Super Mario 3D World remains one of the better linear Mario games, and anyone playing it for the first time is in for an absolute treat. Add to that the curious bonus adventure that is Bowser's Fury and you've got a package that provides great value for money. It isn't without its flaws, but most of these (online multiplayer, repetitive missions in Bowser's Fury) relate to the new additions; the main game itself remains as pure and perfect as it was seven years ago. Had it just been Super Mario 3D World on its own, we'd be thoroughly recommending it anyway; Bowser's Fury is just the cherry on top.

3D World is Nintendo EAD at its imaginative, brilliant best and remains a platforming triumph. Bowser's Fury, while not nearly as inventive, offers hours of additional challenges and a welcome excuse to revisit a classic.

Bowser’s Fury, like 3D World seven years ago, is a joy to play, and again full of fresh ideas and a new way to play Mario. This is an excellent Mario package for new Switch players and returning ones just the same.

Pairing one of the most brilliant yet underplayed games in Mario history with a wild and experimental new adventure, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an incredible one-two punch of platforming perfection. While the combination of these two games may not be as exciting as an entirely new full-scale adventure, they're absolutely packed with the trademark Mario blend of creativity and control that seems so effortless but is also virtually without rival.

While Super Mario 3D All-Stars was content rich but low on actual effort, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury feels like a necessary release. It brings one of the best ever Mario titles to a platform people actually own, but also adds a new exclusive that’s completely worthwhile. It easily cruises onto the list of best Nintendo Switch games – and it’s a great start for Nintendo’s 2021. Just don’t leave us waiting too long for an Odyssey 2, yeah?

You can play a lot of 3D Mario games on your Switch. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is just as good as any of them. It contains makes the Wii U game feel better than you remember, and the bonus campaign makes the package one of the best ports Nintendo has brought to the Switch. It’s reshaped my thoughts on 3D World. This is one of the best Mario games ever made.

For so many people, Super Mario 3D World is going to be an all-new experience, with the bonus of an all-new half-game in Bowser’s Fury. For the rest, it’s an excuse to play through a masterpiece of game design and then, as a bonus that almost overshadows the "main" event, there’s the new Bowser’s Fury to play through. Either way, this is an exceptional first release for Nintendo in 2021, and it’s a safe bet that the Switch is in for a big year, even as those new generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft start to pick up steam.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is easily the best Wii U to Nintendo Switch update we’ve seen yet. The excellent original adventure has seen a number of minor but impactful changes – such as the addition of online play and increased movement speed – but it’s Bowser’s Fury that proves the true highlight combining familiar elements from the likes of Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario Odyssey with some exciting fresh ideas. Whatever your familiarity with the Wii U original is, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an incredible package and a fantastic way to kick off 2021 for the Switch.

I would thoroughly recommend this game/s to anyone! You really don’t have to be a long time fan of Mario to enjoy this… it’s easy to get into, it’s not overly detailed in story (3D world you are basically trying to save fairy like creatures from Bowser, in Bowser’s Fury you are essentially trying to save Bowser). It’s bright, colourful and just full of fun and laughter. It’s what Nintendo are known for and what they do oh so well! An easy choice to add to your collection, or to start your collection with!

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is, simply put, the best classic platformer ever made. It was terrific and extremely joyful when it was released, and Bowser's addition made it even more complete.

Opinions on what the best 3D Mario titles are varied and polarizing. Is 3D World the best 3D Mario outing? For a game that came out nearly a decade ago, it still feels fairly new, which is not something that can be said of other recently released Mario ports. And while Bowser’s Fury may not be a full-fledged game, I almost cried when it was done, aching for more open-world Mario goodness. With all due respect to Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is the definitive Mario experience available on the Switch right now.

With some of the cleverest level designs and a boundless sense of joy, Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is essential playing for any Mario fan. Super Mario 3D World might be almost eight years old, but time hasn't dulled this cat's claws. And while Bowser's Fury is short, it's full of so much potential for Mario's future, making this the most easily recommended port-and-repackage of the Switch's lifecycle so far.

Bringing one of the best games of the whole Mario franchise to Switch, with a few little tweaks here and there, would have been enough to make a Super Mario 3D World repackage an essential part of anyone’s Switch library. But Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury goes a whole lot further, with the addition of what could just as well have been a whole new standalone game, and a brilliant one at that.

This combo package is unskippable. All Switch owners: Own this!

Something like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury feels like fresh water for anyone who is looking for more substantial experiences, and boy does this pack have substance, it contains one of the best Mario in all history with his best face so far, as well as an expansion that has left us very satisfied with its proposal and content in general.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is one of the best values on the Switch. It goes above and beyond the usual port jobs to create a whole new experience – one that fits the platform perfectly. You can easily lose hours playing stages to completion or kick back for five minutes and play a single stage in portable mode and have a blast. This is a very versatile adventure and one that all past and present fans of Mario should pick up.

If Super Mario 3D World was a masterpiece for Wii U, in this Nintendo Switch’s version it is confirmed again. Not only that, but Bowser's Fury, the unreleased expansion that includes this adaptation, should materialize in a new iteration of Super Mario in the future because it has a lot to say. Two great games, at the price of one?

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is an explosive pack. 3D World returns with an improved pace, while retaining the stellar gameplay that characterized it when it first launched, and of course being still as hilarious as it was back then. Bowser's Fury takes the lesson a step further, creating a small and dense open world that will put you to the test with a sense of urgency unlike any other Super Mario game. The result, needless to say, is pure, unadulterated joy.