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Super Mario 3D World was one of Game Rant's favorite titles last year and its popularity is one of the main reasons the Wii U is on the path to recovery from its rocky first year. Although we would have loved to hear more about what Nintendo has planned for the console for the remainder of 2014, it seems like the bulk of the exciting plans for the console are slated to arrive in 2015. Of the many exciting games coming to the Wii U in 2015, one that we would never have guessed was in development is a spin-off of last year's addicting and challenging Mario 3D platformer.

Nintendo has announced that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker will release in 2015 on the Wii U. The game will be a spin-off of Super Mario 3D World and seems to follow the same 3D platforming format as last year's Mario game. It looks like players will be solving the same type of puzzles on similar rotating puzzle levels that float on the screen. Although we see Captain Toad do plenty of awesome stuff in the trailer, attacks bricks with a pick axe, squash goombas, and chuck turnips at enemies; we don't see any jumping, so it seems like the hero will likely still lack that ability.

Captain Toad may be at slight disadvantage without the ability to leap over gaps or onto enemies, but he will have a new tool this time around. Nintendo continued to point out the versatility and importance of the Wii U's GamePad in the Treasure Tracker footage by revealing that the player will be able to investigate Captain Toad's surroundings from the first-person perspective by looking down at the controller.

The game looks like it will feature a wide variety of levels that offer plenty of opportunities for different kinds of puzzles and challenges to overcome. A few environments that are previewed in the trailer include a haunted mansion, a Galaxy-inspired neon setting, and the more traditional grass-covered starting areas.

Because Treasure Tracker is inspired by a minigame, some people are consumers are questioning whether it will receive a full, physical copy release or if it might be a download only title. Nintendo did not give any indication that it would be download only, so we don't see any reason to suspect that quite yet.

Will you be picking up Treasure Tracker or do you think the minigame is best in small doses? Let us know in the comments.

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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker will release in 2015 on the Wii U.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.