Slated to release on February 12, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury looks to be one of the more interesting remasters the Switch has seen thus far, partnering the original 3D World experience with a brand new game: Bowser's Fury. The short but experimental new semi-open-world release focuses on Mario teaming up with Bowser Jr. as the pair embark on a quest to take down a hyper-powered version of Bowser that can grow to the size of a skyscraper every few minutes.
The game sees players navigate the world while these transformations occur, playing on the defensive when the iconic Mario villain assumes his new, Godzilla-like form and showers the map with fire. With the title coming ever closer to release, critics have weighed in with their thoughts on how the two-game bundle stacks up, with Metacritic noting that 60 reviewers have posted about Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury at the time of writing.
With that in mind, it's worth compiling the thoughts of some of gaming's biggest publications. Is Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury a worthwhile new addition to the Nintendo Switch's lineup of Mario games? Or are the former Wii U exclusive and the contained side-experience worth a skip?
Destructoid (Chris Carter)
"To be clear, I’d still wholly recommend this version of 3D World even without Bowser’s Fury. The tweaks are small overall, and Bowser's Fury isn't going to sate the most hardcore of Mario fans looking for a brand new game, but the package as a whole is magical. If you were one of the many who missed out on this Wii U classic, fix that."
Score: 10 / 10
Nintendo Life (Chris Scullion)
"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."
Score: 10 / 10
Game Informer (Brian Shea)
"Having another chance to revisit Super Mario 3D World (or experience it for the first time) is reason enough to be excited. However, with an excellent, all-new game joining the Wii U port, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a compelling option for anyone who wants more Mario in their life."
Score: 9.25 / 10
GamesRadar (Sam Loveridge)
"Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is quite the package. The brilliance of a Wii U title most will have missed out on, with the added appeal of a brand new Mario adventure in the vein of Odyssey. It feels like an appropriate celebration for Mario's 35th birthday, and a must-play for Mario fans."
Score: 4.5 / 5
Gamespot (Steve Watts)
"Put together, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a spectacular package. Super Mario 3D World is an absolute joy of classic platforming excellence, and this is the best version of it thanks to some well-calibrated improvements. Bowser's Fury is peculiar and less polished, but it dares to poke fun at its own oddities and it has a wild creative streak. The two share thematic similarities, but more importantly, they work hand-in-hand to show the full extent of versatility in what a Mario game can be."
Score: 9 / 10
IGN (Cam Shea)
"Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury packs a tonne of engaging gameplay, but neither component comes together as elegantly as it might have done. This is a solid option if you’re craving more Super Mario for your Switch, but it’s not the moustachioed must-play I was hoping for."
Score: 7 / 10
Eurogamer (Martin Robinson)
"It's the heady energy at the heart of every Super Mario 3D World level, pushed out across an entire map for what's a hugely entertaining, and very different brand of Mario action. There might be more polished Mario adventures around, and more coherent ones. But when it gets to the core of what makes these games so special - the inventiveness, the imagination and the eccentricity of it all - then this new pairing might well be peerless."
Score: N/A
Kotaku (Ian Walker)
"Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is essentially the same game on Switch that some of you may have experienced on Wii U. While there’s no denying that the new hardware can’t keep up with the game’s ambitions at times, this bundle is at its core another fantastic Mario experience. Sure, it pales in comparison to the franchise’s best installments, with a limited moveset and janky camera angles often spoiling the imaginative stages and power-ups, but just like pizza, “bad” Mario is still pretty damn good."
Score: N/A
The general consensus appears to be that Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an exceptional remaster that offers a lot of bang for your buck. Throughout most reviews, critics note how Super Mario 3D World continues to be a solid game despite releasing all the way back in 2013, and is a must-buy for those who never got the chance to play it when it dropped on the Wii U. Bowser's Fury, on the other hand, is regarded as superb 2 - 3 hour bonus experience to make the package more enticing, promising a unique gimmick and a fun open-world to explore at the player's leisure. From the sounds of most reviews, the bundle is already one of the better remasters to come from Nintendo in recent years.
The negatives appear to be some frustrations with Super Mario 3D World's camera and the repetitive nature of Bowser's Fury. For the former, many have cited that judging jumps using the game's limited camera can be frustrating, especially when several players are all on the screen at once, turning platforming sections into chaos. As for Bowser's Fury's repetition problem, the game's main, skyscraped-sized Bowser gimmick allegedly happens so frequently that it quickly becomes stale. Nonetheless, it seems critics are mostly recommending the new bundle, with it currently boasting a 90 on Metacritic.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury releases for Nintendo Switch on February 12.