Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury review – a never-ending fountain of fun

Nintendo Switch; Nintendo
One of the brightest and cutest Mario games with a novel adventure as a side dish

Almost every significant game Nintendo made for its interesting but ill-fated Wii U console has found its way on to the vastly more popular Nintendo Switch, either as a rerelease or remake. Super Mario 3D World sits somewhere between the two: the game is near-identical to the 2013 Wii U version, with a few necessary adaptations and the addition of a pandemic-friendly online multiplayer so you can play with your mates without hosting an illegal gathering.

This is excellent news, as this superbly colourful run-and-jump romp of a game is enlivened by more players. Its beautiful levels are all conquerable solo, but become chaotic and hilarious when Mario is joined by Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach, and you find yourselves flipping every minute between jostling for coins and working together to get past a tricky series of pits and dawdling Goombas. The game design is flexible enough to accommodate parents and kids, veteran Mario players and novices; two skilled players can ping around the levels in record time, or one group leader can shepherd everyone else through mad obstacle courses of gurning Thwomps, tall trees with cat ears and vanishing platforms.