Search This Blog

Showing posts with label Super Mario 3D World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Super Mario 3D World. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Mario Goes Super Saiyan

No. No, I will not apologize for the title of this one. Every single one of us one thinking that when Mario's new, golden cat form was revealed during the Bowser's Fury Trailer. I am all aboard the Super Saiyan Mario train.

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that Super Mario 3D World is finally hitting the Switch. Like, no joke, 3D World is one of the best Super Mario titles. Sadly, it has been the subject of much criticism over the years. This is partially due to the game releasing on the Wii U, one of Nintendo's biggest blunders. But I believe the main reason for 3D World being slept on is that it wasn't some super big, mind blowing 3D Mario game that Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy and later Super Mario Odyssey turned out to be. I guess I can see where people are coming from with that view. However, even without being a sandbox or galaxy hoping game, 3D World is still phenominal.

What you get with 3D World is an expansive, super fun, challenging (sometimes to the point of frustrating) game that will keep you entertained for hours on end. 3D World is dripping with quality level design. One minute you're dashing through a Super Mario Kart themed course, complete with a remixed track from said game, the next you're making your way through a Goomba infested, ancient style, Japanese castle. The only times levels ever feel like a retread is when you reach the special worlds and that's only about two out of the four worlds.

It has been a few years since I've run through 3D World and as stoked as I am to do it again, I'm more jazzed that the game will get the attention it deserves on the Switch. I know some folks are sick of the Wii U ports to the Switch but again, the Wii U was a failed system so many of these ports are new for a lot of people. 

Of course when you pick up 3D World on the Switch, that won't be all you're getting. Bowser's Fury is also included and it looks more in line with 2017's Super Mario Odyssey than it does 3D World. OK so Cappy isn't in Bowser's Fury but the more flexible camera angle places it more in line with the sandbox Super Mario games.

I do wonder how long of a game Bowser's Fury will be, though. Like, is it gonna be a multi-world spanning adventure? I don't think so. Regardless of the length, I am looking forward to teaming up with Bowser Jr. and stopping his dad's rampage. Speaking of daddy dearest, man, is Bowser peeved in this game. Like, the dragon-turtle king woke up and decided he was gonna kill everything. Gotta admit, I do like seeing the koopa king cut loose. If there's an even harder mode where it is more difficult to evade Bowser's assault, I'm all for it. Maybe not the actual playing of it, but I'm always up to see some YouTubers suffer for my amusement. 

And we gotta talk more about Mario's Super Saiyan cat form. You cannot tell me that the designers of that supped up cat suit were not inspired by Dragon Ball. I mean, you can, but that's not gonna stop the legions of fans and memers from calling it Super Saiyan Mario. Mr. Video Game was long overdue to get some sort of Super Saiyan homage. Sonic the Hedgehog has had his Super Sonic form, which is an undeniable homage to the Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball since 1992! You're late to the party, Mario but at least you arrived. 

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Favorite Tunes #239: These Songs Need to Be in Smash Ultimate

This is a Flash Back Favorite Tunes without the Flash Back in the subtitle because, well, the title above is long enough as it is. But, it isn't just any old Flash Back, no. With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being three months from release, my excitement for the game is building by the day. So while these are all tracks that have been featured in Favorite Tunes before, I'd love for all of them to be in Ultimate for our Smashing pleasure.

Nebula - Excite Truck (Wii)
Remember the Excite series? It saw a  revival on the Wii with three releases, the first of which was Excite Truck. It didn't set the world on fire but at least Nintendo still recognized that the Excite games existed before letting the series lay dormant after the retail bomb that was Excktebots: Trick Racing, a game that released to zero advertisement. There was a single track from Excite Truck in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and it was carried over to Smash 4. My pick for another Excite Truck is Nebula, hands down.

Lethal Encounter - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
The Tanker is a pretty short section in Metal Gear Solid 2. After you finish it, you spend the rest of the game playing as Raiden on the Big Shell. I kinda wish this was the standard Encounter theme for MGS2 because out of the entire MG series, this Encounter theme is my favorite and it is a shame that you don't get to hear it much in game.

Blaze Heatnix Stage - Mega Man X6 (PS)
The last Smash Direct had a killer Opening Stage remix from the first Mega Man X, so I'm hoping it is not the only X track to be used in the Mega Man stage. As awful of a game as X6 is, the soundtrack is dripping with quality. If any one track from X6 could be in Ultimate, I would love for it to be this theme.

Punch Bowl - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)
Breaking news, the Wii U did not sell well and neither did Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The game has fared much better on the Switch despite the higher price tag attached. I'm happy to see it doing better on the Switch because it is a pretty ace 2.5D platformer. The lack of this song being in Smash 4 made me a very sad panda. I mean, just listen to this track. It needs to be a tune we can Smash to.

Blue Resort - Bomberman 64 (N64)
Bomberman is an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes, there are those that wanted him as a playable character but even getting a slot on the Assist Trophy roster in Smash is nothing to scoff at. Since Konami owns the rights to Hudson's IPs, it would be great to see some Bomberman jams used on the Shadow Moses stage.

Athletic - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
One of the Wii U games that has not turned up on the Switch (yet, anyway.) Nintendo has been going ham on jazz in their video games and I'm a all for it. Super Mario 3D World. With Ultimate having more music than any other Smash game, I'm hoping to see more tracks from 3D World. As much as I enjoyed Super Bell Hill, give me Athletic/Chainlink Charge all day, every day.

Favorite Tunes Database