Like previous Mario games, you go across a huge map. It's the usually Mario tropes like grassland, desert, snow, some mountains, and even in the clouds. New to this series and introduced right at the first level is the ability to turn into a cat. This has been the marketing gimmick since its conception. You can climb walls, scratch at enemies, and honestly its a helpful powerup.
The levels are more laid out in sort of an overhead view and more use of blocks are being used. It's hard to describe but the world feels more like you are going through someone's toy set. The overhead view is meant to compensate for the four player. I never had a chance to use this feature, but I can imagine it being pretty fun.
At least they were trying new things with this one. Besides the plot, I like how you battle on a bullet train, and there's even a circus that you go through. Returning are Toad Huts which once again has pick a block from Super Mario Bros 3. There are also mystery houses this time and rooms that has you battling foes. I'm glad Charging Chuck is back from Super Mario World. I honestly thought Nintendo forgot about this character.
My favorite place is the Snow level. I absolutely adore the music here. What I don't understand is that it's placed in a world where snow shouldn't exist. It's just weird where some of these worlds are placed. Speaking of weird, there are moments where you face Bowser in a car. It's actually pretty cool.
Speaking of Bowser, his world looks incredibly awesome. It really showcases what the Wii U is capable of. This system never got the love it deserved.
Super Mario 3D World is the type of game that I look back fondly of. It's not the best of the Mario games by any mean, but it definitely has nostalgia all over it. From the jazzy upbeat music, the frantic gameplay, and areas where it felt like Nintendo was trying hard to offer something new to a series in danger of becoming stale. For a good Mario game that will lock into your memories, this one proved that just because the Wii U had a bad rap, didn't mean the games didn't deliver.