Wii U Game of the Year 2013 Winner

It's hard not to smile when you play Super Mario 3D World. While many games swim in the post-apocalyptic sea of greys and browns, Mario's gorgeous splashes of colour and imagination are are an ocean apart. That all changed with the release of Mario 3D World, a wondrous slice of Nintendo magic that's up there with genre-defining classics such as Super Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy.

Just take a look at the insanely cute cat suit, which gifts Mario with new abilities that change the way you play the game in some wonderfully unique ways. The cat suit alone is worth the price of admission, but 3D World doesn't rest on its laurels; it constantly throws new ideas at you that mix up tempos, perspectives, and mechanics in brilliant ways. Imaginative level design, gorgeous visuals, and a wonderful soundtrack push you to discover new ways of playing. Few games can match the attention to detail of 3D World.

It's a challenging game too, with later levels and their cleverly hidden green stars proving to be some of the most creative and off the wall, effortlessly balancing intricacy and design elegance. If you've got a Wii U, you've no excuse not to dive into Mario 3D World. And if you don't, it's time to seriously think about picking one up. There are few games that can capture the imagination like this dazzling display of Mario magic