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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Review Roundup

Read on to see what critics think of the enhanced port of the 2013 Wii U game.

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The enhanced version of the 2013 Wii U game, Super Mario 3D World, drops on February 12 for Nintendo Switch. Ahead of its release, reviews of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury have begun circulating, and we've rounded up a list of some of them to give fans an idea of what critics think of the enhanced port, which includes Amiibo support and online multiplayer.

The game currently holds a 90 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. Our own Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury review awarded the enhanced port a 9/10, with associate editor Steve Watts calling it "a spectacular package" that shows the "full extent of versatility in what a Mario game can be." Many of the reviews share a similar sentiment, saying that both of the titles work together in tandem to highlight the breadth of Nintendo's creativity and interests.

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Now Playing: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Video Review

The bundle, which includes the enhanced Super Mario 3D World and the open-world campaign Bowser's Fury, takes between 11 and 15 hours to complete and do everything. Check some of the review excerpts below to see what critics think of the dual package.

  • Game: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch
  • Developer: Nintendo
  • Release date: February 12
  • Price: $60 / £50 / $68 AUD

GameSpot - 9/10

"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." -- Steve Watts

Game Informer - 9.25/10

"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." -- Brian Shea [Full review]

The Guardian - 4/5

"3D World is one of the brightest and cutest Mario games, a real riot of fun and colour to brighten up a particularly depressing February. Bowser's Fury, meanwhile, is itself a super little Mario experiment, a novel adventure that might have felt thin as an individual release but which works perfectly as a side dish. It's impossible not to recommend." -- Keza MacDonald [Full review]

IGN - 7/10

"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 mustachioed must-play I was hoping for." -- Cam Shea [Full review]

Kotaku - Unscored

"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." -- Ian Walker [Full review]

Polygon - Recommends

"Is Bowser's Fury the future of Mario? I doubt it. The formula has worked too well for too long to go too far down this antagonistic open-world path. But I hope we see similar diversions from Nintendo in the future, new ways for the familiar to surprise us." -- Chris Plante [Full review]

The Verge - Unscored

"Bowser's Fury is essentially a remix of 3D World, one that takes the same basic themes and mechanics but turns them into something that feels both new and familiar at the same time. Really, this package is indicative of 3D Super Mario games as a whole: it's a series where you never quite know what to expect with each new release. Sometimes that means a whole new structure or gameplay twist. Other times it means towering monsters and lots of cute cats." -- Andrew Webster [Full review]

Vice Games - Unscored

"All told, that's the most exciting part about Bowser's Fury: it feels genuinely new. That's not always the case with a new game in a franchise as long-running as Mario, but Bowser's Fury proves there are still ways to make the act of making Mario jump feel exciting all over again. Onward." -- Patrick Klepek [Full review]

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