What was initially shown to be a bland, generic and lifeless Mario game has turned into one of the most creative, colorful and fantastically designed entries in the franchise since “Super Mario World” on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Not to mention the main reason to own a Nintendo Wii U.

“Super Mario 3D World” features returning elements from previous Mario games while bringing in new ones as well. The featured returning element is the multiple characters you can play with. Each one has their own unique characteristics similar to “Super Mario Bros. 2,” Mario is the jack of all trades and master of none, Luigi has a higher jump and poor traction, Toad can run fast, but can’t jump that high and Princess Peach (who is not kidnapped) can hover once again.

Some of the new elements featured in the game are the cat power up and clear warp pipes. The cat power up allows Mario and co. to turn into a cat where they can actively fight their enemies and allow them to climb up walls and cling to them, giving players plenty of opportunities to explore the level and find their own to way to reach the goal.

The clear pipes allow players to take alternate paths to reach their goal, find collectable items and allow players to take a different approach when it comes to attacking enemies. One such approach is the ability to shoot a fireball at the clear pipe which will travel through the pipe and attack an enemy on the other end.

The cat power up and clear pipes are the biggest additions to this game and are used to their full potential which can be shown in the amazing level design. The replay value in this game is also extremely high due to the paths that a player can take. This is a result of the clear pipe and cat power up, along with the characters attributes, which can further add to the replay value of the game since any player can choose to traverse through the levels with any character and take advantage of the pipes, character attributes and cat power up.

Every level starting from the very beginning to the very last contain a certain gimmick to make each one unique and stand out from the rest. They can be as simple as using the Gamepad to control specific levels to make platforms appear, or they can be a more complex such as taking advantage of the Double Cherry item (which creates a duplicate of the player) to solve minor puzzles and make progress through the level. There is even a certain level in the game that mimics a Mario Kart track from the beloved “Mario Kart” series.

Even after beating the main game there is still much to do, such as obtaining all the collectables, playing through many more levels and a secret fourth playable character who brings more fun and adds a new experience to the game.

Besides all these wonderful features in the game, the best aspect about it is the multiplayer mayhem which can have up to four people play simultaneously. Players can either work together to complete a level, or the players can compete against each other resulting in an all out brawl or see compete for the highest score. “Super Mario 3D World” is a game anyone can easily pick up, play and have a good time with friends or family.

To those still unsure if investing on a Nintendo Wii U is a good idea, look no further than “Super Mario 3D World,” because nothing guarantees satisfaction like a Mario game.