Road To Nintendo Switch 2: ‘Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury'
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Nintendo's highly anticipated Switch 2 is due for release on June 5 of this year (disastrous US pre-orders went live today), and with the launch date rapidly approaching, I thought it might be fun to tackle my sizeable legacy Switch backlog and document my ongoing impressions. These games aren't going to play themselves, man. Plus, I need to mentally prepare myself for those $90 Switch 2 software prices. Yikes.
PlayStation, Xbox and PC have admittedly dominated my gaming attention this entire generation (and the last), so I've only occasionally turned on either of my Switch consoles. When I do, it's mostly to see which retro titles have been added to Nintendo Switch Online. I'm old. I like N64.
Come to think of it, I was actually rather late to the Switch party in general, starting with a yellow Switch Lite back in 2019 and then a docked OLED model sometime later, probably in 2023. The Switch initially released back in 2017, which according to my writer math, now makes the hardware over eight years old. The passage of time is a terrifying thing.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
To kick things off right, I thought I'd revisit and finally finish Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, which isn't a proper Switch game at all, if you think about it, but rather a remastered port of a 2013 Wii U title. Which, in turn, was a console sequel to a 2011 3DS game. The Switch port is divided into two pieces of software: The re-polished Super Mario 3D World and the brand new quasi-open world Bowser's Fury.
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
If you didn't play it on the Wii U—and who could blame you, honestly—Super Mario 3D World is essentially a 3D old-school Mario game. There's a world map clustered with individual stages, wherein you choose between Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad, then make your way through retro-inspired obstacle courses to find green stars and collectible stamps.
The visuals are immediately striking in their brightness; they look like they're coated in delicious candy. In fact, the whole game simply welcomes you in with that classic Nintendo aesthetic, excitedly inviting you to come play and explore. It sort of feels like the kid next door waving you down to the street so you can all ride bikes together. Each stage is full of puzzles and surprises and secrets. The levels feel completely handmade, challenging yet encouraging.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
The game presents itself in an isometric fashion, and this is my main gripe, actually. The viewpoint makes calculating jumps rather difficult. I think this perspective is a holdover from the 3DS title and it just doesn't work very well, resulting in lots of cheap deaths, especially when combined with the game's annoyingly restricted camera movement. The characters' slippery momentum doesn't help matters much, either.
Despite the nagging camera and control issues, Super Mario 3D World is still a blast to play, and that's a real testament to Nintendo's impeccable design. The good news is that these input problems are mostly resolved in Bowser's Fury, which I guess shows how far the industry has come since 2013. The initial boot-up load time is strangely long, though. Load times on a cartridge? Insanity.
Gone are the restricted camera and odd perspectives of Super Mario 3D World; now we have a more refined, modern sense of control and a beautifully clear view that collectively feel fantastic. You're sort of cleaning up a sprawling map in Bowser's Fury, not unlike Super Mario Sunshine, and also fighting a hulking, raging Bowser while collecting trinkets called Cat Shines. There are some motion controls here that are a little annoying, but overall, it's an utter joy to play.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
In all its colorful exploration and buttery controls, Bowser's Fury makes me yearn for the next proper Mario game, and I hope we'll see one on the Switch 2. It took me around 15 hours to complete both experiences in this Switch bundle, but of course, I'll be going back in and trying to gather the rest of the collectibles, which could take me a while. Both games are just so fun to play, I think I'll attempt 100% runs for each. This has renewed my love for the Pro controller, too. What a hardware masterpiece!
While the remaster portion of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury can be a bit frustrating due to some outdated controls and camera jank, I think its relentless charm ultimately outweighs these problems. Plus, the add-on Bowser game, while short, injects some serious value, all while correcting a lot of the base software's frustrating issues.
There you have it, the first entry in my Road to Nintendo Switch 2 series. Stay tuned for the next article, which will be a really good one, no cap.
('No cap' is a clue, by the way, not a 'how do you do, fellow kids?' moment, I swear).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
‘Quordle' Hints And Answers For Sunday, June 29
Here's some help with today's Quordle, including hints and the answers. Before today's Quordle hints and answers, here's where you can find the ones for Saturday's game: Hey, folks! Hints and the answers for today's Quordle words are just ahead. How To Play Quordle For any newcomers joining us, here's how to play Quordle: Just start typing in words. You have four five-letter words to guess and nine attempts to find them all. The catch is that you play all four words simultaneously. If you get a letter in the right place for any of the four words, it will light up in green. If a word contains a letter from one of your guesses but it's in the wrong place, it will appear in yellow. You could always check out the practice games before taking on the daily puzzle. Here are some hints for today's Quordle game, followed by the answers: What Are Today's Quordle Hints? FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder What Are Today's Quordle Answers? Spoiler alert! Don't scroll any further down the page until you're ready to find out today's Quordle answers. This is your final warning! Today's words are... That's all there is to it for today's Quordle clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog for hints and the solution for Monday's game if you need them. See you then! If you'd like to chat about Quordle and New York Times word games such as Wordle, Connections and Strands (and to hang out with a bunch of lovely people), join us over at Discord! Also, subscribe to my newsletter, Pastimes!
CNET
3 hours ago
- CNET
Best Handheld Gaming Consoles Right Now
Phones and tablets already do a fine job of playing tons of great games and streaming games from consoles or the cloud. Dedicated devices can provide unique features, exclusive games or extra power to do things your phone can't. The difference between types of game handhelds at the moment can feel vast, but let's break it down into some clear categories. Handhelds can be full TV-connectable consoles, tinier versions of full PCs, or smaller, purpose-built ways to play retro games, indies, or even novelty experiences. Some are, like PCs and phones, built on more standard OS forms. Others are locked down. The Nintendo Switch 2. Scott Stein/CNET The Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 Nintendo's consoles are a platform all unto their own. Nintendo locks down its hardware to only work with games bought in physical game card format or on Nintendo's eShop, and the Switch and Switch 2 also require subscriptions for online play. The Switch 2 can play nearly all the games that work on the Switch, with the exception of ones that either needed the original Switch dimensions (Nintendo Labo, if you can find it) or the original Joy-Con's IR camera (Ring Fit Adventure, which works with Switch 2 if you pair original Joy-Cons to it wirelessly). It does have its own accessories and added functions: GameChat for talking to other Switch 2 owners, USB-connected camera support for games and chat, and the new Joy-Cons can work as optical mice with supported games. It works the same way the Switch does, but has better graphics and a larger screen, and worse battery life. To expand Switch 2 storage, you need to buy microSD Express cards, which are different from standard microSD. Lori Grunin/CNET PC game handhelds A growing number of beefy handheld systems can run either full Windows OS onboard, or specific Linux-based SteamOS software. The Steam Deck, Asus Rog Ally and Lenovo Legion Go are the best current options and come in several forms and flavors. Most of these handhelds run similar-performing types of AMD-based processors with integrated graphics which deliver surprising functional gaming on the go provided the games you're playing are properly optimized. Valve makes this super easy on Steam Deck and on the new Lenovo Legion Go S with Steam OS, making it very clear on its Steam store which games are optimized to play well. On Windows handhelds, you gain the freedom of full Windows OS, and its complications. You could run any game from any source (and on SteamOS handhelds, with some tinkering, you could do this too), but your mileage will definitely vary. I've often had some games not run at all, or run so badly they were unplayable. Indie and smaller games are often great choices on handhelds for this reason. Still, games like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Spider-Man 2 and No Man's Sky are a few of the games that are great to play on the go with these handhelds. Expect battery life to vary based on the type of game, and many of these handhelds are pretty heavy, too (up to 1.5 pounds). They can connect with monitors and accessories, too, but don't come packaged with docks. The ModRetro Chromatic. Numi Prasarn/CNET Retro handhelds The Analogue Pocket and ModRetro Chromatic are remastered Game Boys for playing classic cartridges you might still have or buy. The Pocket can also play other game cartridges, and even emulations of games that can be sideloaded. The Evercade series of handhelds, alternatively, plays rereleased compilations of games on custom cartridges. While the Pocket and Chromatic and Evercade models are geared towards physical cartridges, there are also tons of small handhelds that can play ROMs and emulated games. CNET doesn't review those at the moment, but know that there's a big space there to explore. There's also the weird stuff: the Panic Playdate is its own beast, a custom mini-handheld that plays its own library of games. There's nothing else quite like it, but Nintendo's limited edition Game & Watch re-releases come to mind. The PlayStation Portal. Scott Stein/CNET Streaming handhelds While Windows handhelds can stream games from sources like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, so can your phone or tablet. Another streaming option to consider is the PlayStation Portal, which only plays either PlayStation Plus streaming cloud games or streaming games via your PlayStation 5, but also adds haptics and force-feedback triggers. The future of gaming might be increasingly streaming, but for now, it's a tool that lots of devices are throwing in the mix. The Backbone Pro controller on an iPhone. Lori Grunin/CNET Your phone, or tablet Tablets and phones are extremely valid game consoles: The iPad has tons of games on the App Store, and hundreds more on Apple's subscription-based Apple Arcade. The iPad can pair with Bluetooth game controllers, too. iPhones and Android phones have tons of games as well, obviously, and a number of great game controller cases are available, including the Backbone and the Razer Kishi. Phones and tablets also offer other advantages, including an ability to cloud-stream games on a growing number of services including Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus.
The Verge
16 hours ago
- The Verge
Print your own Switch 2 modular accessories.
The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo's new console See all Stories Posted Jun 27, 2025 at 10:52 PM UTC
