[BLOG] Nintendo Direct: The latest about Super Mario 3D World

[CrimsonShade]

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If there's one thing I both love and hate Nintendo for personally, it's Nintendo Directs. I hate them because they spring up suddenly, often with very little advance notice; and the pace of reveals in them can go from sedate to break-neck making it often hard to keep up. Yet, I love them BECAUSE they're surprising, exciting and often have a lot of cool stuff to show off. Conducting a Nintendo Direct at 3pm Yesterday, a 29-minute conference proved exactly my point, showing off tons of new information about multiple upcoming 3DS and Wii U titles.

First up was news about Super Mario 3D World, for Wii U. A two-minute trailer shows Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess taking a midnight stroll watching shooting stars. But their attention is soon drawn to a transparent pipe that is half-buried in the middle of the path. All of a sudden, it straightens and a fairy-like character emerges from it. But before it can speak, Bowser pops out from the same pipe, catches it in its large hands and places it in a jar, taunting the gang. The gang follow Bowser down the pipe and a new adventure begins...

What also begins is a series of scenes showing off whole new features coming to the game. Naturally, Cat Mario takes most of the spotlight, Mario even picking up the Bell Mushroom that triggers the transformation from the floor of the level in a very early scene (which itself also confirms power-ups won't JUST be in ?-blocks). Over the next few minutes we see even more of Cat Mario's special abilities, such as touching grabbing an end of level flagpole. Instead of triggering it there and then, Mario climbs UP the flagpole and handstands on its top, triggering it at its very highest point and earning a 10,000 point bonus. Now, THAT'S a way to rack up the score! We also see Cat Mario jump against a Thromp and climb up its face, eventually finding himself atop it and able to ride it without taking any damage.

But hold on? Did we just see NEW Powerups? Why, yes we did! Collectable cherries in some levels see the collecting character (which Satoru informs us can be any of the players) split into two copies of themselves; and additional cherries adding one more. One scene shows four Mario firing a barrage of fireballs together, with some on higher ground and some on lower - though the mechanics aren't made clear.

Also of interest is the return of Coin Block Mario. Once again it will be possible for Mario to wear a block on his head and have it shower him in coins as he runs, jumps and falls through the level. But it's not the only headwear Mario will be sporting this time! Further scenes show off two other blocks worn on Mario's head - a Cannon block that fires cannonballs in direction he faces at the time of firing; and the return of Propeller Blocks as wearable on-head objects. While we're talking about Coin Showers - one level sees a geyser of coins falling through the centre of the level and Mario jumping through it to collect as many as possible. Oh Mario, has your anti-hero Wario's greed rubbed off on you now? (Anyone who's played New Super Mario Bros. 2 will probably say yes to that.)

And that's not even the end! Further scenes see Mario riding through an Ice level in what appears to be an ice-skate version of the Kuribo's Shoe (last seen in Super Mario Bros. 3); a Goomba Suit allowing Mario to look like a Goomba and enter a room filled with them without drawing attention. There will also be bombs in some levels that can be picked up and thrown, not just to blow up enemies; but also to trigger nearby POW blocks for chain explosions. We even see Mario holding a plant pot containing his own Piranha plant, which proceeds to eat any enemy within reach.

And then we get to the game world itself. The In-game Map sees levels referred to by both number and name; walking to World 1-3, we see the top-left corner of the screen refer to the level as both "World 1-3" and "Mount Beanpole". Once in a level, each one seems to introduce a new touch to the proceedings. A level with a river flowing over part of the path sees Goombas floating around on life rings; while a Ghost House level sees Mario grab a fake flagpole that reveals itself to be an illusion created by several Boos. Elsewhere, a lava level sees Mario walk across a winding path that keeps disappearing but reveals itself with butt-stomps; while one level is played in the shadows of an unseen environment.

Driving towards the screen in a car decorated with several spikes, Bowser rounds off the Trailer by taunting us in front of his castle. Wait a minute... in a CAR? This isn't Mario Kart...

Satoru Iwata rounded off the proceedings by informing us that while much focus has been on Super Mario 3D World being the first 3D Mario to allow co-operative multi-player, the game will also have a solid single-player campaign for those who prefer to take the challenge solo. Finally, as a special promotion, Mario and Luigi-branded Wii Remote Plus controllers will be made available in stores from November 1. These controllers are coloured either Red or Green with the appropriate Brother's logo emblazoned on them, and yellow + and - buttons.

Super Mario 3D World launches November 22.