Super Mario 3D World E3 hands

I am a hardened Nintendo fan but even I have been slightly disappointed with the run of Mario games since the second Galaxy game came and went. While the 2D-focused platformers have been entertaining, they felt like retreads of the same idea. Super Mario 3D World changes that... kind of.

As was made abundantly clear in Nintendo's presentation this morning, this is not the single-player Mario Wii U extravaganza you may have been hoping for. Multiplayer and co-op are still a huge part of the experience and there's nothing here to justify the Wii U's novelties. That we're still waiting for.

Despite this, though, Super Mario 3D World is an extremely nice addition to the Wii U library. Playing out in a similar fashion to the 3DS equivalent, worlds are three-dimensional but shift to the familiar 2D perspective as and when is necessary (mostly when in tunnels). While it seems as if there's nothing new here, there's some serious variety in the different levels available.

While one is your standard Mario affair - hit blocks, stomp goombas, grab flag at the end - another sees you climb on the back of what I can only call a dinosaur and use it as a boat to storm down some river rapids. Nintendo has given the animal a sort of physics model too, meaning turning corners isn't to unlike driving a specific vehicle in a driving game. It's not ground-breaking, but it does make it somewhat difficult and therefore more interesting.

Amazingly it even borrows elements from Mario Bros.2. You can choose to be Mario, Luigi, Peach or Toad at the start of each level (and this is obviously the same where co-op is concerned) and the unique attributes from the original sequel - on UK shores, anyway - have carried across too. Mario is your all-rounder, Luigi has his weird wiggle-leg long jump, Peach can briefly float and Toad is nimble and quick. It may not make a huge impact to how each world plays out, but the slight changes do ensure there's some replayability.

And, of course, there's the cat suit. Seemingly a very popular addition to the series if the developers themselves are anything to go by (at a Nintendo showcase this morning a number of them were wearing fake cat ears...) it's an okay extra. It does allow Mario to climb walls and claw at his enemies giving individual levels a bit more depth - some higher areas can only be accessed if Mario is wearing it - but I doubt it'll ever be as highly regarded as previous power-ups.

I can't see Super Mario 3D World being a game for the ages, and in that sense it is slightly upsetting. All of us know where we were when we first played Mario 64 or Galaxy. With that said, though, this is still much better than recent output, and at least adds another reason to feel happy with your Wii U purchase/actually go out and buy one.