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Super Mario 3D World guide: complete walkthrough, every green star

Guide by Staff Contributor
Published on

It's the game Wii U's been waiting for. Don't miss a thing in the amazing Super Mario World 3D with our exhaustive guide.

It's the game every Wii U owner's been waiting for, the killer Nintendo app which justifies the hardware purchase. Super Mario 3D World has scored off the charts and with good reason. This enormous platformer is Mario's latest true evolution, adding the adorable cat suit and offering up a suite of levels so ridiculously inventive that Nintendo appears to have created a game on a par with Mario 64 in terms of innovation. This is no slouch.

There's even a plot. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad are out exploring Mushroom Kingdom. They don't do much else, really. Today's different, though, as they stumble across a clear pipe and a green fairy called a Sprixie. After a brief chat, the winged imp gets kidnapped by Bowser, starting a hunt for the Sprixie and her friends in the Sprixie Kingdom. You may thing this is some shallow excuse for Nintendo to bounce Mario around another 3 million blocks in the name of platforming entertainment, but that's the sort of cynicism that got you into this mess, buster. Buck your ideas up.

The four characters are central to the gameplay. Each has its own special ability and you can swap between them to better tackle the levels. Mario's a general all-rounder, what with his jumping and running and all; Peach can float using her dress, allowing access to far-off platforms; Luigi does the highest jumps and falls slower than Mario; and Toad runs the fastest but has a weak jump. You get to pick which character you want to use before starting each level, and up to four players can join in, each taking a different avatar. It make look like a cartoon but, as was ever this with Mario, the depth offered by Super Mario 3D World should keep you happy for months.

Nintendo's unique controller, in this instance Wii U's GamePad, is again used to uncover secrets and interact with the game world. You'll be able to use the touchscreen to uncover secrets or help other players by thwarting enemies, but don't worry if you've run out of battery or you lost the GamePad down the back of the sofa: you can play Super Mario 3D World with any of Nintendo's current controllers.

There's plenty of new stuff in Wii U's first 3D Mario title. The Tanooki suit, Boomerang suit, Propeller Block and Mega Mushroom all make a return from previous games, but the Cat suit and Double Cherries have never been seen before. Cat Mario is able to climb up walls using his claws and has special attacks, and the Double Cherries create a duplicate of the player to give attacks extra power. This time round, Mario's able to wear cannon block and even kill ghosts with Light Blocks. There's tons of other bits, but you're best to discover them for yourself.

Our Super Mario 3D World guide, which you can find through the links above, gives you detailed accounts of every level in every world, and plenty of tips on how to beat the bosses you'll find along the way. Also included are tips and locations are every collectible in the game, including all the green stars. Getting 100% on every level is going to be no easy task, so be sure to bookmark this page for when you inevitably get stuck.

Get stuck in. Those Sprixies aren't going to save themselves, and Mario in his cat suit has to be seen to be believed. Have fun!

Super Mario 3D World is out now in the US and will release in Europe on November 29.

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