#25: Super Mario 3D World
Great and fun game with some awesome and creative levels and cool new power ups. The double cherry in particular is fun and confusing to use. Changes how you play the level significantly. The cat power up is pretty interesting too. It doesn't always make everything that much easier like the tanooki power up does.
I like how Bowser for once doesn't kidnap Peach, a sorely needed break for her and now you can also play as her. Meowser looks stupid, but the fight at the end is pretty fun.
The music is great too.
In general Super Mario 3D World is great. But, I don't really like it that much to be this high on my list. On it's own this game would be either very low in my top 50 or just outside.
Then why is it at #25? The reason is this:
Bowser's Fury
GOD DAMN is this good! A frigging masterpiece. I'm serious, I love Bowser's Fury. It's Awesome!
Right at the start you run down that path and come to a ship and in the distance you see a massive shadow in the distance. You come closer and then a lightning strikes and you see him, the massive king himself and you watch his spikes, eyes and hair light up with red flaming rage as he lets out a roar that shakes the ground...god...damn. Absolutely incredible.
Everything is so cheerful and full of vibrant colors with an absolutely great soundtrack. Then the music fades and is replaced with a dark and foreboding theme while the huge black shell of Bowser rises slowly higher and higher, then he starts spinning faster and faster and flies up in the air and hell breaks loose. His anger and fury is so all-encompassing that he corrupts everything, even the cats themselves turn into murderous monsters.
The theme changes to epic deathmetal as the world turns dark and the monster of monsters starts raining havoc. He has only one goal: to kill Mario. He will hunt him down and rain hellfire upon him. He is not just a background hazard, he targets Mario directly. Bowser means real business.
Everytime Fury Bowser shows up is just so epic. He is no joke, he's genuinely scary like never before. When he suddenly lands right next to Mario is terror inducing. He gave me some of the most tense and exciting Mario experiences ever, never fails in giving me an adrenalin rush. Especially when riding Plessie in the open water and Bowser land right in front of you and spews flames right at you.
When he stopps leaving after some time or when you get a cat-shine is when it gets the most tense. I was trying to get one of the hardest shines while he just kept at it. Pure unbridled fun.
When you get a giant bell and Mario turns into the biggest furry the world has ever seen comes an exciting kaiju fight that is incredibly fun. Despite Mario being so big himself now Bowser isn't in any way less imposing and scary.
The soundtrack that plays when Bowser is present and during the fights against him is some of the coolest stuff Nintendo has ever made.
The fight against him when you ride Plessie is the coolest part. Absolute fun. Second best Bowser fight ever.
The levels themselves are great. I like how after getting a shine and going away from the island amd coming back some stuff changes and you can get the next shine.
The music outside the Bowser encounters is the counter opposite, upbeat and happy. Especially great is the track that plays when you ride Plessie.
You get a contrast between two sides. The world how it usually is and the darkness that Bowser brings over it. It is the amalgamation of all the anger gathered over 35 years of getting beaten by this puny plumber unleashed upon the world. It corrupts everything.
That's what I love about Nintendo. They akways try something new and experiment. I would have never expected a Mario game like this. It's truely fantastic.
Did I say the giant kaiju fights aren't the main course in my first hint? Bowser's Fury may be just an experimental add-on to most, but to me this is the main course and an absolute success. This is how the next 3D Mario game should be.
On it's own Bowser's Fury would be way higher on this list. At least #15, maybe even top 10. I seriously love it. It's an absolute thrill ride.
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