Since the launch of the Switch in 2017, Nintendo has stayed busy porting and remastering many of its overlooked Wii U games. Unfortunately, most of these ports like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Tokyo Mirage Sessions are essentially the original titles with a few extra characters or levels. Nintendo decided to offer players more with the recent re-release of Super Mario 3D World. Instead of simply polishing the game and adding a few extra features, the company added an entirely new adventure to the package called Bowser’s Fury.
This phenomenal game brings Mario to Lake Lapcat, a massive open-world that allows the player to explore freely while collecting Cat Shines. Heavily influenced by 3D World, Bowser’s Fury implements many unique mechanics like the Cat Suit and Plessie to traverse the land and sea. Between surviving Fury Bowser’s spontaneous attacks and platforming my way to victory, I really enjoyed my time with it and can’t wait to see how it affects the next title in the series. I also noticed a few things that could have improved the overall experience. Here are the 3 features I wish were in Bower’s Fury.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is available now for Nintendo Switch. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
#3. Ability to use Amiibo Perks Without Amiibo
One of the more common Cat Shine challenges the player will face requires patience. Throughout Lake Lapcat are certain bricks that only Fury Bowser’s flame breath can destroy. At first, I found it incredibly easy to kill time while waiting for the Koopa King to show up and spit his fire. But as I continued to progress through the story, I relied on Bowser to show up more often than he was and would run in circles to kill time. Then, I found out I could use one of my old Bowser Amiibo to summon him instantly in-game. While not a big deal, I was surprised that this feature was locked behind an Amiibo and not accessible to anyone without one.
Tricking Bowser into destroying his own blocks is easier with Amiibo.
The Amiibo craze has been fading away slowly over the years. Even at the height of its popularity, the figures rarely provided useful benefits to the games they were designed for. I have heard many people share the opinion that waiting for Bowser to drop from the sky is one of the worst parts of Bowser’s Fury. I’m surprised that Nintendo didn’t implement an in-game system to trigger the event. What if one of the levels allowed you to summon Bowser without Amiibo upon completion? Or what if you jumped on Bowser Jr.’s head ten times, causing his Father to freak out and seek vengeance? It feels strange having the power to eradicate one of the title’s biggest flaws within a figure I bought around five years ago.
Fortunately, Bowser Amiibo is easily available on Amazon for anyone looking to add to their collection or need a hand in Bowser’s Fury.
#2. Double Cherry Challenges
Super Mario 3D World introduced many new ideas and mechanics into the Mario universe. One of the most unique and fun powers to play with is the Double Cherry, an item that clones the character that grabs it. The player can control up to five copies to solve puzzles and unlock hidden areas, adding layers of difficulty to an already challenging game. When I heard that 3D World’s blueprint would inspire Bowser’s Fury, I knew there had to be an amazing Double Cherry challenge hidden somewhere within Lake Lapcat’s many islands.
Am I seeing double?
I was wrong. With the Double Cherry being one of the most clever innovations in platforming, its absence in the open-world adventure was notable – especially after recently playing through Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, another 3D World spin-off that utilized the power in new and interesting ways. While playing Bowser’s Fury, I waited patiently for the game to finally offer a challenge that multiplied Plessie, or even a boss fight involving the power-up. While it is unknown if the item was originally going to be included with the expansion, the Double Cherry is an amazing upgrade that, hopefully, we see again sooner than later.
#1. More Playable Characters
Open-world games are known for providing the player freedom of choice and non-linear missions. Unfortunately, most of these worlds have a finite amount of objectives to complete, and once they are done, they are impossible to do again. After completing everything on the map, that means it’s time to put that game on the shelf and prepare to boot-up your next adventure. When I fully completed Bowser’s Fury, I wished that there was just a bit more to do or something fresh to keep me engaged with the world. While Mario is always fun to play as I really wish that Luigi, Peach, and Toad were playable characters.
In 3D World, each character has unique attributes that make them feel distinct from each other. Luigi can jump higher, Peach has the ability to float, and Toad can run the fastest. If these characters were somehow unlockable in the fight against Kaiju Bowser, it would add layers of replayability to the title and allow players to experiment with the different playstyles. Surprisingly, Mario’s pals are left out of this adventure even though certain cats throughout Lake Lapcat allude to their presence.
These cats match the colors of Luigi, Toad, and Peach. Coincidence?
Adding more playable characters with slight variations from each other might not have impacted the game deeply, but I do feel like I would still be playing Bowser’s Fury to this day if it was an option. I always enjoy a challenge, so trying to collect every Cat Shine with Toad’s measly jumping ability would have been difficult yet satisfying. Floating from island to island as Peach would keep exploring fresh, and Luigi could bring his humor and timidness to the world.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”js1sdu7ve1″ question=”Those are the features that I think are missing in Bowser’s Fury. Are there any other key mechanics you wish were in the game? Please, let me know in the comments.” opened=”1″]Those are the features that I think are missing in Bowser’s Fury. Are there any other key mechanics you wish were in the game? Please, let me know in the comments.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]
