Game review: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Mario goes big in new game Bowser's Fury, included with Super Mario 3D World on the Switch. Out now.

Nintendo continues its trend of remastering games from its unloved Wii U era for its much-loved new console, the Switch. Only this time they've added value by bundling an already exceptional game with a wild and experimental, albeit bite-sized, experience.

Let's start with the seven-years old Super Mario 3D World, which is a truly fantastic platform game, and not just because of Mario's super-cutesy cat suit.

Okay, a little bit because of that and the range of nimble feline-inspired superpowers it grants the portly plumber, but mostly because the game's a brightly coloured and creatively inventive romp that's never anything less than delightful fun. Even if that fun is experienced through the occasional grit of teeth as you reckon with a fiendish puzzle or grapple with a particularly stubborn boss.

If you don't play it on the Wii U, and not many people do, you're missing out on a lovingly crafted platformer that's as warm and loving as a purring cat, but that's not to say it's not without claws.

But, as canny readers will have guessed by the addition of the plus signal in the title, there's more.

Bowser's Fury - not to be mistaken for Bowser's Furry - is an entirely new game experience and one that lets Mario loose in an open world environment for the first time.

Gone are world maps or hubs or even the traditional idea of stages or levels. Instead, you look across the wonderfully realised tropical archipelago, see places of interest stretching off into the distance and simply head off towards them in search of adventure.

Well, it would be simple if it wasn't for Bowser's frequent explosions of violent rage which cause fireballs and brimstone to fall from the sky at almost too-regular intervals. Seeing as he's the size of Godzilla and you're dressed as a cat, these outbursts can be considered a problem.

Eventually, you'll unlock the means to transform into a giant, cat-suited Mario and be able to take the fight to Bowser like you're battling in a scene from the world's cutest G-rated monster-movie.

Bowser's Fury is not a long game, you could compare it to a generous DLC pack, but it is a wild ride that flips Mario well out of his comfort zone. While it's not exactly Grand Theft Plumber, the open world environment may be a tantalising hint at what's next for Nintendo's mascot. Or, it could just be Nintendo indulging in some fun experimentation.

Either way, it's a terrific bonus and one that makes this double-pack a great value package.

Game: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Rating: G
Verdict: Come for delightful platforming goodness, stay for the Godzilla-sized battles in this winning double-header.