Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is something of a permanent fixture in these charts either way, has climbed up to second position after a 9% increase in sales, while Super Mario Odyssey has jumped up to No. 5, thanks to a 15% sales increase, facilitated partly by a Switch bundle. Then there’s New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which has climbed up to No. 10 after a 23% boost in sales.

A number of Mario titles outside of the top 10 have seen sales boosts as well, including Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (No. 13) with a 21% increase, Mario Part Superstars (No. 20) with a 3% increase, Mario Strikers: Battle League (No. 30) with a 111% increase, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 (No. 40) with a 7% increase. 

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending April 15 below.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Nintendo’s most recent big release for the Switch, was always expected to sell well, not just because it’s a Mario game, but also because it’s a really good game. In their recent quarterly financial report, they announced the sales figure for the expanded re-release of the platformer.

As of March 31, 2021, which is just six weeks after the game’s launch, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury has sold 5.59 million units worldwide. Ridiculously enough, it’s already almost matched the sales of Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U, which launched back in 2013, and has sold a little over 5.8 million units.

Meanwhile, Super Mario 3D All-Stars’ total sales stand at 9.01 million units, and the number is unlikely to go up by too much, seeing as its limited time nature means it’s no longer being sold. Paper Mario: The Origami King’s sales are at 3.12 million, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is at 1.27 million units.

Ring Fit Adventure also continues to sell, with total sales at 10.11 million, while Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity has sold a total of 3.07 million units.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury topped the UK retail sales charts when it launched a month ago, and it has remained in that position ever since. Once again, for the fourth week running, it claims the top spot in the charts this week- and it’s not the only Mario game to do well in the most recent charts (via GamesIndustry).

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is going to be increasingly difficult to find past the end of this month (depending on its remaining stocks), and as that deadline approaches, people are buying the collection in greater numbers. With a 36% increase in sales week-on-week, it climbs up to sixth place. Meanwhile, the evergreen Mario Kart 8 Deluxe comes in at No. 4.

There are a number of other Switch games in the top 10 as well, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons at No. 3 (following a 40% weekly increase in sales), the Switch version of Minecraft, and Ring Fit Adventure. 

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending March 6 below.

1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
2. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
6. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
7. Grand Theft Auto 5
8. Minecraft (Switch)
9. Ring Fit Adventure
10. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Famitsu has released last week’s data for video game software and hardware sales in Japan. On the software front, there were a couple of major new releases, and the top 2 positions have been taken by games making their debuts in the charts. In first place is Marvelous’ life sim Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, which sold over 202,000 units on its debut.

Meanwhile, Square Enix’s Switch exclusive Bravely Default 2 comes in at second place, selling over 93,000 units within the first three days of it launch. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, which has been a strong performer in the charts ever since it launched a few weeks back, is in third place, with sales of over 74,000 units.

On the hardware front, the Switch leads the pack once again, to little surprise, selling over 78,000 units. The PS5 also sees a noticeable jump in its sales, having moved over 33,000 units in Japan throughout last week.

You can check out the full software and hardware charts for the week ending February 28 below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):

1. [NSW] Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town – 202,396 (New)
2. [NSW] Bravely Default II – 93,061 (New)
3. [NSW] Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – 74,811 (422,784)
4.[NSW] Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! – 40,610 (1,974,795)
5. [NSW] Ring Fit Adventure – 19,032 (2,413,077)
6. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 13,575 (3,699,547)
7. [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 13,332 (6,668,414)
8. [NSW] Uta no Prince-sama Debut for Nintendo Switch – 10,588 (New)
9. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 9,957 (4,175,273)
10. [NSW] Minecraft – 9,386 (1,834,873)

Hardware sales (followed by last week’s sales):

Nintendo Switch – 78,049 (74,298)
PS5 – 33,838 (25,037)
PS4 – 3,217 (2,949)
Xbox Series X/S – 1,487 (230)
3DS – 673 (827)

[Via ResetEra]

Like the vast majority of the Wii U’s library though, Super Mario 3D World has now been given a second lease of life on the Switch, and this improved re-release of the game only serves to make abundantly clear that it was so much more than what many initially perceived it as. What Super Mario 3D World is is a joyful bundle of creativity and unadulterated fun. It is one of Mario’s best outings in his illustrious history, and on the Switch, it’s better than ever. 

"Super Mario 3D World is one of Mario’s best outings in his illustrious history, and on the Switch, it’s better than ever."

And “creativity” really is the perfect word to describe this game. Almost each level in  is completely unique in its own way, each focused on a single central hook, idea, or mechanic that it uses to its maximum potential, before discarding it and moving on to the next one. What makes the breathlessly enjoyable execution of all of these mechanics stand out even more is how infrequently Super Mario 3D World reuses ideas. Other than a few stages that are similarly themed or some boss fights that pop up on more than one occasion, you’ll rarely ever play through a course that riffs on an idea that’s already been tackled by the game before. Each level plucks out a separate piece of Super Mario from its rich history and squeezes it until the last drop of potential has been dripped out of it. Considering how meaty the game is and how many levels there are in its dozen worlds, that level of creativity and variety becomes even more impressive. 

What helps, of course, is the ingenious level design. Whether you’re playing through a relatively simple course with breezy platforming challenges, or one with a strict time limit that you have to rush through, or a larger one with much more room for exploration, or one that challenges you with formidable platforming gauntlets, Super Mario 3D World never fails to hit the mark where its level design is concerned. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it some of the best level design ever in a platformer. Excellent implementation of power ups (especially the Super Bell and the Double Cherry) also deserves special praise. 

Meanwhile, there’s also a surprising amount of replay value here. For starters, Super Mario 3D World offers a meaty post-game once the credits have rolled, which has some of the best levels in the entire game. On top of that, with multiple characters to play as, each with their own unique movesets that present unique advantages and disadvantages (some of which are often taken into account in specific challenges within certain levels), going through older levels manages to remain enjoyable and feel fresh even during replays. Exploring hidden nooks and crannies to look for stamps and any stars that you may have missed also serves as a great motivator to do quick runs through courses that you’ve already cleared- especially since courses are usually pretty quick and snappy. Finally, there’s co-op, which is an absolute blast, and comes with its own brand of chaotic fun. Playing 3D World with a friend is a completely different flavour from playing it solo, but it’s no less enjoyable.

"Other than a few stages that are similarly themed or some boss fights that pop up on more than one occasion, you’ll rarely ever play through a course that riffs on an idea that’s already been tackled by the game before."

Super Mario 3D World’s Switch re-release also boasts faster and snappier movement and platforming than the game’s Wii U version, turning an already excellent platformer into an even better one. Clearly, this would have been worth the price of entry even if Nintendo had just stuck with bringing 3D World over to the Switch. But there’s a whole new 3D Super Mario adventure added on as well in the form of Bowser’s Fury– and if it’s any indication of the direction Nintendo are going to take with future Mario games, I cannot wait to see where the series goes from here.

Bowser’s Fury is a completely separate mode, connected to 3D World only through some paper-thin similarities (like the whole cat motif), to the extent that you have to launch it from the game’s splash screen as its own separate game. Set in a fully 3D environment where, unlike 3D World, you have full camera control, Bowser’s Fury adopts a sandbox, open world approach similar to Super Mario Odyssey, Sunshine, and 64. The central conceit is as strange as it can get- Bowser has been possessed by some strange black goo that has turned him massive and monstrous, not just in size, but in his general disposition as well. In his desperation, his son, Bowser Jr, turns to Mario for help, and the two set out to look for Cat Shines scattered throughout the many islands around Lake Lapcat with which to beat back Fury Bowser and turn him back into, well, regular Bowser. 

I’ve always been of the belief that handcrafted linear platformers are far more enjoyable than ones that take place in more open-ended and sandbox environments. While I certainly get the appeal of the latter, there’s an undeniable appeal to the tightly focused and dense platforming challenges that the former approach offers (when properly executed, that is) that suits my tastes much better. Bowser’s Fury, though, is the best of both worlds. From the get go, you’re given complete freedom to explore Lake Lapcat and head in whichever direction you want. Your progress is often blocked by swathes of black goo that cover vast stretches of the region (the same goo that’s taken hold of Papa Bowser), which you can clear by collecting more Cat Shines and activating lighthouses. 

"In Bowser’s Fury, no matter where you go, no matter what you engage with, you’ll always find some fun activity."

And no matter where you go, no matter what you engage with, you’ll always find some fun activity. Most of these are tightly designed platforming gauntlets that call back to the best design philosophies of Super Mario 3D World itself, and all in all, there’s enough variety on offer in the activities for the game to keep delighting and surprising you throughout its runtime. As you progress, areas keep evolving and changing as well, often presenting you with new challenges and opportunities, which means going back to earlier areas of the region is also encouraged. Riding Plessie around the lake is a big focus here too, and some of the activities and challenges focused on that are a ton of fun, owing to controls that feel much tighter and more enjoyable with full camera control going hand-in-hand. 

Owing to the complete freedom you have to explore the island at your own leisure and tackle whichever activity you want, Bowser’s Fury also implements an interesting take on collecting and stocking up on power-ups. You can have a total of five of each power-up item in the game stockpiled at any given time, and any time you want, you can switch one out and opt for a different one. It’s an incredibly smart system that works very well with how the game is structured, allowing you to swap power-ups at a moment’s notice depending on what activity you’re tackling in Lake Lapcat.

Every once in a while, Fury Bowser also awakens from his slumber, which is an event that goes hand-in-hand with a dramatic storm. These dynamically occurring weather changes see Fury Bowser attacking you with everything from fireballs to massive stone blocks to jets of flame, all while you’re going about your business in the open world. It’s a great way to inject tension and variety into the proceedings, especially since these sequences add new elements to the world that are not otherwise present.  Meanwhile, the Fury Bowser sequences never outstay their welcome either. They don’t last awfully long on their own as it is, while getting your hands on a Cat Shine while Fury Bowser is awake also immediately sends him back to sleep. 

"Dynamically occurring weather changes see Fury Bowser attacking you with everything from fireballs to massive stone blocks to jets of flame, all while you’re going about your business in the open world. It’s a great way to inject tension and variety into the proceedings."

There are also some Cat Shines that you can only get to during these sections, since they’re blocked by obstructions that can only be destroyed by Fury Bowser’s attacks. This, I would say, is the one aspect of the dynamic weather mechanic that I found a bit frustrating. Having to wait around for Fury Bowser to wake back up and let me get to the Cat Shines I wanted to get to would only serve to halt the pace of a game with otherwise excellent pacing. Meanwhile, you also take Fury Bowser on in set-piece boss battles every now and then after collecting certain numbers of Cat Shines, and though these fights are never too challenging, it’s always a lot of fun to go up against the behemoth big bad as a gigantic Cat Mario. The sense of scale in these fights is amazing, and it’s the kind of visual spectacle I never expected to see in a Mario game.

It is, however, a tad disappointing that the core platforming moveset in Bowser’s Fury feels so limited for a 3D Mario adventure. Where sandbox Super Mario games in the past have been defined by boundless freedom of expressive movement, where you can chain together jumps and maneuvers endlessly to get to what might ordinarily seem like an inaccessible area, Bowser’s Fury makes use of the same moveset as 3D World itself. But while that moveset works perfectly within the context of a more condensed and linear adventure like 3D World, I think having that limited moveset in a sandbox Mario game feels at odds with the central premise of complete freedom. 

Co-op in Bowser’s Fury also leaves a lot to be desired. When two players play together, one controls Mario, while the other plays as Bowser Jr- though the latter is not all that fun to play as. He’s like a slightly better version of Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey’s co-op. Bowser Jr constantly hovers, which means there’s no platforming to engage with when you’re playing as him, and he takes no damage, which means there’s never any challenge either. He can attack enemies, and he can paint graffiti at certain spots in the world to produce power-ups for Mario, but he rarely ever feels like more than an afterthought. 

"The sense of scale in the boss fights against Fury Bowser is amazing, and it’s the kind of visual spectacle I never expected to see in a Mario game."

Some issues aside though, Bowser’s Fury is an excellent new chapter in the long and illustrious history of this iconic franchise. At 3-4 hours long, it’s also a pretty meaty adventure, and it, too, has quite a bit of post-game content, which means you can easily spend 6-7 hours exploring Lake Lapcat. Meanwhile, Super Mario 3D World itself is as good as it has always been, which is to say it’s one of the best Mario games ever made. Needless to say, this package is an absolute must-have for anyone who has a Switch.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch.

BOWSER’S FURY

The biggest addition in 3D World’s Switch release is, of course, Bowser’s Fury– but what exactly is it? Well, it’s a completely new chunk of content that’s being added on to the game. Mario will travel to the rain-drenched lands of Lake Lapcat for a completely new standalone adventure, where he will be taking on a gigantic Bowser who’s been possessed and corrupted even further by a black goo, turning him into Fury Bowser.

SEPARATE MODE

What’s interesting about Bowser’s Fury is that, as mentioned earlier, it’s completely standalone. It’s not tied to the base 3D World in any way, and is essentially a new mini Mario game that Nintendo have developed. Appropriately enough, it will be a separate mode within the package in and of itself, and players will be able to jump right into it the moment they boot up the game, so any kind of progress in 3D World itself is not necessary.

FREE ROAM

Bowser’s Fury is going to differ from 3D World in several ways- even at its very core. While Super Mario 3D World was a linear experience taking players from one handcrafted level to the next, Bowser’s Fury is a completely free roaming adventure, more similar in style to Super Mario Odyssey. Players will be able to explore and roam around Lake Lapcat freely, and having that mix of free roaming and linear platforming in a single Mario adventure is a truly exciting prospect.

STRUCTURE

So how exactly is Bowser’s Fury going to be structured? Lake Lapcat will have a number of small islands scattered throughout the map. On every island, players will be tasked with collecting 5 Cat Shines each, each of which will be locked behind its own platforming challenge. Once you’ve collected all 5 Cat Shines on an island, you’ll be able to use the Giga Bell to transform into Giga Cat Mario, and take on Fury Bowser in a titanic battle. Defeat Bowser, and you unlock more new islands to head to.

FURY SUN

Another crucial mechanic that’s going to be a persistent presence throughout all of Bowser’s Fury is the Fury Sun, which, interestingly enough, is tied with weather mechanics. As time slowly passes regardless of which island you’ll in, something called the Fury Sun will appear at regular intervals, and with it will come Fury Bowser, who will summon meteors from the sky and attack Mario with giant lasers, forcing players to find cover until the storm passes.

BOWSER JR.

Mario isn’t going to be alone on his adventure in Lake Lapcat. He will be joined by Bowser Jr, who will be teaming up with Mario in order to save his father from the aforementioned black goop’s corruption. Interestingly enough, Bowser Jr will also be playable, with a second player taking control of him when you’re playing two player co-op. Bowser Jr can attack enemies, help out with power ups, and hover over areas where Mario might not be able to traverse.

ONLINE CO-OP

When Super Mario 3D World first came out on the Wii U, it put a lot of emphasis on co-op gameplay, which was quite unusual for a mainline Super Mario entry. That, of course, is very much going to be the case with the Switch release as well. What’s more, while the game only offered local co-op on the Wii U, on the Switch, Super Mario 3D World will also give players the option for online co-op. That said, while online co-op will be available in the base game, Bowser’s Fury will only offer local co-op.

CO-OP IN CAPTAIN TOAD

Co-op is being expanded in other ways as well. The Captain Toad missions in Super Mario 3D World were one of the game’s best elements (to the extent that they went on to spawn an entire separate game of their own), and in the game’s Switch release, these levels are going to have 4 player co-op available as well. It should be interesting to see how that is handled, considering the fact that these levels were strictly solo affairs in the original game.

IMPROVED MOVEMENT

Nintendo is also tweaking some things with the core gameplay of Super Mario 3D World. For instance, they’ve confirmed that characters in the game’s Switch version will move faster and jump higher than in the original game, and even be able to climb higher when using a Super Bell. According to Nintendo, all of this will result in platforming being “little bit snappier.” Additionally, some actions that required the Wii U’s gamepad’s touch screen in the original game can now be done using the Switch’s gyro controls.

PHOTO MODE

Photo Modes have almost become an industry-wide standard in most major game releases these days, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is definitely going to abide by that. Snapshot Mode from Super Mario Odyssey is returning, and will allow players to pause at any moment and take their own pictures with options for filters, camera adjustments, and more. Additionally, the collectible stamps that the original 3D World used for the Wii U’s Miiverse are still going to be in the Switch release, but here, they will be used to customize your images in Snapshot Mode.

FILE SIZE

Nintendo Switch games aren’t typically too hefty in terms of storage requirements, especially when they’re re-releases of older titles, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury isn’t going to buck that trend. The game will require all of 2.9 GB of free storage. The original game’s size on the Wii U was 1.7 GB, by comparison, but considering the fact that this package also includes Bowser’s Fury, that gap in storage requirements is easy to understand.

AMIIBO SUPPORT

As you’d expect from a major new Nintedo release, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will also feature amiibo support. Every single amiibo figure will be compatible, while Nintendo is also releasing two new figures to go along with the game, one for Cat Peach and one for Cat Mario. The former will grant a random power up, while the latter will yield an Invincibility Bell.

RESOLUTION AND FRAME RATE

As you’d expect, 3D World’s jump from the Wii U to the Switch also goes hand-in-hand with some visual bumps. The base game will run at 60 FPS and 1080p when docked, and 60 FPS and 720p when undocked. For comparison’s sake, the game’s resolution on the Wii U was 720p, so if you play the game on Switch in console mode, you’ll see a bump in the resolution.

Things are a bit different with Bowser’s Fury. The resolution will remain at 720p in both handheld and console mode. As far as performance is concerned, in console mode, the frame rate will be 60 FPS, but when played in handheld mode, that will drop down to 30 FPS.

NINTENDO SWITCH – MARIO RED AND BLUE EDITION

Nintendo rarely misses a chance to release special editions for its consoles to go along with major new releases, especially where Mario is concerned. That, combined with the fact that they’re still in the process of celebrating Super Mario’s 35th anniversary, means that it’s not surprising at all to see that they’ll be selling a Nintendo Switch – Mario Red and Blue Edition. While the dock, the Joy-Cons, and the Switch itself will all be read, the Joy-Con grip and and wrist straps will be blue. The package will also include a Mario-themed carrying case and a screen protector. It will launch right alongside the game on February 12, and retail for a price of $299.99.

Co-op is, of course, a big part of the experience in Super Mario 3D World, and that’s very much going to be the case in the game’s Switch release as well. The base game is adding support for online co-op, and even the Captain Toad levels will now allow 4 players to play together. In addition to that, the new content in Bowser’s Fury will also allow two player co-op.

Ahead of the game’s imminent launch, Nintendo have released a meaty gameplay video to show what players can expect from the co-op in Bowser’s Fury. It will see the second player controlling Bowser Jr, who can hover around and hit enemies with his paintbrush and help Mario get inaccessible power-ups. Bowser Jr’s gameplay is clearly less emphasized while compared to the first player (sort of like Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey’s co-op). Check it out below.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury launches for the Nintendo Switch on February 12. Check out details on its frame rate and resolution targets through here.

https://youtu.be/erESjl57FrI

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will be coming to the Switch in a little over a week, bringing over a beloved Wii U gem along with a completely new chunk of content for players to dive into. Given how good the original 3D World was, you wouldn’t be blamed for expecting that a minimum level of quality is sort of a given for the re-release as well, and the game’s first official review seems to indicate that, too.

Japanese magazine Famitsu (via Ryokutya2089) has published its review of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, with its four reviewers scoring it 9/10, 9/10, 8/10, and 10/10 respectively, for a total score of 36/40. That’s slightly lower than the score they awarded to the original 3D World, which got a 38/40. Famitsu review praises the Bowser’s Fury mode, highlighting its challenge and replayability, while also mentioning that the addition of online co-op works very well in the original 3D World content (which, honestly, is a surprise, given Nintendo’s track record with online).

This is, of course, a single publication’s review, and there’s no guarantees the consensus will end up agreeing with it, but it does give us a decent idea of what to expect. Again, 3D World itself was an excellent game, so it’s not surprising that its Switch release has turned out well also.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury launches for the Switch on February 12.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will be bringing an underrated and often overlooked 3D Mario adventure to the Switch very soon, and in addition to enhancements being made to the base game itself, it will also be adding the titular Bowser’s Fury, a completely new chunk of new content for players to enjoy. Now, it’s also been revealed what frame rates and resolutions the game will target on the Switch.

Thanks to previews from Eurogamer and Gamereactor, we have said information. Super Mario 3D World, the base game, runs at 60 FPS and 1080p when docked, and 720p and 60 FPS in handheld mode. On the Wii U, the game targeted a maximum of 720p, so resolution has seen a bump.

When it comes to Bowser’s Fury, there are, disappointingly enough, to either the frame rate or the resolution depending on when you’re playing. The resolution will remain at 720p regardless of how you’re playing the game. In console mode, the frame rate will be 60 FPS, but when played in handheld mode, that will drop down to 30 FPS.

The lower frame rate in particular is a bit of a disappointment with the new content, especially with the efforts Nintendo is making to make the platformer snappier and faster in other ways.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury launches for the Switch on February 12.

With a recent trailer and a gameplay overview video, Nintendo have shared quite a few details on the new content being added to Super Mario 3D World in the upcoming Switch release with Boswer’s Fury, but if you have a hankering for more info, they’ve got you covered. Plenty of new details describing the central gameplay loop of Bowser’s Fury have been shared on the game’s page on Nintendo’s UK website.

Bowser’s Fury will, as we know, see Bowser having been corrupted by what’s described as “a mysterious black goop”, which has turned him into “a humongous monster bent on total destruction.” Mario is, of course, the one who has to stop him, but he’s also teamed up with an unlikely ally in Bowser Jr, who’ll stop at nothing to save his father from his corruption.

Bowser’s Fury is set across a number of separate islands. Players (controlling either Mario or both Mario and Bowser Jr. in co-op) have to collect 5 Cat Shines each on each island through a number of platforming challenges. Collecting 5 Cat Shines will yield the Giga Bell, which will allow Mario to transform into Giga Cat Mario. In this form, he can take Bowser on in titanic fights. Defeat Bowser, and you unlock more new islands to head to.

Additionally, while the weather on each island will be all vibrant and sunny, time will slowly pass. The Fury Sun will rise over time, and when it does, Fury Bowser (which is what he’s called in hit mammoth form) will summon meteors from the sky and attack you with giant lasers, forcing you to find cover until the storm passes.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will launch for Nintendo Switch on February 12.