Super Mario 3D World, Online, Hype, and…You?

The debate over whether Mario should go online has been around for years, since New Super Mario Bros. Wii released back in 2009. But arguments over it were reignited when creator Shigeru Miyamoto was asked if Nintendo plans on making an installment with online multiplayer capabilities in the near future. He was asked this in light of the recent Mario platformers that don’t have it, including 3DS title New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Wii U launch title New Super Mario Bros. U. And, you guessed it, the upcoming Super Mario 3D World for Wii U won’t have online either. Every time Nintendo announces this, it’s greeted with a mixed reaction.

But the reaction when they confirmed it this time around was far more venomous than before. Perhaps it’s due to the overall amount of bile being spewed in Nintendo’s direction in general these days, due to their handling of the Wii U thus far. It doesn’t take much to get some fans upset, but it’s worse than ever now. Yet they might have a good reason for that. They’re the same audience that gave the company the benefit of the doubt when they couldn’t implement online before, but they’ve reached the breaking point. And the way Miyamoto answered the question didn’t help.

Miyamoto said online play isn’t the focus for the Mario platforming franchises right now. Their intention was to “create something that people could experience fully while playing comfortably with others who were nearby them,” he explained. This is a philosophy he’s believed for years, despite online gaming and connectivity taking off in a big way. And there’s nothing wrong with having that attitude when developing a game, either. Games that have multiplayer are best played locally with friends or family members in the vicinity of each other at someone’s house — assuming the game has the option. And I’m sure most gaming types will agree.

Sadly, that’s not a luxury everyone can afford, especially those who grew up with the Mario franchise and still play the series. Online multiplayer took off because it’s difficult for working adults to get together and play around the couch as much as they could as children. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that local multiplayer is better and is the encouraged way to play, but there’s also nothing wrong with having more options. It wouldn’t be that difficult for Nintendo to release an online-enabled Mario platformer. Their refusal to add this is yet another example of their old man-like stubbornness.

Said stubbornness isn’t much of an exaggeration considering Nintendo Ltd’s board of directors mostly consists of older men in their 50s and 60s. They could use some new blood to shuffle things up a little. The company isn’t entirely against including online in their titles — yes, even Mario-related titles — though the implementation and quality tends to vary. No one wants to see online as laggy as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but efforts like Mario Kart Wii are encouraged and appreciated. And a Mario platformer could easily join those when Nintendo gives it an effort.

None of this is a knock against Super Mario 3D World itself, a title that overcame its own mixed perception. A staggering number of fans thought it was a 3DS title moved to Wii U. But even if that was true, so what? Anyone who knows Nintendo’s properties should expect a game with excellent level design, so there was never anything to worry about.

However, the company has done an excellent job since E3 with showing how this title diversifies itself from its handheld predecessor: Super Mario 3D Land. Its levels look more open, partly due to the Wii U being capable of handling much larger and diverse environments. You can see this in the lengthy, six minute gameplay video officially released by the company — a long preview by Nintendo’s standards. It’s homages to Super Mario Bros. 2 are the icing, especially the return of Princess Peach as a playable character in a Mario platformer. They were insistent on having two Toads instead in the 2D console Mario platformers, but now the proper fourth character returns.

Funnily enough, the console Mario games in the last decade have felt like the main course, compared to the appetizers the handheld games have been. It’s a curious phenomenon, as Nintendo is one of the better companies when it comes to not discriminating between console and handheld titles. 3D Land was better than any of the 2D efforts on 3DS, but it felt like it was afraid to try anything new. That’s not to say 3D World is breaking new ground, but we’ve seen better level designs and powers in the trailers alone. There was no doubt that Nintendo was going to give the 2D/3D hybrid 3D Land presented another shot, but few of us expected it on Wii U.

The game isn’t the gigantic leap that Nintendo’s dedicated audience wanted. It certainly isn’t the Wii U’s equivalent to Super Mario 64 or Galaxy, but it’s precisely the kind of game Nintendo needs right now. It feels like a number of the recent videos we’ve seen have been trying to prove Miyamoto’s point, an attempt by Nintendo to try and get the online complaints out of people’s heads to have them focus on the game, and how much fun local multiplayer can be. That’s only working on the people that aren’t part of the aforementioned venomous group, and will continue to be the case until they add it.

People like familiar experiences, and this title could be just the kick they need to help move Wii U consoles off shelves this holiday season. It would be even better if they had a special hardware bundle including the game, but it’s possible they believe having three of them on the market simultaneously is enough. (That’s the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Bundle, the Skylanders Bundle, and the New Super Mario Bros. U & Luigi U bundle, for those of you counting.) We’ll see if it lives up to the promise recent gameplay videos have shown soon, on November 22nd.

Maybe after this, Nintendo can give us the next big leap in the Mario franchise. And it would be best if it uses online connectivity in ways many of us can’t foresee.