Returning to show the world how it's all done Super Mario 3D World, proving that you just can't keep a good plumber down. If only Sonic could be bought out by Nintendo and maybe we'd eventually get the Sonic game we're all waiting for too. In the meantime, Nintendo prove that when you've got such timeless characters as Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach, chucking them all into a blender full of moving platforms, gorgeously updated worlds and infectiously engaging sound design, means theres seemingly immortal life left in the old franchise yet. Even with 3D often being painted as something of a gimmick especially in movies, here it serves to really make the levels pop and pulsate, bringing about that sense of explorative nostalgia the series has been trying to recapture for almost 15 years. As less of a difficulty spike and more a steady upward curve, towards the back half of the game it's a return to the style of old, separating the men from the boys when it comes to extremely precise platforming sections, reminding all of us that this is the core Mario experience through and through.
