[COLUMN] HBD to the Best 3D Mario Game | by Marty Sliva (Patreon)

Tomorrow marks the 5th anniversary of what I consider to be the pinnacle of 3D Mario games. Now, before you start scratching your head, unable to figure out how Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, or Super Mario Odyssey released only five years ago, let me tell you – I’m referring to Bowser’s Fury, which released bundled with the Switch port of Super Mario 3D World back on February 11th, 2021.

If you name me a 3D Mario game, chances are I can name a reason why it deserves to be considered in the upper echelon of the franchise. 64 provided a revolutionary leap forward for video games in a way that few projects ever have, before or since. Sunshine’s cohesive tropical setting exudes vibes at unthinkable levels. The pair of Galaxy games are bursting with unbridled creativity, with each micro planetoid feeling almost like a “yes, and…” prompt. 3D World was the truest expression of what makes 2D Mario special in a 3D space. And Odyssey’s cap-capture mechanic created a playful bond between Mario and the critters he came across in a way that we hadn’t seen before.

And then there’s Bowser’s Fury. If you haven’t played it yet (seriously, if you have a Switch, go play it), Bowser’s Fury is a relatively bite-sized companion game to 3D World that pulls from a similar core moveset and suite of powerups, but drops you in a micro open world body of water that becomes increasingly peppered with islands for you to platform across to your heart’s content. 

Initially, it feels like a bit of a 3D Mario greatest hits. Aside from the aforementioned link to 3D World, the gradual evolution of each area as you collect its Cat Shines reminds me of how 64’s worlds would morph depending on which Star you were gunning for. The sun-soaked island vibes and emphasis on Bowser Jr. feel like the closest thing we’ll get to a Sunshine sequel this side of Wii Sports Resort. And the true 3D freedom and complete camera control point to an evolution of what Odyssey first laid down.

But there’s something about Bowser’s Fury I keep coming back to. Maybe it’s its brevity, which eschews the 800+ Moons of Odyssey in favor of 100 Cat Shines that can be gathered in a single afternoon. This tight design pairs well with the open freedom of its world. Our focus is constantly shifting to a new island or structure that’s risen from the sea. And once we get there, there’s always a perfect amount of collectibles and goals to make each one feel special, while still providing something for us to do at any given turn.

Then there’s Fury Bowser himself, who arrives on the scene every 10 minutes or so to wreak havoc and completely change the way you play the game for his duration. You can temporarily lull him back to sleep by either avoiding him for long enough, grabbing any fresh Cat Shine across the world, or by using the power of a Giga Bell to transform into a Super Saiyan Cat Mario and duking it out with the kaiju-sized Bowser in a brisk boss fight.

While this could’ve been a mechanic that got annoying after the first few times he showed up, the game handles his clockwork arrival perfectly. You can always tell roughly how close he is to spawning, as the weather worsens the closer he gets. Plus, you can look across the water and spot his massive shell slowly rising out of the inky darkness at the center of the map for a clue as to how much peace and tranquility you have left.

This means that you can be prepared for him showing up by making your way towards an uncollected Cat Shine, or by using his own rage against him. By facing the beast head on, you can direct his attacks towards specific spots in the world that will then create shortcuts, blast through otherwise indestructible blocks, or reveal a whole slew of power-ups. And that last one is key, because in Bowser’s Fury, you can bank up to five different consumable upgrades to use at your discretion, meaning you can bust out the perfect tool for whatever puzzle, platforming, or combat challenge you happen to come across.

All of those factors coalesce into the reason why I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the game for the past five years. Which is good, because let’s be honest – Mario’s in a bit of a strange place at the moment. While I thoroughly enjoyed devouring Mario Wonder back in 2023, I haven’t really thought about it all that much in the two and a half years since release, though maybe the upcoming Switch 2 upgrade with additional bells and whistles will change that. 

On the 3D front, I’m glad the pair of Galaxy games are easily playable on Switch, but that was a pretty clear plan to act as synergy with the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, set to release in April. And then there was last year’s excellent Donkey Kong Bananza, which utilized some of the core Mario staff, but delivered a 3D platforming experience that felt uniquely its own. 

It’s wild that we’re approaching nine years since the release of the last mainline 3D Mario game in Odyssey. That extended absence is why I remain a steadfast believer that Bowser’s Fury was designed as a bit of an experiment to see what that kind of true open-world freedom would be like as the backbone of a 3D Mario game. What that looks like exactly remains to be seen, but if I had to bet, I’d say that we’re going to get our first glimpse of it very soon. Who knows – years from now, we might look back on Bowser’s Fury as a kind of Great Plateau to whatever the next mainline Mario’s Hyrule might be.

In recent years, we’ve seen a resurgence in 3D platformers of all shapes and sizes. Astro Bot was one of the most refreshing first-party PlayStation games of the generation, and was rightfully showered with GOTY awards in 2024. And it feels like a week doesn’t go by without a spotlight being shone on an indie game that carries the collectathon torch. This year has already seen the delightful Big Hops, which we covered recently in our ode to all things frog. And then there’s the upcoming Demon Tides, debuting next week. One look at its sprawling oceanic world filled with islands, flotillas, and all sorts of random shit to platform across, and it’s clear that Bowser’s Fury has left an impact on games.

And so that’s why I wanted to wish a big ol’ HBD to what I think is my favorite Mario game. Also, I wanted to do it because I have a big annoying doc of major anniversaries that I keep for each year, so I had to find some use for that. Side note, HBD to our other February babies out there – Firewatch turned 10 yesterday, Stardew Valley is celebrating that same milestone later in the month, and then February wraps up with the 30th anniversary of Pokemon Red and Green releasing in Japan. And with that, let’s all slowly fade away to dust as time gets one over on us once again.