We store cookies, you can get more info from our privacy policy.

Super Mario 3D World Tour

The Story of the Sprixie Kingdom

by Andrew Brown - October 30, 2013, 9:10 am EDT

Take a look at Mario's new world.

THE BEGINNING

During a fireworks festival on a beautiful night of shooting stars, Mario, Luigi, and Toad were escorting Princess Peach around the many grounds of her castle gardens. Suddenly, they happened upon a clear pipe sticking out of the ground.
Upon correcting the pendulous position of the perplexing protrusion they're greeted by a small, green clad, flying creature known as the Sprixie Princess.

Right on cue, Bowser appeared from within the pipe below her, nabbed the little sprite, and disappeared down the chute, which lead to the place of his newest tyrannical residence, the Sprixie Kingdom.

As well as the Sprixie Princess, Bowser has captured her six retainers and is holding them hostage in this strange new world. Without hesitation Mario's group dives down the pipe in pursuit, and the adventure begins.

THE KINGDOM

The Sprixie Kingdom, much like Dinosaur Land in Super Mario World, bears many similarities to the Mushroom Kingdom. But again, like Super Mario World, it has some unique differences. Sport appears to be a recurring theme here as Bowser's minions use various baseballs and soccer balls as weapons. Mario himself is also able to use these items to his advantage.

A key feature of the world is the presence of transparent pipes that allow players to see what's going on as their character slides through them. They often branch into multiple directions requiring split second decisions to traverse the winding tunnels and some of these pipes have hidden items or enemies waiting within. Both Fire Mario and Fire Bro. enemies are able to shoot fireballs directly into the pipes which will travel through the interior and burn any players or enemies that collide with them.

Rotating cylindrical platforms, the kind that New Super Mario Bros. Wii introduced, are here in abundance. It will be interesting to see how creatively these topsy-turvy topsoil features will spin things up in a 3D Mario game. It looks like some levels will feature entire chunks of scenery that tilt and warp as players progress as well.

We've seen a large, friendly, Yoshi-like dinosaur named Plessie who offers a lift down a raging river similarly to Dorrie in Super Mario 64 and the first New Super Mario Bros. game, but we've had no confirmation of Yoshi making an appearance yet. Maybe we'll also see some of Super Mario World's dinosaur enemies, such as Rex and Dino Rhino.

Some levels even feature rabbits similar to what we've seen in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, requiring players to use the new Cat transformation to chase them down with their newfound agility.

THE WORLDS

Like recent Mario games, the worlds each feature a map screen with the levels dotted about the field. What's new in this game is that each world map is now a playable level by itself, with coins to collect and secrets to find.

From the looks of a recent piece of artwork, it seems that each of the worlds will feature a separate theme, just like in previous games. We know that World 1 will consist of grassy fields and World 2 is desert-themed. While we can't be entirely sure what each of the other worlds will be like at this point, there will probably be rocky cliffs, tropical islands, volcanoes, snowy ice levels, haunted houses, sunken ships, and deadly castles.

Of note there are also scrolling levels featuring tank parades similar to levels featured near the end of Super Mario Bros. 3. Another new and interesting level design seems to feature a hotel resort just for Goombas. Currently we've seen footage showing a swimming pool with Goombas relaxing in floating pool rings and the interior of a Japanese-style hotel with sliding doors that players must open by swiping the GamePad touchscreen, thus revealing the Goomba guests hiding behind.

One cliff level features a massive swarm of Fuzzies, crazed-looking black enemies that usually travel along wires, slowly filling a chasm from below as the safety of the platforms disappears into the writhing, gnawing mass.

Remember The Valley of Bowser back in Super Mario World? Bowser's gigantic castle was decorated with a large flashing neon sign. In this game he takes it to the next level, and the final world, according to this promotional artwork, looks like a glitzy, gargantuan theme park in the clouds. We can make out a Ferris wheel featuring his Clown Car face, a sky-high roller coaster, and several other towering attractions surrounding the enormous and luminous image of the Koopa King himself.

In one final homage to Mario's history, you can even, just barely, see the Comet Observatory floating in the sky behind the park. Will the game feature space-themed levels like in Super Mario Galaxy? Will Rosalina make a cameo appearance? Just one more mystery waiting to be solved.

Images

Share + Bookmark





Related Content

Got a news tip? Send it in!
Advertisement
Advertisement