Mario's latest adventure is planted firmly between the New Super Mario Bros. series and the more conventionally 3D titles such as Super Mario 64 and Galaxy. It's not quite a 2D game, nor is it like what we've come to think of as a 3D Mario title. Super Mario 3D World is unlike any home console Mario that has come before it.

Personally I would describe it as more like the New series than other titles, but it is open to interpretation. Levels play a lot like the New series to me - you race from left to right collecting items along the way and finding all the hidden treasures. Yes, you can now travel through the Z-axis, but the essence of the game is akin to other recent titles.

There's plenty of new things that Nintendo has thrown in to make things feel fresh, producing a mixed bag of results. Some genuinely add a new experience, such as the cat suit, while others are enjoyable but under-utilised, such as the cloning cherry, while others just flat-out don't work. The top-down level recently shown off by Nintendo is one such example. It is billed as a take on the classic space shooter genre, using the boomerang as a projector. But with the power ups being seldom offered, and slippery falls and pesky enemies causing a lot of death, it felt more like a chore than an arcade shooter.

It is good to see Nintendo trying new things though. It may seem like a strange thing to criticise, and something we'd envy in the 90s, but the plumber's adventures are verging on the edge of fatigue. Yes, 3D World isn't akin to the other recent home console offerings, but it's still the 8th Mario platform title released in the last 7 years, 5 of which on home consoles (and that is excluding New Super Luigi Bros U).  The games are still a lot of fun, but I'm hoping the next Mario title we see will be truly unlike others that come before it, although 3D World does a good job of amalgamating a lot of other titles.

The sense of fun that Nintendo is so masterful at capturing still beats at the heart of Super Mario 3D World, and it is increased when playing with friends. It is the multiplayer aspect that really provides the biggest variation in recent history, and the biggest reason to play this game. It's enjoyable alone, but the experience is best shared with others. Being able to jump on, throw or, if you're feeling crazy, help your friends adds so much enjoyment that makes playing alone feels hollow. It’s just a shame that Nintendo hasn’t included online multiplayer, even recently declaring it was possible they just decided they didn’t want to include it. Yes, being able to see your friends’ faces as you play is nice, but it’s an increasingly antiquated notion that Nintendo seem keen to cling onto.

For the first time, the score you get plays a minor role in the game's proceedings. At the end of each level the scores are totted up (at which point you quickly mock the loser) and in the following level the winner gets to wear a crown. This item can then be knocked off, essentially adding another possible hit, and picked up by others until it is either lost or carried through to the end of the level. Whoever jumps the highest on the flagpole will also have their colour/initial proudly presented outside of the stage upon completion as well, allowing for an easy visual indication of who amongst your friends is best.

Unlike recent titles that have tended to just add one or two new aspects (typically power ups), Nintendo has gone all in and added plenty to Super Mario 3D World. The most advertised, and utilised, is the Internet-friendly cat suit. Being able to clamour your way up walls really enriches the game's verticality. Being a close-combat suit as well, rather than a projectile powered one, helps it stand out amongst the ever-growing arsenal of questionable fashion choices in Mario's wardrobe. Though the less said about Mario's Austin Powers-esque "meow" upon completing a level, the better really.

In addition to this you can now duplicate yourself with a cherry, a power up that is somewhat confusing to use, but in a good way. Outside of this there are plenty of new ideas introduced, such as the flashlight helmet, the rideable dinosaur Plessie and the Mario Kart inspired speed races but they don't get used to their full extent.

The Wii U's GamePad has been sometimes overlooked in the year following the console's release, typically relegated to duplicating the TV, or showing a map or menu. Super Mario 3D World for the most part relegates it to a TV clone, but does occasionally utilise some of the technology lying underneath that mini TV screen. You can touch the screen to stun or destroy enemies, collect coins and reveal hidden items at any point during the game, but as it causes you to stop (unless you're very good at multitasking), it often gets sidelined. The microphone can be blown on to move certain platforms, one of those features that is either a nice variation or a chore depending on how self-conscious you are about blowing your GamePad.

Miiverse integration is sublte but works well. Each level contains a stamp that you can collect, which can then be used on Miiverse posts. These provide an easy way to include pictures with your posts and feature a wonderfully retro Mario style that is bound to please fans of the series. Ghost data will also be pulled from the Miiverse, meaning you can essentially compete against others once you have completed a level once.

For the first time in the series you are able to walk around the overworld map, rather than going from one level to the other, allowing for you to find secrets as you go. Your options are still limited to, typically, one level at a time, but it helps to make you feel slightly more in control of the proceedings.

Nintendo has included a variety of levels, rather than just the standard platforming ones. Some crop up occasionally, such as the Mario Kart-like speed runs and the mini-challenges of the Mystery Boxes, while others such as the Captain Toad levels are more frequent. The Captain Toad levels, featuring the explorer from Mario Galaxy, is more of a puzzle than a platforming title as he cannot jump or attack, so you must rotate the camera to find the best path to all five green stars.

Unfortunately, it is these levels that allows you to control the camera the most. Most levels allow you to turn the camera in 15 degree increments (and only once each way) and only in single-player. The levels are obviously designed to be approached from one angle, but it doesn’t help the feeling that this is more of a 2D Mario title than a 3D one.

So how does the first 3D Mario title on the Wii U stack up? Well, it depends who you ask and what you were expecting.

Since the game's unveiling early this year some have argued that its not really a 3D title, while others say it is, it's just not Galaxy 3 that some people wanted. Playing the game probably won't change your pre-existing opinion a great deal as truth be told its not one or the other, it just sits somewhere inbetween. For better or worse, this is a blending of both 3D and 2D Mario. It is simple to finish (and more difficult to complete), levels are bite-sized and bound to entertain families this Christmas. There's no harm in that, unless you were expecting something radically different.

In spite of its fun and a smattering of new ideas, 3D World still felt like another in a chain of similar titles to myself. Is a solid enjoyable game, but I'm really hoping that the next Mario title is a fresh new experience, for the sake of both the franchise and gamers.  Super Mario Galaxy was beloved because it provided a fairly radical departure while making good use of the new technology at hand.  Hopefully Nintendo can recapture that again, although not necessarily in the shape of 'Mario Galaxy 3'.