With just a couple of weeks to go before Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury lands on the Nintendo Switch, a comparison video of both the Wii U and Switch versions shows that the updated version removes some of the Wii U's gimmicky controls. There are also other slight adjustments that have been made to improve the overall quality of the game, but players won't have to tap, blow, or swipe to save the Sprixie Kingdom.
Super Mario 3D World was originally released for the Wii U in 2013, and a re-release of the title was announced for the Switch last year. It was also revealed that the re-release would include an additional adventure in the form of Bowser's Fury which follows Mario as he teams up with Bowser Jr. to take on Fury Bowser. However, the new storyline isn't the only change being made to the Super Mario 3D World. According to the game's official webpage, the characters will receive a slight speed boost to make traversing levels faster.
A boost in speed isn't the only change to gameplay players can expect from Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. A side-by-side comparison video of the Wii U and Switch versions was published by GameSpot which shows the Switch version will be getting rid of some of the Wii U version's gimmicks. The original version utilized the Wii U GamePad's touch screen and microphone to interact with the game's environments. Players could blow into the mic to move platforms, reveal blocks, and blow away enemies. However, the comparison video shows that those functionalities have been removed seeing as the Switch does not have a built-in microphone.
The video only shows a small portion of what has been replaced, but there are plenty of features that are still left in question. There are plenty of mechanisms, switches, and platforms that utilized the Wii U GamePad's technology that made Super Mario 3D World a standout from other 2D and 3D Mario titles. How will Nintendo improvise now that these controls have been removed? While some players may have thought these controls were too gimmicky, they did add a layer of charm that could only be found in Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U.
There is a large number of Switch owners that never played the original Super Mario 3D World that won't be able to tell a difference when the Switch version is released. However, the small few that were lucky enough to play Super Mario 3D World before the Switch era will remember when certain platforms were powered by the breath of their lungs instead of the fancy automated platforms the kids have nowadays.
Source: GameSpot