Mario and Nintendo go together like peanut butter and jelly. Super Mario 3D World was released for the Wii U in November 2013 to near-universal acclaim from both gamers and critics. Mario and friends once again had to deal with Bowser, who was tormenting creatures called Sprixies.
The game has an interesting balance of new 3D gaming with classic 2D features. Choosing a character and playing through the game was by far one of the best experiences for the Wii U. Nintendo followed that up by re-releasing the game in 2021 for the Switch with a new section called Bowser's Fury.
Captain Toad
Formerly known as the Toad Brigade Captain, this character has made appearances in several Mario games. His first appearance was in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy, though he did also appear in his own game called Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Captain Toad is a playable character in both releases of Super Mario 3D World. He appeared in a series of levels called "Captain Toad's Adventures." These are puzzle levels that the player must solve using Captain Toad to collect greens stars. The downside is that he can't use any move that other characters use outside of running. While the puzzles are fun, that limited movement does feel restrictive at times.
Bowser Jr.
In February 2021, Super Mario 3D World was re-released for the Nintendo Switch as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. In addition to a port of the original game, it also added in Bowser's Fury as a standalone game mode with its own story. While Mario was the only character from the main game to make the transition, it also featured Bowser Jr. as a new playable character.
Keeping in mind that a second player can control Bowser Jr., he follows Mario around and helps him in single player. It's not that he isn't useful when playing as Mario, but playing as Bowser Jr. isn't really a full game experience.
Princess Peach
Over the years, Princess Peach changed from someone who needed rescuing to someone who did the rescuing as a playable character in a few Mario games.
That being said, Super Mario 3D World was the first time since Super Mario Bros 2 that Peach was playable. She can float in the air a bit longer than other characters after jumping, but that's the only advantage in playing as her.
Toad
Mario has more than a few sidekicks at different points in the franchise. One who always seems to be around in one form or another is Toad. In Super Mario 3D World, this iteration of Toad's appearance is based on blue Toads in previous games. The little guy is pretty adorable and can be extremely useful in some situations.
Toad is incredibly fast, making him a great choice for anyone looking to burn through the game at high speed. That being said, his bad jumping ability makes him quite difficult to use in some situations, particularly for inexperienced players.
Rosalina
After collecting 170 stars, players can unlock a character named Rosalina. She first popped up in Super Mario Galaxy but would go on to become a playable character in subsequent games. That included franchises like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Rosalina quickly became a fan favorite character over the years, but Super Mario 3D World was her first time as a playable character in the main games.
In Super Mario 3D World, Rosalina was given a spin attack similar to what Mario and Luigi have in the Super Mario Galaxy games. It allows her to take out enemies as well as perform an incredibly useful double jump.
Luigi
While he has starred in more than a few of his own titles over the years, Luigi always seems to end up playing second fiddle to his brother. That doesn't mean that he isn't a great character, though. Luigi has a lot of fans who would choose him over Mario in a variety of games, though he does play slightly differently in many of them.
Like many Mario games, the Super Mario 3D World version of Luigi is an incredible jumper who can help the player pull off some unique stunts. The downside to him is that he isn't the best runner, and skids a lot. Players just need to take that into account.
Mario
Not only is Mario the main protagonist of dozens of games, but he is also the most iconic character Nintendo has on their roster. A gaming empire was built around this adventure-seeking, mushroom squishing plumber who gets in a lot of fights with angry turtles. Mario has been in the business of fighting bad guys and rescuing princesses since 1981, and shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
As is often the case, Mario is the most balanced character in Super Mario 3D World. He's equally proficient in all aspects of the game which makes him a solid choice for any playthrough. Playing as Mario is the best way to experience the widest range of everything the game has to offer.