Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Will Have Online Multiplayer

With the recently announced official news that Super Mario 3D World would be coming to the Nintendo Switch, along with it came additional unsuspected surprises. Not only will 3D World come with extra content exclusive for the Switch version, in the form of Bowser’s Fury, but the game will also feature online multiplayer. This is a very important precedent that Nintendo is setting by doing this and it should definitely be taken note of.

This isn’t Super Mario Party levels of online play we’re talking about here either; Super Mario 3D World will have full multiplayer capabilities in the main game.

When it comes to online multiplayer, Nintendo has been a bit late to the party. Yes, they have had online play in multiple Switch titles, but lately we are seeing significantly more Nintendo games arriving with an online multiplayer option. In the case of 3D World, this means that up to 4 players can play through the main story together – something that, to the best of my knowledge, Nintendo has never done in a Mario game before.

Super Mario Party was mentioned earlier because this is a prime example of a game that was absolutely perfect for online multiplayer, yet Nintendo released an underwhelming online mode which was very lackluster. The online option that existed was only available for a handful of mini-games that offered no option to play online with friends and didn’t even have any online play in the main game.

Now here we are in 2020, amid a global pandemic, and having an excuse to hop online with friends to play through a game that many missed on the Wii U is just what the doctor ordered.

It’s unclear if Nintendo have been working behind the scenes to beef up their online infrastructure, but games like Mario Maker 2 can be downright unplayable at times when friends have a crusty internet connection. This is a bit of a worry regarding Super Mario 3D World’s online play, but having the option available is certainly welcomed. I am by no means expecting the online experience to be perfect; I’ve been a Nintendo fan long enough by now. As long as online multiplayer is playable, I’ll certainly be happy. Freeze framing mid jump can definitely sully the experience at times.

I’m not trying to muddy the waters here as I genuinely am excited to be able to play 3D World online with friends. I just really hope that Nintendo will be putting more resources into their online system to ensure that the experience isn’t dragged down by incessant lag or stuttering. For the most part, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe runs fairly smoothly for many players aside from the random boot from lobbies.

Nintendo incorporating online play into Super Mario 3D World seems like a no brainer, but the backlog of Nintendo titles sans online multiplayer makes this a pleasant surprise. With both the online option, and Bowser’s Fury being added into the mix, Nintendo have convinced me (someone who previously owned 3D World on the Wii U) that this will be a day one purchase.