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[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} "Mario's latest is the cat's pajamas!"]]'']]
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''Super Mario 3D World'' is a 3D [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario platformer]] that was released on November 22, 2013 for the Platform/WiiU.
Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are enjoying a nighttime meteor shower on Peach's Castle grounds when they come across a transparent warp pipe sticking out of the ground. After Mario and Luigi fix it, a green pixie (known as one of the seven Sprixie Princesses) comes out of the pipe. She explains that [[BigBad Bowser]] has kidnapped her friends--and then Bowser drags her back into the pipe, ignoring Peach this time around in favor of his new prizes. The four follow him and his captive down the pipe, where they find the Sprixie Kingdom, a world they must work together to traverse in order to defeat Bowser once again.
Like ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' on the Platform/Nintendo3DS, it is a 3D Mario that plays like a 2D Mario. Additionally, just like ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', [[CoOpMultiplayer up to 4 players can play simultaneously]], though the different characters will play differently like in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''. Alongside a new "Cat Suit" power-up enabling characters to scratch enemies and climb up walls, and basically, having an all-around cat-based theme, ''3D World'' marks the first time since ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' that Peach and Toad can be selected for play, as well as reintroducing the concept of having significant ability differences between the characters.
[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Despite its name]], this has nothing to do with [[VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld the Super NES game]] (aside from some returning enemies). It does, however, mirror the relationship between ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' and ''World'' by aiming to be a bigger console game than its original handheld adventure.
Captain Toad received his own spin-off based on his puzzle-oriented stages in this game, titled ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker''. And in 2019, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' incorporated a game style based on this game.
On September 3, 2020, as part of the [[MilestoneCelebration 35th anniversary]] of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', it was announced that the game would get an UpdatedRerelease titled ''Super Mario 3D World + VideoGame/BowsersFury'' for the Platform/NintendoSwitch on February 12, 2021. The rerelease includes various gameplay tweaks and additions such as 20% faster character movement, movesets now incorporating abilities from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', online multiplayer with friends, a new "Photo Mode" to replace the original game's Website/{{Miiverse}} functionality, and an improved camera.
The Switch version also includes a new side campaign entitled ''VideoGame/BowsersFury''. Examples for that game should go on its page.
%%Note that examples on this page will contain Late-Arrival Spoilers. Anything that Nintendo hasn't bothered to spoil since the game's release will be not be spoiled.
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!!This game provides examples of:
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[[folder:A-D]]
* HundredPercentCompletion: The game tracks all the green stars and stamps you've collected in each stage, as well as each flagpole you've turned golden by touching the very top of it. Not only that, but killing Bowser will reveal a rocket ship in World 1 that will take you to a bonus world: World Star. Beat all the levels in World Star, and another rocket ship will take you to World Mushroom. Beat that and a bridge will form leading you to World Flower. There you will see another covered rocket ship that you can't access even after beating all the levels in World Flower. To open it, you need to collect every green star, every stamp, and every golden flagpole in every level up to that point, which means a total of 342 stars, 76 stamps, and 91 gold flagpoles. Then the rocket in World Flower will take you to [[BrutalBonusLevel World Crown]], wherein lies 38 more green stars, 4 more stamps, and one more golden flagpole. Not only that, but when World Crown is unlocked, the game also tracks which characters you've beaten each level with, and you also have to beat every level (including Champion's Road in World Crown) with every character for the final 5 stamps.
* AbsurdlyShortLevel:
** "Backstreet Bustle" from World 5 is the shortest regular level in the game, with the Goal Pole already in sight from the start and easy to reach in a few seconds.
** The World Star level "The Great Goal Pole" is a subversion. When you start the level, you'll see the Goal Pole right away, but approaching it will make it grow some wings and flee, forcing you to chase it. Even if you manage to catch it, it's not recommended to do so until you've gotten all Green Stars and the Stamp along the way. It is rather short given the 100-second time limit, but it's not nearly as short as you might anticipate.
* ActionGirl: Peach and Rosalina, since they're both [[PromotedToPlayable playable characters]].
* AdorableEvilMinions: [[http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/4/48/Cat_Goomba_Artwork_-_Super_Mario_3D_World.png/477px-Cat_Goomba_Artwork_-_Super_Mario_3D_World.png Cat Goombas]] are the already [[invoked]]UglyCute Goomba but in cat costumes.
* AdvancingWallOfDoom:
** At one point, [[DescendingCeiling the player has to speed down a vertical obstacle course to avoid a cloud of purple gas]].
** At another, a similar thing happens in reverse, with [[RiseToTheChallenge the player speeding up a vertical obstacle course to avoid a sea of Fuzzies]].
* AirborneMook: Para-biddybuds, which typically fly in groups and with a joint pattern, make a return after their debut in ''3D Land''. The game also introduces Parabones (Dry Bones with wings).
* AirplaneArms: Princess Peach when running at full speed. The Mario Bros. only do this when equipped with a star, otherwise they tuck their arms in instead.
* AlliterativeName: Many levels follow this naming convention, such as "Conkdor Canyon", "Pretty Plaza Panic", "Hands-on Hall", "Boiling Blue Bully Belt", etc.
* AmbiguousCloneEnding: During Double Cherry levels, only one of a character's clones needs to touch the flagpole to register the end of the stage. When that happens, all the other clones disappear and whichever one touched the flagpole is treated as the original one.
* AmbiguousGender: Plessie's gender is never specified.
* AmicableAnts: Downplayed. While the Ant Troopers are mooks who perform contact damage, they are shown to have warm smiles and don't go out of their way to hurt the player, instead moving in predictable patterns as a unit.
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: The Captain Toad levels let you play as Captain Toad, whose controls are vastly different from the other characters; most importantly, he cannot jump.
* AngryCheekPuff: The Blue Sprixie Princess is shown with her cheeks puffed and an angry look on her face.
* {{Antepiece}}:
** Bowser's Highway Showdown starts with kickable soccer ball bombs laying around and then being fired out of cannons that can be used to defeat enemies and destroy big brick walls, hinting at the more complex dodging and kicking required to fight Bowser himself.
** Before you fight Hisstocrat, you will have seen many statues that you can climb with the Cat Suit that resemble his smaller minions, hinting at how you can climb up the minions to attack Hisstocrat.
** The level Cakewalk Flip in World 5 introduces the flipping platforms first seen in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''. The first set of such platforms are above safe ground, which helps the player practice with the concept of these platforms without any risk. The next thing shown is flipping platforms over a chasm, and by that point the player must be more careful with dealing with them to avoid dying. See [[http://kotaku.com/what-made-super-mario-3d-world-so-great-1691916400 here]] for a visual explanation of this example.
* AntAssault: This game serves as the debut to the new type of enemies, the Ant Troopers. They are bipedal ant enemies that are commonly seen marching on ground or platforms, and are capable of walking on the walls and ceilings. They are impervious to the GoombaStomp, but can be defeated by any other means, such as GroundPound. They also have two other variations, such as Horned Ant Troopers, which wear spiked helmet [[TheSpiny that prevents them from getting stomped on]] (as long as their spikes are above them, at least), and [[GiantMook Big Ant Troopers]], which are [[InvincibleMinorMinion completely indestructible]].
* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
** When a player has multiple copies of themself from grabbing a Double Cherry, the clones will sometimes move a bit faster than normal so they all stay in a tight group.
** If you lose too many lives in a level, on the start of your next try you will be given a white/gold leaf power-up, which makes you invulnerable to enemy damage for the whole course. ''Except'' on Champion's Road, this prevents you from getting OneHundredPercentCompletion, though, until you complete the level normally.
** You can now no longer accidentally kill your friends in multiplayer by "off-screening" them. If one player runs on too far ahead, the others trailing behind will automatically hover within a bubble and rejoin the leader.
** Unlike most Warp Boxes in the game, the Warp Box in Champion's Road unlocks with no cutscene after collecting all the Key Coins. This is so that the player doesn't lose control on the Dash Panels and fall to their death, having to redo the entire level.
** The Nintendo Switch rerelease made some changes for an easier and quicker experience:
*** Green Stars and Stamps do not have to be recollected if you die.
*** Character movement and speed is made much faster. For reference, Peach is the slowest character in both versions of the game, but in the Nintendo Switch version, her running speed is faster than Mario / Luigi's walk speed and equal to their running speed in the Wii U version. Some levels, such as Conkdor Canyon, are changed to accomodate this.
*** You can roll in mid-air, which gives players more air mobility.
*** To make up for the Switch's docked mode lacking a touchscreen, any player can press the R button to bring up a cursor and use the gyroscope to use touchscreen functions.
* AquaticMook: Rammerheads are sharks whose heads resemble spiked rollers, and typically swim in a circle pattern in underwater grottos like those of the level [[MookThemedLevel Rammerhead Reef]] in World 7 and Pipeline Boom Lagoon in World Flower; however, one Rammerhead can also be seen swimming in the surrounding outdoors lake of Captain Toad Makes a Splash.
* ArcSymbol: Cats and bells. The Super Bell is the game's main power-up, there are cat-themed enemies, many pieces of the level geometry are shaped like bells, and entire levels devoted to the Super Bell mechanic.
* ArtEvolution:
** This game uses more of the ''Galaxy'' games' graphical aesthetics than ''3D Land'' did. In comparison to the rest of the series, Peach's standard design is made fairly different in this game - to be shorter and stouter (by way of a poofier dress) than usual, with a bigger head relative to her body - in order to work/look better in regular gameplay, especially relative to the other characters (as Peach is normally very tall and skinny even when compared to Luigi). Likewise, Toad is slightly taller and thicker (though not much). Rosalina is shorter than she usually is, being the same height as Peach in this game instead of being OneHeadTaller as she is normally, and like Peach, she's a little stouter as well. Their proportions change even ''more'' when the player uses the Cat Suit with them.
** Fizzlits return from ''Galaxy 2'', but are now square, anchored to the ground, and melt into much smaller square puddles with their faces on top of the surface.
* ArtifactTitle:
** The "3D" in the title refers to it being a sequel to ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'', despite this game not being in actual stereoscopic 3D. Only its predecessor had [[Platform/Nintendo3DS such visuals]].
** In the Switch version, World 2-2, Puffprod Peaks, has had half of its name rendered as this. The course's main features are platforms that move by blowing into the microphone or touching them with the touch screen. While the touch screen element is retained, the Switch's lack of a built-in microphone forced the replacement of the microphone platforms with normal moving platforms, meaning there is no longer any "puffing" involved. Averted in the Japanese versions, which had the course's name change from "Touch! Blow! Drawer Mountain Range" to simply "Touch! Drawer Mountain Range".
* AsteroidsMonster: The Motley Bossblob is a gelatine surrounding a Koopa jester, which splits into many blobs when hurt.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: The World 3 boss, Hisstocrat, has a very large X-shaped bandage on top of its head, letting you know where you need to hit it.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: The Mega Mushroom from the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' games returns.
* BackgroundMusicOverride: When you rescue the last Sprixie Princess (located in penultimate world), Bowser reappears into scene to kidnap her ''and'' the other Sprixie Princesses. During this scene, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSW92unoJR4 a tense track]] plays, and keeps playing during the results screen (which is usually muted) as well as on the playable world map (which, in that case, should be playing the World 7 theme). Only when Mario and his friends travel upward through a Clear Pipe to reach the final standard world, will the tense track stop playing.
* BaitAndSwitch: Just when you think you've saved the Princesses, [[spoiler:Bowser [[BreakingTheFourthWall shoves aside the end-of-level wipe]], kidnaps them again, and uses them to power up his amusement park, World Bowser]].
* BalancePowerSkillGimmick: Mario is the balance, Luigi jumps the highest, Toad is the fastest (but the lowest jumper), and Peach can float. Rosalina is different than all four in that she's the slowest, but has the quickest sprint, matches Luigi's jumps and can use the Spin Attack.
* BattleInTheRain: The first half of the final battle.
* BattleThemeMusic: The game brings back the battle themes of ''Super Mario 3D Land'' for Boom Boom and Pom Pom and, due to adding more bosses to the mix, also has a larger selection of boss music. The Hisstocrats have a jazz-styled theme for themselves, Prince Bully borrows the enemy blockade music (as he's fought in a blockade-type level) and the remaining regular bosses share a general orchestrated theme. Bowser now relies on AutobotsRockOut for his two themes, instead of reusing his ''3D Land'' tracks.
* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: [[spoiler:A villainous example. For the first time ever in the main ''Super Mario'' series, Bowser uses powerups against Mario in the final battle, namely the Super Bell and a few Double Cherry]].
* BigBand: A jazz-sounding [[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/interview/ardj/vol1/movie.html#movie022?type=iframe&width=640&height=400&opacity=0.5 soundtrack]] done in this style.
* BigBoosHaunt: A number of levels appear in this archetype, usually denoted by their world map diorama being a Ghost House. The first of such is Shifty Boo Mansion in World 3, which even takes place in front of a graveyard. Later levels include Captain Toad Plays Peek-a-Boo (where Captain Toad has to avoid the ghostly Peepas and a Big Boo), Spooky Seasick Wreck (which overlaps with GhostShip) and A Beam in the Dark (where the characters can use a Light Box to defeat Peepas and Boos).
* BigCreepyCrawlies: In addition to bringing back Stingbies (bees) and the ladybug-like Biddybuds from ''3D Land'', the game introduces the Ant Troopers. They come in two varieties: The standard species which simply walks around a solid body of ground, and a variant with a spiny helmet that protects them from GoombaStomp attacks.
* BigNo: One of Rosalina's death screams is this.
* BlackoutBasement:
** Switchblack Ruins is a dark underground level whose rooms and passageways can be lit by igniting the stone torches with the fireballs from the Fire Flower.
** A Beam in the Dark is a Ghost House level where Mario and his friends can light their way with the help of Light Boxes.
* BlendingInStealthGameplay: Any level that features a Goomba Hat is essentially this; if the player character is wearing it, enemies will assume they're just a Goomba and ignore them.
* BonusLevel: The golden Bowser train level, accessible when you reach World 5, has no enemies. Instead, it boasts several hundred coins and ends with the slot machine minigame that spawns on the overworld.
* BoringButPractical: Clear Warp Pipes don't seem like much, but they let you travel to far off locations and sometimes have collectibles like coins, green stars, and stamps.
* BorrowedCatchphrase: Everyone starts a regular level with "Let's(-a) go!".
* BossArenaIdiocy: Bowser, ''why'' would you [[spoiler:have a giant [[SmartBomb POW Block]] on the top of your tower]]? Furthermore, why would you [[spoiler:'''stand on it'''?]]
* BossOnlyLevel: A Banquet With Hisstocrat and Motley Bossblob's Big Battle, as well as their respective followups in World 8. They're all represented in the overworld areas as UFO-like flying tent circuses.
* BossRush: [[spoiler:The Boss Blitz level]], located at the end of World Flower. Every boss except Prince Bully (who's a MiniBoss) and both Bowser forms will challenge Mario and his friends here. ''Six boss fights in [[TimedMission 500 seconds]].''
* BreakingOldTrends: This is the first mainline ''Mario'' game where Peach appears but isn't kidnapped at any point since ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''.
* BreakoutCharacter: Captain Toad, who got [[VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker his own spin-off game.]]
* BrutalBonusLevel: [[spoiler:World Crown (unlocked from collecting every green star, stamp, and golden flag in the game) has some of the most brutal stages in a ''Mario'' game. The Mystery House Marathon has '''30''' Green Stars with no checkpoints. And then there's Champion's Road. It has to be one of the most difficult stages in a Mario game. Only players at the top of their game will be able to complete this true final challenge.]]
* BubblegloopSwamp: Piranha Creeper Creek, Deep Jungle Drift, and the their respective remixed forms Piranha Creeper Creek After Dark and Deep-Black Jungle Drift. They are set in a murky swamp, complete with toxic purple water that causes instant death upon contact and moving wooden platforms. There's also the level Gargantuan Grotto, a swampy cavern whose waters are pristine and safe to swim, and has a large number of Mega Mushrooms that enlarge the size of Mario and his friends.
* ByWallThatIsHoley: This is actually the basis for an entire {{Mook|s}} type. You have to maneuver into its safe zone and then AttackItsWeakPoint by {{Goomba Stomp}}ing its exposed back.
* CallBack: The game is basically one big reference to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'': It takes place in a parallel world to the Mushroom Kingdom (Subcon/the Sprixie Kingdom), populated by [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fairy-like beings]] (Subcons/Sprixies) that are captured by the main villain and sealed inside a jar by a cork, and the main playable cast is made up by Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad, all reusing their attributes from ''[=SMB2=]'' as well.
* CartoonBomb:
** Along with the standard bombs, some are textured to look like soccer balls. That alone provides a hint on how to handle them.
** In this game, if you knock out a Bob-omb, they'll lose their eyes, feet, and key, causing them to resemble a more traditional cartoon bomb. This also happens in the ''3D World'' game style in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2''.
* CasinoPark: The level "Rainbow Run" is set within a giant casino.
* CatGirl: Princess Peach and Rosalina with the Cat Bell powerup.
* CatsAreMean: With the game possessing an all-around cat theme, the cat-based enemies found include Cat Goombas, Cat Bullet Bills, Cat Banzai Bills and the final boss[[spoiler:, Meowser, the OneWingedAngel form of Bowser]].
* CatharsisFactor: Invoked in the final Captain Toad level, which ends with you killing the Fire Piranha Plant that has been harassing you for the duration of the level.
* CaveBehindTheFalls: The way to a Green Star in Plessie's Plunging Falls.
* CheatedAngle: Whenever a character jumps, the hand that goes into the air during their jumping pose will usually be whichever's furthest from the camera. This is a reference to the AmbidextrousSprite of the pose from the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 original game]], since it's [[CheatedAngle the more recognizable angle of the pose]]. This also occurred in the [[VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand previous game]].
* CheckpointStarvation: The final two levels of the game (Champion's Road and Mystery House Marathon) both revolve around this mechanic; they are both very long and have no checkpoints at all.[[note]]the remaining level in World Crown has none either, but that's for being a Captain Toad minigame to begin with.[[/note]] The former is a brutal six-part MarathonLevel, while the latter is ''another'' Marathon Level consisting of thirty ten second challenges in a row. Neither of them have checkpoints anywhere. Most levels from the Mushroom and Flower worlds, including the difficult BossRush level, are devoid of checkpoints as well.
* ChekhovsGun: POW Blocks make minor appearances and aren't required to beat any one level. [[spoiler:However, they're pivotal in the final battle.]]
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: The Blue capped bespectacled Toad of the Toad Brigade doesn't appear so as to avoid confusion with the playable Toad character who wears blue for ColorCodedMultiplayer.[[note]](He does in fact appear in the Switch port, as player 2's character in the Captain Toad levels.)[[/note]]
* CirclingBirdies: Stunned enemies and defeated minibosses on the map have stars orbiting around them.
* CircusEpisode: The game uses circus imagery rather prominently. For example, major bosses are fought in circus tents, most of the soundtrack is comprised of big brass band music, and instead of the usual LethalLavaLand, Bowser makes his home in an AmusementParkOfDoom.
* CircusOfFear: The map of World 8 (also an example of AmusementParkOfDoom) and the levels Switch Scramble Circus, Tricky Trapeze Theater, The Great Tower of Bowser Land, Switch Shock Circus, and the {{Boss Only Level}}s where Hisstocrat, his wife and Motley Bossblob are fought.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer:
** In the ''Luigi Bros.'' minigame, player 1 is Luigi in his modern palette (green hat/shirt and blue overalls), and player 2 is Luigi in the same palette originally used in ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' (white hat/shirt and green overalls).
** Crosses over with ColorCodedCharacters: Mario - Red, Luigi - Green, Peach - Pink, Toad - Blue, Rosalina - Cyan.
** Mario tends to get 'default' colored power-ups (the colors from the 3D Land powerups are kept for his colors) as often as he gets red ones, such as retaining a Blue Boomerang Suit, though his boomerang became red, giving the original blue one to Toad. This results in ChromaticArrangement regarding the Cat Suit - Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad and Rosalina are Yellow, Green, Pink (Red), Blue and Black, respectively.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: The Seven Sprixie Princesses are actually colored by what the environment in their world looks like.
** Green - Green grassy world.
** Yellow - Yellow sandy desert.
** Blue - Bluish snowy land.
** Orange - Orangish mountain/canyon.
** Purple - Purplish beach-like land.
** Cyan - Light blue clouds.
** Red - Reddish lava world.
** [[spoiler:And the world where all of them are (re-)captured, as they're held in an amusement park with neon lights of all colors. In other words, a ''rainbow'' world]].
* CompetitiveBalance:
** '''Mario''': [[JackOfAllStats The average of the bunch.]]
** '''Luigi''': Can jump the highest in addition to being good all around, but has poor traction.
** '''Peach''': The ability to float lets her recover easily, but she's slightly slower than Mario and Luigi.
** '''Toad''': The fastest of them all, but he falls the fastest and has the shortest jump.
** '''Rosalina''': Slower than Peach without her ability to float, but jumps almost as high as Luigi and also has a spin attack to use against enemies and as a small double jump. However, collecting any power-up disables the spin attack.
** '''Captain Toad''': [[MasterOfNone Has average speed and cannot jump.]]
* ConsolationPrize: If you fail to get any matching symbols in the slot machine minigame, you'll earn 10 coins for your trouble.
* ContinuityNod:
** In the opening scene, Peach's Castle and the grassland area around it look directly ripped from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', and ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU''. Even the colorful spotty hills look the same!
** When you defeat Bowser in his new car in the World 1 and 7 boss battles, [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 the bridge collapses below him]].
** The [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Comet Observatory]] can be seen hidden far back in the background of the full version of the box art (as seen on the page image). This was a hint to Rosalina being playable in the game. Not only that, but [[spoiler:the final world in the game, World Crown, has the Comet Observatory theme from the first ''Super Mario Galaxy'' game.]]
* ControllableHelplessness: Even through it's established Captain Toad cannot jump due to his heavy backpack, you can still have him try, as pressing jump makes him attempt to hop despite staying grounded.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: A Mario staple, this game has some stand-out examples, such as going through a clear pipe that goes under lava, and rising lava that doesn't kill you until it's ankle-deep.
* CoolCar: Bowser has [[http://th09.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2013/275/5/2/bowser_artwork___super_mario_3d_world_by_drybowjap-d6ozh3b.png an enormous spike-covered purple wagon]] that looks like a mix between a classic convertible and a HummerDinger, using it to try and run over Mario and friends. He later uses a second version covered in TronLines. He's so proud of it that he even introduces it with gestures that seem to say "Check out the new wheels, chumps!"
* CoolCrown: Whoever gets the highest score in a level will start the next level wearing a crown. Finishing a level while wearing this crown will reward the player additional points, but other players can steal this crown.
* CoolTrain:
** Bowser has a fleet of them with large Bullet Bills making up the locomotive cars.
** The gold train found in World 5, which contains a slot machine minigame at the end.
* CoOpMultiplayer: Notably the first time it's fully implemented in a 3D Mario title, especially after it was attempted at both the [[invoked]]{{vaporware}} direct sequel to ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' and the Platform/NintendoDS [[VideoGameRemake remake]]. The Switch rerelease adds online multiplayer, though for one player's game at a time.
* CrateExpectations: Wooden crates with a diagonal boards are present in this game. Crates tend to contain things like coins and sometimes collectibles.
* CutscenePowerToTheMax: If [[spoiler:Meowser]] was even half as aggressive during gameplay as he is during the cutscene introducing him, he would be impossible to beat.
* {{Cumulonemesis}}: The Ty-Foos, which are giant mean-looking clouds that blow strong gusts of wind at Mario and his allies to throw them off narrow paths.
* DamnYouMuscleMemory:
** Like ''Super Mario 3D Land'', the Flip-Swap Platforms flip whenever someone jumps. This gets really confusing with Rosalina, since in ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'', they flipped whenever Mario used the Star Spin, but they don't in this game.
** If you're the type of Mario gamer who holds the dash button as much as possible, you might want to hold off pressing it when you're in the Cat Suit at some times, as holding Y in the air while in the suit will make you pounce diagonally, which may throw you off somewhat.
** The normal roll maneuver is ''NOT'' an attack unless you're in either the Cat Suit (which lets you slide with claws out) or Tanooki Suit (which lets you spin attack with your tail). Keep in mind what power-up you have before attempting to ram enemies with dash attacks.
** Anyone familiar with the modern Mario games will most likely wall-kick on instinct whenever falling down a pit, grazing the wall. It pays to unlearn this when in the Cat Suit as in most circumstances, it'll benefit you more to climb up the wall rather than kick off of it.
** A retroactive one if you have played ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker'' before, in "Captain Toad Plays Peek-a-Boo", don't expect to kill Boos with Captain Toad's headlamp. The Nintendo Switch version changes this so that the Boos are killed, but only red Toad (assigned to P1) has a headlamp.
** The Nintendo Switch rerelease changed how holding and throwing items work: previously, when you run into an item, you held it as long as you held the run button and throw it when you let go. Now, the item is held automatically and you have to press the run button again to throw.
** The Switch version also adds the dive maneuver from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', which you can perform anytime... unless you're wearing either a Tanooki Suit or a Lucky Cat Suit, in which the dive is impossible to perform as attempting such will instead cause you to either do a tail attack or turn into a statue, respectively, both of which will cause you to plummet straight down. Coupled with the fact that the normal Cat Suit, which you ''can'' perform the dive in, is almost indistinguishable from the Lucky Cat Suit apart from the collar, there can be potential for disaster.
* DamselInDistress: The Sprixie Princesses display this trope, as this time Bowser went to kidnap them in the Sprixie Kingdom instead of Princess Peach in the Mushroom Kingdom.
* DarkActionGirl: There are two female bosses, Pom Pom and [[spoiler:the Hisstocrat queen]], making this the only non-RPG Mario game (till ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'') to have more than one female boss.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: There is no penalty whatsoever for dying in ''3D World''. Even a GameOver is a total non-issue, in fact, it's actually an advantage, as the Lucky Houses and Toad Houses all re-open upon continuing.
* DeathMountain: The map of World 4 and the levels Puffprod Peaks and Ant Trooper Hill.
* DegradedBoss: Boss Brolder the second time you meet him. Instead of an end-of-world boss, now he's part of a blockade, with regular blockade music, and the blockade isn't even named after him; it's named after Brolders in general. This is also the case with Pom Pom and Motley Bossblob (who serve as {{Mini Boss}}es) in the way leading to Bowser's final fight.
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Shiftier Boo Mansion (World Flower-6) is desaturated to the point of resembling this. Some of the original colors are still recognizable, but only barely.
* DemotedToExtra: While Captain Toad becomes a playable character in this game, the rest of Captain Toad's brigade (including [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros Yellow Toad]]) now pass out items in the Toad Houses. Blue Toad however is nowhere to be seen, most likely as a result of the main Toad borrowing his appearance to prevent confusion.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment:
** The seventh world is named World Castle. It too has a castle at the end of it, named World Castle-Castle [[note]]Though the "level" castle is a bit smaller, so it could be expressed as World Castle-Keep[[/note]].
** There's also [[spoiler:World Crown-Crown.]]
** "[[BuffySpeak Spiky]] Spike Bridge".
* DevelopersForesight:
** Only the Sprixie Princesses that you've rescued in total [[spoiler:will show up in Bowser's Lava Lake Keep to help rescue the 7th Sprixie Princess.]] Normally, this would be 6, but it's possible to skip 2 castles (and thus, not rescue the Sprixie Princesses there) by taking warp pipes hidden in certain levels. [[spoiler:And since you can still defeat Bowser for the final time with only those five Sprixie Princesses rescued, this essentially means that at least two of them can be left to rot in the game's ending]].
** In World Castle-5, [[spoiler:collecting the top most key coin will trigger the poison cloud trap regardless of whether you've collected it last or not. Bad news for those who tried to be clever and skip a few coins so as to not collect the top most coin last. Also, if you wait outside of the tower before going into the unlocked warp box, the poison cloud will pause for a bit before it flows into the lava, causing said lava to rise and kill you if you don't get inside the warp box in time]].
** The World Map takes into account where the player is at the moment and loads the correct area and music as needed, even if the player uses glitches and exploits to get there via abnormal means, even correcting the player's position back onto ground level should they happen to "clip" through the floor through this method (but only if you hadn't opened a menu to save and quit, for example). The World Map is also programmed to warp the player using a bubble should they happen to fall while the camera's fixed onto the area.
** Some levels required you to blow into the mic on the Wii U Gamepad to use certain interactive objects (e.g the Propeller Lifts in Puffprod Peaks.) Since the Nintendo Switch doesn't have a mic, all examples of the aforementioned objects are replaced with ones that move across a set path in the Switch port.
* DifficultButAwesome:
** The Spin Jump can get you out of a bind real fast in some situations, as it's the highest jump in your arsenal that only requires minimal footing, plus the spinning gives you extra hang time to gauge a landing. But since it requires you to rotate in place before taking off, it's hard to position yourself for the jump in addition to jumping in the direction you actually want to go.
** An officially-recognized one is Toad, being dubbed by the devs as an advanced speedrun character.
* DiscOneFinalDungeon: [[spoiler:World Castle looks a lot like it could be TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, and the castle at the end even looks almost identical to the final castles seen in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' and the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' games. Then Bowser re-kidnaps the Sprixie Princesses and uses them to form one more Clear Pipe that leads to World Bowser, which surprisingly manages to look even ''more'' final dungeony.]]
* DistaffCounterpart:
** Boom-Boom and Pom-Pom return from ''3D Land''.
** In addition, Hisstocrat has one; his queen. Unlike the king, she [[IncendiaryExponent spits fireballs]].
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Unlike the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' installments with multiplayer throughout the adventure, everyone in this game has their own unique abilities. Peach is slow and can float, Mario and Luigi are the same speed but Luigi jumps higher and falls slower, while Toad's the fastest but also falls the fastest. Rosalina is slower than even Peach but makes up for it with the spin attack from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', which serves as both an attack and a small double jump. Collecting a power-up disables the spin attack.
* DoubleJump: Rosalina's spin attack becomes this when she uses it in the air.
* DoubleUnlock: To unlock [[spoiler:World Crown (the last bonus world)]], it's not enough to complete its preceding world (World Flower); you also have to collect all the Green Stars and stamps and touch the top of the flagpole in every level.
* TheDragon: Motley Bossblob is this to Bowser in this game, being who you fight right before entering [[spoiler:World Castle]], one of the two bosses guarding [[spoiler:The Great Tower of Bowser Land]], and the last boss fought in [[spoiler:[[BossRush Boss Blitz]]]].
* DressingAsTheEnemy: There's an item that disguises the character as a Goomba, preventing enemies from attacking you. Said disguise [[PaperThinDisguise leaves the character's legs exposed]].
* DropInDropOutMultiplayer: Any player can drop in immediately at any point of the game as well as drop out on any point.
* DualBoss: [[spoiler:King and Queen Hisstocrat]] in the middle Warp Box of the [[spoiler:Boss Blitz]] level.
* DubInducedPlothole: In order to avert this trope, the "Round Goombas" or "Kuribons" from Super Mario World had their names {{Retcon}}ned to "Galoombas" just so that one can distinguish between them and their much more common mushroom-shaped counterparts who also appear in this game.
* DungeonBypass: In many levels, it's possible to run on top of Clear Warp Pipes, which also allows you to avoid being hit by any obstacles that are lurking in there.
* DynamicLoading: The game has a plain red backdrop appear on screen when you start a level as it shows the level name and characters each player uses. You can use this time to switch characters before the level loads completely and starts the game.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:E-G]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In regard to the Captain Toad gameplay. In this game, he can't defeat ghosts with his headlamp like he could as an NPC in ''Galaxy'' or like the other characters can in this game with a Light Box, but he can in ''Treasure Tracker''. In fact, it's one of his few tactical advantages. This is rectified in the Switch port, where the headlamp functions exactly as it did in ''Treasure Tracker''.
* EasterEgg:
** Like ''VideoGame/NewSuperLuigiU'' before it, this game has hidden 8-bit Luigis scattered all over the game. Unlike ''Luigi U'', they range from waiting for a specific amount time, hiding in some out of the way spaces, or even {{Freeze Frame Bonus}}es [[spoiler:There's even one hiding in the instruction manual.]]
** The [[spoiler:rocket ship that takes you to the bonus worlds after you beat the game]] will show up in the background at the beginning of World 1-1 after you've unlocked it.
* EasyLevelTrick: [[spoiler:[[BrutalBonusLevel Champion's Road]] can be made significantly easier by bringing in a Tanooki Suit from another level.]]
* EatingTheEnemy: The game introduces the Potted Piranha Plant which characters can pick up and use to eat other enemies, including ones that can't be beaten normally like Fuzzies. They can even eat [[ImAHumanitarian other Piranha Plants.]]
* {{Egopolis}}: [[spoiler:World Bowser]] is this.
* EmbeddedPrecursor: The title screen lets you access a slightly tweaked Platform/{{N|intendoEntertainmentSystem}}ES version of ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' called ''Luigi Bros.'', done in celebration of Advertising/TheYearOfLuigi, [[UnlockableContent unlocked via]] completing the game or [[OldSaveBonus already having a]] ''VideoGame/NewSuperLuigiU'' save file[[note]](Wii U version only; the Switch port does not take ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe'' into account.)[[/note]]. Now Luigi is both Player 1 ''and'' 2, with the second player being the original palette.
* EverythingsBetterWithBunnies: A few levels have rabbits that the characters can catch for certain goodies. Mount Must Dash's Miiverse stamp is also a rabbit.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: [[spoiler:World Bowser-Castle]], home of the final boss, is aptly named [[spoiler:"The Great Tower Of Bowser Land"]].
* FairyInABottle: How Bowser captures the Sprixie Princesses. He's clearly been playing too much ''Zelda''. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, ''he'' ends up in a bottle.]]
* FakeLongevity: Want to get all five stars and get OneHundredPercentCompletion? Be prepared to take a '''very''' long time. Eventually, you will have to complete EVERY stage in EVERY world with all FIVE characters (including [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Rosalina]], who isn't unlocked until after you've completed the second level of World Star, which makes the game's longevity even more fake). At least this can be alleviated if you play with friends, or cheat using multiple controllers: you only have to [[ExactWords COMPLETE all stages]], not go through them entirely.
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: All of the bosses disappear in a flash of light upon defeat, but Motley Bossblob lies sprawled on his back, looking truly ''dead'' when he dissolves into light. His star-shaped pupils and tongue sticking out don't help.
* FarEast: Invoked. According to an Iwata Asks article, Hands-On Hall was intended as what the devs felt foreigners see their homeland as; a mishmash of Japan and China. [[SelfDeprecation For that level, they stereotyped their own country.]]
* FloatingContinent: Almost every level is comprised of floating landmasses, sand, and stones, among other materials.
* FloatingWater: Shows up in a couple levels, and even moves. [[RuleOfFun Not even justified.]]
* ForciblyFormedPhysique: The Prince Bully fight has this happen to Prince Bully himself whenever you push him into a pipe. He's shot out another pipe compressed into a helpless small cylinder.
* ForestOfPerpetualAutumn: World 3-7, Switchboard Falls, takes place in the autumn, where the trees have orange leaves, leaves are falling in the sky, and there are waterfalls.
* FriendlyFireproof: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagged]]:
** With players: Fireballs won't hurt other players, but projectiles from the Cannon Box can. When carried, the Piranha Plant will attack other players, knocking them over but otherwise leaving them unharmed.
** On the other side, Hammer, Boomerang, and Fire Brothers can accidentally knock each other out.
* FuumaShuriken: Pom Pom throws these. The color of the shuriken determines who is the real Pom-Pom from her shadow clones.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Throughout the game, you'll often and briefly see 8-bit Luigis hiding in the scenery.
* FutileHandReach: Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad all do this when Bowser kidnaps the Sprixie Princesses.
* GameOverMan: Your character (Or multiple in multiplayer) fall into the GameOver screen with a disappointed or anguished expression. Choosing 'continue' makes them enthusiastically jump up and run off the screen to continue their quest.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: The [[spoiler:rocket ship that takes you to the bonus worlds after you beat the game]] will show up in the background at the beginning of World 1-1 after you've unlocked it.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
** Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach will all be shown in the opening cutscene, no matter how many players are actually present.
** In the credits, [[spoiler:the same four characters are shown wearing cat suits, even if you completed the final level without one.]]
* GangplankGalleon: Spooky Seasick Wreck is an old pirate ship, so naturally the place is crawling with Boos making it a BigBoosHaunt as well.
* GetBackHereBoss: Invoked by Bowser in the battles where he drives his car. He actually dares the player characters to follow him so that he can attack them with soccer bombs and his flame breath.
* GhostlyGlide: Averted with Rosalina, who normally floats off the ground normally. In this game, she runs like everyone else
* GimmickLevel: Several, such as [[TemporaryPlatform Beep Block Skyway]] and [[SceneryAsYouGo Footlight Lane]], which show hazards and elements unique to them. The game also has the Captain Toad stages where you have to guide Captain Toad through a diorama-like stage as he collect stars, and the Mystery House challenges where you have to complete several successive minigames based on a particular topic (like an A-to-B RacingMinigame or a MultiMookMelee).
* GoldMakesEverythingShiny: The golden Bowser train level is made up of nothing but gold and gold coins.
* GravityIsAHarshMistress: After beating Bowser in the first and penultimate battles with him, the bridge gives way along with his car. It takes a couple seconds of Bowser hanging in midair and flailing comically before gravity takes him as well.
* GreenHillZone: The map of World 1, in the vein of the 2D ''Mario'' games since ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''. Individual levels set in this theme include Super Bell Hill, Really Rolling Hills, Spawling Savanna the bonus level Super Block Land. These levels have hills that can be climbed with the cat powers of the Super Bell.
* GuideDangIt: If you haven't figured out the [=GamePad=]'s secret-revealing capabilities, you'll never figure out how to complete Shiftier Boo Mansion. Toward the end of the level, there's an outdoor section with a Warp Box at the end. Going through it will just send you back to the beginning of that section. Using the touchscreen or microphone will reveal a path of clouds leading under the bridge to where the real Warp Box is.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:H-M]]
* HailfirePeaks:
** "World 6-2: Spooky Seasick Wreck" and its remake "World [[UnusualChapterNumbers Mushroom]]-6: Gigantic Seasick Wreck" are {{Ship Level}}s that mix BigBoosHaunt with GangplankGalleon. The latter level has GustyGlade touches due to Ty-Foos hindering your progress, unless you take them out with the [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Mega Mushroom]].
** "World 6-5: Ty-foo Flurries" is a mix of SlippySlideyIceWorld, GustyGlade and MookThemedLevel, since this level introduces the Ty-Foos.
** "World Star-6: Honeycomb Starway" is a SpaceZone that turns into this. It's an AutoScrollingLevel consisting of hexagon platforms appearing at the top of the screen as the level scrolls. Eventually, the level starts sending in instant-death [[LethalLavaLand lava]] hexagons and [[SlippySlideyIceWorld slippy-slidey]] ice hexagons (next to each other, of course), accompanied by fire-spitting Piranha Plants keeping you constantly on the move. Its remake level, "World Flower-10: Honeycomb Skyway" is also this, adding in fire bars that can take away your power-ups, but it's a LevelInTheClouds.
** "World Star-8: Peepa's Fog Bog" combines BigBoosHaunt with SlippySlideyIceWorld and a small dose of BubblegloopSwamp.
** "World Star-9: Cosmic Cannon Cluster" leans more towards the intersection of SpaceZone and RemilitarizedZone, but also has a few UnderTheSea touches where Mario has to use a Cannon Box to make his way through the level.
* HappyCircusMusic: The level [[https://youtu.be/DekKId4f-Yk Switch Scramble Circus]] has a very fun, bouncy orchestral theme.
* HardModeFiller: [[spoiler:Worlds Mushroom and Flower]] are composed of previous levels with gimmicks thrown in.
* HeartbeatSoundtrack: Get near [[spoiler:Champion's Road on World Crown's map]]. You'll know you have quite a challenge waiting when you hear the heartbeats.
* HelpfulMook:
** There are sleeping Piranha Plants in pots that will eat any enemies the player comes across when carried, but they become hostile once the player drops them.
** Some enemies are living trampolines that turn into actual trampolines when attacked, which you can use to jump to higher areas.
** The rats will do damage if you collide with them, but they also demonstrate how some obstacles work.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Captain Toad has his own levels, with unique mechanics, and drives the Golden Space Train. He's also got [[VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker his own game]] which ends up [[spoiler:tying into this one!]]
* HighTechHexagons: The levels Honeycomb Starway and Honeycomb Skyway, where the ground is formed by floating metallic hexagons that automatically attach to each other, which is made even more high-tech with TronLines-like hexagonal sparkles.
* HollywoodDarkness: Played straight in some caves and night levels, averted for some others.
* HubLevel: In a vast departure from ''[[VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand 3D Land]]''[='=]s map system, this game's world map is closer to those from games like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', complete with branching paths leading from level to level and world to world. However, Mario and his friends have complete freedom of movement and can even jump around the area, essentially making it a smaller-scale reinterpretation of the freer Hub Levels of the pre-''3D Land'' 3D games.
* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: The level Bullet Bill Base in World 6 has conveyor belts in the walls instead of the floors. They're designed so Mario and his friends can climb them with the Super Bell powerup. Conveyor Belts also appear in the level Captain Toad Gets Thwomped, where they're more difficult to deal with because Captain Toad himself is slower and can't jump.
* InfiniteOneUps: One trick can be done as early as ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNS_ReydxjY the second level of the game]]'', just like in its predecessor.
* InterfaceSpoiler:
** The Sprixie Kingdom map shows that there are at least [[spoiler:five]] worlds that you will travel to.
** If you zoom out and move the camera around you, you can see the next worlds that you will travel to.
** The red level list reveals the amount of levels that are in the worlds you haven't completed yet.
** You can also see the silhouettes of the stamps that you haven't unlocked yet and some of them are easy to tell what they are.
** Probably the worst one comes from the Miiverse features. It's probably best to have those off if you want a spoiler-free run.
*** Many posts reveal that there are stamps of Rosalina, and if that doesn't convince you, there's a stamp of her in a cat suit.
*** Playing against the Ghost Miis can accidentally spoil the game when you see one of them doing the spin attack from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', which reveals that it could either be a new power-up later on in the game or that Rosalina is possibly a playable character.
*** [[spoiler:Meowser, the final boss, is a stamp.]] They really should've auto-spoilered that one.
* InvincibleMinorMinion: The Big Ant Troopers can't be killed by jumps, ground pounds, or projectile attacks. Fortunately, they are only found in places where their invincibility is vital for when you need to pounce on them and get to various platforms.
* {{Invisibility}}: Boom Boom becomes invisible during his RetaliationMode after being hit for the second time, and again when he's preparing his next attack. He brings back this ability (and executes it the same way) in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2''.
* IShallTauntYou: Some enemies, like Spinies, Boos, and Para-Dry Bones laugh and cheer if they contact damage you.
* JackOfAllStats: Mario is the most rounded playable character in the game, as he has no major advantages or weaknesses in comparison to the other playable characters, mirroring the case of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''.
* JigglePhysics: Peach's and Rosalina's skirt.
* JumpedAtTheCall: Peach is the first one to enter the pipe and go after Bowser and save the Sprixie Princesses.
* KaizoTrap:
** Certain BigBoosHaunt levels will put fake flagpoles made of Boos at certain points, which can be dangerous if you have a bunch of Boos nipping at your heels and expect them to be defeated by the automatic enemy-killer activated by goals.
** [[spoiler:Running out of time by messing up the Clear Pipes at the end of Champion's Road.]]
* KingMook: Prince Bully (which represents Bullies), Boss Brolder (which represents the round rock Brolders) and King Ka-Thunk (which uniquely represents a ''non-living hazard'', namely the Ka-Thunks).
* {{Kishotenketsu}}: Designer Koichi Hayashida used this formula to guide [[https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/168460/the_structure_of_fun_learning_.php his design philosophy]] in this game. Many levels have the same structure: a new mechanic is introduced in a safe environment (''ki''), then the stakes are raised for the player (''sho''), an unexpected complication occurs (''ten''), and finally, all of the previous ideas are brought together for the home run to the finish pole (''ketsu'').
* KungFuProofMook: The Octooombas, which could be stomped upon in their first two appearances, will only bounce you off if you jump on them here, and no power-up or other attack will hurt them. To defeat them, you have to ground pound them.
* LaserGuidedKarma: During the end credits, [[spoiler:Bowser has been trapped in a bottle.]]
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Rosalina is supposedly a {{secret character}}. Despite this, various media for ''Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U'', including Rosalina's character page and the Super Smash Sale's [[http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/09/nintendo_confirms_details_of_its_super_smashing_eshop_sale first sale]] mention ''3D World'' exclusively as a Rosalina-centric game, rather than sorting it with the other Mario characters. In addition, [[spoiler:she appears in her cat form alongside the other player characters]] on the official soundtrack's cover art. In fact, the fact that she's unlockable was first revealed in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgjUiL6sKe4 a trailer]] Nintendo put out before the game was even released anywhere in the world. The game wasn't even out and Nintendo didn't even consider it a spoiler.
* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: Being the thirteenth console platform game in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series, this is the first core game since ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', itself an OddballInTheSeries, where Princess Peach is not a DamselInDistress but rather a playable character. The Sprixie Princesses take her usual place as the ones to be rescued. The same game also promotes Rosalina and Captain Toad to playable characters, who were non-playable in previous games and still in need of Mario's help despite not being kidnapped. In terms of gameplay, it also follows the style of ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'', with both games following the format of the 2D ''Mario'' games rather than the more sandbox-design of other 3D entries: that is, making the main objective of each stage not about collecting stars, but simply reaching the flagpole at the end. That said, collecting star coins/stars is still required to progress. In terms of narrative, there are no spoken dialogues, with the communication between characters limited to gestures and expressions.
* LeaningTowerOfMooks: Some Fire Bros. stand at the top of ''very'' large Goomba Towers, forcing Mario and his friends to dispatch the Goombas in order to deal with the fire shooters.
* {{Leitmotif}}:
** The Sprixie Princesses, Bowser, and Captain Toad all have unique themes associated with them, and they're remixed several times throughout the game.
** Plessie is associated with the Slider theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''.
** The Mystery Challenge theme is from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', and the Mega Mushroom reuses its theme from ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros''.
** The death theme is rearranged from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.
** The character select theme ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' is rearranged for the slot machine minigames and the gold warp pipes.
** Although the standard victory theme is new, the boss victory theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' returns, fully orchestrated.
* LethalLavaLand: The World Castle (World 7) map and the majority of its levels, including the second Brolder Blockade (where the second battle with Boss Brolder takes place). Also included are World 2's Big Galoomba Blockade, World 4's Brolder Blockade and Lava Rock Lair (the first battle with Boss Brolder), World 5's Backstreet Bustle and Fire Bros. Hideout #2, World Bowser/8's Grumblump Inferno, World Mushroom's Broken Blue Bully Belt (a harder version of World Castle's Boiling Blue Bully Belt) and World Flower's Faster Fort Fire Bros. (a harder version of World Castle's Fort Fire Bros.) and Boss Blitz (during the final Boss Brolder fight). Notably, some levels have ''blue'' lava instead of red.
* LevelAte: Pretty Plaza Panic, Cakewalk Flip and Cookie Cogworks. Averted with Double Cherry Pass, which ''looks'' like it was made of edible cake but it's actually a grassland level with the colors of a cake.
* LevelInTheClouds: The entire map of World 6 and the levels Clear Pipe Cruise (World 6-1), Pretty Plaza Panic (World 3-4), The Great Goal Pole (World Star-4) and Honeycomb Skyway (World Flower-10) are all sky-themed. In addition to cloud platforms, there are Donut Blocks and Clear Pipes required to travel across the sections of the sky. The latter two levels have strict time limits, so Mario and his friends have to move quickly through the clouds and floating platforms.
* LightEmUp: The Light Box can be used to defeat ghosts.
* LocomotiveLevel: The Bullet Bill Express and The Bowser Express. The Golden Express is a BonusStage version.
* LongSongShortScene: The song that plays when the game loads is double the amount of time the game usually loads. The only way to hear it in full is to either eject the disk while it loads[[note]]disk version only[[/note]] or you have the technical know how to rip the music off the game files.
* MagicalClown: The boss Motley Bossblob is a jester-like Koopa who can transform into a giant BlobMonster clown.
* ManekiNeko: There's a rare variation of the Cat Suit power-up called the Lucky Cat Suit that allows the user to turn into a golden maneki-neko figurine, similarly to the Tanooki Suit's statues. This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Yh4Fq9JpY video]] goes into detail about the significance of each of them (ranging from the colors of their cat suits) and even about which paw is raised and their symbolism.
* MarathonLevel: The aptly-named Mystery Box Marathon. Take ''30'' Mystery Box challenges and make them into one level with no checkpoints, and you have this level.
* MarketBasedTitle: In Japan, the updated Nintendo Switch version is known as ''Super Mario 3D World + Fury World''.
* MesACrowd:
** The Double Cherries give the player a clone that follows his/her every movement.
** Also happens with ''Luigi Bros.'', where both players are Luigi.
** Pom Pom has gained this ability and will utilize it during your battle with her. Boom Boom even tries his hand at this cloning business in his second battle.
* MiniBoss: Minibosses aren't seen until World 6, which introduces Prince Bully. The subsequent worlds have {{Degraded Boss}}es who will act as enemy blockades, as will [[spoiler:the female Hisstocrat]] near the end of the game.
* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:Bowser]] uses the Super Bell and Double Cherry [[spoiler:in the final boss fight]].
* MissionPackSequel: Downplayed. In terms of gameplay, presentation, level design and part of the soundtrack, the game is one to ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand''; however, it does a major effort to showcase many new features to stand out (more characters to play as, new powerups, different mainland setting, more bosses, the addition of Captain Toad stages and Mystery House gauntlets, etc.)
* MixAndMatchCritters:
** Conkdors are condors that look like cartoon ostriches sporting a spiked purple Koopa shell. Also, their beaks look like toucans'.
** Plessie resembles a plesiosaurus[=/=]LochNessMonster (aquatic, names resembles "plesiosaurus" and "Nessie"), a seal (has seal-like bark and flippers), and a Yoshi (has a large, bulbous nose and small eyes, gives Mario and friends a ride).
* MonsterClown: The Motley Bossblob can take the form of a giant clown that tries to kill you.
* MovingTheGoalposts: [[spoiler:World Star-4 features a ''literal'' moving goalpost. What appears to be a simple 8 second level turns into a frantic chase as the winged goalpost moves ever further away from you.]]
* MusicalNod: Loads of them:
** For starters, there's music that's [[RecycledSoundtrack reused entirely]]: the underground theme, the Toad House theme, the Rainbow Run/Coin Heaven theme, the Mystery Challenge theme, and Boom-Boom and Pom-Pom's themes are all taken from ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand''. [[spoiler:The [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Comet Observatory]] music is also reused for World Crown's map.]]
** The Slot Machine's theme is the character selection screen from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''.
** Mount Must Dash, being an homage to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'', naturally remixes the game's Mario Circuit theme.
** Plessie's theme is a remix of the Slider theme from ''Super Mario 64''.
** [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Gusty Garden Galaxy]] receives a remix for the levels Honeycomb Starway, Honeycomb Skyway, and [[spoiler:Champion's Road]]. Captain Toad's theme is an extended version of his {{leitmotif}} from this game, as well.
** Bowser's Lava Lake Keep, Snowball Park, and Super Block Land all have remixed music from ''3D Land''. This also holds true for the levels that are thematically derived from those three.
* MyInstinctsAreShowing: In the Nintendo Direct trailer, Cat Mario is shown sneaking up and pouncing on birds in one of the levels.
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: [[spoiler:Apparently, Meowser's clones can act independently.]] Something you can't utilize with your own clones when using [[spoiler:the Double Cherries]].
* MythologyGag:
** Fire Peach's color scheme is taken directly from [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 Peach's very first appearance]].
** The game's title is an allusion to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' in the same way ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' is to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand''.
** Mario and Co. rescue [[VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld various Sprixie Princesses of different colors]].
** Toad's victory pose seems to be taken from ''Wario's Woods'', his only starring role.
** This is not the first time the Mario Bros. [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1 were able to commandeer a Koopa Shell]].
** In the introduction cutscene, Mario and Luigi go back to their roots as plumbers and fix a busted Clear Pipe in record time with [[{{Hammerspace}} tools pulled out of nowhere]]. These are one of the few moments Mario and Luigi do some [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything actual plumbing]].
** And to the point, this isn't the first time that [[spoiler:Bowser, of all people, [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfSuperMarioBros3 has used items against the good guys]].]]
** The noise Hisstocrat [[spoiler:and his queen]] make to summon its servants is the same as the snake whistle from ''VideoGame/WarioLand3''.
** There are a few levels with switches that can only be accessed with a certain character. Luigi has a switch in a [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion ghost]] [[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon house]].
** In 3-3/Shifty Boo Mansion, getting one of the Green Stars requires [[spoiler:jumping into a painting ala ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. Complete with the same ripple effect.]]
** The Toad playable here is blue, the same color of the Toad playable in the Platform/{{N|intendoEntertainmentSystem}}ES version of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''.
** Mount Must Dash is a reference to the Mario Circuit stages from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'', complete with similar graphics, boost panels, a finish line, and a remix of the music.
** The golden Bowser train is a reference to the treasure ships from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' that had nothing but ''tons and tons'' of coins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:N-P]]
* {{Ninja}}: Pom-Pom can teleport short distances, create shadow clones of herself, and use throwing stars to attack.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Prince Bully's helmet looks like a mix between a visored Medieval bascinet, a horned barbarian helmet, and a plumed Greco-Roman helmet.
* NoNameGiven:
** Bowser's purple automobile apparently has no official name.
** Nor do any of the seven Sprixie princesses, individually.
* NoOntologicalInertia: Averted with the Double Cherries. Upon acquiring the power-up and gaining clones, damage to one will make it disappear. However, there's no need to keep track of the original out of fear damage to it will make the other clones disappear; [[SchrodingersGun the last clone standing will always end up being the real deal]].
* NoobBridge:
** A variation. While all obstacles in the game can be navigated normally, there are many shortcuts one can take if they're savvy with moves not listed in the manual. Such as the Spin Jump (rotate the stick until you spin, then jump) and the Ground Pound Jump (jump shortly after landing a Ground Pound).
** The level Cosmic Cannon Cluster. A portion of the level requires you to [[GoombaSpringboard scale a wall by bouncing on cannonballs shooting in sequence]] to advance. Until then, this maneuver was not necessary to progress. This technique also shows up in the BrutalBonusLevel.
* NostalgiaLevel: One bonus area features a giant Small Mario sprite from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1''. There's also numerous levels that pay homage to older titles, such as:
** Mount Must Dash, which is an homage to the original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart''.
** Sunshine Seaside to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''.
** Super Galaxy to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''
** Super Block Land to ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand''.
** There's also a golden train full of coins, reminiscent of the treasure ship in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.
* NotQuiteFlight: The Tanooki Suit returns with the same limited floating mechanics from ''3D Land''.
* OldSaveBonus: In the Wii U version, having a ''VideoGame/NewSuperLuigiU'' save file unlocks ''[[VideoGame/MarioBros Luigi Bros.]]'' on the title screen without having to beat the game. (The Switch version does not take into account ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU Deluxe'', so you must beat the game to unlock it.)
* OminousFloatingCastle: World Castle.
* OneGenderRace: The Sprixies seem to be only females, since all of the non-Princesses wear pink dresses.
* OneHitKill: Fuzzy Hordes (in Fuzzy Time Mine from World 6) and poison fog (in Trick Trap Tower from World Castle) can kill Mario and his friends upon direct contact, which is why they must evade them at all costs as soon as they start overruning the levels where they appear.
* OneTimeDungeon: Every Sprixie House can only be entered once to collect a stamp. After taking the stamp, the house vanishes and cannot be entered again.
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:For the final boss fight, Bowser uses a Super Bell to transform into a tiger version of himself called Meowser.]]
* PaintingTheMedium: Rainy levels rain on the camera/game screen.
* PalmtreePanic:
** Plessie's Plunging Falls (World 1-4), which has Mario and company riding alongside Plessie across a tropical river with cascades.
** Pipeline Lagoon (World 3-5) leans towards UnderTheSea, and has a part where Mario and his friends can witness a beautiful underwater landscape with sunken ships as they travel across a Clear Pipe.
** The entire map of World 5, but out of all its levels, the first one, Sunshine Seaside (World 5-1) is the only one carrying this trope. Sunshine Seaside is set on a wide, open-ended beach with sandy statues, and continues with a subterranean river traversed with the help of Plessie.
** Pipeline Boom Lagoon (World Flower-7) is a remake of Pipeline Lagoon (World 3-5), only it's much more difficult to traverse than the original and a Cannon Box is needed all through the level as you make your way through.
** Towering Sunshine Seaside (World Flower-9) is a remake of Sunshine Seaside (World 5-1), but only in the main portion of the level rather than a ride with Plessie, plus due to the sunset, the music has a castle theme instead of a beach theme. Likewise, you have ''[[SongsInTheKeyOfPanic 100 seconds]]'' to finish the level. This level has Mario and friends fighting Fire Bros. standing on Tower Goombas, and defeating them all opens a Warp Box leading to the Goal Pole.
* PantheraAwesome: [[spoiler:Bowser uses a Super Bell to turn himself into Meowser, a tiger version of himself, for the final boss fight.]]
* PlantMooks: In addition to featuring the classic Piranha Plants, the game introduces the Piranha Creepers, which have long, spiky stems that are harmful upon contact. The ones that are awake (colored purple) will slither around the ground or the air back and forth, while the asleep ones (colored blue) will remain static and will only retract when Mario and his friends attack them (if attack ceases, then the Creeper will extend back and then resume rest).
* PostEndGameContent: Beating the game [[spoiler:unlocks some extra worlds where you can unlock Rosalina]], as well as the ''[[VideoGame/MarioBros Luigi Bros.]]'' game (although it can be available from the start if ''VideoGame/NewSuperLuigiU'' [[OldSaveBonus save data is present]]).
* PowerUp:
** ''3D World'' introduces the Cat Suit. When you grab the Super Bell, you will now be able to climb walls, scratch, and pounce on your enemies.
** The Double Cherries, which create one copy of the player for each one grabbed.
** The Fire Flower, Tanooki Suit, Boomerang Suit, and Mega Mushroom return as well, the latter appearing for the first time in a 3D Mario game (as well as in 4-player co-op, something that has not yet happened in the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' series it debuted in).
* PowerupLetdown:
** ''Any'' Power-Up becomes this if you are playing as Rosalina. In her normal and small forms, she has a [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy spin attack]] that also functions as a pretty useful DoubleJump. However, grabbing one of the advanced powerups (Fire Flower, Super/Lucky Bell, Tanooki Leaf, etc.) ''erases'' this ability. While it is nice having an extra power (and an extra hit point), players playing as Rosalina may face the dilemma of forgoing powerups or risk losing her useful Spin Attack.
** The Tanooki Suit and Lucky Cat Suit can retroactively become this in the Switch version, since you cannot perform the extremely useful midair dive while wearing them due to how they work - the dive is performed by pressing the dash button immediately out of a Ground Pound, but the Tanooki Suit will do a tail swipe instead of the former, while the Lucky Cat Suit will turn you into a statue instead of the latter, both of which will cause you to plummet downwards instead of diving.
* PowerUpMount: Plessie, a large Yoshi-like dinosaur, can carry all four characters and is able to race through certain river levels.
* PreexistingEncounters: In each world until (but including) the seventh, Mario and his friends will find preemptive Enemy Blockades as they complete the levels and progress through the world maps. In them, they have to defeat an assortment of enemies of a specific species, and doing so will not only clear the way in the map but also yield Green Stars. Notably, in two of the blockades, they have to fight a MiniBoss instead (Prince Bully), while in the last one they have to fight a DegradedBoss (Boss Brolder).
* PrincessesRule: In the Sprixie Kingdom, ''seven'' of them.
* ProjectilePocketing: Items such as Green Stars can be collected from afar with certain projectiles such as boomerangs or cannonballs.
* PromotedToPlayable:
** [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Captain Toad]] becomes playable for the first time in levels exclusive to him where he can only navigate without jumping.
** This game also marks Rosalina's first playable appearance in a ''Mario'' platformer as a SecretCharacter.
* {{Pun}}: Princess Peach's Double Cherry [[CharacterCatchphrase catchphrase]] is "Sooo peachy!"
* PunnyName:
** Every ClimaxBoss. First, Hisstocrat, whose name is a combination of "hiss" and "aristocrat" due to being a king and a snake. Second, Motley Bossblob, which refers to the multitude of blobs that make up his giant form, but also a motley, a name for a jester's outfit. Third, [[spoiler:Meowser]], which is pretty self-explanatory.
** Some of the new enemies. For instance, Conkdors (a bird enemy which attacks with its head), Rammerheads (which resemble hammerhead sharks), Madpoles (aggressive tadpoles) and Brolders (boulder [[TotallyRadical bros]]).
* PuzzleGame: Captain Toad's levels shift from platforming to this. Without the ability to jump, the gameplay becomes navigating the level and manipulating the camera to find the Green Stars in every nook and cranny.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Q-S]]
* QuicksandSucks: The presence of quicksand is very limited, being only present in the level Conkdor Canyon. The rate at which it sinks the characters is low enough for them to not only force their way out, but also reach an upper area by "swimming" across a waterfall made of falling sand.
* RacingGhost: Ghosts of other players' Miis can be raced against if you connect online.
* RacingMinigame: One of the Mystery House levels in the game, Mystery House Mad Dash, consists of getting stars through various consecutive obstacle races.
* RainbowMotif: The Sprixie Princesses are associated respectively with the colors of the rainbows, although indigo is replaced by cyan. They're located in the worlds that are thematically connected with those colors (the Green Princess is in [[GreenHillZone World 1]], the Yellow Princess is in [[ShiftingSandLand World 2]], and so on). When World 7 (LethalLavaLand keeping the Red Princess captive) is cleared and all of them appear to be saved, [[spoiler:Bowser makes a comeback and abducts them again, taking them to the rainbow-colored World 8 (AmusementParkOfDoom)]].
* RecurringBoss: Boom Boom and Pom Pom reprise their role from ''3D Land'' as recurring bosses, but the bigger catalogue of bosses reduces their frequency considerably (prior to the BossRush level in the 11th world, Boom Boom is only found in the respective Tank levels of Worlds 2 and 6, while Pom Pom is in the respective Train levels of Worlds 3 and 8). Bowser himself is fought in World 1 and 7, and once again in 8 under his debuting Meowser persona. In the mode ''Bowser's Fury'' added to the Switch version, this trope is invoked by Fury Bowser, since he's intended to appear periodically as Mario explore the islands of Lake Lapcat. The other bosses to have additional fights prior to the BossRush level are Boss Brolder, Prince Bully and Motley Bossblob (the two Hisstocrats are fought once each separarely, so they don't count).
* RecurringBossTemplate: Except for the FinalBoss, all the boss types are fought at least one other time. In particular, Boom-Boom and Pom Pom are back, acting much like they did in ''3D Land''. They do have some new abilities, though; Boom-Boom can turn invisible and Pom Pom learned how to clone herself and toss shurikens.
* RecycledSoundtrack: The game takes the [[spoiler:World Crown]] theme directly from "Rosalina in the Observatory" of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' fame.
* RemilitarizedZone: The game primarily has [[AlliterativeName Bowser's Bullet Bill Brigade]] and Bowser's Bob-omb Brigade, which contain the goosestepping Blockstepper {{Mooks}} and also mark the return of the tanks from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''. There's also Bullet Bill Base in World 6, a tower filled with many cannons, and The Bowser Express in World 8, which is a train-based military level. Lastly, Cosmic Cannon Cluster is a SpaceZone variant, where Bullet Bills and Cannonballs are the most common threat (alongside Parabones).
* RemixedLevel:
** [[spoiler:All of the levels in Worlds Mushroom and Flower are remixed versions of the levels seen in the first eight worlds (and in a certain case, one from World Star. The exception is Boss Blitz in World Flower.]]
** Mystery House Marathon remixes 30 Mystery Box challenges and puts them in one big Mystery House.
* RemovableShell: Koopa Troopas once again have this, for the first time in the 3D games since ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. This time around, the player can actually put on the shells themselves to get some SuperSpeed.
* RetaliationMode:
** Boom Boom performs a shell ramming attack once stomped; on his last hit point, the shell turns invisible.
** Boss Brolder performs an invincible spinning attack that throws out pyroclasts when damaged.
** King Ka-Thunk drops back down onto the arena when hurt, [[BossArenaUrgency destroying parts of it]].
* RhythmGame: The slot machine bonus game, if you want it to be [[note]]the key is to hit the panels halfway between beats, each at the same point of a measure, as the pictures change with the beat, and loop back after each measure[[/note]], and the beat-block gimmick returning from ''Galaxy 2.''.
* RiseToTheChallenge: The level Fuzzy Time Mine involves having to escape a tower-like mine that is being filled up by Fuzzies.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Princess Peach. Also done mildly with the Sprixie Princesses, who pull out tools to set up Clear Pipes for the heroes to move between worlds.
* RubberbandAI: Bowser's car moves as fast as you do.
* RuleOfSeven: Seven Sprixie Princesses in need of being rescued. Relatedly, seven of the collectible stamps are modeled after them.
* SandIsWater: In level 8-2 "Plessie's Dune Downhill", Plessie floats through sand just as they did through water in previous levels.
* SaveThePrincess: {{Averted|Trope}} for Princess Peach. In a departure from the standard Mario plotline, she is now playable alongside the Mario Bros. and Toad. Instead of the princess, seven other princesses will serve this, all of them being the Sprixie Princesses of the kingdom.
* SceneryAsYouGo: Footlight Lane has paths that are only visible in a small circle around your character. Impacts from a Ground Pound or enemy attacks or collection of a Green Star briefly expand the visibility.
* SceneryPorn: The game has stunning visuals and it really shows in the scenery. Some segments of the game exist purely to show off the graphics, like the long Clear Pipe ride in front of a sunken ship in Pipeline Lagoon.
* ScoreMilking: The Lucky Cat Suit's ability to create coins with its transformation power grants an infinite means of gaining score (along with a ''very'' [[LawOfOneHundred slow method of gaining lives]]). Repeatedly hitting a Koopa shell with the Tanooki Suit's tail also allows for milking, as the score increments on each hit like a GoombaStomp combo. These are more effective in the Mystery Houses, where grabbing a Green Star stops the timer.
* ScoringPoints: After a conspicuous absence in [[VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand the previous game]] (in which you earn coins instead of points), it's back in full force. [[ThePointsMeanNothing They still mean nothing, though,]] unless you count the inevitable competition between players when the scoreboard is shown at the end of the course.
* SecretCharacter: Rosalina, who is unlocked upon [[spoiler:completion of World Star-2, Super Galaxy]].
* SequentialBoss: In the first phase of the final battle, Meowser attacks Mario and his friends as they attempt to climb the skyscraper. After hitting him with a POW block halfway through the climb, Meowser uses a Double Cherry to create clones of himself and the second phase begins.
* ShiftingSandLand: The map of World 2 is desert-themed, but only the first level (Conkdor Canyon) is actually set in a desert; the sandfalls located in certain spots can be used to reach high places. There's also Plessie's Dune Downhill in World 8, where sand sculptures modeled after Bowser can be found.
* ShipLevel: Spooky Seasick Wreck is set on a series of crashed galleons [[BigBoosHaunt filled with Boos and Peepas]]. [[RemixedLevel Gigantic Seasick Wreck, of World Mushroom-6]], trades in the specters for Ty-Foos, with Mega Mushrooms being the order of the day.
* ShoutOut:
** Two for ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
*** In the opening scene, Bowser bottles a fairy.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btNKUSgRePI One of the secrets in a level]] takes you to a bunch of black blocks stacked together to form an [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI 8-bit Link from the original game]]. Light them all up to reveal the sprite, and the "Item get" jingle from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' plays, followed by the main theme.
** The first Mystery House where you fight enemies is called Mystery House [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]. The second one is called Mystery House [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]].
* SignatureMove:
** While all characters get stamps that showcase them in the Cat Suit, the three characters other than Mario (who is shown with all power-ups) get stamps based on the other power ups: Luigi is shown using the Tanooki Suit (or to be more precise: his own Kitsune variation of the suit), Peach is shown using the Fire Flower, and Toad is shown using the Boomerang Suit. They were also seen using them in the various trailers.
** Rosalina, the secret character, has an actual Signature Move in the Spin Jump which only works when she's not using a power-up. Fittingly, she only gets the usual four stamps showing her Normal, Small, and Cat Suit forms, as well as her Player Icon.
* SkippableBoss: Bowser and his CoolCar can be skipped by finding a hidden Warp Pipe in 1-2 that takes you straight to World 2. World 4's boss, Boss Brolder, can also be bypassed this way, with a Warp Pipe hidden in 4-2 that leads to World 5.
* SlidingScaleOfCooperationVsCompetition: The "emergent competition" variation. At least one player must get to the end of the level to win it, but the game keeps track of the points everyone earned, and rewards the highest-scoring player with a cosmetic crown at the start of the next level. Despite winning the levels being the only thing that truly matters in the long run, players are [[ChaoticStupid incredibly prone to petty in-game squabbles over points]], especially when the crown is involved.
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: The game has the map of World 3, although only the first level (Snowball Park) is actually snow themed. There's also Ty-Foo Flurries in World 6 and Peepa's Fog Bog in World Star. A common feature in these levels is a type of Goomba that slides on ice with the help of a large yellow boot (which Mario and his friends can claim by defeating the Goomba).
* {{Snowlems}}: The game introduces Snow Pokeys, snowman variants of the desert-dwelling Pokey cacti. When defeated, their body segments turn into non-spiky snowballs that the player characters can pick up and chuck.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Subverted. Peach is the only playable female character, until you unlock Rosalina in the postgame content.
* SnowySleighBells: The theme playing in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGSnbOVj9Tk Snowball Park]] is the remix of the ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' cheerful ice theme and it makes just as much use of sleigh bells.
* SolidClouds: The game has semi-solid cloud platforms that can be entered from underneath throughout various courses. They're officially called Cloud Lifts, but some of them are stationary and some are even invisible. Ground-pounding a Cloud Lift would cause it to dissipate temporarily.
* SpaceZone: The respective maps of [[spoiler:all four secret worlds in the game (Star, Mushroom, Flower and Crown) are space-themed, though only Worlds Star, Flower and Crown have actual space-themed levels (World Star has Rainbow Run, Super Galaxy, Honeycomb Starway, Cosmic Cannon Cluster and Captain Toad Takes A Spin; World Flower has Blast Block Skyway; and World Crown has Champion's Road, Captain Toad's Fiery Finale and Mystery House Marathon), and it's also in World Star where [[SecretCharacter Rosalina can be unlocked]] to play as her]]. There's also the earlier Beep Block Skyway from World 4.
* SpectacularSpinning: Returning from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' is the spin jump - twirling the analog stick quickly causes your character to spin like a top, and pressing a jump button during this sequence has them do a spinning jump that allows them to reach heights that a normal jump normally can't. The same effect can also be achieved if a character standing underneath another jumps and hits whoever's above them.
* SpinAttack:
** Rosalina can use the spin from ''Super Mario Galaxy'', which serves as an attack ''and'' a small extra jump. It gives her advantage over the other characters since she's the only one that can do it, but it won't help much for speedruns. The primary downside is that it can't be used if she's above normal form.
** The Tanooki Suit retains its trademark tail swipe attack, as well as the rapid spin move that replaces the roll.
* TheSpiny: Unlike the standard Skipsqueaks (mice) and Ant Troopers (ants), the Spiny Skipsqueaks and Horned Ant Troopers cannot be stomped on due to their spiky protection: The Spiny Skipsqueaks have red thorns in their backs, while the Horned Ant Troopers have a red helmet with a white spike at the top.
* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Orange square plates marked with footprints sent the player high up in the air when jumped on.
* SpotTheThread: Although her clones all bear near-identical shurikens, only the real Pom Pom's is colored a girly shade of pink. The real one is also the only one wearing a green bow on her head.
* StockFoodDepictions: The double cherry power-up, as expected, features two pinkish-red cherries joined at the stem.
* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Just like in [[VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand its predecessor]].
* SuspiciouslyCrackedWall: In Searchlight Sneak, there is a cracked wall. Getting this wall to be blown up reveals a collectible.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:T-Y]]
* TacticalSuicideBoss:
** Again, Bowser uses this trope when he throws soccer bombs that can be kicked back onto the car he's riding. If he'd just kept on spitting fire at Mario and his friends, he'd be invincible.
** Boom Boom would be unstoppable if he didn't feel the need to come out of his shell to do his spinning arm attack.
** Pom Pom uses doppelgangers to aid her in her fight. You have to hit the real deal in order to damage her. The trope comes in when she decides to stand out from her doppelgangers for no apparent reason by having a different colored FuumaShuriken than the clones.
** Both Hisstocrat and [[spoiler:Queen Hisstocrat]] feel a need to have their servants hold plates over their heads for no reason other than to make it easier to stomp them.
** Boss Brolder would be invincible if it wasn't for the fact that he can only be hurt by having a Brolder (which [[FlunkyBoss he summons to help him]]) thrown at him.
** Motley Bossblob only becomes vulnerable because he performs the extra-high jump that splits his clown form into smaller blobs. If he stuck with the smaller jumps, he would be invincible.
** [[spoiler:Meowser]] somehow felt the need to go onto POW Blocks at certain points of his fight. Said things are the only thing that can hurt him.
* TakenForGranite: [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 The Tanooki Suit's statue ability]] [[http://youtu.be/UpOlaiHWMMg?t=1m3s has been passed on to a rarer version of the Cat Suit, known as the Lucky Cat Suit]], which can transform you into a golden cat statue, a reference to a Japanese lucky charm known as the ''[[ManekiNeko maneki-neko]]''.
* TankGoodness: Bowser's Tank Battalion returns.
* TempleOfDoom: The levels Spike's Lost City and King Ka-thunk's Castle.
* TemporaryPlatform: Beat Blocks reappear, now called Beep Blocks. Here, they function more like their original appearance, but there are some sequences with longer blocks on an angle that function as a slide.
* TennisBoss: Bowser's Highway sees you kicking the soccer ball bombs he throws at you back at his car.
* ThematicSequelLogoChange: The logo's "O" is stylized to resemble a cat paw in order to represent the new Cat Suit powerup.
* ThisIndexMeows: This goes well with the super bell, which can give anyone who uses it a cat suit.
* TideLevel: Simmering Lava Lake, the penultimate level of World Castle before taking on Bowser for the final Sprixie Princess. The player has to make their way through a lake of lava that rises and falls. You have to wait until the tide lowers in order to pass through.
* TitleScream: Done at the title screen by the initial four characters ("Me-ow!").
* TogglingSetpiecePuzzle: The Red-Blue Panels appear in this game in the level Cakewalk Flip, located in World 5. Like in ''3D Land'', in the absence of motion controls and the Spin Jump, the panels (which as usual face up with their red sides by default) will flip with a single ''jump'', greatly increasing the difficulty due to how you have to keep in mind where the panels will move onto so you know where the landing spot will be. The aforementioned level attempts to provide an {{Antepiece}} by placing at the start a couple panels above solid ground so you can practice the jumps and their timing, but it's still difficult to get used to them.
* TomboyishPonytail: Peach gets this in all of her power-up forms (except the hooded Cat and Tanooki suits). Rosalina too!
* TopDownView: Similar to its 3DS predecessor [[note]](done as a homage to ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'''s 25th anniversary)[[/note]], Honeycomb Starway is an AutoScrollingLevel where you travel across hexagonal platforms using nothing but the Boomerang Flower. Switchblack Ruins also uses this view.
* TookALevelInBadass:
** One of the rare times Peach ''doesn't'' get kidnapped. In fact, she is the first to chase after Bowser after he steals one of the Sprixie Princesses.
** On top of generally showing a bit more competence [[spoiler:in his minions and obstacles, somewhere along the line, Bowser ''finally'' took a good look at Mario's powerup arsenal, and asked himself "why haven't I ever tried to use these?"]]. His idea to perch precariously on top of POW blocks for Mario to hit him was a little less bright.
** Boom Boom, believe it or not. Unlike ''3D Land'', where he attacks you in the exact same way, he adopts different attacks this time -- either he turns invisible or spawns another shell to distract you. [[invoked]][[BadassDecay Pom Pom, however, isn't as lucky.]]
** Also, the Octoombas. In the ''Galaxy'' games, they were a slight step up from the regular Goombas and could still be stomped on easily. However, now jumping on them doesn’t work, and they spew cannonballs. To defeat them, you need to perform ground-pound on their heads.
* ToyTime: Rolling Ride Run is a level made up of wooden building blocks that appears in one of the secret worlds. The main setpiece employed here is a series of cylindrical blocks that have to be carefully dragged forward without falling down.
* TraintopBattle: The train levels see you fighting enemies and dodging obstacles on top of the trains.
* TravelCool: Saving the kidnapped pixie princesses is the focus of the plot. Interestingly in the background, in case you missed it, the ''game's subplot'' is having Bowser shut down [[WeDontNeedRoads all inter-level public warp pipes]], and replace them with his own private road and railroad infrastructure.
* TubeTravel: The Clear Pipes frequently let you do this.
* ATwinkleInTheSky: Bowser becomes one upon being defeated in the first and third battles against him.
* TwoGirlsToATeam: Peach and Rosalina are the two playable female characters in this game.
* UndergroundLevel: Koopa Troopa Cave, Shadow Play Alley, Backstreet Bustle, and Switchblack Ruins. Features include Clear Pipes, POW Blocks whose detonation can break multiple blocks in succession, rotating gizmos, and (in the case of Shadow Play Alley) a unique visual design based on lights and shadows.
* UnderTheSea: Pipeline Lagoon and Rammerhead Reef. As with the underwater levels in ''3D Land'', there's no OxygenMeter to worry about, so the only reason to hurry in those levels is the time limit.
* UnexpectedGameplayChange:
** Some levels involve controlling Captain Toad (of the Toad Brigade), who cannot jump, as he maneuvers around enemies to grab Green Stars, in a set-up remarkably similar to that of ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew''.
** There are also levels that play like a top-down shooter, and others featuring dash panels that force the characters to run at above max speed.
* UniquenessRule: The game has four selectable, mechanically different playable characters. If you play the multiplayer mode, each player must select a different character.
* UnstableEquilibrium: When playing co-op, the winner of each level is awarded a crown that is worth 5000 points in the next level. This makes it easier for one player to win several levels in a row, although other players can fight for the crown.
* VanillaUnit: Luigi can scuffle after his jumps to cover more ground, while Peach can float. [[spoiler:Unlockable character Rosalina has a special spin move that can be used as an attack and a double jump.]] In contrast, Mario and Toad have no special abilities. Mario is a JackOfAllStats, while Toad is a speed-oriented character.
* VariableMix:
** The music changes when you go underwater, becoming muffled and distorted.
** The music of the circus levels change depending on how far you are in them.
** There are two pairs of worlds that share the same general music but have different instrumentation depending on which of the two you're in. All of the other worlds have their own music.
** Water-themed levels have different tracks for surface and swimming sections, which change as you move between them.
* VehicularAssault: Bowser tries to run over the heroes with his big car.
* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: The world containing Bowser's Castle, World Castle, is actually the ''[[DiscOneFinalDungeon seventh]]'' world. World Bowser (a.k.a. World 8) is a neon amusement park Bowser creates using the sprixies, complete with a tower [[EvilTowerOfOminousness stretching into the sky]] that serves as the real final level.
* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Like ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', in multiplayer, characters can pick up other characters, leading to situations like Mario throwing Peach off a cliff or Toad chucking Luigi into lava.
* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: As lives are shared this time around, you probably don't want to kill the other players often.
* VillainousHarlequin: Motley Bossblob in both forms, though his blob form tends toward MonsterClown.
* WalkDontSwim: Captain Toad is weighed down so much by his backpack that he just walks underwater.
* WarpZone: As in ''3D Land'', there are secret red pipes which warp the player(s) to a later world, yet these don't ever need to be found for HundredPercentCompletion (in fact, it's counterproductive for that cause, as you'd need to play ''all'' levels and gather their collectibles in other to [[spoiler:unlock World Crown at the very end]]).
* WeakButSkilled: Captain Toad has absolutely no jumping ability. That doesn't stop him from solving the puzzles that happen to be his stages.
* WhamShot: [[spoiler:Bowser putting on a Super Bell.]]
* WintryAuroralSky: Snowball Park is an snowy stage which conveniently takes place at night, so the green auroras can be well seen in the dark skies.
* WouldHitAGirl: Just like in ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'', Bowser has no qualms in fighting Princess Peach. Or Rosalina, for that matter.
* WrittenSoundEffect: Sort of an example. Ka-Thunks and their king, King Ka-Thunk, are most likely named after the sound they make when moving/attacking.
* {{Wutai}}: Hands-On Hall, which deliberately shows a stereotypical rendition of medieval Japan.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: The Bullies were completely redesigned from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. They're recolored, no longer spherical, and their horns are pointed in a different direction.
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle:
** There's a few levels where some Boos fake you out by disguising themselves as the end of level flagpole.
** And another one much later on where a goalpost is right there at the beginning. [[spoiler:The post then grows wings and tries to run away from you, setting the stage for the ''real'' course. You can still end it any time if you're fast enough and touch the pole, but if you're going for 100% then you more-or-less have to run through the entire level.]]
[[/folder]]
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