Should I play Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury cooperatively or competitively?

Super Mario World 3D + Bowser's Fury is a remake of the 2013 Wii U game with added content. Super Mario 3D World multiplayer is semi-cooperative with up to four local or online players taking on the roles of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and Rosalina working hard to complete stages and rack up as many points as possible.

Each character has different abilities and weaknesses. For example, Peach can briefly float over gaps and obstacles but is relatively slow while Toad is very fast, but can't jump particularly far. You could work together to complete each level, coordinating to make sure you collect and kill everything. That's a good option if you're playing with kids or someone new to the game who may need your help.

But it's more fun if you treat the game as a race, rushing to the end of the stage while also interfering with other players by picking up, carrying, and throwing them around the map. The person who racks up the most points in a level gets to show off their status with a crown, which can be stolen when they take damage. That alone makes it another great source for silly competition.

Multiplayer works differently in the new Bowser's Fury mode. One player controls Mario and another local player can handle Bowser Jr. as the two work together to explore Lake Lapcat collecting Cat Shines and eventually taking on the berserk Fury Bowser. This seems to be a fully cooperative experience, but we'll let you know more when the game releases on February 12. Be sure to preorder Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for Nintendo Switch so you can share the fun with friends and family.