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Mario's evolution from barely-animated 8-bit lump, to shiny, immaculately drawn HD is now complete, and seeing his pastel-hewn world clearly for the first time is an oddly revelatory experience. The same can't quite be said for this game, which follows a well-worn path and, despite its name, doesn't really do terribly much that's new. It's a spiritual successor to 1991's Super Mario World, using a similar map and borrowing some level design, while adding a new power-up, the Squirrel Suit, that lets you glide short distances. It saves most of its most original ideas for later in the game as you near Princess Peach's castle, now occupied by bad guy, Bowser. Its biggest innovation is five-player co-op, where the player with the gamepad can paint in extra platforms to help the other four get to the ends of levels more easily. Obviously that power can also be used to hinder, should they find themselves in that sort of mood. It's business as usual for Mario – now in high definition.
