…in person!
Months before the launch of Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo announced that the game would not feature online play. Yes, it features online aspects such as Miiverse and ghost Miis, but your only option for multiplayer is local.
Previously, Shigeru Miyamoto has been quoted as saying that online play “simply wasn’t the focus for us this time around,” because Nintendo wanted to create something “that people could experience fully while playing comfortably with others who were nearby them.”
Earlier this month, the game’s producer—Yoshiaki Koizumi—made similar comments when speaking to Game Informer. He mentioned that the staff at EAD Tokyo have been experimenting with online play “since the days of Super Mario Galaxy,” but for Super Mario 3D World, the team really wanted to put the focus on playing with those around you.
Here’s what he had to say:
“We’ve been testing online multiplayer since the days of Super Mario Galaxy, but with this title we really wanted to deliver an experience that you can share with family, friends, or your boyfriend or girlfriend in the same place like you did with the original NES. We really want players to have fun in front of the TV, talking while they help each other out or get in each other’s way.”
There’s nothing like those old days of playing huddled around the NES, and for many who grew up with early console gaming, those moments are some of our fondest memories. It’s understandable why Nintendo would choose to try and recapture that magic.
