Does Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury have online multiplayer?

An old adventure with a few new tricks

Nintendo capped 2020 with a steady release of great games for the Nintendo Switch, and they show no signs of slowing down in 2021. The first game to kick-off Nintendo's 2021 release schedule is lead by none other than Mario himself. Announced as part of Mario's 35th-anniversary celebration, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a port of the Wii U's flagship Mario title with brand new content for the Nintendo Switch.

Super Mario 3D World was significant when it released in 2014 because it was the first multiplayer Mario game that took place in a 3D space, unlike New Super Mario Bros. U, which was limited to just two dimensions. In the original release, you could only play multiplayer locally.

That's changed in this new release, as Nintendo has confirmed that there will be online multiplayer for Super Mario 3D World portion of the game. That means you and up to three friends can run, jump, and climb as Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach on the couch or online. Bowser's Fury does allow co-op play as well, but it's limited to local play only.

New ways to play together

In addition to the inclusion of Bowser's Fury, one of the major changes in this upcoming rerelease is the addition of online multiplayer. As long as you and your friends have a Nintendo Switch Online account, you can all experience the whole game together cooperatively. Fans of couch co-op will still be able to play together on the same Nintendo Switch console, and two players can even play online on the same console.

In an overview of the upcoming game released by Nintendo, they provided more info on Bowser's Fury. In this new area called Lake Lapcat, Mario teams up with Bowser Jr. on a hunt for Cat Shines. Nintendo confirmed that a second player can take control of Bowser Jr., but it seems like that's limited to just local multiplayer.

It's nice to see this unique multiplayer Mario game make the jump from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch. There have been many great Wii U ports released on the system already, and all of them have been improved in both big and small ways. Make sure you preorder Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury so you can play it first when it launches on Nintendo Switch on February 12, 2021.