Here, we explore an archipelago of islands blighted by dark goop and a giant especially furious Bowser, who emerges Godzilla-like from the sea every now and then and transforms the place into a hostile nightmare of fireballs, black volcanic rocks and lava. The deal is sweetened by Bowser’s Fury, a short new 3D Mario game that comes bundled with 3D World and feels like a bonus world for the Switch’s native Super Mario Odyssey.

But not much has been lost, and though this is a slightly worse version of an almost indecently good game, it’s still a Mario adventure that’s stood the test of time. On levels where one player would use the Wii U’s touchscreen to materialise platforms or flip switches, a finicky cursor does a poor job of replicating the fun. Some of these ideas were designed for the game’s original home on the Wii U, however, and have been reworked awkwardly for the Switch. The game design is flexible enough to accommodate parents and kids, veteran Mario players and novices two skilled players can ping around the levels in record time, or one group leader can shepherd everyone else through mad obstacle courses of gurning Thwomps, tall trees with cat ears and vanishing platforms.

Its beautiful levels are all conquerable solo, but become chaotic and hilarious when Mario is joined by Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach, and you find yourselves flipping every minute between jostling for coins and working together to get past a tricky series of pits and dawdling Goombas. This is excellent news, as this superbly colourful run-and-jump romp of a game is enlivened by more players. Super Mario 3D World sits somewhere between the two: the game is near-identical to the 2013 Wii U version, with a few necessary adaptations and the addition of a pandemic-friendly online multiplayer so you can play with your mates without hosting an illegal gathering. Almost every significant game Nintendo made for its interesting but ill-fated Wii U console has found its way on to the vastly more popular Nintendo Switch, either as a rerelease or remake.

New super mario bros u vs 3d world