So I got a Wii U for just this game and I must admit I'm disappointed
To me this game shows that Nintendo (EAD specifically) after 30 years is still lonely on top of the videogame business. Something I didn't feel was true in the recent years. 3D World ranks up there in quality with Super Mario Bros, Super Mario World and Mario 64.
Everything is so incredibly well done. The gameplay is super tight, controlling Mario feels great. The visuals are gorgeous in both art style and tech, the game has a Toy Story esque quality imo. All at an impressive 60 fps, which at times is hard to believe with how much is happening on screen. Whoever said Nintendo is struggling with HD needs to play this game. The orchestrated music is beautiful, some levels have really memorable tunes. I love how the music changes when you go underwater. But the best part of this game is the variety and creativity in level design. I'm at world 6 currently and the amount of different gameplay types that have been thrown at me already is not something I have experienced in a game before. The attention to detail is also incredible, from the animations of Mario looking at things when he runs past them, to snow falling off trees and Plessie waving at you when you leave. It all adds up.
3D World didn't have the same impact on me as Mario on NES, SNES and Mario 64 (probably because I was a kid back then) but it's just an incredibly well crafted game by a team that has many many years of experience and some of the most talented people in the business. I can't wait what they will do next really. I hope either a Mario 64 style Mario or a new IP. It would be great to see what this team can do with something entirely new.