Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury includes ambiibo support and released alongside two brand-new ones, Cat Mario and Cat Peach. Of course, you may be wondering how to use them.

Aside from those two, a couple of additional figures have special functionality in either Mario 3D World or Bowser's Fury, and all the others from the Mario series are compatible with it as well. 

How to Use Amiibo with Super Mario 3D World

Using these figures in 3D World is simple, though you have to either be in a course or playing Bowser's Fury for it to work. 

• Turn airplane mode off
• Hold the "left" direction pad button
• Touch the base of your amiibo to the right Joy-Con stick

What Does the Cat Mario Amiibo Do in 3D World? 

The new Cat Mario figurine works in both Mario 3D World and Bowser's Fury. Scanning it makes a special White Cat Bell appear, and despite being generated by Mario, it works on any character.

It's essentially a feline version of the White Tanooki Suit, offering the cat powers and invincibility as an added bonus.

What Does Cat Peach Do?

The Cat Peach figurine also works in both games, and scanning it causes a random power-up to appear. It's handy in 3D World if you get caught short, but it's extra useful in Bowser's Fury, where you can have more than one of each power-up type.

What Does Bowser Do?

The King Koopa amiibo has a special use in Fury. Plop it on your Joy-Con when you're exploring Lake Lapcat, and you'll summon Fury Bowser. It's perfect when you need to destroy some Bowser blocks and don't feel like waiting until he shows up.

Using this one in 3D World summons a random power-up, and all versions work the same way.

What Does the Bowser Jr. Do?

Bowser Jr.'s statuette also has a nifty use in Fury. Scanning this one unleashes a shockwave that damages enemies and can activate out-of-reach blocks. Using it in 3D World gifts you a random power-up.

What About Other Ones in the Series? 

Any other series figures work the same as Cat Peach and grant you a random power-up. Note that there doesn't seem to be a limit to how many times you can use these either, so spam those power-ups to your heart's content.

That's all you need to know about how to use amiibo in Super Mario 3D World, but be sure to check out our other guides and help articles in the coming days.

Rosalina is a playable character in Super Mario 3D World on Switch, alongside the four regulars of Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach. But instead of being available at the start, she's a secret character you must unlock.

If you've been wondering how to add her to the list of characters, we've got everything you need to know about doing so in the guide below.

First, finish the main game by clearing World Bowser and getting 170 Green Stars. After that, one of the Sprixies will leave a rocket in World 1.

Interact with the rocket, and go to 3D World's first bonus area, World Star. Then complete World Star-1, Rainbow Run. Like all bonus locations in the larger series, the stages here have a noticeable increase in difficulty.

Star-1 includes a color-switch platform challenge, Plessie ride with no guard rails, fast-rotating platforms, and more. The catsuit offers some insurance with the platforming challenges.

After beating that level, move on to World Star-2, Super Galaxy. It features a number of Octo Goombas and long stretches of rotating platforms.

If you don't have a cat bell and don't feel like finding one, using a Mario-series amiibo offers a random power-up and might be worth a shot if you've got one lying around.

The teal princess unlocks automatically once you clear World Star-2. Unlike other characters, she has a default spin attack that knocks out nearby enemies. However, the attack disappears once she obtains another power-up. Aside from that, she plays roughly the same as 3D World's other characters.

That's all you need to know about how to unlock Rosalina in Super Mario 3D World, but stick around for more Mario 3D World guides in the coming days.

Whoever said you can't capture joy clearly never played Super Mario 3D World. It's one of those rare games that distills the essence of fun, and now more people than ever can experience it with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury on Nintendo Switch.

While 3D World holds up just as well, or even better, on the Switch, Bowser's Fury is the part you should keep your eye on. This little spin-off mode could be (read: hopefully is) the future of 3D Mario.

Both excel on their own, but together, they are essential for any Switch owner.

Super Mario 3D World and Bowser's Fury Review: The Best of Both Worlds

Mario 3D World starts with Bowser, as it must. While Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are walking along one lovely evening, a clear pipe springs up. Out pops a Sprixie, closely followed by Bowser with kidnapping on his mind and a Sprixie-sized jar in his claws.

What’s a Sprixie? Who knows. Mario 3D World isn't keen on exploring these newcomers to the Mario world, but the Sprixie kidnapping is enough to get Mario and friends into the pipe.

On the other side of that clear pipe is the Sprixie Kingdom, a series of eight worlds plus four bonus areas. It's the setting for what’s easily Nintendo’s most distinct approach to Mario designs.

3D World lays out each course on a Super Mario World/SMB3-style map. They feature the usual themes we’ve come to expect from Mario games over the years, including ice, rocky heights, desert, and so on, but from there, Nintendo completely turns the pattern on its head. 

These stages trade uniformity for the unexpected. You’re just as likely to find an autumn waterfall area in the ice world or a green plain stage in the desert world because Nintendo’s more concerned with throwing in as many design ideas as possible than sticking to tradition. 

There’s a Galaxy-style carnival stage, a level that reduces the clock to 30 seconds, an entire world of castles — there’s almost no way to neatly categorize 3D World’s levels. While that makes it challenging to talk about how Mario 3D World plays, suffice to say it translates to an incredibly fun experience where you never know what to expect next.

Early stages seem a bit pedestrian and straightforward, but it’s hard not to have fun even with these seemingly basic levels because 3D World’s unique design approach means you can transgress the usual laws of 2D platformers.

Massive walls normally meant to block your way become avenues through a stage and probably hide one or two fun secrets thanks to 3D World's newfound sense of verticality. Turning a corner in a tame side-scrolling segment reveals a 3D run through falling platforms and lines of enemies, and this isn't even taking 3D World's superior boss stages into account.

Later locales ramp up the complexity. Some offer the challenges of obtaining all three Green Stars and a collectible stamp. Still others present an even bigger cocktail of creativity. It’s a non-stop parade of the cleverest level designs Nintendo’s ever given us.

Imagine Mario’s biggest moments — the “Jump Up” segment in New Donk City or grabbing the Tanooki Leaf for the first time — spread that all over 12 worlds, and you’ll have an idea of how it feels to play Mario 3D World. It might not have a few standout “wow!” moments like its 3D counterparts, but it is a tribute to everything that makes Mario so iconic and genuinely just a joy to experience.

That love extends to the smaller details too.

Cat Mario, Toad, and the rest don’t just walk on all fours. They strut like the proud cats they are, accompanied by adorable little pitter-patter footsteps that even “plink” on metal. Luigi shouts “It’s Weegi time” when you pick him for a stage, and it’s hard to describe it all as anything other than delightful.

That dedication to variety means some ideas miss the landing, even as the stages themselves are fun. A few feel a bit unnecessarily rushed, and some additions, such as the superb Double Cherry, absolutely deserve more screen time. Still, complaining because one or two wonderful mechanics get lost in the shuffle of a bunch of other equally wonderful mechanics is something I’m happy to live with.

One big feature with the Switch version is online multiplayer, though unfortunately, I haven’t been able to test that out. Local co-op is as fun and chaotic as you’d expect, and while it doesn’t necessarily add anything essential to the gameplay experience, it’s a heck of a fun time.

3D World on Switch still includes the Captain Toad puzzle levels, where you guide the hapless and jump-less explorer to green stars with movement and stage rotation as your only tools for success. They’re refreshing diversions from the main game and pretty effective advertising for Captain Toad’s spinoff game.

The other part of Mario 3D World on Switch is, of course, Bowser’s Fury, a roughly 5-hour side mode that low-key manages to be the best 3D Mario so far. Bowser’s Fury has no story ties to 3D World — or anything, for that matter — and you can start it immediately after booting up the game if you want.

Mario arrives at Lake Lapcat via a suspiciously familiar piece of “M” graffiti to find something strange taking place. The entire region is covered in sludge, Bowser’s turned swol, and only the power of the Giga Bell can rein him in.

Bowser Jr. is along for the ride this time. He just wants his pappy back to normal and pitches in as either an AI partner or player two, should you give multiplayer a try. The AI is customizable, making Bowser Jr. either the perfect companion for players less familiar with 3D Mario games or a quiet tagalong when you want to forge ahead alone.

Lake Lapcat is divided into multiple themed regions, each with several lighthouses you need to activate via Cat Shines. Each lighthouse sits in its own mini-region with several Cat Shines and five fragments forming an additional Shine.

Admittedly, Bowser’s Fury doesn’t offer the endless buffet of creativity Mario 3D World does. You’ll recognize plenty of shared gimmicks between each mini-region, such as bouncy platforms and spinning metal grates.

Yet thanks to the seemingly limitless number of combinations Nintendo created for how they’re all used, these mini-regions never feel stale or dull. There are plenty of additional challenges thrown in the mix for good measure, including some, like the Bully challenge, that hearken back to the classics.

The other part of what keeps Bowser’s Fury feeling fresh is how the side mode approaches power-ups. Mario can store multiple power-ups — and more than one of each for the first time.

Giving a purpose to each power-up beyond just one or two specific instances is a small change with a big effect, lending Bowser’s Fury a much-needed sense of immersion that I hope also finds its way into future Mario games.

The whole of Lake Lapcat feels the same. Stringing a series of platforming challenges together should feel forced or arbitrary, but it’s the exact opposite.

There’s no empty filler space like some other 3D Mario games — and most other open-world games — so it’s the best of both worlds: an entire game’s worth of material packed tightly together without sacrificing the expansive feel of exploring an open world. 

Bowser’s Fury wouldn’t be complete without Bowser, obviously, though there’s a bit less to report here. The periodic Bowser invasions with death flames and lava rain makes the Koopa King a bigger threat than he’s been since the NES days. Seeing Super Saiyan Cat Mario never gets old, but Giga Bell fights are mostly just big-sized versions of traditional Bowser fights. 

And that’s okay. Bowser’s Fury gave me much more than I was expecting.

Super Mario 3D World Bowser's Fury Review — The Bottom Line

Pros

• Some of the best gameplay in both 2D and 3D Mario
• Stage design is a nonstop train of creativity
• Bowser's Fury is a bold step forward in imagining what platformers can be like
• Love letter to all things Mario

Cons

• Some stages could stand being longer or more involved
• The variety means a few design ideas don't get used as much as they should
• Non-stop innovation doesn't quite extend to all of Bowser's Fury

Super Mario 3D World might be almost eight years old, but time hasn't dulled this cat's claws. It's still an absolute blast to play, with a delectable range of designs that never fails to impress. That's made more evident with the Switch's slightly faster speed. 

And while Bowser's Fury is short, it's full of so much potential for Mario's future, making this the most easily recommended port-and-repackage of the Switch's lifecycle so far.

[Note: Nintendo of America provided the copy of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury used for this review.]

Nintendo released another new Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury trailer on the heels of yesterday's look into the game. This one offers a deeper glimpse at what to expect from the Wii U port when it releases in February, including Bowser's Fury co-op play.

The new Mario 3D World trailer included some extra tidbits on Bowser's Fury. The new area is Lake Lapcat, a separate part of the Sprixie Kingdom, and Plessie the happy plesiosaur is back to ferry Mario around the huge open sandbox stage. This time, though, Plessie is master of earth and water, scooting over land masses and taking out enemies along the way.

As expected, Bowser's Fury includes 2-player co-op play with the second player controlling Bowser's snot-nosed offspring, Bowser Jr.

But the biggest feature is King Koopa himself. Every so often, Fury Bowser appears and spreads mayhem around Lake Lapcat for a period. Mario needs to collect enough Cat Shines to activate the Giga Bell and become Super Mario Saiyan Giga Cat Mario to challenge Bowser in the ultimate battle.

Before that, much of the trailer highlights Super Mario 3D World itself, but here's the rundown for those who didn't play the Wii U original.

Bowser is back and kidnaps the princess, but this time around, it's the princess(es) of the Sprixie Kingdom. Like Super Mario Bros. 2, Princess Peach is one of four playable characters with Mario, Luigi, and Toad rounding out the bunch.

The Super Bell that transforms Mario and co. into cats is just one of many power-ups in Mario 3D World. The classic Tanooki Leaf and Fireball also make an appearance, along with the Double Cherry that creates an extra Mario (or whomever) to tackle obstacles with.

The new White Tanooki Leaf returns from Super Mario 3D Land and offers invincibility with a helping of Tanooki powers, making it perfect for those finding 3D World's levels a struggle.

Mario 3D World on Switch brings photo mode back and, in addition to multiple filters, includes the Wii U's Mii Stamps players can use to set the stage for their ideal photos. 

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury releases February 12 for Nintendo Switch. A Cat Mario and Cat Peach amiibo release the same day, and using them grants Mario a White Tanooki Leaf or random power-up respectively.

The latest Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury trailer shows Bowser out of control, and Mario has to up his game to tame the massive menace.

Mario must gather cat versions of Shine Sprites to activate the large cat bell at the island's center because Bowser is Godzilla-sized and ready to destroy the world. Only super cat super Mario can stop him.

Bowser's Fury takes place in what looks like a mid-sized open-world sandbox, with multiple themed regions to explore and dozens of platforming challenges to overcome.

But Mario won't be alone in all this. Bowser Jr. is along for the ride, wielding his Super Mario Sunshine paintbrush to aid Mario.

Nintendo hasn't said whether Bowser Jr. is a non-playable character or if a second player can drop in for some Bowser's Fury co-op play. Given the new inclusion of online multiplayer for Mario 3D World, however, we'd be surprised if co-op weren't an option in Bowser's Fury.

While the 3D World cat powerup takes center stage, the new Bowser's Fury trailer shows a bevy of other powerups as well, including new classics such as Boomerang Mario. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury releases on February 12 for Nintendo Switch.