You’re standing on the world map. The jazzy music is looping. You’ve got a choice to make, and honestly, it’s the most important decision in the game. Most people just grab Mario because he’s on the box. Big mistake. Choosing your characters in Super Mario 3D World isn't just about aesthetics or which color looks best in a cat suit; it’s about how you’re going to survive Champion’s Road later.
This game is a weird, beautiful throwback to Super Mario Bros. 2. It brought back the distinct physics that we hadn't really seen in decades. It’s not just "Mario but different colors" like the New Super Mario Bros. series. Here, the weight, the friction, and the hang time change depending on who’s under the cap.
The Core Four (And Why You’re Playing Them Wrong)
Mario is the baseline. He’s the "C" student of the group. He doesn’t excel at anything, but he doesn’t suck at anything either. If you’re a purist, sure, play as Mario. But in a game built on verticality and momentum, being average is actually a bit of a handicap. He runs at a decent clip and jumps a standard height. He’s the control group for the entire experiment.
Then you have Luigi. Poor, lanky Luigi.
He jumps higher. Like, significantly higher. But there’s a catch that kills a lot of players on the icy levels: traction. Luigi moves like he’s wearing socks on a freshly waxed floor. If you’re used to the precise stops of other platformers, Luigi will drive you crazy. You have to start your "brakes" about three steps earlier than you think. But for speedrunning or skipping entire sections of a map? Luigi is king. His scuttle jump gives you that extra half-second of airtime that can mean the difference between falling into a bottomless pit and landing on a stray Para-Goomba.
Peach is basically the game's "Easy Mode," but don't let that elitist gamer talk discourage you. Her float ability is a literal lifesaver. You hold the jump button, and she just hovers. It lasts for about 1.5 seconds, which sounds short but feels like an eternity when you've overshot a platform. In multiplayer, having a Peach on the team is essential for reaching those high-up Green Stars that require pixel-perfect positioning. She’s slower, though. If you’re playing with friends and everyone is racing for the crown at the end of the level, Peach is going to lose every single time unless she takes a shortcut.
Toad is the opposite.
He’s a literal bullet. He’s the fastest character in the game once he gets up to speed. If you want to see the "Clear!" screen as fast as humanly possible, you pick Toad. The trade-off is his jump height. It’s pathetic. He hits the ground like a sack of bricks. Playing Toad requires a completely different mindset—you aren't looking for the high road; you’re looking for the straightest line from A to B.
The Secret Weapon: Rosalina
You don’t get her right away. You have to beat the main game and head into the Star World. Specifically, World Star-2. Once you unlock Rosalina, the meta for characters in Super Mario 3D World shifts completely.
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She has a spin attack.
If that sounds familiar, it's because it’s basically the move from Super Mario Galaxy. This attack doubles as a secondary jump. If you’re mid-air and realize you’re going to miss the ledge, you tap the button, she spins, and you get a tiny bit of extra lift. It also kills enemies without needing a power-up. Rosalina with a Fire Flower is arguably the most powerful entity in the Mario universe.
The downside? She’s the slowest character. Even slower than Peach. Running through a wide-open field as Rosalina feels like wading through molasses. But in the tight, platform-heavy stages of the post-game, her utility is unmatched. She makes the brutal difficulty spikes of the later worlds actually manageable.
Multiplayer Chaos and the Fight for the Crown
Multiplayer changes the "math" of these characters. When four people are on screen, the camera zooms out. It gets frantic. This is where the physics really start to clash.
Imagine a Luigi sliding into a Toad who is trying to sprint. You’ll bounce off each other. You’ll throw each other off cliffs—sometimes on purpose, mostly by accident. The game awards a crown to whoever gets the highest score at the end of a level. This creates a weird social dynamic. Do you use Peach to safely float to the top of the flagpole, or do you use Toad to sprint ahead and steal all the coins before your friends can get them?
Honestly, the "best" character in multiplayer is whoever is currently holding the Cat Suit. The Super Bell is the great equalizer. It gives everyone a climbing ability and a dive attack that can negate some of the character-specific weaknesses. A Cat Toad is a terrifying force of nature.
What Most People Miss About Character Stats
There is a hidden layer to how these characters interact with the environment. It’s not just about jump height.
- Acceleration: Toad hits top speed almost instantly. Mario and Peach take a few frames to get there. Luigi takes the longest.
- Weight: This affects how you bounce off enemies. Heavier characters (Rosalina/Mario) feel more grounded, while Toad feels "poppy."
- Hitboxes: There is a slight variation in how characters interact with narrow platforms. Peach’s dress can sometimes make it harder to see exactly where her feet are, leading to "How did I fall?!" moments.
If you’re struggling with a specific Green Star, don't just keep banging your head against the wall with Mario. Switch. That's the whole point of the character select screen. If the Star is high up, grab Luigi. If it’s behind a gauntlet of enemies, grab Rosalina. If it's a timed dash, use Toad.
The Strategy for Champion's Road
If you're reading this, you might be looking for a way to beat the final, final level. It's notorious. It’s one of the hardest levels Nintendo has ever designed.
Most experts suggest using Rosalina. Why? Because the spin jump allows for "recovery" in sections where a single mistake usually means death. However, there’s a strong argument for Peach. Her hover allows you to bypass the rhythm-based disappearing blocks with much less stress.
Don't use Toad for Champion's Road unless you are a literal god at this game. His lack of verticality will turn the final stretch into a nightmare.
Moving Toward 100% Completion
To truly "beat" the game—to get those final stamps—you actually have to finish every single level with every single character. It sounds like a chore. It kind of is. But it also forces you to learn the nuances of the roster. You’ll realize that a level you thought was easy with Peach is actually a nightmare with Luigi's slippery feet.
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It changes the level design. A gap that felt perfectly tuned for Mario becomes a "can I make this?" moment for Toad. It extends the life of the game significantly because you aren't just playing the same 3D platformer; you're playing five different versions of it.
Your Next Steps for Mastery
- Audit your stamps: Check the character icons on the level select screen. If you’re missing a character’s clear, you haven't truly mastered that stage.
- Practice the "Long Jump": Regardless of who you pick, mastering the crouch-jump (Long Jump) is vital. Toad’s Long Jump is the fastest way to move in the game.
- Use the "Warp" trick: If you're trying to clear levels with all characters quickly, remember you can use the Warp Pipes in World 1 and World 4 to skip ahead, but you still need those individual character clears for the final stamps.
- Go back to World 1-1 with Rosalina: Once you unlock her, go back and see how different the early game feels. It’s a completely different experience when you can spin-attack your way through the Goomba piles.
The beauty of the characters in Super Mario 3D World is that there is no "correct" choice for the entire game. The game is a toolbox. Each character is a different tool. If you're still playing as Mario for every single level, you're missing out on half the fun. Go pick the dinosaur-obsessed princess or the speedy mushroom guy and see how the game pushes back.