I'm safe to say Super Mario 3D World was the Mario game I've been waiting for since Super Mario 64. This new addition to the Mario series is as great as my inner child wanted it to be, being, in my opinion, the perfect mix of platformer and a fully 3D environment.
Super Mario 3D World has that early 90s feel we are all passionate about, yet it has the gameplay (the moves and jumps) we were introduced to in Super Mario 64 and that we all know so well. What can be better to an old gamer than to revive their childhood and to the young gamer to be introduced to that very gaming experience we love?
The stage design is superb and goes beyond the classic earth/fire/ice themes (even though they're present), and difficulty ranges from easy to super challenging stages in which you've got to show your full gaming ability. But for me the greatest addition to Super Mario 3D World is the "Super Bell" item, which transforms the characters into their cat form, making them much more agile and so the player can go further and faster though the stage.
Super Mario 3D World is the game we expect from Nintendo, a true new generation classic.