On one hand, this is the most buttery smooth 3D Mario has ever felt thanks to great controls and near-perfect pacing, while at the same time this is probably the easiest of the 3D entries by a country mile. Yes, I know that post-game challenges and bonuses are there, but the significant ease of the main game all the way to the end minus 2 encounters at the tail end also diminishes a lot of the experience. It felt weird being 6 to 7 hours into the game and feeling like I was still in the first level.

That being said, the game is so easy to jump into and recommend, and is a beautiful love letter to the Mario franchise as a whole, so just play it.