Ultimately, I prefer the focused, 'course-clear' model of 3D Land and World to sandbox Mario, but this really is an excellent take on the latter. The worlds are full of secrets to find, and the 'find a challenge, do a challenge, find another' loop is compelling. The freewheeling, breathless feeling of bouncing from world to totally distinct world makes for a pacy time, but the game lacks aesthetic coherence, and 'the incoherence is the point!' feels like a cop-out.