– One demo stage has the new double cherry power-up
– Picking up one of these clones your character, as shown in the Nintendo Direct
– The more cherries you find, the more characters you can have on-screen at once
– All characters control the same way, meaning they all toss fireballs when you press “Y”, etc.
– The clones can drift apart throughout the stage due to things like the slop of a stage, getting snagged on a wall, etc.
– Clones also appear when playing with others in the same way
– Another stage: bomb dispensers that send out out explosives that Mario and pals could freely kick around
– Punt bombs into walls to open new paths and locate secrets
– Use bombs in a fight against Bowser
– Map is similar to classic Marios
– Can move freely around the map
– Explore the map to reveal power-ups and other bonuses
– All stages have little hidden spots and out-of-the-way corners where you can find extra collectibles
– One level ends with a small hill-like tower structure with linked doors, similar to some of the levels in Mario 2
– Duck behind it to let your character run through a narrow gap and collect coins
– If you’re wearing the cat suit power-up, you can climb the structure to the top and hunt for bonuses up there
– Cat suit used in many ways, such as special platforms that require you to spin valves with the suit’s paws
– Underground stage: features portions consisting of silhouettes
– Silhouettes are caused by both rear and front lighting
– Eventually reach a Toad crying because his shadow is being menaced by the silhouette of Bowser even though there’s no physical Bowser standing near the Toad
– Walk forward into the camera and you’ll reveal a hidden area where a Paper Mario-style wooden standup of Bowser lit from in front is casting its shadow onto the same wall as the Toad’s shadow
– Topple the Bowser and the Toad gives you a Star in gratitude