The Game You Didn't Know Was Connected To Super Mario 3D World
Mario, Luigi, the Princess, and all the rest have had plenty of fun together in the form of sports and party games. When it comes to main adventures, however, few share the spotlight with Super Mario.
One of the main characters in the Super Mario Bros. series who always seems to get the short end of the stick is Toad. Even in the incredibly weird Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Toad gets snubbed. You'll notice that even the opening theme of that TV series mentions "Koopas, the Troopas, the Princess and the others," but not a word about Toad. Why is that?
It just so happens this popular side character starred in his own weird spinoff. This game is a hidden gem for the Nintendo Wii U that was later ported to the Switch. It's called Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
If you haven't been keeping up with Mario games lately, you might be surprised to know that not only did Toad finally get his own game, but it's linked to Super Mario 3D World. Here's the connection.
Tracking down treasures with Captain Toad
Embarking on his own adventure for the first time since Wario's Woods (which was his premier starring role), Captain Toad is joined by Toadette on a quest to collect all the power stars before they fall into the evil claws of Wingo, the game's bird antagonist.
For anyone who has played Super Mario 3D World, the connection is clear. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker took the Captain Toad segments from 3D World and fleshed them out into a full game. If you haven't beaten Treasure Tracker, you may not realize its role in the series.
After beating the game, you get to watch a fun credits sequence where Toad and Toadette ride in a minecart, with a post-credits segment that reveals when the game took place.
After Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and a blue Toad hop into a pipe that takes them to their adventure in Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad soon arrives, chasing a star that landed in the same pipe. From there, it is revealed that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is essentially a prequel to Super Mario 3D World. If you've played the latter title but have yet to try the former, it's time to join Toad on his treasure-hunting journey.