Super Mario 3D Land is a wonderful blend of the many past accomplishments from the Super Mario series blended into one fantastic game. In Mario's first true 3D portable game you'll find yourself enjoying elements from the likes of Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and more. Somehow Nintendo has taken all these different entries to the series and brought them together in this great package.
This time around we're seeing Mario running, jumping, and stomping on goombas in a rather enjoyable blend of 2D platforming and 3D elements with worlds moving from a 2D perspective, you still have the ability to move towards the camera and away, and open 3D sections that bring me back to the days of Super Mario 64 with elements from Super Mario Galaxy. The new style works well and feels like a natural evolution of the series.
Everything plays out much like the original Mario games with you moving from world to world, playing through several stages before ultimately tackling a castle or air ship. The levels are smaller than I expected, designed to be picked up and played in short play sessions which works quite well for the handheld. We also see a return of the timer meaning you don't have an unlimited amount of time to explore the levels and uncover all the secrets. We also see the return of Star Coins from the New Super Mario Bros. series and the return of the ending flag pole from the original Mario Bros.
These elements come together quite well and it makes for an excellent game that feels fresh and flows well. At times I wish the levels were a little longer; sometimes I found myself clearing a level in a little over a minute. However going back through the levels to collect the three Star Coins, used to unlock later stages, definitely proved to be challenging in some cases. There were plenty of levels I was able to easily snag all three coins in a single run.
The gameplay also draws on the past in the form of power-ups with the tanooki suit making a come back along with another fan favorite the fire flower. That's not all Mario will be playing with though as the jump block from the New Super Mario Bros. makes an appearance along with the new power-up the boomer-rang suit. Another blast from the past comes from the fact that Mario no longer has a health meter, but rather goes through the stages of losing his power-ups until he is tiny, which taking any damage at that point means you lose a life.
From rotating platforms that made me think of Super Mario Galaxy to platforming sections that felt like New Super Mario Bros. and even sections that felt like something entirely new Super Mario 3D Land is a blast to play from start to finish. The level design is great and levels are quite varied hitting you with a mix of the retro 2.5D levels to some which are fully open much like the usual 3D Mario release. Some levels will have the camera moving along at a set pace while others allow you to move along at your own pace.
One thing that surprised me out the gate was how easy the game was. I found myself flying through levels with ease, snagging the Star Coins, and not really feeling challenged like past Mario games had done. This isn't to say the game isn't fun but it certainly takes awhile for the difficulty to ramp up to a level where I found myself feeling challenged. In fact that didn't occur until after I had beaten the first 8 Worlds and unlocked the Special Worlds which were made up of some new levels and older levels remixed to be much more challenging. Even then it took a few worlds for it to start pushing me. I'd go as far as to say this is one of the easier Mario games I've played and as of writting this review I've got 100% completion with all 16 Worlds (8 normal and 8 special) beaten, all 3 Star Coins collected and only 93 deaths total.
Each World is made up from five levels or more, with each containing a Mushroom House (think Super Mario Bros. 3) and a Mystery Box which can either be a quick challenge where you have a task to complete in 12 seconds or a whole new level. At the end of each World you are either playing through a castle and facing a fake Bowser which is just a goomba in disguise, or an Air Fortress that harkens back to Super Mario Bros. 3. Each provide their own unique challenge though I did find most of the bosses to be rather easy and most of the Special Worlds don't have a boss waiting at the end.
The Special Worlds (8 total) do a great job at tossing in new elements which really keep you on your toes. Whether that is starting the clock with only 30 seconds leaving you scrambling to collect clocks, adding 10 seconds for each one, as you progress through the level. Other levels will have Shadow Mario appear and this little guy will follow your every move until he catches up with you and kills off Mario. Some levels will even combine several of the new elements like the above two which makes for an interesting twist as you are having to keep your eyes not only on Shadow Mario but also be on the look out for clocks as well. These definitely provided a challenge though it never quite got to the point that I wanted.
The graphics here are amazing. Plain and simple. The use of 3D here is incredible and Nintendo really knocked this out of the park in that regard. From using 2D stand ups of enemies and 1 UPs which are simply made of cardboard to the amazing use of depth and even how the graphics pop out of the screen unlike any game I've seen before. Nintendo showcases just how much 3D can bring to a game and Super Mario 3D Land is a perfect example of how the 3D can truly enhance a game. Numerous times I found myself saying out loud "Wow" over the effects and just how well it looked and worked. I put in over 10 hours play and not once did I get a headache or anything like that.
Even without the 3D effects I found the graphics to be rather impressive though not quite on the level of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. Still this is one of Nintendo's first major releases on the platform and it is a great sign of what is to come.
In the end despite a few minor complaints I felt Super Mario 3D Land offers a great platforming experience any fan of Mario's past releases will highly enjoy, though this might not challenge you in the way previous releases have. I also wish the adventure had been a little longer but with impressive level design and a great mix of both new and old there is alot to enjoy here. I'm giving this one an 8.5 out of 10. It misses the mark in the difficulty department and length but still delivers an enjoyable package that will give 3DS owners hours and hours of entertainment in what is another fantastic Mario game. If you're a Mario fan then you'll find plenty to enjoy here, just don't expect the challenge that we've seen from the Super Mario Galaxy series.
Final Score: 8.5 out of 10
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From the manufacturer
New and familiar abilities add unique game-play strategies to the adventure. Mario can perform a rolling somersault attack or run fast with a dash move.
The Circle Pad gives players complete control to confidently move Mario through fun and challenging environments.
New enemies include Goombas with tails, tall stacks of Goombas and a Piranha Plant that spits ink to obscure a player’s view.
Super Mario 3D Land - Nintendo 3DS Standard Edition
Get Ready for a New Spin on a Familiar Tail
Super Mario 3D Land reinvents everything fans love about Mario gaming with the first platforming environment in true 3D, without the need for special glasses Players will experience an exhilarating new sense of depth, distance and speed while running, jumping and stomping on enemies throughout the levels.
Tanooki Mario returns! The fan-favorite Tanooki suit makes its first appearance on the Nintendo 3DS. Use the Tanooki suit’s tail to attack enemies or float gently down from great heights. These abilities help players move through the 3D environments with more confidence.
3D visuals make it easier for players to judge the depths and distances in their environments. Players can more accurately judge the jump to the next platform or how far Mario is from a question block.
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Super Mario 3D Land - 3DS [Digital Code]
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Love, love, love! Such a great 3ds game, I couldn't be happier! The game was in the correct case, sealed and everything. Thank you so much! :)
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