Super Mario 3D Land
Platforms: 3DS
Players: 1
Original Release Date(s): Nov 13 2001(US), Nov 18 2011(EU), Nov 24 2011(AU), Nov 3 2011(JP)
With the launch of every new Nintendo console both home and handheld come the wait and demand for certain key game series to be released none more eagerly awaited than Mario and for his 3DS debut Nintendo is adding a new dimension to the gameplay quite literally this time.
Up until now there have been few 3DS games really that use the system to its potential and most games tend to be ports or remakes well Super Mario 3D Land marks the start of the original games promised for the system.
Presentation
Much like Super Mario Galaxy 2 borrows heavily from older games Super Mario 3D Land borrows heavily from both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros.in both structure and looks all wrapped together in a stereoscopic 3D world, and it works although it seems to have taken the safe bet in that regard as the game doesn't feel like it treads much new ground but rather goes with what made those two games successful and sticks to the formula, not bad by any means just dont expect too much in the way of stuff you haven't seen before.
Graphics
Very bright and colourful are the first things that come to mind and borrowing heavily from both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 in terms of design, static pictures also don't do this games any form of justice as they simply make it look like a shrunk down version of the two Wii Galaxy games, and from a technical point of view it does match them for the most part but viewing the game in stereoscopic 3D brings a who;e new level of depth to the game and unlike other games on the system it's not just there as a visual effect but can actually help you with the depth of areas and helping you access certain part much easier.
Sound
Your typical Mario music in many respects, although not quite up to the same high quality as the Galaxy games because there is no real orchestrated sound track like those two games so the sound doesn't feel quite as epic but then the game isn't really on the same scale so really you can understand the lack of inclusion, but much like most Mario games now there are some good remixes of you typical Mario tunes that never really get boring no matter how many time you hear them and compliment the game perfectly.
Gameplay
Where Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a merging of design between Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros. this game takes it that one step further as the levels are now totally linear in design yet still giving you the freedom to move around in 3D helping add further variation to a Mario platform games so while it may look similar it plays different enough to help it feel fresh.
Much like older Mario games and the New Super Mario Bros. ones levels are fairly short in overall size but offer some decent challenges late on with some tricky platform jumping action and the stereoscopic 3D can help you out in many places helping you judge distance that much better or feel that much worse seeing that you jumped at the wrong angle towards the platform when you fail to judge the distance properly.
All in all it plays like you typical Mario game just much more of a cross between your 2D and 3D games with much more relying on precision jumping than any other 3D game before, and a New Mario game wouldn't be complete without its share of new, or old in this case, selection of power ups most notably of course is the Tanooki suit which is the one that is publicised pretty much every where making its return from Super Mario Bros. 3 as does the Hammer Bros. suit adding different elements to getting through the levels as you would expect.
One thing I do have a gripe about in Mario games of recent years is the massive amount of hand holding that goes on often if you die a certain amount of times now you get some kind of option or ability to be able to auto beat the level which to me feels very cheap of course you don't have to take this option but it kind of detracts from the challenge of the gameplay if you can simply just skip the hard bits.
Lasting Appeal
What looks like it is going to be a deceptively short game to begin with once you start playing through and see only eight world and the levels seem fairly easy too turns out to be much larger than expected, because once you have beaten those initial eight worlds you unlock a further eight and one that are far more challenging and worthy of your time and those levels you don't get the chance to have any aided runs through them if you die a certain amount of times like you do on the earlier levels.
So the game really doesn't start becoming a challenge until the half way mark but then you also will want to try and collect as many of the large gold coins on each level to be able to fully beat the worlds, then you will probably want to play through the game at least once more or just replay your favourite levels.
Overall
Let me get this out of the way right away I think Super Mario 3D Land is a great game, however I do feel Nintendo took the safest route they could with the overall design of the game and didn't take any real chances, and the hand holding through the first half of the game is pretty shocking just how easy they have made it for even newcomers, but despite that once you get really into it and if you don't use or over use the abilities to be able to breeze through a level there is a seriously amazing Mario adventure here and the best original handheld one ever released.
My advice is enjoy this as a game that really shows what the 3DS is capable of and ignore the minor ease of difficulty through the first half of the game, because once you have got past that the real challenge begins and you wont be disappointed.
Scores
Players: 1
Original Release Date(s): Nov 13 2001(US), Nov 18 2011(EU), Nov 24 2011(AU), Nov 3 2011(JP)
With the launch of every new Nintendo console both home and handheld come the wait and demand for certain key game series to be released none more eagerly awaited than Mario and for his 3DS debut Nintendo is adding a new dimension to the gameplay quite literally this time.
Up until now there have been few 3DS games really that use the system to its potential and most games tend to be ports or remakes well Super Mario 3D Land marks the start of the original games promised for the system.
Presentation
Much like Super Mario Galaxy 2 borrows heavily from older games Super Mario 3D Land borrows heavily from both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros.in both structure and looks all wrapped together in a stereoscopic 3D world, and it works although it seems to have taken the safe bet in that regard as the game doesn't feel like it treads much new ground but rather goes with what made those two games successful and sticks to the formula, not bad by any means just dont expect too much in the way of stuff you haven't seen before.
Graphics
Very bright and colourful are the first things that come to mind and borrowing heavily from both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 in terms of design, static pictures also don't do this games any form of justice as they simply make it look like a shrunk down version of the two Wii Galaxy games, and from a technical point of view it does match them for the most part but viewing the game in stereoscopic 3D brings a who;e new level of depth to the game and unlike other games on the system it's not just there as a visual effect but can actually help you with the depth of areas and helping you access certain part much easier.
Sound
Your typical Mario music in many respects, although not quite up to the same high quality as the Galaxy games because there is no real orchestrated sound track like those two games so the sound doesn't feel quite as epic but then the game isn't really on the same scale so really you can understand the lack of inclusion, but much like most Mario games now there are some good remixes of you typical Mario tunes that never really get boring no matter how many time you hear them and compliment the game perfectly.
Gameplay
Where Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a merging of design between Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros. this game takes it that one step further as the levels are now totally linear in design yet still giving you the freedom to move around in 3D helping add further variation to a Mario platform games so while it may look similar it plays different enough to help it feel fresh.
Much like older Mario games and the New Super Mario Bros. ones levels are fairly short in overall size but offer some decent challenges late on with some tricky platform jumping action and the stereoscopic 3D can help you out in many places helping you judge distance that much better or feel that much worse seeing that you jumped at the wrong angle towards the platform when you fail to judge the distance properly.
All in all it plays like you typical Mario game just much more of a cross between your 2D and 3D games with much more relying on precision jumping than any other 3D game before, and a New Mario game wouldn't be complete without its share of new, or old in this case, selection of power ups most notably of course is the Tanooki suit which is the one that is publicised pretty much every where making its return from Super Mario Bros. 3 as does the Hammer Bros. suit adding different elements to getting through the levels as you would expect.
One thing I do have a gripe about in Mario games of recent years is the massive amount of hand holding that goes on often if you die a certain amount of times now you get some kind of option or ability to be able to auto beat the level which to me feels very cheap of course you don't have to take this option but it kind of detracts from the challenge of the gameplay if you can simply just skip the hard bits.
Lasting Appeal
What looks like it is going to be a deceptively short game to begin with once you start playing through and see only eight world and the levels seem fairly easy too turns out to be much larger than expected, because once you have beaten those initial eight worlds you unlock a further eight and one that are far more challenging and worthy of your time and those levels you don't get the chance to have any aided runs through them if you die a certain amount of times like you do on the earlier levels.
So the game really doesn't start becoming a challenge until the half way mark but then you also will want to try and collect as many of the large gold coins on each level to be able to fully beat the worlds, then you will probably want to play through the game at least once more or just replay your favourite levels.
Overall
Let me get this out of the way right away I think Super Mario 3D Land is a great game, however I do feel Nintendo took the safest route they could with the overall design of the game and didn't take any real chances, and the hand holding through the first half of the game is pretty shocking just how easy they have made it for even newcomers, but despite that once you get really into it and if you don't use or over use the abilities to be able to breeze through a level there is a seriously amazing Mario adventure here and the best original handheld one ever released.
My advice is enjoy this as a game that really shows what the 3DS is capable of and ignore the minor ease of difficulty through the first half of the game, because once you have got past that the real challenge begins and you wont be disappointed.
Scores
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