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Nintendo has had a very steep lineup of games when the 3DS arrived , optimists always had “Super Mario 3D Land is coming soon” to counter-argue the fact that the 3DS hasn’t been doing very well in terms game library (besides everything else). Mario has always been a safe game series to go to, we know what to expect, colorful fun levels, master-crafted platforming and game mechanics and the like. Super Mario 3D Land comes mixing modern 3D mario gameplay with 2D platforming traditions that we’re use to seeing in the older Mario games, but is the game fun?
Like almost every Mario game out there, the game starts with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach, except this time something happens to a certain particular tree where the world is full of tanooki leaves which you, as Mario, and the legions of Bowser troops that are against you use to have Tanooki tails and suits. The game does make a big deal about the Tanooki stuff that were made sort of famous from Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario 3D Land really goes overboard with the Tanooki thing and have it in your face wherever you go, some may find cute that Goombas and Bullet Bills are wagging raccoon tails all over the game, but the appeal gets really old really quick.
The game is what you would expect a mario platforming game to be, bright, vibrant, charming and full of variety. First thing you will notice about the levels though is that they are unusually short, each level can easily take you under 2 minutes to beat. That being said, even with the disappointing short length of the levels, they often to do shine in terms of quality and variety.
Each level has 3 star coins (different to the regular small coins) to collect besides completing the level that will unlock new levels and challenges to come, it’s very important that you collect them since there will be times you won’t be able to progress without them as some boss levels require a specific number of coins. If you don’t have the required number of coins, you will have to back track for a few more coins to get there. Thankfully the game is pretty lenient about it since some challenge cubes will offer a few extra coins on the side, which makes it easier to collect said coins. The coin collection mechanic has become somewhat of a staple standard, but in many cases can be a mundane way of elongating the game’s gameplay duration, I have found myself forcing myself to be careful on not missing out on any coins as much as possible so don’t have to go through the same level again later.
Like most recent Mario games, the game is relatively simple to play. The game does not make any effort in making the game anymore difficult in the first playthrough (you get to play remixed versions of the levels that are suppose to be difficult after completing the first playthrough). It gets easy to the point that if the game notices you dying several times in a level, it will give you powerups in the beginning of the level that will help you complete the level quickly, which should make it easier in the levels where you’ll most likely die a lot, don’t worry about lives, this game will give you an unreasonable, massive amount lives to let you go wild.
One of the many reasons why I didn’t like New Super Mario Brothers on DS was how much the powerups felt like an after thought in the game. In Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo has taken the safe route of leaving the ones that worked, the only new one that we haven’t seen before is the Boomerang Bros. suit that is just a different variation to the Hammer Bros. suit from Mario 3. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but at least they are using good power ups that don’t feel like an afterthought and that is more important. The Tanooki suit would probably be the most useful suit in the game as it will give you a decent short range attack that attacks in a 360 degree radius, and have the ability to float in the air when holding the jump button, which really is very useful when it comes to the more platform heavy levels in the game.
The game is probably one of the best looking 3DS 3D games out there at the moment. As if the vibrant and lush color palette isn’t enough for the game to make it look pleasant, the game does quite an excellent job playing around with the 3D to either add depth to the perspective or make things pop out more. It becomes quite apparent in very vertical areas in the game where you do feel the distance of the platforms below you.
While you do get a very solid game from Super Mario 3D Land, I do find it difficult to be playing the game for long hours, I laways play the game at very short increments. In the beginning I found the game very slow and boring, but it kept me going until I, in the end, decided to complete the first playthrough. Halfway through the first world of the second playthrough, I thought I had enough of what the game had to offer.
What We Think: Definitely not worth buying the system for, but a good pick up if you already do own a 3DS. It does start out pretty slowly, but the game definitely does have moments where it does really shine. So if you do already own a 3DS, maybe it’s about time you took it out of its dust collecting state.
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