(Review)
About two months ago, I got my hands on a 3DS XL, which I've been wanting for over a year now, and among the first few games I got was Super Mario 3D Land. I always surprise myself when I think back and realize the only 3D Mario game I owned as of picking up this game was Super Mario Sunshine, but not only did Super Mario 3D Land encourage me to look into getting Super Mario 64 and the Galaxy seires, it also made my purchase of a 3DS very much worth the $200.
Super Mario 3D Land controls like any ordinary 3D Mario game would. You move with the Circle Pad and jump with A or B. Actions like running or using a powerup's ability are controlled with X and Y, so right off the bat, SM3DL feels very similar to Super Mario World. L and R allow Mario to crouch and, after jumping, perform a Ground Pound. Players can combine different button inputs to make Mario do different athletic tricks, such as crouching and pressing an action button to do a high-speed roll and then pressing a jump button to leap even further. The controls, as previously stated, are like any other 3D Mario game, but they translate surprisingly well to the 3DS. As with every other Mario game in existence, the goal is to reach the end of every level.
What made SM3DL so enjoyable to me was how unique it felt. Unlike the past four 3D Mario games, 3D Land's environments feel and look like a 2D Mario game, end-level flagpole and all. The blocky environments and sometimes tight corridors make the game feel like it should be in 2D, but the controls and the actual 3D technology of the 3DS make it feel...well, 3D. Pushing the slider all the way up makes it have this really interesting and unique feel that can't be described accurately; you'll have to play it for yourself to see what I mean. It's almost as if a 2D game had exploded into the third dimension.
As for powerups, SM3DL brings back the Fire Flower and Tanooki Suit as well as introduce the new Boomerang Suit, which, honestly, isn't too useful besides being used to pick up a few of the Star Coins scattered across every level (and you'll want to pick up all three in each level the first time around, trust me). The Tanooki Suit has got to be the most useful and game-breaking powerups of all time; it allows the player to glide and float over every obstacle, making athletic levels and tough platforming sections a breeze. Consider playing as regular Mario at all times if you want more of a challenge.
Speaking of challenges, Super Mario 3D Land isn't exactly "hard" by any means; however, as you get further into the game, certain levels will stand out as ridiculously hard, so don't worry if you're thinking the game will be too short. In fact, those first eight worlds? You're only looking at a fraction of the game. Any completionist will find this game to be loads of fun in attempting to reach 100%, and even those who don't like to complete games will most likely go for this achievement, as well. Having to backtrack and re-complete certain levels is actually a good thing in the sense that there are so many levels packed into SM3DL that you most likely won't remember half of them when going back to play them again, making for an addictive experience. Hell, I'm already making my way through a second 100% playthrough and I've only had this game for a month or so.
Now for something I find interesting: the story. For some odd reason, I feel like, for once, there's some character development in a Mario game. After finishing each world, Mario will come across a picture in a letter that shows what Peach is going through at that moment, and in one picture, it actually shows that Peach does try and fight back and escape while in Bowser's Castle. ...oh, did I forget to mention the story's about her getting kiddnapped? Yeah, I kinda figured that went without saying at this point. The way Mario and the Toad interact with eachother also seems to feel a bit deeper than it usually does in a Mario game. I'm not quite sure why, but something about the progression in SM3DL feels more fleshed out then previous games. You could say every character feels more...three-dimensional. (Crappy pun count: 1.)
The sound mixing is done incredibly well, too. The actual music tracks are very calming and well-made, and we hear the reappearance of the Super Mario Bros. 3 Athletic theme, as well. When going underwater or inside, the music for the level will become slightly muffled, making the game feel, again, more three-dimensional. The retro level and the Boo House themes are among my personal favorites in SM3DL. The graphics, amazingly, are on par with stuff you'd find on the Wii. The character models look great, the environments are very smooth and detailed, and the entire game looks jaw-droppingly (Is that a term? It's a term now.) gorgeous with the 3D function turned on.
If you have a 3DS and you haven't yet picked up Super Mario 3D Land, you're missing out on what could quite possibly be one of the absolute best games on the system. It's a great game that will keep you occupied for a longer period of time than you'd originally expect.
About two months ago, I got my hands on a 3DS XL, which I've been wanting for over a year now, and among the first few games I got was Super Mario 3D Land. I always surprise myself when I think back and realize the only 3D Mario game I owned as of picking up this game was Super Mario Sunshine, but not only did Super Mario 3D Land encourage me to look into getting Super Mario 64 and the Galaxy seires, it also made my purchase of a 3DS very much worth the $200.
Super Mario 3D Land controls like any ordinary 3D Mario game would. You move with the Circle Pad and jump with A or B. Actions like running or using a powerup's ability are controlled with X and Y, so right off the bat, SM3DL feels very similar to Super Mario World. L and R allow Mario to crouch and, after jumping, perform a Ground Pound. Players can combine different button inputs to make Mario do different athletic tricks, such as crouching and pressing an action button to do a high-speed roll and then pressing a jump button to leap even further. The controls, as previously stated, are like any other 3D Mario game, but they translate surprisingly well to the 3DS. As with every other Mario game in existence, the goal is to reach the end of every level.
What made SM3DL so enjoyable to me was how unique it felt. Unlike the past four 3D Mario games, 3D Land's environments feel and look like a 2D Mario game, end-level flagpole and all. The blocky environments and sometimes tight corridors make the game feel like it should be in 2D, but the controls and the actual 3D technology of the 3DS make it feel...well, 3D. Pushing the slider all the way up makes it have this really interesting and unique feel that can't be described accurately; you'll have to play it for yourself to see what I mean. It's almost as if a 2D game had exploded into the third dimension.
As for powerups, SM3DL brings back the Fire Flower and Tanooki Suit as well as introduce the new Boomerang Suit, which, honestly, isn't too useful besides being used to pick up a few of the Star Coins scattered across every level (and you'll want to pick up all three in each level the first time around, trust me). The Tanooki Suit has got to be the most useful and game-breaking powerups of all time; it allows the player to glide and float over every obstacle, making athletic levels and tough platforming sections a breeze. Consider playing as regular Mario at all times if you want more of a challenge.
Speaking of challenges, Super Mario 3D Land isn't exactly "hard" by any means; however, as you get further into the game, certain levels will stand out as ridiculously hard, so don't worry if you're thinking the game will be too short. In fact, those first eight worlds? You're only looking at a fraction of the game. Any completionist will find this game to be loads of fun in attempting to reach 100%, and even those who don't like to complete games will most likely go for this achievement, as well. Having to backtrack and re-complete certain levels is actually a good thing in the sense that there are so many levels packed into SM3DL that you most likely won't remember half of them when going back to play them again, making for an addictive experience. Hell, I'm already making my way through a second 100% playthrough and I've only had this game for a month or so.
Now for something I find interesting: the story. For some odd reason, I feel like, for once, there's some character development in a Mario game. After finishing each world, Mario will come across a picture in a letter that shows what Peach is going through at that moment, and in one picture, it actually shows that Peach does try and fight back and escape while in Bowser's Castle. ...oh, did I forget to mention the story's about her getting kiddnapped? Yeah, I kinda figured that went without saying at this point. The way Mario and the Toad interact with eachother also seems to feel a bit deeper than it usually does in a Mario game. I'm not quite sure why, but something about the progression in SM3DL feels more fleshed out then previous games. You could say every character feels more...three-dimensional. (Crappy pun count: 1.)
The sound mixing is done incredibly well, too. The actual music tracks are very calming and well-made, and we hear the reappearance of the Super Mario Bros. 3 Athletic theme, as well. When going underwater or inside, the music for the level will become slightly muffled, making the game feel, again, more three-dimensional. The retro level and the Boo House themes are among my personal favorites in SM3DL. The graphics, amazingly, are on par with stuff you'd find on the Wii. The character models look great, the environments are very smooth and detailed, and the entire game looks jaw-droppingly (Is that a term? It's a term now.) gorgeous with the 3D function turned on.
If you have a 3DS and you haven't yet picked up Super Mario 3D Land, you're missing out on what could quite possibly be one of the absolute best games on the system. It's a great game that will keep you occupied for a longer period of time than you'd originally expect.
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