To bring the 3DS out of its hard launch, Mario is here to save the day with Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo’s newest platformer for the Nintendo 3DS. Made by the team that made the two Super Mario Galaxy games for the Wii, Super Mario 3D Land looks to blend concepts and gameplay from both 2D and 3D Mario games.
The story in Super Mario 3D Land is the same as every Mario game. Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser yet again and needs Mario to save her. This time around Bowser has stolen all the leaves off of the Tanooki Tree to help him in his conquest of the Mushroom Kingdom. So in Super Mario 3D Land, the Super Leaves, the power-up which bestows the beloved Tanooki Suit, play a prominent role in the game’s minimalist story. Throughout the game, you will run into iconic enemies such as Goombas, Bullet Bills and even Bowser himself donning a Tanooki tail.
The first thing you will notice when you pick up Super Mario 3D Land is the game is much slower than previous 3D Mario games. The slower pace may be off-putting to some hardcore Mario fanatics, but it works incredibly well with the excellent level designs. All the levels can be finished in a few minutes, which complements the on the go nature of the 3DS handheld. You will be replaying these levels a lot in order to collect all the Star Coins and other goodies hidden throughout the levels. After besting Bowser in one incredible boss battle and saving Princess Peach at the end of World 8, there is one phenomenal surprise that doubles the size of the game and offers a stiff challenge for seasoned Mario vets like yours truly. Super Mario 3D Land makes great use of the Nintendo 3DS' 3D as it uses it to enhance the gameplay for certain moments such as making it easier to notice obstacles or objects when the 3D is on.
One of the few things to fault about Super Mario 3D Land is the game's difficulty. Worlds 1-8 are a little too easy and you get so many lives that you will never see the Game Over screen. The one other fault was the StreetPass functionality. It works, but that is not that interesting. You can exchange mystery boxes with the people you StreetPass, but it would have been much more interesting if you exchanged ghost data with others and race them through levels to see who gets the best time. Just an idea.
One of the few things to fault about Super Mario 3D Land is the game's difficulty. Worlds 1-8 are a little too easy and you get so many lives that you will never see the Game Over screen. The one other fault was the StreetPass functionality. It works, but that is not that interesting. You can exchange mystery boxes with the people you StreetPass, but it would have been much more interesting if you exchanged ghost data with others and race them through levels to see who gets the best time. Just an idea.
Overall, Super Mario 3D Land cohesively blends concepts from both 2D and 3D Mario game in one incredible game. It may not be the masterpiece that the Super Mario Galaxy games were, but Super Mario 3D Land is definitely the best portable Mario game ever. If you own a 3DS, there is no excuse not to have this game. Super Mario 3D Land is a must-own for any Nintendo fan and 3DS owner alike.
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