Review: Super Mario 3D Land

The First Real Reason to Buy a 3DS

        Everyone knows that whatever console Nintendo releases isn't a true Nintendo console unless there's a Mario game to play on it. The first wave of games for the 3DS were either remakes of Nintendo 64 games or ports of console games. With Super Mario 3D Land, the 3DS gets its first brand new game and one of the first reasons to have a 3DS.

        Super Mario 3D Land works like every other Mario game. Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and Mario has to go save her. The way the game plays is familiar to fans, but unique at the same time. What creates this feel of new and familiar is the combining of all the different Mario games into one. The levels are designed in three dimensions like Super Mario 64, but are played like the original Super Mario Bros. with the goal being to reach the flagpole at the end. If you need a better example, think of the Bowser stages in 64 or the sections in Super Mario Sunshine that relieve Mario of the FLUDD. 

        Since this is a combination of all the Mario games, Mario has all of the moves and abilities he has in other games. He can collect power-ups like mushrooms and fire flowers, and loses them when he takes damage. The game even brings back the tanooki suit from Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario also has some new abilities like the roll attack and the new boomerang suit, which works pretty much like Link's boomerang in The Legend of Zelda by allowing Mario to take down multiple enemies at once and collect items from far away.

     
        The game really takes full advantage of the 3DS's 3D by moving the camera around into the best positions to really get a feel of depth. Fireballs, Banzai Bills, and giant metal spikes will all fly toward the screen from the background and top-down sections will allow the player to see down a hundred foot drop. The 3D and the wonderfully vibrant world of the Mushroom Kingdom really bring this game to life. The music is also something to note as it follows the tradition of memorably catchy tunes.

   

        The greatest surprise in the game is the large amount content that is kept hidden from the player. Each of the eight worlds only consists of a handful of levels, but after the end of main game, eight more worlds open up. The new levels combined with the challenge of collecting every Star Medal offer enough content to justify the price. The new levels are basically remixed versions of previous levels, but they offer new challenges that really ramp up the difficulty.

     
        The bosses are also throw backs to previous games. Some of the bosses take place on the airships and play out like the bosses from SMB 3, and some take place in castles that require Mario to avoid fireballs being thrown from Bowser. I loved these callbacks to previous games, but I kind of wished they had thrown in more variety with them.

     
        Despite the tiny complaints, Super Mario 3D Land is simply some of the best Nintendo has to offer. Whether it's the gameplay, the graphics, music, or the many easter eggs and references to other games, the entire experience is a fantastic treat to fans and those unfamiliar with Mario. If you've been on the fence in deciding on getting a 3DS, this game should sway you into buying one.

Final Verdict: 9.5/10