Super Mario 3D Land [Review] - The UpStream

Super Mario 3D Land [Review]

posted Sunday Dec 4, 2011 by Allante Sparks

Super Mario 3D Land [Review]

Mario has been jumping on our television screens and killing evil woodland creatures for over 25 years now. You would think we would get tired of the same formula of: beautiful princess running a peaceful kingdom of mushroom people in diapers, an evil dragon... turtle... thing decides to kidnap the princess just because he wants to, princess calls out to the four foot tall neighborhood plumber to come to her rescue, he defeats the evil fire-breathing bastard and saves the princess all for one single kiss. Well, apparently, we are not tired of this formula, because Nintendo seems to find a way to make each and every experience fresh and sometimes revolutionary.

Nintendo's newest installment to the Super Mario franchise has arrived. Super Mario 3D Land jumps, flutters and fireballs its way into our 3DS consoles and our hearts with stunning graphics, familiar nostalgic gameplay and powers, and level designs that will keep you questioning how good you really are at gaming.

For more of my thoughts on the game, hit the break.

For all of you die-hard Mario fans, Super Mario 3D Land is a must-have. As always, each Super Mario that comes out finds a way to bring a new experience to the table. You thought New Super Mario Bros. Wii went back to its roots, wait until you play this title. From re-introducing the fan favorite Tanooki Suit, going back to the 8 worlds you have to conquer, plenty of old-school music remixed to perfection, to even having Mario finish every single board by jumping onto the flagpole, there is plenty of nostalgia here to keep your interest. Of course this game has the ease of play and absolutely no dialog involved so that people of all ages can play this title and enjoy it.

The graphics are stunning. This game looks like a perfect mixture of Super Mario Galaxy with the formula of the classic Mario games, and that makes for a great experience. As I've said before, veterans to the Mario franchise will love the soundtrack to the game, with many amazing remixes to tunes we first heard 20-plus years ago, along with plenty of new and memorable tunes to go along with them.

Gameplay is just about what you expect it to be. This title strays away from the side-scrolling left to right gameplay like New Super Mario Bros. and gives you the experience of Super Mario Galaxy but in an entirely new game. There is only one issue that I had with this formula. The 3D feature doesn't actually add any sense of depth to the game and that is what the main focus of this title is. So, when you are racing against time or running from Shadow Mario in certain boards, you will find yourself leaping to your demise quite a few times because you don't have the time to tell where the platforms actually are.

As frustrating as that may be, that did not deter me from wanting to finish this game 100%. Let us not forget the Street Pass feature that allows you to complete mini boards for extra mushroom tokens and power ups (which really comes in handy) and it also re-stocks your mushroom houses. This game is amazing, and if you are a 3DS owner, you had better do yourself a favor and pick up this title. If you don't have a 3DS, shame on you and go buy yourself the Super Mario 3DS bundle for $199.99!

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