Super Mario 3D Land

What is better than another Mario title?  Well a Mario title in 3D is, of course and Nintendo holds nothing back.  The new iteration of Mario finds us going down memory lane, battling new enemies and seeing new wacky power ups for the short red plumber.   Super Mario 3D Land also adds new features never seen in a Mario title before with the inclusion of Street Pass which gives your game extended life and of course the awesome spectacle of 3D.  The story is rather straight forward and finds that overgrown lizard Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach again… yea the same story we have heard for the past 25+ years right however one very interesting new twist finds Super Leafs being a huge part of the game as well.  As enemies and allies will assist you with the furry tail feather.

When it comes down to the graphics on the go, Super Mario 3D Land not only shines bright but it  excels on almost every level.  With bright vivid colors in some worlds to lava ridden pits and metallic structures on others.  This game feels like a next generation cartoon with out the cel-shading effect.  Which not only is a good thing when it comes to the overall look of the Mario game, but it really show cases what power the 3DS has under the hood.  The 3D in this game is astonishing, as you will find your self collecting coins in the clouds and feel like Mario is two steps away from impending doom.  Some sequences are just jaw dropping when it comes to running from baddies and the various traps in levels.  Which is made apparent during the flying fortresses sequence when metal is grinding right towards you.

Mario always will do one thing right every time it seems like no matter if the plumber is pushing his late 20′s.  Gameplay, gameplay, gameplay the one word that this title truly compels you is with its gameplay.  For the mobile gamer this title is hard to put down, especially when you are on the go.  My girlfriend got flustered on more than one occasion simply because this game could not or would not leave my line of sight.  Every new level brought a sense of something fresh and new yet felt old and retro.  It is hard to put into words but this game could see some break ups, Failure’s in school, and make people forget to pay the rent.  And don’t worry I slipped the check under the door a couple of days late, but it was worth it.

Other things that Mario brings to the table is not only a sense of nostalgia.  However it is a sense of moving the franchise forward in new directions.  This is also made apparent when looking at the power-ups.  While the super leaf does grant you the use of the Toonoki tail it is not like that of SMB3 which granted flight.  In this game the tail allows you to float after jumping to new platforms Mario was unable to reach other wise.  Another new suit include the Boomerang Suit, accessible with the Boomerang Flower.  Yes with this suit you are able to launch boomerangs at enemies and it is awesome.  And last but not least the Super Toonoki Suit which grants the user the tail and star power for the duration of the level.  This power up is only granted when dying in a level more than 5 times.  With all the usual suspects also making an appearance such as the 1up, Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and stars you will feel right at home in this Mario land.

At first Super Mario 3D Land may seem a little to easy an affair especially when regarding the first two worlds.  Yet this is not the case since as a seasoned veteran of Mario titles, the game challenges you in later levels with various pits, enemies and bosses.  Of course the highlight of the boss sequences comes in the form of none other than Bowser.  Which has awesome level design and brings a challenge to gamers. Yet the game comes some what short when talking about bosses as it only has 3 however, with this short coming this platformer has a lot to offer in other areas.

While the game is made up of 8 worlds and 5 levels for each world.  You may find this title to be a little short, yet one of the coolest things comes after you beat the first play through.  Because after you are tasked with saving Luigi and once you do he becomes a playable character.  Also the 8 worlds and the levels within them are all reconstructed to play differently.  The worlds are the “special” worlds only accessible via… you guessed it a green pipe.  Other lasting features included in the game is street pass as it will grant you special unique “boxed” levels for each player.  If you are a true 3DS owner this title will surely jump its way into your collection.