Super Mario 3D Land Review

***Inspired by some of my lazy friends, every review I do will now include a "Too Long, Didn't Read" (TLDR) section at the bottom.  A simple one paragraph summation of the review. For more details, see the ACTUAL article***


Mario is by far the most recognizable video game character ever, and next to Santa Claus I'd say he's probably one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world (yep, I went there). Most gamers have one or two games they consider their first games, usually titles that got played often and the player was great at. Super Mario Bros. 3 was one of my first true gaming experiences. I was old enough to know all the mechanics and it's one of the first games I ever beat. One of the cool things about Super Mario 3D Land is it actually uses many aspects of SMB3 such as the famous Tanooki Suit, bouncing music blocks, and even music, and combines them with the style of Super Mario Galaxy with a hint of New Super Mario Bros. The end result is a Mario platforming experience like none other!

This game excels in the presentation department. Graphically speaking, the game is gorgeous. The levels are bright and colorful, and everything looks crisp and clean. It really does look like Super Mario Galaxy, but instead of being on planets in space, you're just in a regular landscape. The 3D effects compliment the game nicely especially on the vertical levels where your goal is to descend to lower platforms all the way to the end. I honestly got dizzy the first time I looked down one of these cliffs. Fireballs now jump out of the screen at you, and you can always tell just how far down or out your next jump is going to be without doing a leap of faith. The sound effects you've come to know and love are all here, and the music is phenomenal. Most of the music seems to be taken directly from Super Mario Bros. 3 or New Super Mario Bros. but there are original pieces as well. Remember the classic Airship music?  Yeah, that's here too.

Gameplay is just what you would expect: get to the end of the level and stomp on any baddies that get in your way, and make daring platforming moves along the way. Each world has roughly 5-7 levels including either a flying airship or Bowser castle at the end. One thing I loved about this game is the use of many game mechanics from Galaxy. Remember the Flip Swap Galaxy? Blue and red panels swing back and forth on a hinge every time you jump, making you think twice about where your next move will be. There are a TON of levels with new gameplay mechanics such as platforms that tilt and gain momentum, and panels that will unfold to create stairs and walls, and nothing ever feels overused or stale.

In addition to various gameplay mechanics, the Mario universe is famous for power-up items, and SM3DL does not disappoint there either. Just like in the classic Mario games, you start out as regular Mario and obtaining a Super Mushroom will make you Super Mario, allowing you to take one extra hit before losing a life. One of the big selling points for the game is the return of the Super Leaf which allows Mario to once again don the famous Tanooki Suit. This item allows Mario to do a spin attack and hit enemies with his raccoon-like tail, but be wary...a storm has blown Super Leaves all around the world, and now even some enemies are equipped with Tanooki tails! The Tanooki Suit also allows Mario to do a flutter jump similar to that of Yoshi, so you can stay in the air longer and descend at a slower rate. This ability is crucial in many parts of the game and if you're lucky enough to have a Tanooki Suit, you'll be grateful, but if you don't, you really see the difficulty of this game shine through.

Next item we have the always popular Fire Flower, granting you access to Fire Mario for a short time. Mario can shoot fireballs that will bounce off walls and destroy most enemies in one shot. Invincibility Stars make their return, making you impervious to damage and allowing you to plow through enemies quickly. One item that makes its debut in Super Mario 3D Land is the Boomerang Flower, transforming you into Boomerang Mario. With this special power-up Mario will throw a boomerang forward, and on its return flight it will find you. The cool thing about this weapon is you can throw it, then drop down to a different level or go up higher, and the boomerang will follow in a diagonal pattern and kill any enemies along the way until it catches up to you. The last new item is the Propeller Box. After you jump while wearing this handy device, you can give Mario a spin jump that will send him higher in the air, allow for slower descent to grab coins and items, and do a quick drill spin to the ground to defeat enemies waiting below. This item wasn't used as much as I'd like, but the levels you use it on showcase the 3D aspects of the game beautifully. 

The difficulty of this game is a little surprising. At first I was disappointed because I got through the first 6 worlds in mere hours, then Worlds 7 and 8 tripped me up a little. But the best part is after World 8 the game opens up a lot of replay value and depth with new levels, even higher difficulty, and motivation to go back and collect the three Star Coins that are hidden in every level.

Super Mario 3D Land is one of the best Mario platforming games I've ever had the pleasure of playing and it's definitely worth the money. When people ask to try my 3DS and see how the graphics look, I usually pop this game in.




***TL;DR***
Super Mario 3D land makes excellent use of the 3D technology, giving a new perspective to a classic franchise and certain platforming sections and puzzles have new depth. This is by FAR one of the best Mario games in existence, and a must-have (or at least, a must-play) for any 3DS owner.***





Gameplay: 9.0 -Everything about this game is great. I feel like the Tanooki Suit is a little overemphasized at times, like they're shoving it down your throat but not too bad. The difficulty starts out incredibly easy, but will definitely change in the later levels.

Graphics/Presentation: 9.5 - A beautifully presented game complimented even more by the implemented 3D graphics. THIS is what 3D gaming is about.

Story: N/A -The story is: A storm has blown Super Leaves across the land, granting Bowser and his minions their own Tanooki tails. He kidnapped the princess and you have to get her back.  I'm not going to include story in this rating.

Sound/Music: 10 - The music and sounds you've come to love from the Mario franchise are back, and nothing feels out of place.

Replay Value: 8.0 - Getting through the first 8 Worlds will be a fairly simple task.  Completing the rest of the game will give you a reason to keep coming back. You can also earn stars on your profile by completing tasks (such as obtaining every single Star Coin or hitting the top of every end-level flagpole) so this game has replay value, but it's still a single player platformer.

Overall Score:  36.5/40