Mushrooms. Fire flowers. Coins. Koopas. Goombas. A possible princess in distress? It can only be Mario. Announced earlier this year, Mario’s titular 3DS outing, Super Mario, was playable at this year’s E3 and we got our hands on it.
The demo of Super Mario had a choice of four different levels to try, including three different environments and a boss battle with Super Mario Bros. 3‘s Boom Boom. The game used the analog stick for control, instead of than the D-pad. Other than Mario’s typical hop-n-bop motions, the controls have changed slightly from the last few outings in the series (due to the change in platform). One of the 3DS’s trigger buttons causes Mario to duck, and another causes him to roll.
The power-ups available in the demo included the traditional mushroom, fire flower, and the long awaited return of the Tanooki suit. Unlike in its debut game, Super Mario Bros. 3, Tanooki Mario can’t fly, nor can he turn to stone (as far as I could tell). He does, however, acquire a very useful hover-jump and can smack enemies around with his tail. Mario can stock a single power-up item on the bottom screen, which can be brought into play with a simple tap of the stylus.
The controls were tight, as would be expected for a Mario game. The 3D effects made the visuals pop. Also, as with other first-party Nintendo software shown this year, the game’s framerate remains a silky-smooth 60fps, even with 3D effects switched on. As many of the 3DS launch titles required the player to make a choice between 60fps without 3D effects and 30fps with 3D effects, this is a welcome change.
It’s certainly a Mario game and it feels just as polished and familiar as ever, but with a new shiny coat of 3D paint. The enemies and environments are varied and colorful, the gameplay is fun and recognizable to fans of the series. Be sure to give Super Mario a look when it launches on the 3DS later this year.
Popularity: 1% [?]
