When Super Mario 64 was released in 1996 for the Nintendo 64, it took Mario out of his flat screen roots and placed him squarely in the third dimension. What is rarely spoken of is all the things that were lost in the transition. Many of these things were staples of Mario’s identity. Gone was the joy of bashing prize blocks and wondering what was inside. Lost was the linear trek through an obstacle course to find the flagpole/gate/totem at the end. It was replaced with a treasure hunt for stars in maze like labyrinths. Super Mario 64 was fun in its own right, but it was a different kind of fun from 2D Mario, as exemplified in 2005 when 2D Mario made a triumphant comeback to the DS and brought the whole side-scrolling genre back from the dead with him.
Game: Super Mario 3D Land
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Genre: Platformer
Price: $39.95
Pros: The fusion of 2D Mario and 3D Mario’s best elements into something totally unique and special.
Cons: Difficulty curve is a little slow, followed by a massive spike near the end.
Verdict: Nintendo finally restores Mario’s lost 2D elements to the 3D formula in an unmissable experience.
Acquired via Purchase
Super Mario 3D Land seeks to remedy the rift that formed long ago between 2D and 3D Mario titles. What results is one of the most nostalgia infused modern gaming experiences to come along in a while, all while being completely fresh in a neo-classic sort of way. Super Mario 3D Land is essentially what happens if you take 3D Mario and boil it down into bite size portable friendly chunks structured like an old-school Mario game (World 1-1, World 1-2, etc). Rather than chasing Power Stars, you simply reach the flagpole at the end. That’s it – the goals of 2D Mario transplanted into 3D Mario. That one little change shifts the entire dynamic of the game’s design.
The level design is fantastic featuring a mixture of classic Mario, modern Mario, and even a little late 90s Crash Bandicoot inspired flare thrown in. You have a mixture of camera angles, ranging from; behind Mario, top-down, from the side, isometric, and from he front. The game seamlessly switches from angle to angle with ease, never causing confusion or failed jumps. It’s so well constructed that you don’t have to think about it and allows Nintendo to construct the equivalent of rollercoaster-like platformer experiences that shift and change focus as you travel through. Mario games are known for never skimping on content, but 3D Land takes it to a new extreme with one of the best completion bonuses to come along in a good, long while. When you complete the game, you are bestowed an entire new set of 8 worlds to complete. If the first 8 feel to easy for you, just wait. The second “half” of the game will beat you to within an inch of your patience limit.
While Mario 3D Land is filled with all sorts of old-school throwbacks, none of them are handled in a cheesy “retro” fashion. Each returning 2D Mario element (Bowser bridge battles, prize blocks, Tanooki suits, etc) feel like a natural re-addition to the Mario series rather than a one-off throw-away retro nod. It’s like Nintendo is conscious of how far 3D Mario has evolved/strayed from his roots since Super Mario 64 and is seeking to restore all the elements of the Mario franchise that have been lost over the years. Each is like saying hello to an old friend whom you are uncertain why you had to say goodbye to in the first place.
The colorful visuals are a beautiful return to the cartoony Mushroom Kingdom of old. Familiar landscapes mix with new ones to create a proven timeless world of smiling hillsides and bubbly clouds. It’s the little details like Super Mario World’s rock faces last seen in Donut Plains that bring the subtle smiles to those of us who are older. Musically, Super Mario 3D Land is a return to the old style of Mario composition. Gone are the majestic (and memorable) orchestral scores of Super Mario Galaxy, but in return we get back the bouncy style of hummable Mario music that defined the franchise for most of it’s existence. The main theme in particular will be stuck in your brain forever. The rest are hit or miss, much like New Super Mario Bros. before it, but they get the job done.
The 3D platformer came ever so close to dying a quiet death in today’s cynical FPS driven gaming market. Cherished names like Banjo-Kazooie and Crash Bandicoot were plowed over for Call of Duty and Medal of Honor. Battle-hardened brands like Sonic the Hedgehog, Ratchet & Clank, and Jak & Daxter, led by the their fore bearer Super Mario, kept the genre alive. Now Mario has once again risen to prove to the world that old-school gaming conventions are far from dried up. There’s a simple joy of seeing that flagpole in the distance and starting your long, dangerous, obstacle riddled trek towards it. For every moment of Super Mario 3D Land, you’re reminded just how fresh and relevant a classically designed platformer can still be in a world that almost gave the genre up for dead. That alone makes it an unmissable experience.
GrE Grade: A+
Popularity: 2% [?]
