When the Nintendo 3DS was originally launched, gamers hungered for original titles that showed the true capabilities of the system. What they got instead was a flurry of flashy remakes.
Sure, Ocarina of Time was amazing and Rayman was cool, but the system’s catalog of original titles was awfully thin.
All gamers wanted was a Mario title.
And boy, did they get it with Super Mario 3D Land. Graphically solid, but using every feature of the system, this game is the only true must-own title on the 3DS.
Conjuring up nostalgia with every stomped goomba, this game will takehardcore gamers back to the days of Super Mario World and Super Mario 64. Challenging at times, but never drag out difficult, it can be enjoyed by anyone looking to enjoy Nintendo’s newest system. Experienced fans of the series will blow through it, but they’ll enjoy every second of the old school gameplay, supported will a myriad of new age features.
In a way, the system’s credibility depended on how good this game was. Think about it. Every successful Nintendo system has had a solid Mario title. Even the Virtual Boy had Mario Clash. When the price of the handheld dropped and everyone thought the 3Ds was kaput, this game comes along and proves that Nintendo can still put lightning in a bottle- or an Italian plumber in a handheld.
Visually, the game is one of the best looking Mario titles available on a handheld. It uses the 3D abilities of the system well. Between the bright color palette and the occasional shifts from 2D to 3D, there’s a load of visual charm. From the levels in the sky or the ones in caves, Mario looks great in every setting.
The appeal shifts to the game’s features as well. Using Streetpass to exchange items may make the game a tad easier than it would have been otherwise, but it does make platforming with Mario more fun. Never in the history of gaming have you been in a situation to get help from a friend or stranger in a game, just by having them walk by you. Simply put, the 3DS rewards gamers for walking around and this title feels like a perfect extension of that. Let’s hope upcoming titles try to take a page from Nintendo here. You don’t need unlockables or any other crazy things for Streetpass to enjoy a title on the 3DS. You just have to make the gamer feel rewarded for having their system.
That’s exactly what this title does.
Super Mario 3D Land is ultimately a huge boost to a system that appeared in be in dire straits. It’s relative ease and lack of a one of a kind story hurt its appeal to dedicated fans, but even they won’t be disappointed by the tried and true gameplay experience offered here.
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