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Throughout it’s
illustrious history
in the video game
industry, Nintendo
has had one notable
flop. That was the
Virtual Boy (was it
portable or not? I
was a hard call.)
After the launch of
the Nintendo 3DS it
was widely thought
that the device was
going to be a flop
for the company.
Part of the reason
why is because while
there’s been some
decent software
released for the
console, there
wasn’t a Mario game.
If you go through
all of the Nintendo
hardware launches
that Nintendo has
done- the Virtual
Boy and to an extent
the Gamecube, they
struggled or
struggled initially
because there was no
Mario title to go
with the launch of
the hardware.
Nintendo uses
everybody’s favorite
plumber to pave the
way for its own
developers and other
companies. They show
everybody how it’s
new hardware should
be effectively used.
Nintendo did that
with
Super
Mario 3D Land
in a big big way.
Super
Mario 3D Land
is the first 3DS
game that uses the
system’s 3D
capabilities as more
than just a visual
bonus. It’s used as
an actual part of
the gameplay here.
Sure, you can play
without it, but some
levels are extremely
hard to get through
without turning your
slider up and the 3D
on. Most of these
levels have an
over-the-top
viewpoint and you’re
floating or falling
from platform to
platform. There are
some that you have
to duck into a cubby
or a hole in the
wall and go a little
deeper into a 2D
level too. Both of
these are very cool
3D effects.
Like
New
Super Mario Bros.
there’s not a lot of
set-up with Super
Mario 3D Land. You
do what you’re
supposed to do in a
Mario game. Bowser
kidnapped Peach and
it’s up to Mario to
save her from
certain doom.
But
with every Mario
game it’s not about
the story, it’s
about the new
powers, the new bad
guys, and the levels
to explore in the
never-ending
universe of Mario.
The new powers for
Mario in this game
are cool but there
aren’t that many.
There’s a boomerang
suit, a Watookie
suit (the raccoon
tail), and a the
typical fire flower.
That’s basically it
for power ups but
the bad guys are
really cool this
go-around. There
hasn’t been this
many bad guys
introduced in a
Mario game in a long
time. Those
additional bad guys
in some very
intuitive level
designs touch on why
this is such a
special game.
As always with Mario
games the gameplay
is the star. You
free-for-all,
platform, stomp and
explore through 8+
levels of pure
bliss. Out of all of
the portable Mario
games this is easily
my favorite. It’s
not a game redone
and remade for the
portable system.
It’s made to
distinctively take
advantage of a
portable system’s
capabilities.
Nintendo did that
here and players
everywhere reap the
benefits of it.
If this game does
have a downside it’s
what most modern
Mario games have
suffered from over
the past few years.
They keep
mainstreaming the
games so novice
gamers can easily
pick up the game and
beat it. It’s great
for novice gamers to
pick up and play,
but that means more
experienced gamers
can easily get
through levels and
have less of an
enjoyable
experience. If
Nintendo ever needs
to work on something
it’s adding
difficulty levels to
more games so
beginners can play
on novice settings
and advanced gamers
can play on advanced
settings.
Super
Mario 3D Land
is what the Nintendo
3DS needed. It’s a
Mario title that
takes advantage of
the hardware and
it’s what the 3DS
needed to become
more viable. It’s
already a great
system, now more
people will see what
it’s really capable
of. With the added
in streetpass
features there’s a
ton of replayability
factor to it too.
This is a terrific
game and it’s easily
a must own for
people with a 3DS
system.
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