Review No. 35 Super Mario 3D Land - 3DS (3+)

Strong Points:
Nice Graphics
Nice gameplay style
Good for beginners and experts
Good 3D
Lots of content
New powerups are fun
Addictive
Streetpass features are good
Invincibility Leaf is good for beginners

Weak Points:
Not enough powerups
Huge difficulty spikes on some levels
Gets repetitive
Bosses are too easy
The P-Wing makes the game to easy

In-depth Review:

Release Dates:

Nintendo 3DS

Japan: November 3, 2011

North America: November 13, 2011

Europe: November 18, 2011

Australia: November 24, 2011

Nintendo eShop:

PAL: October 4, 2012

North America: October 18, 2012

Japan: November 1, 2012

Controls: Super Mario Wiki

Circle Pad: move

A Button/B Button: choose level/jump/wall jump

A Button/B Button (Hold): slow fall (Tanooki Mario only)

X Button/Y Button (Hold) + Circle Pad: dash

L Button/R Button: crouch/enter a Warp Pipe/enter a cannon

L Button/R Button+Circle pad: crawl

L Button/R Button+Y button/X button: roll/tail wag

Circle Pad+L Button/R Button+A Button/B Button: long jump

Circle Pad+L Button/R Button+Y Button/X Button+A Button/B Button: rolling long jump

A Button/B Button+L Button/R Button: ground pound/transform into Statue Mario/Luigi (Tanooki Mario/Luigi with bandanna's)

L Button/R Button+A button/B button (hold): backwards somersault

X Button/Y Button: shoot fireballs (Fire Mario)/throw a boomerang (Boomerang Mario)/attack with tail (Tanooki Mario)

Select Button/Start Button: pause menu

Circle Pad+(A Button/B Button): side somersault

D-Pad: camera

This game is the first Mario game for the 3DS and showcased the 3DS' 3D ability. There are 16 worlds (8 normal and 8 special) With bosses the end of these worlds. This game introduced 5 new powerups (Tanooki Mario, Boomerang Mario, Propeller Box, Invincibility Leaf and P-Wing). Star and Fire Flower power ups also make a return. The game while being 3D is linear and tasks you with getting to the Flag Pole at the end of the level much like the other Mario games.

Many of the worlds are taken from other Mario games like Super Mario Galaxy but with new gimmicks like cannons and binoculars using the 3DS accelerometer to control them. The 3D graphics means coins can be hidden behind or above/ below blocks and you have to use the 3D effect to see them. There are three star coins in each level which you need to unlock the later levels in the Special Worlds.

The Invincibility Leaf and the P-Wing (appear after losing 5 and 10 lives respectively) can help beginners and casual gamers to complete the level but you don't have to choose these power ups. The Invincibility Leaf makes you invincible until the end of the level but you can still die by falling. It also gives you the Tanooki powerup. The P-Wing teleports you to the end of the level. However, these power ups are only in the normal worlds and not in the special ones.

You play as Mario but unlock Luigi in the Special worlds. Luigi doesn't give any special bonuses. The Toad Houses can give you lives and power ups and are unlocked by getting Street Pass. The bosses are repetitive as you just have to dodge them and then jump on top of them around three times. Also, the Bowser levels while slightly more fun end up with you just having to jump on a button and Bowser falls in to the lava. The Cosmic Mario levels (in special worlds only) while frustratingly difficult, are really fun and are a nice change.

Conclusion: overall this game is really fun and I can't wait for the sequel on the Wii U later this year.

Rating: 93%

Thanks for reading, Satamer.