Mid 3d Mario
One of the first and most notable titles on the 3DS. It's not notable for being an amazing game or anything, it's just notable for being a 3D Mario game. And why shouldn't it? Mario is what started the entire 3D genre, and is the main innovator of it to this day. However, this title sits on a different couch than the main 3D titles. Unlike 64, Sunshine, the Galaxy games, Odyssey, and even it's direct sequel on Wii U, this black sheep of 3D Mario games doesn't do much to innovate. It's kinda just a 2D Mario game that decides to use the z-axis.
While 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy have their own unique controls and mechanics, 3D Land aims for something much more standard of the Mario franchise. What it does is take the formula of 2D Mario games and implement them in a 3D environment. This includes many things that make it completely different from every other 3D title.
Instead of a health bar, Mario's health is now determined by his current power-up. Small Mario has 1 hitpoint, a mushroom will turn that into 2, and any other power-up will make that 3. Levels are now incredibly linear and end at a flagpole rather than a collectible. Although the Galaxy games also had a somewhat linear level structure, there's still more room to explore as well as more depth to the level design itself.
Mario's moveset is withered down to fit with the "2D in 3D" environments. You've got the normal jump, side somersault, and long jump for basic movement options. No double or triple jump this time around, which is weird because those were also present in the New Super Mario Bros. games. Instead of a traditional backflip, you can crouch for a second to charge a backflip akin to the high jump in Super Mario Bros. 2. This move has little to no use and I cannot recall a single time I used it. Mario can roll by pressing the dash button while crouching, and this also has little to no use. This is only mandatory to use if there's a block in front of you that you needed to break and you don't have a tanooki suit. It's incredibly unreliable as a movement option because it has an insane amount of lag and doesn't increase your speed because of that. The weirdest thing about the movement is how stupid the normal jump is. It goes just as far, if not, further, than the long jump, goes about as high as the side somersault, and still allows you to keep your momentum after. If there's a jump you need to make to the flagpole and you need a lot of distance to get to it, don't long jump, a normal jump will do just fine. The inclusion of a dash button also feels somewhat redundant, mainly because there's never a single moment in which you won't be holding it down.
The power-ups don't change his basic moveset much aside from the tanooki suit, which is actually really fun to use. It allows you to hover and gain more speed with a weird dash crouch hop movement trick. The other power-ups are just there. The fire flower lets Mario shoot fireballs, and the boomerang flower lets Mario throw boomerangs. Nothing noteworthy outside of the tanooki suit.
To be fair, Mario's movement was made this way so it would fit the with level design perfectly. In that regard, I would say these movement options are fine. The level design present here is very linear. You need to get from the start to the flagpole, while collecting star coins along the way. You can really tell that this is just a 2D game brought over to 3D, because there's almost nothing special here that's noteworthy. Generic looking platforms on a generic looking background for every single level. There are almost no interesting gimmicks or design choices in general that caught my attention or made me think. The levels would enter my mind the moment I started them, and leave the instant I touched the flagpole. That's not to say that the level design is bad, far from it, but it lacks its own personality and identity. It doesn't help that the game directly after this, 3D World, adopted this exact same approach but with better level design.
There's nothing here that stands out to make this Mario title a unique experience. Everything that's present in 3D Land, you can find in 3D World with interest. The level design is boring and uninspiring, literally just taking 2D level themes and putting them in 3D. The movement is weirdly limiting and standardized. Say what you want about any of the other 3D titles, but when I pick one of those games up, there are differences aplenty. Each title gives Mario different movement options to help him traverse through the levels. No two games feel similar in the slightest. 3D Land takes the most standard movement options and does nothing new with them. The movement here feels like a 2D game at best and a more barren version of any other 3D game at worst. It fits the level design, sure, but it's definitely the most "Mario feeling" Mario game out there. This kind of standardization is even seen in the soundtrack. I can't recall a single original theme off the top of my head, every track is either a remix from Mario 3 or straight up recycled from the Galaxy games.
Something else to note is that this game is really easy. Like, Kirby levels of easy. The only times I found myself dying were because I was being impatient and trying to speed through the levels as fast as I could with no regard for my lives. Even the final level, which is supposed to be a super difficult gauntlet filled with obstacles seen throughout the whole game, is a joke compared to other gauntlet levels. Combine this with the tanooki suit, which lets you fly your way out of many dangers, and the whole game becomes a cake walk.
With all of that being said, I want to make it clear that this is far from a bad game, but it definitely is a very disappointing game. Mario 3D games are possibly the biggest game releases in the entire gaming industry, so to see a 3D title come out with nothing new to add to the table and nothing to say for itself is certainly sad to see. What's here is enjoyable, nothing more, nothing less. It fits the nature of many 3DS games of being easy to pick up for a couple of minutes and then put down again. If you want a very standardized game that's good fun the whole way through, then this fits the bill nicely. However, if you want a game that actually stands out, for better or for worse, then any of the other 3D titles will offer a much more memorable experience.
While 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy have their own unique controls and mechanics, 3D Land aims for something much more standard of the Mario franchise. What it does is take the formula of 2D Mario games and implement them in a 3D environment. This includes many things that make it completely different from every other 3D title.
Instead of a health bar, Mario's health is now determined by his current power-up. Small Mario has 1 hitpoint, a mushroom will turn that into 2, and any other power-up will make that 3. Levels are now incredibly linear and end at a flagpole rather than a collectible. Although the Galaxy games also had a somewhat linear level structure, there's still more room to explore as well as more depth to the level design itself.
Mario's moveset is withered down to fit with the "2D in 3D" environments. You've got the normal jump, side somersault, and long jump for basic movement options. No double or triple jump this time around, which is weird because those were also present in the New Super Mario Bros. games. Instead of a traditional backflip, you can crouch for a second to charge a backflip akin to the high jump in Super Mario Bros. 2. This move has little to no use and I cannot recall a single time I used it. Mario can roll by pressing the dash button while crouching, and this also has little to no use. This is only mandatory to use if there's a block in front of you that you needed to break and you don't have a tanooki suit. It's incredibly unreliable as a movement option because it has an insane amount of lag and doesn't increase your speed because of that. The weirdest thing about the movement is how stupid the normal jump is. It goes just as far, if not, further, than the long jump, goes about as high as the side somersault, and still allows you to keep your momentum after. If there's a jump you need to make to the flagpole and you need a lot of distance to get to it, don't long jump, a normal jump will do just fine. The inclusion of a dash button also feels somewhat redundant, mainly because there's never a single moment in which you won't be holding it down.
The power-ups don't change his basic moveset much aside from the tanooki suit, which is actually really fun to use. It allows you to hover and gain more speed with a weird dash crouch hop movement trick. The other power-ups are just there. The fire flower lets Mario shoot fireballs, and the boomerang flower lets Mario throw boomerangs. Nothing noteworthy outside of the tanooki suit.
To be fair, Mario's movement was made this way so it would fit the with level design perfectly. In that regard, I would say these movement options are fine. The level design present here is very linear. You need to get from the start to the flagpole, while collecting star coins along the way. You can really tell that this is just a 2D game brought over to 3D, because there's almost nothing special here that's noteworthy. Generic looking platforms on a generic looking background for every single level. There are almost no interesting gimmicks or design choices in general that caught my attention or made me think. The levels would enter my mind the moment I started them, and leave the instant I touched the flagpole. That's not to say that the level design is bad, far from it, but it lacks its own personality and identity. It doesn't help that the game directly after this, 3D World, adopted this exact same approach but with better level design.
There's nothing here that stands out to make this Mario title a unique experience. Everything that's present in 3D Land, you can find in 3D World with interest. The level design is boring and uninspiring, literally just taking 2D level themes and putting them in 3D. The movement is weirdly limiting and standardized. Say what you want about any of the other 3D titles, but when I pick one of those games up, there are differences aplenty. Each title gives Mario different movement options to help him traverse through the levels. No two games feel similar in the slightest. 3D Land takes the most standard movement options and does nothing new with them. The movement here feels like a 2D game at best and a more barren version of any other 3D game at worst. It fits the level design, sure, but it's definitely the most "Mario feeling" Mario game out there. This kind of standardization is even seen in the soundtrack. I can't recall a single original theme off the top of my head, every track is either a remix from Mario 3 or straight up recycled from the Galaxy games.
Something else to note is that this game is really easy. Like, Kirby levels of easy. The only times I found myself dying were because I was being impatient and trying to speed through the levels as fast as I could with no regard for my lives. Even the final level, which is supposed to be a super difficult gauntlet filled with obstacles seen throughout the whole game, is a joke compared to other gauntlet levels. Combine this with the tanooki suit, which lets you fly your way out of many dangers, and the whole game becomes a cake walk.
With all of that being said, I want to make it clear that this is far from a bad game, but it definitely is a very disappointing game. Mario 3D games are possibly the biggest game releases in the entire gaming industry, so to see a 3D title come out with nothing new to add to the table and nothing to say for itself is certainly sad to see. What's here is enjoyable, nothing more, nothing less. It fits the nature of many 3DS games of being easy to pick up for a couple of minutes and then put down again. If you want a very standardized game that's good fun the whole way through, then this fits the bill nicely. However, if you want a game that actually stands out, for better or for worse, then any of the other 3D titles will offer a much more memorable experience.
Super Mario 3D Land is, in my opinion, easily the most underrated and underappreciated 3D mario game. People have recently been praising Super Mario 3D World, but many of its creative ideas came from this game. This game is just so cozy, I can’t describe it. The gross plastic aesthetic from 3D World is completely absent. Most of the soundtrack was once again stolen later from 3D World. The game is generally easy, but that is okay with me. The level environments in mario games are typically grouped into worlds. This can easily make the player feel tired of them. However, in Super Mario 3D Land, the level environments are randomized with each level being different from the last. Unless a game is trying to make a full, complete world, I much prefer this way. The gameplay while being in 3D takes more from 2D mario than 3D by featuring distinct linear levels. The tunici leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3 returns, but you can’t fly this time. This makes sense as it would break the game, yet it’s still disappointing. Even though I like different environments from each level, the environments themselves aren’t interesting at all. They are just generic mario themes for the most part, but the clock level was fun. Another complaint I have is that the movement is very mid. The sideflip, crouch jump, and long jump all feel underpowered, like they just don’t quite provide enough of a boost to use. And sometimes the run button doesn't work for me. In general, this is a cozy must play on the 3DS that I hope gets a Switch port soon (side note, how did Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon get a Switch port before this game, Animal Crossing New Leaf, and Kid Icarus Uprising? It is a little frustrating).
Mario works off a very solid foundation, especially in this incarnation. Super Mario 3D Land still has a good structure when it comes to level design but the real issue here is that there's nothing interesting. It's very boneless, in a sense that every particular level doesn't bring anything remotely engaging that hasn't either been done before in the series or on its own doesn't work that well to be remotely interesting. Iteration isn't by itself bad, but I struggle to find what exactly this is iterating on that is good.
It's a super stretched out easy platforming romp. It's comfy for a few hours and then overly outstays its welcome. It's ok at best but I just don't recommend playing it and go play 3D World instead.
It's a super stretched out easy platforming romp. It's comfy for a few hours and then overly outstays its welcome. It's ok at best but I just don't recommend playing it and go play 3D World instead.
The game is fine, but the levels are too short and it overstays its welcome by making you play the levels multiple times.
Not the best 3D Mario game but still pretty fun
Super Mario 3D Land knows exactly what type of game it wants to be. A 3D Mario on a handheld providing you with quick & short bursts of fun. And it succeeds amazingly well in that regard. 3D Land would not work on a platform that isn't a handheld, because it would get boring really quickly. But on the 3DS, it's right at home. Sure, the levels are nothing to ride home about compared to previous 3D Mario games, but they aren't meant to be big and grandiose. They are supposed to provide short and simple fun and they do their job really well.
Que jogo fantástico. Um dos meus jogos favoritos do super mario!
Has anyone ever poured milk on their 3Ds and slammed it against the wall
You know what? Fuck it, this game is great. I've played it numerous times now, and while it doesn't do anything nearly as interesting as stuff like Mario 64 or Odyssey, it's just as addicting and fun as any other 3D Mario game.
Use to think that the people who preferred this over 3D World were crazy, but the more I replay both games, the more I begin to understand where they're coming from. They're still wrong, but I get it.
Use to think that the people who preferred this over 3D World were crazy, but the more I replay both games, the more I begin to understand where they're coming from. They're still wrong, but I get it.
Mario is my daddy
Lower down on my list of mario games, the levels felt really creative and the 3d is actually used for once on the 3ds. It is extremely easy however, and worlds go by really quickly. The jump physics also feel really floaty and combined with the 3d/2d levels can make it hard to make any kind of precise jumps that are required from time to time.
Que experiência incrível, conseguir jogar isso por um 3ds é foi absurdo uma das melhores experiências com jogos que eu já tive o efeito 3d nesse jogo é perfeito funciona perfeitamente, deixando cada fase incrível de se jogar é uma nova experiência acompanhada com uma ótima trilha sonora a historia continua a mesma salvando a princesa indefesa do grande vilão, mas que e engajante de se jogar para se descobrir cada fase que tem ali. Um game bastante divertido virando meu jogo favorito do mario( não que eu tenha jogado muitos).
i don't remember a single thing about this game
100% this game so many times, super underrated honestly! One of my first Mario titles, great level design!
Literally the only game on the planet to utilize the 3DS's 3D feature for a gameplay purpose. That has to be worth something.
A lot more fun than I was expecting it to be. Nothing special, but it doesn't have to be.
The definition of milquetoast. It's not bad, but it's very easy, very simple, very bland and very forgettable.
This is one of the least inspired games to come out of Nintendo but it's admittedly still pretty fun. It's really well designed around the 3DS form factor. Feels good to play, and has shockingly great visuals for a launch year 3DS game. I wish the level design and aesthetic had any passion put into it though, it's such a forgettable game in basically every way. Not really a surprise that nobody talks about this. Didn't mind running through it for the ten bucks I paid tho.
An amazing 3D Mario experience made for hand held. It was not only thanks to this game that Japan was able to keep the minds of the Japanese people at ease and positive after the (9.1) Earthquake on Fukushima, but the amount of love a dedication Nintendo put in making a great Mario experience.
Beautiful Music, Beautiful models of characters and levels! The game is a joy to play, if you loved 3D WORLD, I suggest taking a look at it predecessor 3D Land, it's an amazing time I absolutely recommend, while not perfect, it's still a lovely game.❤️
Beautiful Music, Beautiful models of characters and levels! The game is a joy to play, if you loved 3D WORLD, I suggest taking a look at it predecessor 3D Land, it's an amazing time I absolutely recommend, while not perfect, it's still a lovely game.❤️
Plataforma 3D simples e bonito, com excelente trilha sonora. Acho até que esse é um pouquinho fácil demais, porque dá pra jogar um bom pedaço no piloto automático. Algumas fases compensam em inventividade e enchem os olhos pela beleza quase minimalista, mesmo que o Mario tenha pouca liberdade de movimento -- como alguém já disse por aqui. Joguei 15 horas e senti falta do que fazer no game.
The 3DS is dead. Long live the 3DS.
Man. Mario just doesn’t miss. It’s been 12 years since 3D Land released for the 3DS and it stands head and shoulders above anything it’s peers, including it’s Wii U sibling and Switch cousin have brought to the table.
The premise? Classic. Bowser get Peach. Mario get Peach back. The execution? Perhaps the finest Mario has ever done in the third dimension.
The secret to 3D Land’s excellence is it’s pacing. Each level of the game’s 8 standard and 8 special worlds is presented on the world map as a tight, little diorama. Each level once you enter follows the restrictions set by that presentation - they’re short, filled to the brim with interesting mechanics and secrets, and seldom induce frustration as you March towards Bowser’s Castle. There are skill checkpoints in the way of coin thresholds that one must reach to progress, but with each level having 3 coins to contribute and each level being short and straightforward, it never truly becomes an issue unless you deliberately avoid acquiring them through natural game play. Difficulty does increase on a slow curve as you move from world 1 to 8, but it’s an easy curve to grapple with and shouldn’t be a barrier for most players.
Finishing the game unlocks a series of remixed versions of each level that double the game’s length, and even allow you to play as Luigi.
Unfortunately, once you clear the game traditionally, the game expects you to clear every level twice, hit all the gold flagpoles, and sacrifice a small child in order to access its actual final level.
NEEEEEXXXXXT.
Man. Mario just doesn’t miss. It’s been 12 years since 3D Land released for the 3DS and it stands head and shoulders above anything it’s peers, including it’s Wii U sibling and Switch cousin have brought to the table.
The premise? Classic. Bowser get Peach. Mario get Peach back. The execution? Perhaps the finest Mario has ever done in the third dimension.
The secret to 3D Land’s excellence is it’s pacing. Each level of the game’s 8 standard and 8 special worlds is presented on the world map as a tight, little diorama. Each level once you enter follows the restrictions set by that presentation - they’re short, filled to the brim with interesting mechanics and secrets, and seldom induce frustration as you March towards Bowser’s Castle. There are skill checkpoints in the way of coin thresholds that one must reach to progress, but with each level having 3 coins to contribute and each level being short and straightforward, it never truly becomes an issue unless you deliberately avoid acquiring them through natural game play. Difficulty does increase on a slow curve as you move from world 1 to 8, but it’s an easy curve to grapple with and shouldn’t be a barrier for most players.
Finishing the game unlocks a series of remixed versions of each level that double the game’s length, and even allow you to play as Luigi.
Unfortunately, once you clear the game traditionally, the game expects you to clear every level twice, hit all the gold flagpoles, and sacrifice a small child in order to access its actual final level.
NEEEEEXXXXXT.
Um jogo 3D do Mario mais simples pra mostrar a tecnologia da tela 3D do 3DS porém o level design de cada fase é tão único que faz a experiência ser realmente muito divertida.
portable mario? check. lotsa levels? check. fun powerups? check. the best 3DS game? probably.
Wow. I thought it'd be a safe little game to play and surely enough it was but also it was a little bit more than that. It's got a lot of charm and a huge amount of variety. The levels are extremely bite sized. Like 1-2 minutes each which is incredibly perfect for handheld and also for binge. Like I played most of this game in the car and trips and it flew by. The whole I'll play a few turned in to a lot more. It was great using the 3d effect, both for the cute novelty and immersive experience of it but also the depth perception for Jumps really helped any enemy placements as well. The 3d took a little adjustment but I never wanted to turn it off. This games bosses are a little lame but challenging still and I'd say the final Bowser stretch was a great finale one of the best. There's special worlds as post game to beat to save Luigi that I may revisit for but this really was a good light fun trip to the 3ds. My first 3ds game I've beaten
A fun little Mario game that's great for pick up and play. There's not much else going on and jt doesn't compare to the classics but it was enjoyable while it lasted.
I was pretty disappointed with my 3DS at first, as this was the first game I got for it. I actually ended up selling it partially due to this game and then rebuying one a couple years later LOL.
It's not committed enough to any particular style/objective. It feels very vanilla and "scrubbed clean of any personality" to describe it in a very specific and confusing way.
It obviously does things right in some regard, it is a "mainline" Mario game - but it just doesn't do it for me. I find this style pretty boring.
It's not committed enough to any particular style/objective. It feels very vanilla and "scrubbed clean of any personality" to describe it in a very specific and confusing way.
It obviously does things right in some regard, it is a "mainline" Mario game - but it just doesn't do it for me. I find this style pretty boring.
Very fun mario game on 3ds, i enjoy how the levels feel more like a 2d mario than a 3d mario, since it works great on the handheld
People like to give Nintendo shit these days for making the Mario franchise incredibly bland and sterile, every spinoff always having the same 12 characters and they leave Plessie/Tatanga/insert ANY Mario RPG character here to rot in the Nintendo vault. They're not entirely wrong but I gotta give Nintendo credit whenever every so often they decide to make a random Mario whatever a "thing again" and it feels like they never left the franchise. This game was the massive comeback of the Tanooki Leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3, with the power up being all over this game's boxart, all enemies getting their own tanooki variants, and the Tanooki Leaf becoming a mainstay of the Mario franchise again. It appeared in Mario Kart 7, most of the Mario platformers following 3D Land, a Smash Bros. item, you get the idea. Other examples of things becoming a thing again are: 3D Land being the start of Boom Boom showing up as a boss again, Pauline making a big comeback with Odyssey, King Bob-omb and Chargin' Chuck slowly starting to make their way into spinoff rosters, Foreman Spike being in the casting call for the Mario Movie, Swanky Kong turning up in a Mario Movie poster, the Ninji starting to reappear again. the Ninjis are legit the most "yeah that exists" Mario enemy because they appear in so much stuff but they're very unmemorable and no one talks about them. I don't know if its just me but it genuinely feels like they spawned in Mario Maker one day and were just part of the franchise from then on. All I'm saying is that there's always hope your favorite obscure Mario scrunklo will randomly make a comeback and start appearing in Mario games again. 2023 is the year of Ostro, everyone's favorite Super Mario Bros. 2 enemy, lets go!!!!!!!!!
A solid platformer. The levels are quick, varied, and well designed. The power-ups are somewhat limited and the forced perspective does suffer sometimes without the 3D effect active, but it's a fun playthrough with a surprising amount of post-game content.