I hadn't played 3D Land since release, so after seeing the movie and being in a Mario mood, I decided to revisit this title. It's alright. This is polished, breezy platforming. What's most compelling about 3D Land is the way in which it really is "2D Mario in 3D", as may say about this title and 3D World.
But after revising Land, I think that applies here but not to 3D World. Land basically takes all of its motifs and tropes (from level themes to the SMB '85 Bowser fights) directly from the 2D titles and adds a Z-Axis. Even the collectible Star Coins are rarely hidden. Add in the incredibly short levels, and this really just the entire 2D playbook.
3D World, by contrast, has much larger levels, more to explore, more unique motifs, more cohesive worlds. It's a bit less obstacle-course core than 3D Land is. That title feels like the application of 3D Mario tenets to a level-based format.
So though this lens, I think there's something neat about 3D Land, especially since it's such a quick replay. That said, because the game presents little of its own beyond polish and a few great levels - I don't feel compelled to replay the post-game worlds this time around. The whole thing's a bit too simple, despite being exactly what 3DS needed in 2011.
But after revising Land, I think that applies here but not to 3D World. Land basically takes all of its motifs and tropes (from level themes to the SMB '85 Bowser fights) directly from the 2D titles and adds a Z-Axis. Even the collectible Star Coins are rarely hidden. Add in the incredibly short levels, and this really just the entire 2D playbook.
3D World, by contrast, has much larger levels, more to explore, more unique motifs, more cohesive worlds. It's a bit less obstacle-course core than 3D Land is. That title feels like the application of 3D Mario tenets to a level-based format.
So though this lens, I think there's something neat about 3D Land, especially since it's such a quick replay. That said, because the game presents little of its own beyond polish and a few great levels - I don't feel compelled to replay the post-game worlds this time around. The whole thing's a bit too simple, despite being exactly what 3DS needed in 2011.