A common criticism for Mario games released in the 3DS and Wii U era was that they were getting very bland. Not bad really. Just nothing new. Every game was designed to appeal to everyone. No risks of attempts to change the game like with 64 and Galaxy. Just very basic Mario platforming. Super Mario 3D Land!
This game is nothing special. It is marketed as the 3DS's mainline Mario game and that's all it was. The story is the same as usual with no new characters besides Pom Pom... I guess? Bowser kidnaps Peach and Mario has to do platforming to save her. Its the exact same you've seen a ton of times. To be fair, no one is playing Mario games for the story. You're playing it for the fun gameplay but it really does make you wish for something more than just cliff-notes after how bombastic Galaxy was.
The level design is simultaneously really interesting and also really basic. At the time we were just off the heels of Super Mario Galaxy 2, debatabley the beginning of the "Bland Era." The Galaxy games kind of did away with the open level style started by 64 and turned into a mission based style of replaying the same level with minor changes. 3D Land does this too but takes it to a whole new degree. Gameplay is designed like the New Super Mario Bros. series but in 3D. Typical 3 collectibles per level, 8 worlds with 7-9 levels each ending with a flagpole. Again, this isn't a bad thing. I'd argue with some good unique level designs and elements this could work really well, (Like in 3D World) 3D Land doesn't have this. This game is doing NOTHING you haven't seen before. The only thing keeping this game from being considered part of the New Soup series is that it is "technically" in 3D however its hard to care when the game still feels and plays like a 2D game.
I like what this game was starting. It's not a bad game. It's painfully generic but I would not call it bad. Just... another Mario platformer. And thankfully we'd get this game done right with 3D World a couple years later.
I can't recommend this game to anyone but those morbidly curious. Anything this game does is done better and more uniquely by 3D World. Play that instead because you will find nothing here.
This game is nothing special. It is marketed as the 3DS's mainline Mario game and that's all it was. The story is the same as usual with no new characters besides Pom Pom... I guess? Bowser kidnaps Peach and Mario has to do platforming to save her. Its the exact same you've seen a ton of times. To be fair, no one is playing Mario games for the story. You're playing it for the fun gameplay but it really does make you wish for something more than just cliff-notes after how bombastic Galaxy was.
The level design is simultaneously really interesting and also really basic. At the time we were just off the heels of Super Mario Galaxy 2, debatabley the beginning of the "Bland Era." The Galaxy games kind of did away with the open level style started by 64 and turned into a mission based style of replaying the same level with minor changes. 3D Land does this too but takes it to a whole new degree. Gameplay is designed like the New Super Mario Bros. series but in 3D. Typical 3 collectibles per level, 8 worlds with 7-9 levels each ending with a flagpole. Again, this isn't a bad thing. I'd argue with some good unique level designs and elements this could work really well, (Like in 3D World) 3D Land doesn't have this. This game is doing NOTHING you haven't seen before. The only thing keeping this game from being considered part of the New Soup series is that it is "technically" in 3D however its hard to care when the game still feels and plays like a 2D game.
I like what this game was starting. It's not a bad game. It's painfully generic but I would not call it bad. Just... another Mario platformer. And thankfully we'd get this game done right with 3D World a couple years later.
I can't recommend this game to anyone but those morbidly curious. Anything this game does is done better and more uniquely by 3D World. Play that instead because you will find nothing here.
2 Comments
Yeah totally agree, this is definitely the weakest 3d Mario and it's not like it's even bad..just very forgettable
NovaNiles
23 days ago