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.