Playing the last few Mario games might give someone the idea that Mario is, above all, an idea man. “Super Mario 3D Land” reminds you that Mario is a man of action, and maybe even a little dangerous. The game delivers a sensation that’s hasn’t been associated with the chubby plumber in ages: excitement. Toggling frequently between 2-D side-scrolling and 3-D roaming, the game satisfies fans of both styles, and got my heart pumping with a level of challenge that brought me back to the days of playing Mario on the original Nintendo.
That the game is so good isn’t clear at first. In fact, “3D Land” greets you as a series of missteps, a rushed capitulation to the notion that a Nintendo system doesn’t really exist until you can play Mario on it. The game brings back the beloved Tanooki Suit — the one that gives Mario a tail — but takes away what made it so special: the ability to fly.
Moreover, “3D Land” lacks an underlying concept. Old-timers may remember when Mario games tied sequential levels together under one thematic umbrella, like the levels in “Mario 3” where enemies and blocks were giant. “3D Land,” made by the team behind “Mario Galaxy,” has that game’s same grab-bag feel. There’s nothing wrong with playing through mere lists of levels, but the lack of fountainhead concepts does make the proceedings less memorable.
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| ‘Super Mario 3D Land’ |
| » System: 3DS » Price: $39.99 |
Above all, the game is easy. I’m all for Nintendo holding your hand if you can’t get past a certain part, and I applaud that “3D Land” endows you with invincibility if you keep dying somewhere, but the game really is a pushover. Until …
Beating the game is accompanied by a wonderful surprise. Namely, you’re granted access to a whole nother game, of equal length. Some of the levels are completely new, some are Bizarro versions of ones you beat in the main game, but all of them are hard. Diabolical but never unfair, these bonus levels remind you that once upon a time, Mario wasn’t about admiring gameplay ideas, but being thrilled by them. Beating the clock, dodging lava spouts, pulling off feats of platforming that you weren’t capable of when you started the game.
The first half of “3D Land” will please crowds and kindle nostalgia. The second half is why Mario exists.
