Skip to main content

Super Mario 3D Land Review

There’s been a lot of talk in recent months about the Nintendo 3DS and what the future holds for it. You can frequently see one fan or another pointing to a particular upcoming game release as one that will “save” the handheld, as if it’s in some danger of disappearing. The fact is, Nintendo launched the 3DS with no “killer apps” to speak of and really a rather lackluster launch library overall.

Many fans have been looking to the ongoing holiday season as the time when we’ll see the 3DS come into its own. The reality hasn’t really lived up to that; Kid Icarus was pushed to a 2012 release and the only other major 3DS release we saw this holiday was a remake of StarFox 64, and an upcoming Mario Kart that has been kept tightly under wraps. Until now. Nintendo revealed its Mario 3DS game at E3 over the summer, and now Super Mario 3D Land is here. If you’ve been waiting for a system-seller, this isn’t it. Make no mistake though, it might not be a killer app, but 3D Land is the most compelling reason to own a 3DS right now, and by a wide margin.

The game’s structure is built purely out of nostalgia, with players running Nintendo’s mustachioed mascot through an eight-world gauntlet, with each world containing a series of sub-worlds — 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc. — and a final “boss” castle or airship. Some of the latter day Mario trappings make their way in as well, such as the Toad House where you can receive and store some kind of power-up for later use. The core structure is immediately familiar and simple enough for any fan to grasp, however.

I immediately felt the same sense of nostalgia diving in with my first 3D Land level that I did when I first tried New Super Mario Bros. on the DS a few years back. While this is no longer strictly a 2D platformer, the vibe of those classic titles is in full effect. They look a lot nicer thanks to the 3DS’s newer tech, but the fan service at work in the game is immediately detectable. Whether you’re squashing a goomba, sliding down a green tube in an endless pursuit of more coins or simply running against the clock when the music tempo goes into overdrive for each stage’s final 100 seconds, this is undeniably Mario being placed back in his element.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

3D Land is most successful for mixing in a whole lot of new in the midst of all that nostalgia. You’ll feel shades of Super Mario Bros. in the platforming, Super Mario Bros. 3 in the power-up storage (and returning Tanooki suit!!) and Super Mario 64 in the 3D layout of certain levels. You’ll collect three special star coins per level, and as that amassed collection grows, you’ll gain access to other levels. This is less an evolution and more a distillation of everything that turns fans of the Mario brand into repeat customers.

As much as 3D Land is inspired by the old, the levels you’ll run through are entirely new. There’s a mix of pure 3D platforming, pure 2D platforming and more than a few gimmicky — but extremely well-implemented — fusions of the two. Things start out easily enough; really, the first few worlds you’ll run through are a cakewalk, no question. It’s all just getting you prepared for the gauntlet of insane challenges that await you later on, however. It’s very much a crawl before you can walk dynamic in the progression of gameplay.

As I progressed through the worlds and found my attitude turning from “holy crap, this is easy” to “holy crap, THIS CURSED JUMP IS IMPOSSIBLE,” I was struck by a memory of going through the very same feelings the first time I sat down with the original Super Mario. At its best moments, 3D Land capably taps into that nostalgia while offering something entirely new. It’s harder than it was, but it also holds your hand more frequently; fail on a particular level enough times and the game will “reward” you with a golden Tanooki suit that renders you invincible to anything that stage can throw at you other than falling to your death.

The trick, of course, isn’t getting to the end of a stage but rather collecting each stage’s three star coins. Invincibility is helpful, but not game-breakingly so. It’s balanced fairly perfectly; Nintendo has become much more of a casual gamer-friendly developer in recent years, but 3D Land seems to recognize where the company’s roots lie.

Conclusion

It’s not all perfect fun, however. While the 3D effects are used remarkably well, you’ll often want to turn them off since playing a Mario game — and I mean really getting into it — is rarely an idyllic affair. You’ll move your body around a lot as you play, which doesn’t work well with the portable’s 3D display features. The controls are also not always your friend. While they work well enough, there’s little that can be done to make exploring a 3D world more bearable on that tiny screen. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty big problem; you’ll die frequently because of missed or improperly aimed jumps, more than you ever would have in a 2D environment.

Overall, Super Mario 3D Land is a big win for Nintendo. I’m not sure I’d recommend running out and buying a 3DS just so you can play it, but it’s the first 3DS game I’ve encountered where I really feel confident saying that you must own it if you already have the handheld. Whether or not the 3DS ever reaches the heights of popularity that the DS did remains to be seen, but Super Mario 3D Land at least pushes us considerably further in the right direction.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

 (This game was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS on a copy provided by Nintendo)

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Super Mario RPG: Bowser’s Keep six doors guide
Super Mario RPG Bowser Six Doors

Super Mario RPG is a fairly easy game overall, but it does sport a few challenging spots throughout. As your journey nears its conclusion, you'll come to Bowser's Keep where you'll eventually stumble upon six doors that contain difficult courses behind them. If you're feeling a bit stuck at this location, here's everything you need to know about how to complete each of the six door challenges in Bowser's Keep.
How to complete all six door challenges in Bowser's Keep
Note that the challenge you receive behind each door is totally random, so there's no way to guarantee a specific challenge. But while you only need to complete four of the courses, we recommend hitting all six to ensure that you get all of the useful items contained within.
Puzzle Course No. 1

This puzzle course asks you to clear three rooms of brain-focused tasks.
First Room
The first room will involve a quiz wherein you are asked multiple questions about your adventure. The questions are randomly chosen from a pool of around 40 and should all be fairly simple if you've been following along with the story.
Second Room
In the second room, you are required to quickly count how many barrels are in the corner of the room and then choose from three options. You need to do this twice. Once again, the number of barrels is random.
Third Room
Upon reaching the third room, you need to pay attention to what the different characters tell you about their placement in a race, then choose the order in which you believe they placed.
Reward
You're rewarded with a Rock Candy after completing this course.
Puzzle Course No. 2

Read more
How to get to Grate Guy’s Casino in Super Mario RPG
Casino entrance in Super Mario RPG

Like many role-playing games, Super Mario RPG features plenty of fun secrets to find as you journey through its world. One of these secrets is the Grate Guy's Casino, which will require you to do some jumping in a very specific place to unlock an incredibly well-hidden passage. If you're looking to play the slots or kick back with some Blackjack, we'll tell you how to find your way to this super secret spot.
How to get to Grate Guy's Casino
There are two steps required to reach the Grate Guy Casino.
Get the Bright Card
The first step to reaching Grate Guy's Casino is obtaining the Bright Card, as you'll be unable to enter without it. To find this item, make your way to Booster's Tower. As you ascend the tower, you'll eventually come across a juggling character named Knife Guy, who will challenge you to a game that requires you to pick which hand he's holding a yellow ball in after he finishes juggling. You'll need to win twelve times in a row before he'll eventually reward you with the Bright Card. It's fairly easy to figure out which hand the yellow ball has landed by simply watching which direction it was moving when the juggling stops, so it shouldn't pose too much of an issue.
Find the secret entrance
With the Bright Card in hand, your goal is now to find Grate Guy's Casino. To do so, you'll need to head over to Bean Valley and walk to the center of this area to find a collection of pipes that you can go down to reach various underground sections. Go down the northernmost pipe and engage the Chain Chomp here in battle. Afterward, you'll need to jump three times in the corner where the Chain Chomp was before you defeated it, which will reveal an extraordinarily well-hidden block that you can jump to that will allow you to reach the top of the wall. Head through the exit here.

When you emerge on the other side, go into the house and approach the two doormen. They won't let you pass without the Bright Card, but since you've found it already, you'll be free to pass through into the casino. Inside, you'll find three games you can play: Slots, Blackjack, and a guessing game that requires you to look in the opposite direction that the person points. Compete in any of these as many times as you'd like and have fun!

Read more
How to find secret boss Culex in Super Mario RPG
Mario and pals face off against Culex in Super Mario RPG.

If there's something that you can count on in just about every role-playing game, it's that you'll eventually have an opportunity to fight a secret optional boss that is stronger than anything else in the game. In Super Mario RPG, that optional challenge is Culex, an interdimensional being that looks quite out of place in the world of Super Mario RPG with his 16-bit visuals, which are retained from the original SNES version of the game.

What hasn't changed, though, is that he's still a tough opponent to take down. But before laying the hurt on him, you'll need to actually find him. Here's how to get to Culex and earn a valuable reward for his defeat.
How to find Culex
Finding Culex begins by heading to a home on the left side of Moleville. There are a few folks in here, but you're looking for the guy selling fireworks for a whopping 500 coins. Purchase these outrageously expensive fireworks, then head back outside to a nearby girl who is pretending to run a store. You can give her the fireworks in exchange for a Shiny Stone, which is exactly the item that you'll need to access the door that leads you to the fight against Culex.

Read more