The much anticipated Super Mario 3D Land arrived on Australia's shores recently so I thought I'd sit down and play it.
The first thing that struck me was how beautiful it looked. I could easily compare it to a Mario Galaxy screenshot. Unfortunately the game doesn't really measure up to it's looks.
There are two things I'd like to ramble on about. The first is the new Super Guide system. Instead of the Super Guide found in New Super Mario Bros. Wii you have two options. You can either use a P-Wing which throws you straight to the flagpole at the end of the level or become a white (no racial stereotyping intended) Tanooki Mario which let's you plough through the whole level with unlimited invincibility. Both options are just plain cheating to me and in my mind I see modern gaming becoming a bit slack. What happened to the early 80s when games like Mega Man and Ghosts and Ghouls weren't afraid to be hard. Nowadays there's always some gimmick to make your gaming experience a pleasure cruise.
The other thing is the difficulty which I have to say is absolutely appalling.
Easy from World 1 to 8 and only when you reach the special levels do you feel any sort of challenge. Even the special world can be cleared in a week or so (it took me about 3 days to finish the whole game).
I mean there's Star Coins to add a bit of replay value but it's all too late and the game's already broke.
---VERDICT---
5/10 (and I can't believe I'm saying this about a Mario game)
I haven't been this disappointed in a Mario game since Sunshine on the GameCube.
Stunning graphics and exciting gameplay all ruined by a lack of challenge.
You'd be better of buying a Wii Points Card and downloading Super Mario Bros. 3 (which is heavily referenced in 3D Land)
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I think that Super Mario 3D Land is a good choice for beginners. Yeah, the difficulty level might turn off the experts and long-time Mario players, but it's just like you said. It's hard to turn down the graphics and the beauty of the levels.
And I don't think all the non-Special World levels are that easy.
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sanddude wrote:
I honsetly thought it deserved a 9 out of 10.
Sone levels you have to get star coins to get to. That's quite tricky for me.
This.
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All4one wrote:
I think that Super Mario 3D Land is a good choice for beginners. Yeah, the difficulty level might turn off the experts and long-time Mario players, but it's just like you said. It's hard to turn down the graphics and the beauty of the levels.
And I don't think all the non-Special World levels are that easy.
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I can't believe your giving a game a 5/10 just because of a guide that was probably intended for 6-10 year olds. And why doesn't anyone think that Super Mario Sunshine is a great game? It was nearly perfect (besides Bowser talking -which was pretty unsettling) IMO.
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MasterOfTheGames wrote:
The much anticipated Super Mario 3D Land arrived on Australia's shores recently so I thought I'd sit down and play it.
The first thing that struck me was how beautiful it looked. I could easily compare it to a Mario Galaxy screenshot. Unfortunately the game doesn't really measure up to it's looks.
There are two things I'd like to ramble on about. The first is the new Super Guide system. Instead of the Super Guide found in New Super Mario Bros. Wii you have two options. You can either use a P-Wing which throws you straight to the flagpole at the end of the level or become a white (no racial stereotyping intended) Tanooki Mario which let's you plough through the whole level with unlimited invincibility. Both options are just plain cheating to me and in my mind I see modern gaming becoming a bit slack. What happened to the early 80s when games like Mega Man and Ghosts and Ghouls weren't afraid to be hard. Nowadays there's always some gimmick to make your gaming experience a pleasure cruise.
The other thing is the difficulty which I have to say is absolutely appalling.
Easy from World 1 to 8 and only when you reach the special levels do you feel any sort of challenge. Even the special world can be cleared in a week or so (it took me about 3 days to finish the whole game).
I mean there's Star Coins to add a bit of replay value but it's all too late and the game's already broke.
---VERDICT---
5/10 (and I can't believe I'm saying this about a Mario game)
I haven't been this disappointed in a Mario game since Sunshine on the GameCube.
Stunning graphics and exciting gameplay all ruined by a lack of challenge.
You'd be better of buying a Wii Points Card and downloading Super Mario Bros. 3 (which is heavily referenced in 3D Land)
WAT U HATED SUNSHINE AND THIS? U DONT HAVE TO USE THE SUPER GUIDE! You seem to have odd opinions on games. Everyone likes MC, you dislike it. SMS is one of the best games ever.
and this.
All4one wrote:
I think that Super Mario 3D Land is a good choice for beginners. Yeah, the difficulty level might turn off the experts and long-time Mario players, but it's just like you said. It's hard to turn down the graphics and the beauty of the levels.
But I don't have it yet.
Last edited by nickbrickmaster (2012-01-31 17:00:51)
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Okay. There is some parts I agree with you on (1% of your review) but you don't expect every game to have a learning slope similar to Sin and Punishment 2. Hey, ever heard of beginners or people unfamiliar with the 3DS. That's what makes Mario great, everyone can enjoy it.
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ngamer wrote:
Yeah this game is pretty much for beginners since I have got over 100 lives in the game without cheats.But the graphics give up for it.
I got 100 lives in SMG2 without cheats.
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p-wings are back?
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GameHutSoftware wrote:
p-wings are back?
Yeah although they're nothing like the ones in Mario 3
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If you don't find a game challenging enough, why don't you make your own challenges for it
Last edited by deatheater (2012-02-02 03:57:39)
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MasterOfTheGames wrote:
GameHutSoftware wrote:
p-wings are back?
Yeah although they're nothing like the ones in Mario 3
Why don't you suggest something constructive like, "Well, why don't you try them out for yourself, in my opinion though, they aren't the same in Mario 3. But that's my opinion."
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deatheater wrote:
If you don't find a game challenging enough, why don't you make your own challenges for it
Like "Beat Super Mario 3D Land without getting hit. Once. EVER."
Last edited by videogame9 (2012-02-02 17:49:11)
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NeilWest wrote:
MasterOfTheGames wrote:
GameHutSoftware wrote:
p-wings are back?
Yeah although they're nothing like the ones in Mario 3
Why don't you suggest something constructive like, "Well, why don't you try them out for yourself, in my opinion though, they aren't the same in Mario 3. But that's my opinion."
That is the same thing in a nicer way.
Not that MasterGame's post was very rude in the beginning.
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mattb777 wrote:
1. You have a horrible taste for video games. Sunshine and 3D Land are excellent games.
2. Stop posting a bajillion threads about how much you hate this game. It's becoming annoying.
Well it's our opinion not yours.
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mattb777 wrote:
1. You have a horrible taste for video games. Sunshine and 3D Land are excellent games.
2. Stop posting a bajillion threads about how much you hate this game. It's becoming annoying.
Sunshine's pretty good, and 3D Land is superb. But that's not an objective fact.
And I'm not seeing a million threads about how she "hates" the game. Actually, a 5/10 isn't a "hate" score, it's more of an average/mediocre score.
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The thing is, Nintendo also wants to target younger players and needs to make it easier, along with the fact that nowadays if someone can't beat a level in a game they'll most likely switch games after a while...
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My 4 year old sister completed more than 40% of the subs pace emissary on ssbb. So who gives how easy super mario 3D land is.
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This is why I don't do reviews of games or TV shows. Everyone starts hating on people whenever they rate games an 8/10 or less. I know I won't be able to point out things I don't like; I'll get chewed out for sure.
And don't even ask me how fans react when their favorite game/show gets a 1/10.
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I'd like to say sorry to some people because I probably exaggerated about the difficulty of the game. Even though I can clear SMB: Lost Levels and Mega Man 2 in a flash, easier games still have to exist. I guess I was just waiting for a Mario game for so long that I was a bit disappointed at 3D LAND. I'd like to adjust my score to 7.5/10.
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I've played it a little in a store, and yes, the graphics look amazing for a handheld device (though the 3DS itself handles graphics pretty well, imo).
I think the reason the game seemed so easy to you is because it's targeted to a "casual" audience (which is the majority of their audience if you ask me) rather than a "gamer" one. They aimed for a game that half the world would know and like (which is why they advertised it so much - even here in Chile I saw lots of TV ads for it) rather than a game that might be a challenge for the gamer audience, while being almost impossible for the general public.
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