Super Mario 3D Land Strategy Guide Strategy Guides and Books

Super Mario 3D Land Strategy Guide Product Details

Released on 13-Nov-2011

• Super Mario 3D Land

  Accessible Gameplay

   

  As the first Mario game on 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land has a lot riding on it, so we're thankful to say it more than lives up to many of the high expectations we had before playing the finished article. Perhaps best described as a blend of the more straightforward, accessible 2D Super Mario Bros. games for Wii and DS plus the Wii's more challenging 3D Super Mario Galaxy titles, it's a product that attempts to cater for players of all skill levels - and it just about succeeds in this aim.

  Classic Platforming

   

  Super Mario 3D Land's worlds are essentially made up of linear obstacle courses, left to right dashes which see you timing runs and jumps to master the environments with the aim of reaching a flagpole at the end of each level. Mario can wander around a little in the 3D levels, with side branches leading to collectibles like extra lives and hidden coins, but there's always a clearly set path to completing the stage.

  The majority of Super Mario 3D Land's levels are brimming with imaginative gameplay mechanics, new ideas, objects or enemy types popping into existence just long enough to make you smile and throw up a little challenge before making way for the next crowd pleaser.

  Power Up time

   

  Classic and new power ups help you navigate environments and defeat enemies. These include the Tanooki suit, which gives Mario a spin attack and lets him float briefly in mid-air, the Boomerang, which lets him launch boomerangs to collect items, Fire Flowers, which enable him to hurl projectiles at foes, and Starmen, which turn him invincible for a short period.

  Every so often, to pass from one world to the next, you'll face off against long-time Mario antagonist Bowser or one of his henchmen, Boom Boom, in airship or castle battles which require you to jump on your opponent's head three times to defeat them or navigate your way past them to hit a switch to compete the level.

  Game of two halves

   

  Super Mario 3D Land isn't a very challenging game, at least not to begin with. Set across eight worlds, its core 48 stages can be completed by skilled players in about three hours. This section of the game has been designed with less experienced players in mind and will prove an accessible experience for anyone who's struggled with the challenges served up by past 3D Mario adventures.

  After the credits roll though, there's a big surprise in store. Eight special worlds are unlocked, offering remixed versions of some of the levels in the main adventure alongside completely new ones. This more than doubles the length of the game by providing a much greater challenge, with new enemies, more of them, and time limits turning what might have been walk in the park stages into manic sprints and battles to the end. Finishing the entire game with all the collectibles is going to take seasoned Mario fans as many as 15 hours.

  3DS Milestone

   

  Super Mario 3D Land is a massively slick production, in which the developer's care and attention to detail is evident at every turn. The music is catchy and cheerful, the levels are stunningly presented, colourful, magical places, and the game makes fantastic use of the console's 3D capabilities, which is not only aesthetically pleasing but essential to completing some objectives. There are treasure rooms, for example, where the route can only be seen in 3D.

  Offering gameplay and production values that match or surpass anything seen on Nintendo's latest handheld system to date, Super Mario 3D Land is a must play title for newcomers and Mario veterans alike.

  GAME's verdict

  Good:
  + Varied, accessible, fun gameplay.
  + Fantastic production values.
  + Plenty of replay value.

  Bad:
  - Can be 'completed' in a short time.
  - First half could be more challenging.

   

  Review by: Tom 'Super' Ivan
  Version Tested: 3DS
  Review Published: 23.11.11

  Published: 23/11/2011

• Super Mario Land 3D breaks US sales records

  Super Mario Land 3D breaks US sales records

  The critically adored Super Mario Land 3D is already the fastest selling portable Mario game ever in the US, following a Thanksgiving weekend sales surge.

  Speaking to USA Today, Nintendo top man Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that the game has shifted half a million copies in America since its launch there just over two weeks ago. This puts it ahead of every other handheld Mario game, all the way back to the original Gameboy.

  The 3DS itself benefited from having the plump plumber back on the shelves, as sales of the console were boosted by 49% when the game launched, rocketing to 325% over the weekend as American shoppers piled into shops for the lack Fridayspending spree.

  Link also had reason to celebrate, as Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword also broke records to become the fastest selling title in that series as well.

  Super Mario 3D Land is out now for 3DS. Mario Kart 7, also for 3DS, is out this week.
  

• What has Mario got planned in 2012?

  2011 has been a fantastic year for gaming most recognisable face, Nintendo Mario, and 2012 looks set to be another. From platforming to kart racing, tennis, Olympic sports, role playing and party games, the portly yet agile plumber is clearly a highly versatile character who can do it all. Here, GAME takes a look back at a couple of the best Mario games from this year, in case you missed them, and looks ahead to some of 2012 undoubted highlights.

  3DS hasn exactly been lacking in quality games in its first year on the market, but the arrival of Super Mario Land 3D (3DS) in November and the launch of Mario Kart 7 earlier this month have really made the portable console a must own system. Mixing the best elements of older Mario games with new ideas and technology, the former is perhaps best described as a blend of the more straightforward, accessible 2D Super Mario Bros. games for Wii and DS and Wii more challenging 3D Super Mario Galaxy titles. Its magical worlds are essentially made up of left to right dashes through obstacle courses, which see players running, jumping, hovering and gliding to master the environments with the aim of reaching a flagpole at the end of each level. With simple, intuitive controls, it instantly accessible and there always a clear path to completing each stage, usually littered with coins to collect, question blocks to bump and enemies to stomp. But Mario can also wander around a little in the game 3D environments, and only explorers and the most skilled players will locate all of the secret areas, items and unlockables ingeniously hidden away in the expertly designed levels.

  Mario Kart 7 is another must-play title for newcomers and series veterans alike, mixing old and new to great effect too. It offers 16 new courses and 16 classic ones from older MK games for players to compete on, all based on environments and characters from Nintendo Mushroom Kingdom. The best showcase of the console's 3D screen yet, theye absolutely gorgeous to look at and just as well designed, featuring exciting new airborne and underwater sections to compliment the on-track action. With basic accelerate, brake, fire and jump buttons, the game easy enough that anyone can pick it up and play instantly, but itl take months of practice to master the multi-route tracks, learn all of the shortcuts and become an online karting king.

  Looking ahead to 2012, Mario will be joined by a host of Nintendo stablemates as well as characters from Square Enix popular Dragon Quest series in January release Boom Street (Wii). A Monopoly-style board game that challenges players to play the real estate and stock markets to win,here are 27 characters to choose from 13 from Mario games, 13 from Dragon Quest and your Mii and over 15 boards based on memorable areas from each series, with different shapes and layouts providing loads of replay value. Players race around the board trying to accumulate wealth and hit a target value while buying, selling and trading property to see who can be the first to cash out, and with both beginner and advanced settings, it could be the perfect game to get the family huddled round the telly on those cold winter nights.

  Mario Tennis (3DS) also looks set to be a smash hit next year. If previous games in the series are anything to go by, itl do its best to nail the balance between realism and zany, fast-paced tennis action starring all of your favourite Mushroom Kingdom characters, as well as a few surprise ones. Wee expecting a mixture of tactical tennis gameplay, special moves and plenty of mini-games that should make a great title for Mario and sports fans alike.

  Mario and friends, including Sega favourites like Sonic the Hedgehog, will keep things physical in Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympics on the Nintendo 3DS, which launches in February 2012. Players will go for gold in over 50 Olympic events that make full use of the handheld different control methods, serving up a wide variety of ways to play. Competing for the top of the podium alone or in head-to-head games with friends, players will frantically slide the Circle Pad round and round to row, tilt the system to keep their balance on the beam, and blow into the microphone to keep breathing at the right time while swimming.

  Also in 2012, players will see the moustachioed, genre-hopping plumber embark on an exciting new role playing adventure in Paper Mario also on the Nintendo 3DS. It will feature frantic, turn-based battles set in a colourful and varied 3D world that takes in weapons, locations and items from Mario past and present,. It will also require clever strategic use of a range of ability-giving stickers, which can be used to carry out attacks on enemies or to fill in missing parts of the levels.
  

  Published: 21/12/2011

• Pink and white Nintendo 3DS consoles launching next month

  The popular Nintendo 3DS will be available in two new colours from February 10th 2012 onwards.

  Nintendo has announced that it will be launching the hit handheld system in Coral Pink and Ice White shades next month, bringing the total number of available colours to five.

  Previously, these colours were only available as part of special bundles, with the pink unit coming with Nintendogs + Cats, while the white model accompanied Super Mario 3D Land.

  Now they are being made available individually, prospective 3DS owners will be able to take their pick of Coral Pink, Ice White, Cosmos Black, Aqua Blue and Metallic Red versions of the system.

  Since its launch in March 2011, the Nintendo 3DS has sold more than 15 million units worldwide, thanks to hit games such as Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

  The console offers 3D photography and video recording, web browsing and online gameplay and shopping, as well as compatibility with more than 1,000 Nintendo DS titles.

  Published: 26/01/2012

• More Mario incoming for 3DS

  If you gorged on the excellent double whammy of Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land over Christmas, rest assured Nintendo has more of the rotund plumber planned for 2012.

  As well as already announced titles such as Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Tennis and Paper Mario for the 3D-enabled handheld, Nintendo big cheese Satoru Iwata revealed that another Mario game is planned for release sometime between March and early 2013. This game will be a "totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D" and is described as a "key title" in Nintendo's 3DS strategy.

  The news followed another rousing sales announcement for the 3DS, as Nintendo confirmed it is now the company's fastest selling console of all time, across the world. Over eleven million of the things have been sold in Europe, Japan and the US.

• New 2D Super Mario game coming to Nintendo 3DS

  Nintendo has confirmed that a 2D side-scrolling entry in its iconic Super Mario series is in development for Nintendo 3DS.

  Company president Satoru Iwata revealed that the previously unannounced title will be released for its newest handheld console at some point between March 2012 and April 2013.

  Expectations will be high for the new title, as recent 2D adventures New Super Mario Bros and New Super Mario Bros Wii have proven to be among the most popular titles in Nintendo DS and Wii, respectively.

  The news also follows hot on the heels of the successful launch of Super Mario 3D Land, Mario's first 3DS platforming adventure, which fuses gameplay elements from past 2D and 3D Mario titles.

  It has proven a major critical and commercial success, becoming the first 3DS game to sell more than five million copies, while helping the console itself to surpass the 15 million mark in terms of global sales.

  Published: 30/01/2012

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