![]() ![]() Elsewhere, you’ll encounter optical illusions, rooms where platform positions can only be effectively determined with the slider pushed upwards. Here you’ll spiral through huge, empty skies, Mario’s legs kicking away as you slowly descend towards distant platforms, these vertiginous drops benefiting enormously from the all-too-convincing illusion of visual depth. The use of 3D is exemplary, too, especially in the stages featuring the best of the power-ups: the propeller block. It’s full of delicate flourishes: there’s a wonderful, top-down tribute to Zelda, and a neat visual gag on the level select screen that sees Bowser’s castles get progressively larger and more ornate, forcing Mario to run for a few seconds to reach the start point. ![]() Ideas that could happily bear repetition are thrown away in a single stage, never to be repeated. As with EAD Tokyo’s previous works, its inventiveness is only matched by its generosity. That doesn’t, however, stop it from being an absolute delight throughout. Long jumps and backflips are rarely required, and the game is so generous with lives that most will finish the game with at least fifty to spare. It’s still one of the most forgiving Mario games you’ll play. There’s no get-out-of-fail-free card here, and 3D Land’s more exacting challenges in the later game enforce precision platforming. It’s here you’re reminded that Galaxy’s spin jump offered a second chance to redeem mistimed leaps, allowing you to be a little sloppy. There’s a variation on Galaxy’s comet medals, except here there are three to collect, often requiring smart use of power-ups or wall-jumps to reach. Each holds myriad secrets, from brief mini-games to earn coins or power-ups to starman sprints above the clouds, with applause sounding if you defeat every enemy before Mario’s invincibility wears off. The levels may not be as expansive as Galaxy’s, but they’re equally inventive, shifting perspectives from side-on to top-down, with isometric interludes in between. A timer ticks down in the top-right, generous enough to allow for a few brief exploratory forays off the beaten track, while a hit from an enemy turns our hero into his squat, squeaking non-Super form.īut if it pays tribute to everything Mario was, Nintendo isn’t about to forget what he’s become. 3 returns, while each level finishes with a familiar leap to the flagpole, and a 1UP reward should you grab the very top. It takes a little getting used to.Īnd it’s not the only nod to Mario’s past. This is a Mario seemingly designed for side-scrolling environments, the Mario of his original NES adventures, except now he’s in a 3D world. There is no triple jump, and his backflip has to be charged. He’s guided with the circle pad, trotting around slowly unless you hold Y to make him run. Mario’s moveset is that of his 2D counterpart rather than the nippier version from Galaxy, Sunshine and 64. Initially, it feels like a step backwards. So 3D Land is Mario extending a white glove behind him, hanging back for others to catch up, as if to say “hey, I’ll wait.” Little wonder many stuck with the familiar comforts of New Super Mario Bros. For all Galaxy’s persistent inventiveness and sheer visual brio, not everyone could get to grips with the spherical planetoids and gravitational shifts. His recent 3D adventures have seen Mario bounding ahead, leaving some of his audience behind. The streamlined approach is understandable. Nintendo has suggested 3D Land is the hamburger to Galaxy’s gourmet feast, but it’s more a tray of delicious canapés with no two bites entirely the same. This is a game precision-tuned for portable play. Gone is the storytelling bloat of Sunshine and Galaxy. Plenty has been jettisoned on his journey back from space. ![]() It’s his universe the Super Mario Universe. It’s a journey into the universe, all right, but instead of drifting through nebulae, arms outstretched, Mario has his feet on familiar ground. So rather than expanding outwards, Nintendo has scaled back, bringing its hero into sharper focus. When you’ve conquered the galaxy twice, where do you go next? The universe would seem to be the logical step forward, but then Nintendo’s mascot – particularly in recent years – has rarely taken the most straightforward route. ![]()
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