Topic: Super Mario 3D Land

[TrueNerd]

I've made it to the special worlds now and this game is still great. So far I'd say it doesn't quite hit the highs of a Galaxy or a Mario 64, but it's more consistent than those games. There are star objectives in the traditional 3D Mario games that just aren't as fun as others. 3D Land is a more pure Mario experience, like the 2D games. All you're doing is fun platforming. And the 3D still blows me away every time I boot this game up. I haven't played more than a half hour of Skyward Sword yet, but this is quite easily my game of the year.

[Caterkiller]

I have 300 coins and assume I did it all. What am I missing? I beat Bowser again and the credits ran, where do I go from here?

[nickmitch]

Did you do it all with both bros?

[Caterkiller]

So every single stage done twice? Even if I got every coin from a certain stage?

[Adrock]

Yeah, you have to beat every level again with Luigi but you don't need to get the Star Medals again if you got them as Mario since they're silhouettes (transparent/outlines, whatever). I'm not sure if getting the Gold Flag at the end of all of he levels with either or both Mario and Luigi is necessary. I did it just in case and it wasn't that hard. I only had to replay a few levels, like the one where you have to shoot yourself onto the flagpole from a cannon. If you have the Tanooki Suit, you can speed run most of the levels.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

I think I have been playing this game far too much. I'm into Special World 8 and I've only had it since Christmas Day.

It's a testament to the addictive power of Super Mario 3D Land. It might even boil down to minor presentational details, like how on the world map, the levels are previewed in those little dioramas, or the fact that worlds aren't separated by any kind of theme. I would partly attribute the 'just one more' syndrome I've had with this game to stuff like this.

Of course, the DNA of the Mario Galaxies is ever-present, and absolutely for the best, in my view. Several of the most memorable ideas from those titles - the flipping panels, the blocks changing to the beat, the morphing ground in the Ghost Houses - have returned with a twist, yet the new concepts - the directional platform-on-rails, the face snakes - also feel like they would have been right at home in Galaxy 1 or 2. It just goes to show that less adherence to world themes does allow for a level of variety that is rarely seen elsewhere.

Also, it's crazy that there are as many special levels as there are normal. One additional world I have come to expect, but eight? And just as much thought has gone into these as the regular levels. Even the Comet-style challenges like the time trials or the Shadow Mario stages work well, because they take things from the main game that you could play at a leisurely pace and then make you run. Fast.

I am slightly sad to have burned through 3D Land so quickly, but that's my own fault. Although I might wish it wouldn't end, the game is not want for quality content. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some missing Star Medals to account for.

[Karmacode]

I've really loved the nostalgia feel of Super Mario 3, really makes me feel like a kid again. I grew bored of this game rather quickly. I am almost to special world 8 but it seems like that was painful for me to get to. I played the heck out of New Super Mario Bros., so I don't know why I am having a hard time enjoying this one as much.

[leahsdad]

I've really loved the nostalgia feel of Super Mario 3, really makes me feel like a kid again. I grew bored of this game rather quickly. I am almost to special world 8 but it seems like that was painful for me to get to. I played the heck out of New Super Mario Bros., so I don't know why I am having a hard time enjoying this one as much.

Steel yourself son.   Special World 8 will knock your socks off.  I think I blew threw at least 100 lives there.  Like Dark Mario?   

[ThomasO]

Having played through all 16 worlds... I did not really enjoy this game. The first eight worlds are extremely easy and did not have the creativity posed in the Galaxy games. Sure it got harder when I got to Special World 1, but all those levels are just harder versions of ones I did not really enjoy in the first place, with shorter time limits and Dark Marios thrown in. The Special World 8 levels just felt like a chore.


The hodge-podge level designs don't really fit the game at all, going from snow world to desert to mountain... it makes sense in SM64 and Galaxy because you're going to distinct areas, but not where you're doing it in one small section of the Mushroom Kingdom.

[NeoStar9X]

The game has been enjoyable but don't feel it's as amazing as others feel. I'd still recommend it but I feel the Bowser fights were really cheap and didn't like them at all. The only one that was at all enjoyable for me was the last fight in world 8. Maybe it's  just me though. I could never get pass him without taking damage or dying. I did like the airship boss fights. I would have liked the arena style fights from Mario 64/Sunshine/Galaxy more. If Super Mario 3D Land 2 has those fights I'll get it but if it's similar to the ones in the current game I might pass. This is part of why my favorite 3DS game from Nintendo was still Zelda: OoT until Kid Icarus Uprising came out.

[Morcant]

 The nighttime Toad houses might be the prettiest thing I have seen on the 3DS so far.

[Evan_B]

I'm just going to throw this out here- I absolutely hated this game. Tanooki suits should be burned. I do have a blog where I write reviews, so I'm just gonna throw up the link here instead of reiterating my stance.

Nerd Rage: Super Mario 3D Land

[TrueNerd]

I haven't played more than a half hour of Skyward Sword yet, but this is quite easily my game of the year.

I have played all of Skyward Sword now. I like that better.

[leahsdad]

The game has been enjoyable but don't feel it's as amazing as others feel. I'd still recommend it but I feel the Bowser fights were really cheap and didn't like them at all. The only one that was at all enjoyable for me was the last fight in world 8.

Well, obviously that last fight ridiculously epic, possibly the best Bowser fight in Mario history.   But if you get down to it, none of the Bowser fights before that was REALLY against Bowser, were they?  :-)

But seriously, was your problem with them the way they ended (jump on the black button) or that they were more about evasion than combat?  Though they were basically the same (avoid mouth fire, jump over the bowser rights, don't get hit by the tail, run under him when he jumps), the level design I think forced you to tackle him differently.

I think the highlight of those Castle levels were more getting to Bowser than the fight, maybe that is what you mean.  Because those parts were awesome, with some really challenging level design.

And the ships!   I'm guess I'm the only one who loved every single ship level.   Those were fantastically fun.   Especially the Special World versions.

[Evan_B]

I dunno. Honestly, I have some eShop games that I played more than this game. I've only logged 6 hours into it and I'm on Special World 4... I just felt like it was an easy, but badly controlled game which resulted in more deaths than the real difficulty of the game. Maybe I need to go back and play it again...

[FZeroBoyo]

I went back and tried the secret level you get for finishing everything else in the game. I'm not marking this as spoilers because I figure anyone here who's wanted to play the game has so...


The very last section when you press the switch that causes panels to spell "THANK YOU!!"... Was I the only idiot who tried to jump across said panels instead of taking the moving platform?

[Ray Kremer]

I have 300 coins and assume I did it all. What am I missing? I beat Bowser again and the credits ran, where do I go from here?

IIRC You get five stars if you beat every level with both Mario and Luigi, get all three star coins from each level, and get the gold flag on each level. The stars sparkle if you beat all levels in the first 8 worlds without dying five times and seeing a helper block.

The very last section when you press the switch that causes panels to spell "THANK YOU!!"... Was I the only idiot who tried to jump across said panels instead of taking the moving platform?

Haha! I did that too! I actually made it across the words the first time, then when I replayed the level as Luigi, I finally noticed the platform.

[MisterE13]

The very last section when you press the switch that causes panels to spell "THANK YOU!!"... Was I the only idiot who tried to jump across said panels instead of taking the moving platform?

I tried it and noticed the platform while scrambling across the letters.  Then I died  .  The platform was my friend after that moment.
 
Any chance of a list of all the Mystery Boxes? I wouldn't mind making sure I've done all of them without StreetPassing.

[tendoboy1984]

The game has been enjoyable but don't feel it's as amazing as others feel. I'd still recommend it but I feel the Bowser fights were really cheap and didn't like them at all. The only one that was at all enjoyable for me was the last fight in world 8.

Well, obviously that last fight ridiculously epic, possibly the best Bowser fight in Mario history.   But if you get down to it, none of the Bowser fights before that was REALLY against Bowser, were they?  :-)

But seriously, was your problem with them the way they ended (jump on the black button) or that they were more about evasion than combat?  Though they were basically the same (avoid mouth fire, jump over the bowser rights, don't get hit by the tail, run under him when he jumps), the level design I think forced you to tackle him differently.

I think the highlight of those Castle levels were more getting to Bowser than the fight, maybe that is what you mean.  Because those parts were awesome, with some really challenging level design.

And the ships!   I'm guess I'm the only one who loved every single ship level.   Those were fantastically fun.   Especially the Special World versions.

To be fair, the boss fights in most Super Mario games have been pretty easy. Avoid the enemy's attacks, jump on their head. Do this 2 more times and the boss is dead.


The only Mario games that really gave me a challenge were Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. (damn you Fiery Petey Piranha and Fiery Gobblegut, and DAMN YOU BOULDERGIEST DAREVEVIL RUN!)

[MegaByte]

I've finally gotten a chance to go back and focus on the Time Trials. We have leaderboards going at TMK, and I'd love to see more challengers!