After all the hustle and bustle of Nintendo’s E3 press conference, the one thing I wanted play more than its new-fangled iPad-esque controller was Super Mario 3D. A new Mario platformer is always something to be excited about, but in this case, Mario 3D is notable for three reasons: one, it’s from the Super Mario Galaxy team, so we can already assume a level of brilliance; two, it’s Mario’s big 3DS debut and the first time Mario’s been portrayed in actual 3D; and finally, it marks the return of the Tanooki suit, one of Mario 3’s most beloved power-ups (though we’re still fond of Kuribo’s Shoe)...
The
largest transformation in Mario’s history came with the shift from 2D to 3D in
Super Mario 64. He handled the transition well, but the platforming plumber was
never the same. From that point on, Mario’s console releases started to take on
a form of their own, with new mechanics and nuances exclusive to the 3D
iterations. With Super Mario 3D Land, it seems like Nintendo is trying to make
a 3D Mario game that feels more akin to the earlier 2D games in the series,
bringing back what was lost when Mario leapt out of the second dimension. We
recently had the opportunity to clear World 1, and were surprised by
how “classic” Mario’s newest adventure feels...
We've already conquered World 1 and seen some Super Mario 3D Land's later levels at E3, but we couldn't pass up a recent chance to play six new levels from Worlds 2 and 3 to see more of what's easily our most anticipated upcoming 3DS game. As we see more and more of 3D Land, it's really starting to feel like a "greatest hits" of the Mario franchise...
Super Mario 3D Land is the first fully 3D original Mario for a handheld and the marquee holiday release for the somewhat troubled 3DS system, which might be too much pressure for other franchises. But with Mario's decades of massive success on both consoles and portables, he’s more than ready. We just got another chance to play the much desired title before its retail launch on November 13, and while our time was brief, what we saw only made the release date seem more frustratingly far away...
You think Sega had any idea that way back in the GameCube days of 200X that Monkey Ball would be the go-to franchise for showcasing new hardware? Day one for Wii: Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. Apple needs a game to champion the accelerometer in its new phone? Monkey Ball was there too. Our preexisting love for AiAi and Gon Gon aside, you could argue that the series was strangely, unwittingly, ahead of its time. Very soon, it’s set to launch yet another platform, and it’s bringing a new technical feat along with it: 3D, baby!
Let’s face facts: people just don’t seem to dig fighting games on portables. There are plenty of valid reasons for this – control issues, difficulty finding competition, etc. – but that hasn’t stopped developers from trying their damnedest to make a great portable fighting experience. The most prolific entrant in the field of portable pummeling is the Street Fighter series, which now comes to the table with Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, designed expressly with the 3DS audience in mind...
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