© NintendoYou don’t need me to say how 2020 was a challenging year, but for dedicated Super Mario fans, there were little comforts to be found. After months of rumors, Nintendo celebrated the series’ 35th anniversary in a dramatic way and it brought endless content. Even before, Super Mario Maker 2 received a major update in April that added a World Maker, and 3D All-Stars brought us 64, sunshine and Galaxy on the Switch in a single package. Damn, we even have a Battle Royale game in Super Mario Bros. 35 for some reason, and that doesn’t even count for spin-off games.
Even if the last two games are supposedly only available until March 31 – a fact that has not just caused controversy – the celebrations are not over yet. While fans continued to ponder Galaxy 2’s exclusion from 3D All-Stars (something about which we have some theories), Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is launching on the Switch next month, joining the growing line of Wii U ports. Amid these anniversary plans, most 3D entries are getting renewed love from Nintendo, but the 3D World predecessor has been left a little bit in the dark and had a relatively low score in our poll on what remasters you’d like to see on Switch in June last year. For many players, it seems, it has hardly been registered.
For those who may not follow each parcel in the plumber’s canon, this game was Super Mario 3D Land, a curious entry in the history of Super Mario, which was launched on the 3DS in 2011. The name comes from Super Mario Land sub-series, 3D Land became the first original Super Mario 3D game for a handheld console (excluding the remake of the DS 64), while maintaining basic gameplay with a classic twist.
Next to the Galaxy 2, it is also one of the last 3D inputs not to reach the Switch until now. Sure, 3D Land received mention during the 35th anniversary montage, which is more than our space travel sequence received, but that exclusion attracted far less attention from devoted fans. We would say this is a game worth revisiting on the Switch as it is simply one of a kind.
Like many platform pets in the 1990s, Mario made the transition from 2D to 3D gameplay, and Super Mario 64 remains an iconic game to this day, laying the foundation for future entries. Launched in 1996, the series did not return to 2D roots for another decade, until New Super Mario Bros released on DS. We have since witnessed a variety of 2D / 3D inputs parallel to each other. 3D Land is somewhere in between and Shigeru Miyamoto summed it up better: it is a “Mario 3D that plays like a Mario 2D game” and this is evident as soon as you dive into it.
Shigeru Miyamoto summed it up in the best way: it is a “Mario 3D that plays like a Mario 2D game” and this becomes evident as soon as you dive into it.
The basic plot of 3D Land does not go far from the traditional path. Literally starting on a dark and stormy night, we encounter a violent storm near Peach Castle, one that blows all the Super Leaves from the nearby Tail Tree away. Upon discovering this the next morning, Mario soon receives a flying card that shows Princess Peach once again kidnapped by Bowser and adding that he stole the Super Sheets as well. Providing them to his minions to give them Tanooki powers, it was up to us to stop him once more.
Featuring eight new worlds, 3D Land took advantage of several 8-bit input tips, specifically Super Mario Bros. 3, and that went beyond the return of Tanooki Mario. Boss fights culminated in each world, some of which led us to Bowser’s castle and similarly to Super Mario Bros., you need to press a button that threw you into the lava below. Others took us back to the old aircraft scene, and although you don’t find any Koopalings here, they were occupied by Bowser’s loyal servant Boom Boom, alongside his new female equivalent, Pom Pom.
It wasn’t very challenging and can be completed quickly, but winning the game unlocked bonus worlds with greater difficulty. Timed internships were also brought back, something that the 3D entrances had abandoned and the iconic mast was once again waiting for us. Although 3D Land leaned towards these initial entries considerably, it represented elements of each Super Mario game and, in some ways, looked like a “Best of Mario” game.
Despite that, it still looked fresh and we thought it would be an excellent game, albeit a game that plays safely. With a name like ‘3D Land’, you won’t be surprised to learn that he made use of the console’s 3D effect as well, although some puzzles seemed complicated as a result, a problem that several critics have pointed out. Having reproduced recently, we would say that the criticisms still hold, but there is still a lot to love in 3D Land.
He established a formula that Super Mario 3D World successfully built in 2013 on Wii U. Working as a direct and expanded sequel, it sought to further unify fans of 2D and 3D titles and offered more than a layer of HD paint. Carrying various elements of 3D Land such as Super Leaves, returning enemies and even a remixed soundtrack, 3D World took on a life of its own. With a greater focus on Gato’s abilities than on Tanooki’s powers, it featured a fully cooperative local multiplayer for four players, an area for which previous games offered minimal support. With the Switch port adding online multiplayer and improved performance, this premise is getting more refined and we have a lot to expect in a few weeks from now.
Considering how much Super Mario conquered the Switch last year, there has never been a better time to bring 3D Land back. Sure, there are some gameplay elements that need to be overhauled, but if Nintendo managed to do that with the Galaxy, they could do it again here. It is by no means perfect, but it remains an almost unique experience in Mario’s story, which seems significantly underestimated compared to his peers. This is an adventure that deserves a second chance in the spotlight.