Combine New Super Mario Bros. with Super Mario Galaxy, and you get the best portable Mario title to date.
Super Mario 3D Land marks the first 3D Mario adventure on a handheld since Super Mario 64 DS back in 2005. But unlike other 3D Mario titles the game features more linear progression and level designs. You will access each world via a map screen. Included in each world are seven stages and either a Mystery Box or Mushroom House. Mushroom Houses, like in Super Mario Bros. 3, will give you a power up to help you on your journey. Mystery Boxes have you destroying a few enemies in a room and receiving a Star Coin. Star Coins (returning from New Super Mario Bros. Wii) are the most important item in the game. There are three hidden in each main stage and they are needed to access later levels. The further you progress, the more demanding the amount gets. Most coins aren't that well hidden, but you occasionally get ones that are in more clever hiding spots.
There are eight worlds initially, but beating the first eight worlds unlocks eight Special Worlds for you to conquer. The Special World not only offers tougher level designs, but they give you two additional challenges. One is where you only have thirty seconds to complete level and you'll have to grab time bonuses along the way. The other is when an annoying doppleganger Mario is chasing you and copying your every move. Each level you traverse through offers your usual Mario tropes like your ice themed stages, lava castles, air ships, underwater trenches, ghost houses and so on; and old foes like the goombas, bullet bills, and boomerang bros. are also back with a vengeance. Though the worlds look familiar the designs certainly stay fresh throughout. The designs of each level are superb with tight controls to help with even the trickiest of jumps. The 3-D effect is one of the game's best aspects in terms of it's design. It's certainly great to look at in 3-D, but this is one of the few original games available on the system that is built with 3-D in mind from the beginning, as the effect makes for great use of determining the depth perception of certain platforms.
With the return of familiar level themes and enemies come familiar and fun power ups. Returning for the first time since Super Mario Bros. 3 is the Tanookie suit. Grabbing a Super Leaf will transform Mario into Raccoon Mario, who can float down gently after a jump and attack with his tail, a propeller box similar to the propeller suit in New Super Mario Bros. Wii that can send Mario high into the air, the fire flower, power mushroom, and star man. The only new power up in the game is the boomerang flower, which will give him the suit and weaponry of the boomerang bro. Even with the Tanookie suit making a good chunk of the levels in the game rather easy, the power ups still remain rather balanced. In fact, the only real issues that the game has is that much of the first half of the game is rather easy and the there are only a couple of boss types throughout the entire game (which are absurdly easy).
Super Mario 3D Land is one of the most gorgeous-looking games on the 3DS. It combines the nostalgic colorful aesthetics of New Super Mario Bros. with the polish and detail of Super Mario Galaxy, and the aforementioned 3D effect looks fantastic. The game offers classic sound effects and the predictably catchy soundtrack is full of classic Mario tunes as well as a few new tracks.
To sum things up:
PROS:
-Gorgeous visuals
-Great use of 3-D
-Excellent level designs
-Spot-on controls
-Catchy soundtrack
-Fun power-ups
CONS:
-First half of the game is rather easy
-Bosses are even easier
Super Mario 3D Land's gripes are few and far between, and overall this is a must own title for Mario fans, platform fans, and 3DS owners.