Super Mario 3D Land

How to achieve reinvention without creating alienation: this is the repetitive dilemma for Nintendo when it comes to plotting the on- going career of a medium’s mascot. In Super Mario 3D Land, the challenge was particularly tall, as the game was tasked with selling the 3D capabilities of the Kyoto-based company’s latest handheld without compromising the foundational design traits that define Mario.
Super Mario 3D land exhibits the same purity of playfulness enjoyed by Nintendo EAD’s other recent representations of the plumber on Wii. But where Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel emphasised easy- going fun and exploration via a series of idea kernels, each one a different planet stage
in a universe of playfulness, 3D Land has a sharper focus and keener drive.
Its levels are taut, narrow affairs, the ideas strung together in such a way as to drive you forwards in a way more reminiscent of Mario’s formative NES days than his more recent outings. Fresh invention is then layered on this orthodox foundation with some of the smartest and most meaningful use of stereoscopic 3D yet seen, complementing the more traditional design in such a way that adds true depth, not mere distraction. In this way what appears to be a conservative game displays a quiet revolution at its heart.