Super Mario 3DS is a wonderful, difficult, though not too surprising, Mario experience.
It delivers the joy of manoeuvring Nintendo’s titular Mario through a colourful world of moving blocks, anthropomorphic enemies, power-ups and coins. It even seems to lean a bit on the 3DS’ ability to deliver 3D imagery without the need for glasses.
Many of the moments in the four levels I tried of the game required moving Mario back into the screen, moving him essentially across an angled plane that made jumps a bit trickier and enemies a bit harder. Played in 2D, that experience became a much greater challenge.
I think it’s this new view, and the game’s propensity for having you run not just left to right, but sometimes backtracking, that is going to make Super Mario on the 3DS a much more challenging proposition.
While the still-to-be-properly-named Super Mario 3DS doesn’t reinvent the wheel, like New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, I hope this game will deliver the sorts of experiences that make owning the portable worthwhile.
The video above gives you a glimpse at bits of three levels on display on the show floor all played in 2D so you could see what was going on. (Nintendo requires showing the hands in the shot.) Yes, I suck at Mario (even when he’s wearing a Tanooki suit) and am a terrible, terrible person. If you listen carefully you can hear the Nintendo rep groaning at my inability to do the most basic of jumps.
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