By Aaron N
When the Nintendo 3DS came out, the one thing it seemed like it was missing was a must have game. Usually, when it comes to a Nintendo system, that game is a Mario game. So when "Super Mario 3D Land" came out it seemed like it finally had its game that was needed to help the system sell more. It was one of the first games I had for the 3DS and it was my introduction into a whole new world. But was it the introduction I was hoping for, or would this fall short of the hype?
Graphics:
You are never going to get a realistic looking Mario game, it's just not what the franchise needs. The cartoony graphics are exactly what works for this franchise and it will continue to work for years to come. It is amazing what detail and movement Nintendo can get out of this type of graphics. Now as I said before this was the first 3DS game that I played so the introduction to 3D was astounding. It gave depth into the graphics which opened up even more detail than previous games. Also, as with normal Mario games, the graphics gave it a fun feeling. The thing I like about cartoony graphics as opposed to more realistic graphics is that it is somewhat reminiscent of older games where graphics had to be that way. Realistic graphics definitely have their place in games, but it is for more modern and mature games. I'm not saying that Super Mario games are not mature, but they are definitely for a different audience than the Call of Duty series. I don't think the graphics could be any better than what they gave us, and it is definitely a great way to show us what the Nintendo 3DS is capable of.
Story:
The story of "Super Mario 3D Land" is a different spin on the usual Mario storyline. Yes, Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser as usual and you must save her. But this story is combined with the addition of another plot involving tree leaves. The game begins with a tree's leaves being blown off by a storm leaving none left in the Mushroom Kingdom. The leaves will be immediately recognized as that which gives Mario the ability to use the Tanooki suit. Now you must search out for the missing leaves and at the same time chase after Bowser. The two storylines converge at the end but it still is good to have a different twist to the usual redundant, albeit great, plot. After beating the game you unlock both Luigi and special stages. The special stages are basically the same levels only altered.
Gameplay:
The gameplay for "Super Mario 3D Land" is in the same vein as the recent "Super Mario Galaxy 2." You can move between levels on an overworld screen but when you get into the levels themselves they are very much 3D versions of classic mario games. The level gameplay is more like the original games where you jump on a flag at the end instead of collecting stars throughout the levels. There are secrets in every level in order to collect all the coins and special coins. The power-ups are the mushroom, the fire flower, and the tanooki suit. The tanooki suit is very similar to the one from "Super Mario Bros 3." Although you can't fly using it, the suit helps you float for a prolonged period. That is the main difference in the suit. Nintendo did a great job making all the levels have a unique feel to them. There is even one level where you play on giant sprites from the original game. You cannot expect anything other than a fun experience from the Mario franchise, and this one doesn't disappoint.
Sound:
The sound is always similar in every Mario game that comes out. You have the usual Mario voice and the attack sounds. But with every new game they create new music. The music has to feel like it belongs in a Mario game. Recently, they have altered the music slightly for the handheld games in comparison to the console versions. The consle versions have had an orchestral feel to it, while the handhelds had a more childlike feel to it. "Super Mario 3D Land" fits in the handheld mold. But as usual they had a different style of music to fit each level style. This helped to get the mood and feel of the levels across to the player. Nobody does this better than Nintendo.
Overall:
"Super Mario 3D Land" was a great introduction to the 3D landscape for me and it is indeed the must have game so far for the Nintendo 3DS. They created a new Mario game that also harkened back to past games, especially "Super Mario Bros 3." I would recommend this game to anyone who loves Mario and would like to see a good mix between "Super Mario Bros 3" and "Mario 64," which are considered two of the best Mario games ever made.
Super Mario 3D Land gets a 9/10
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
NintendoFest Announcement!
Geetings Everyone! Time Out Video Games would like to announce NintendoFest. NintendoFest is a celebration of Nintendo leading to the upcoming WiiU release on November 18th. Starting November 1st, we will be all about Nintendo here at Time Out. All of the written and video portions of this blog will be pertaining to Nintendo products. There will be written reviews, including our final non-retro review of a Wii game. Also the Monday before the WiiU comes out we will have a special Wii episode of TOVG TV. It will be our retrospective on Nintendo's revolutionary system. Then on the Friday before the release date, we will have a WiiU preview episode of TOVG TV. Included during the week before the release will be a new story every day about my experiences of launch time of past Nintendo systems, including a Wii story that is too crazy to believe. Then NintendoFest comes to a close with the WiiU review episode of TOVG TV after the system comes out.
I hope you all enjoy NintendoFest and I look forward to bringing you all the Nintendo festivities starting November 1st!
-Aaron N
I hope you all enjoy NintendoFest and I look forward to bringing you all the Nintendo festivities starting November 1st!
-Aaron N
Monday, October 15, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Wii-U Thoughts
Well there has been a buzz around the gaming community ever since the video conference by Nintendo detailing new information about the Wii-u. It was a polarizing conference to say the least, but it had a huge impact as it has been reported that Gamestop, Best Buy online, and Toys 'R Us online, among others, have sold out of pre-orders nationwide for the deluxe bundle. Nintendo had to do something to bring back hype for the wii-u after the largely considered disappointing showing at E3.
The conference showcased many important things. The first major news was a launch date, November 18th in North America. What is interesting is that North America will get it before Japan, this is very surprising to me. Coupled with the release date is the price for the system. They announced that two bundles will be available on launch date. The "basic" bundle comes with a white gamepad, a white system, an 8GB hard drive, and the wires for the system for $299. The "deluxe" bundle comes with a black gamepad, a black system, a 32GB hard drive, a copy of the "Nintendoland" game, plus extra wires and add-ons for $349. What disappointed me at first was that only the deluxe bundle came with a game. But with reports that games will be $60 each, $50 more for a game, more memory, and other add-ons doesn't sound too bad. The problem that comes though is that the system, albeit new, will practically have the same capabilities as the PS3 and Xbox 360, so that could cause a problem with the price.
Before the conference the main deterrent for me from purchasing the wii-u is that the games for it didn't seem enough to me. There were some games that seemed good like Pikmin 3, ZombiU, and New Super Mario Bros. U, but the others seemed either gimmicky upgrades to existing games or just plain bland. But the conference showed new games and surprises like Bayonetta 2 being a wii-u exclusive which is a major snag for Nintendo. It also reminded me of a game that ultimately persuaded me on the wii-u. They debuted a trailer for "The Wonderful 101." This game was shown at E3 under the name "Project P-100." The "Project P-100" showing was the game that stood out the most for me at E3. It is a unique game that seems just fun to play. It is not a launch title but it will come out during the launch window.
All-in-all, I thought that the video conference by Nintendo made up for their failings at E3. They showed many cool new features, such as the aspect of controlling your TV from the gamepad. Plus it reminded us of games and told us about new games that got some of us very excited. I'm not sure if it was just the conference or the fact that pre-sells were selling out that ultimately made me pre-order a deluxe bundle. But what I do know is that on November 18th I will hopefully be enjoying a new Nintendo system.
The conference showcased many important things. The first major news was a launch date, November 18th in North America. What is interesting is that North America will get it before Japan, this is very surprising to me. Coupled with the release date is the price for the system. They announced that two bundles will be available on launch date. The "basic" bundle comes with a white gamepad, a white system, an 8GB hard drive, and the wires for the system for $299. The "deluxe" bundle comes with a black gamepad, a black system, a 32GB hard drive, a copy of the "Nintendoland" game, plus extra wires and add-ons for $349. What disappointed me at first was that only the deluxe bundle came with a game. But with reports that games will be $60 each, $50 more for a game, more memory, and other add-ons doesn't sound too bad. The problem that comes though is that the system, albeit new, will practically have the same capabilities as the PS3 and Xbox 360, so that could cause a problem with the price.
Before the conference the main deterrent for me from purchasing the wii-u is that the games for it didn't seem enough to me. There were some games that seemed good like Pikmin 3, ZombiU, and New Super Mario Bros. U, but the others seemed either gimmicky upgrades to existing games or just plain bland. But the conference showed new games and surprises like Bayonetta 2 being a wii-u exclusive which is a major snag for Nintendo. It also reminded me of a game that ultimately persuaded me on the wii-u. They debuted a trailer for "The Wonderful 101." This game was shown at E3 under the name "Project P-100." The "Project P-100" showing was the game that stood out the most for me at E3. It is a unique game that seems just fun to play. It is not a launch title but it will come out during the launch window.
All-in-all, I thought that the video conference by Nintendo made up for their failings at E3. They showed many cool new features, such as the aspect of controlling your TV from the gamepad. Plus it reminded us of games and told us about new games that got some of us very excited. I'm not sure if it was just the conference or the fact that pre-sells were selling out that ultimately made me pre-order a deluxe bundle. But what I do know is that on November 18th I will hopefully be enjoying a new Nintendo system.
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