My main concern was how quickly and easily I was able to race through a quarter of the game's regulation eight main worlds. The stages are short but varied, and never less than fun. I rattled through the first two worlds in around an hour. But catch sight of a Toad, zoom in, and he'll cast out a special coin that grants a bonus - becoming in effect an adorable micro-game. Stick Mario's eyeballs against them and up pops a first-person view of the stage for you to scope out a route (using the Circle Pad or gyroscope). Take the mounted binoculars found hither and thither in the game. Frequent, beautifully-judged nods to the past are both a consoling reminder to MariOAPs and a fresh joy to Ninfants.Īnd the recycling is always accompanied by charming novelty. One reason why Nintendo is able to get away with its endless recycling of Mario material is that the raw mechanics have always been wonderful. This blend of new and old, of 3D and 2D, is the central idea of the experience: a 'greatest hits' package of features and a fresh perspective on fun. Immediately apparent is the structure: each world's map is a linear sequence of stages, with spinning 3D models of each displayed on the top screen, and a more retro 2D view on the bottom. Last week, Nintendo offered up what appeared to be a full build of the game at a London press gathering - with the cruel, stone-hearted caveat that we weren't allowed to play beyond World 2. If you came along to Eurogamer Expo 2011, you may have fiddled with a four-level taster of Super Mario 3D Land. And, frankly, there hasn't been a lot of that on 3DS so far. These games aren't just popular, they're also brilliant. On Wii, it's a similar story, with Mario Kart notching up 26.5m sales and New Super Mario Bros. DS had shifted 26.2 million copies and Mario Kart DS an equally dizzying 20.7 million. If you're in any doubt as to the importance of these titles to a fledgling Nintendo console, consider the following: by the end of last year, New Super Mario Bros. So, Mario to the rescue? After a rather awkward first six months, the game that should have been there from day one arrives on 3DS next month, with the Kart variety following closely behind.
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