Super Mario 3D Land

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Template:Infobox Super Mario 3D (working title), is an upcoming game of the Super Mario franchise for the Nintendo 3DS. It seems to be closely based on side-scrolling Mario games, but it is a 3D platformer in the vein of games like Super Mario 64. As noted by Reggie Fils-Aime, president and COO of Nintendo's American branch, at E3 2011, this game marks the first time a 3D Mario platformer has been built from the ground up for a handheld system. The game is being created by the same development team that worked on the Super Mario Galaxy games and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, currently part of Nintendo EAD Tokyo. As it will be a new installment in the main Mario series, Super Mario 3D follows Super Mario Galaxy 2 in this respect. It was announced that gamers will get to play the game in late 2011.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Super Mario 3D for Nintendo 3DS is largely a mash-up of gameplay from some outstanding past titles in the franchise. Bearing particular similarities to Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario 64, New Super Mario Bros., its Wii sequel, and the Super Mario Galaxy titles, the levels of Super Mario 3D are much more linear and compact than the other 3D titles, more along the lines of the side-scrolling games. Levels have a time limit and even feature flagpoles, a staple of the original Super Mario Bros. and the New Super Mario Bros. games, rather than Power Stars, as the level goals. When Mario is defeated, the "Too Bad" banner from the Super Mario Galaxy series is displayed, but a circle covers the screen instead of a Bowser face. To enter pipes, the player must press the button. The graphics of the game greatly resemble those of the Super Mario Galaxy games, while the levels show visual similarities to the New Super Mario Bros. titles.

While giving examples of how the Nintendo 3DS enhances gameplay, Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that hitting blocks from underneath in 3D Mario games would be easier with stereoscopic 3D. Blocks will be more prevalent in the title, unlike past 3D games, where blocks were more few and far between. Star Coins that have a similar design to the Comet Medals from Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be found in each level, with collecting all three being part of the level's challenge, like in the New Super Mario Bros. games. Checkpoint Flags and Green timers can be picked up to give the player more time to complete the level, the latter a mechanic only seen previously in Super Mario Galaxy 2's Speedy Comet missions. Mario himself returns with some of his trademark 3D abilities, such as the Wall Jump, Long Jump, and Ground Pound, and is now capable of performing a somersault, which is done by crouching while moving. Because the Long Jump is now performed through a somersault, it includes a front flip during the jump, but is functionally identical. Mario's health system is now based on the side-scrolling titles rather than being a numbered meter: one hit shrinks Mario to a smaller size and removes his cap, while power-ups give him an extra health point. These power-ups include the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower, the Star, and the Super Leaf, the last of which has not been seen since Super Mario Bros. 3. Notably, the Fire Flower, unlike its previous 3D appearances in Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, no longer has a time limit imposed on it and is retained until Mario is hit, as in the side-scrolling games.

There are at least three returning tracks from Super Mario Galaxy: the Airship theme, the Sweet Sweet Galaxy theme, and the Flipswitch Galaxy theme. There are also at least two tracks returning from Super Mario Galaxy 2: the Rollodillo boss theme and the theme used on Bonus Planets. The "tick-tock" that is heard when a timed Ground Pound Switch in the Super Mario Galaxy series is activated is used for when a P-Switch has been jumped on.

Controls

• : Move.
• : Choose level.
• /: Jump, Wall Jump.
• Hold /: Flutter Jump (Tanooki Mario).
• : Crouch, enter a Warp Pipe.
• +: Somersault.
• ++(/): Long Jump.
• (/)+: Ground Pound
• +(/): Backwards Somersault.
• /: Shot Fireballs (Fire Mario), attack with tail (Tanooki Mario).
• Select: Pause menu.

Nintendo eShop Description

Super Mario for Nintendo 3DS is an all new game that combines classic Mario game play and 3D visuals in a truly amazing way. It's the return of the Tanooki Mario! Tanooki Mario has a tail that allows him to hover jump easily from platform to platform or even take out enemies with a quick whip of the tail. Players of all skill levels will enjoy playing the game.

Confirmed Characters

Characters

• Mario
• Bowser
• Boom Boom

Enemies

• Piranha Plants
• Goombas
• Paragoombas
• Bob-ombs
• Tanooki-tailed Goombas that resemble Tanoombas.
• Boos
• Fuzzies
• Bullet Bills
• Cheep-Cheeps
• Porcu-Puffers
• Spinies
• Rocky Wrenches
• Unnamed Bee enemies
• Unnamed black Piranha Plants that spit ink to cover the screen
• Goombas that stack on top of each other
• Unnamed purple eels
• Black Venus Fire Traps
• Flying Bill Blasters
• Purple Mines with yellow spikes
• Purple Ball 'n' Chains with yellow spikes
• Blue flamed Rocket Engines
• Pillar

Mario's Transformations

• Small Mario
• Super Mario
• Fire Mario
• Tanooki Mario
• Invincible Mario

Confirmed Features

Power-Ups

• Super Mushroom
• Super Leaf
• Fire Flower
• Star

Other Items

• Question Blocks
• Used Blocks
• Brick Blocks
• Donut Lift
• Jump Block
• Rectangular Jump Block Platform
• Rotating multicolor blocks (red, yellow, and cyan)
• Purple teleporting blocks
• Blue blocks with arrows on their sides, similar to Arrow Lifts
• Roulette Blocks
• Rectangular Giant Question Blocks
• Green ! Switches
• Elevators
• Coins
• Star Coins
• 1-Up Mushrooms
• Green reproducing panels that resemble Kurunbas and Flipswitches
• Flagpoles
• Checkpoint Flags
• Warp Pipes
• Green Shells
• P-Switches
• Unnamed cutout-like Goombas that slightly resemble those of Handfakes
• Crates
• Green Timers

Confirmed Locations

• World 1-2: An underground area.
• World 2-1: A plain with many stones and grass.
• World 2-5: A level with many airships. At the end, Boom Boom is battled.
• World 3-3: A place in the sky with green panels that generate temporary green platforms to navigate through the level.
• An Airship level with Bob-ombs and Spike Pillars.
• A sky level with rotating blocks and a white floating wall.
• A place with many platforms and blocks. Elevators, blue blocks with white arrows on them, and Donut Lifts appear here.
• A ghostly stage with a giant piano.
• A beach area.
• A underwater hole with purple eels.
• A dark area with metal gears and Bob-ombs.
• Giant 8-bit platforms, representing Mario and Super Mushroom from Super Mario Bros., much like Toy Time Galaxy and Mario Squared Galaxy.
• A snowy area with tightropes and Fuzzies.
• A haunted level with giant books.
• A level with Spinies that is played from an overhead view, similarly to The Legend of Zelda series.

Development

Game screenshots as seen at Game Developers Conference in 2011.

Super Mario 3D was first mentioned in an "Iwata Asks" interview with Shigeru Miyamoto since October 2010, where he confirmed that a brand-new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS was already in development at the time, but currently had not been given a proper title. It was currently known as its tentative title, Super Mario Bros. In November 2010, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that both 2D world (side-scrolling) and 3D world Mario games are in the works for the 3DS. Four screenshots were first available on March 2 2011, and the game was officially announced during the Game Developers Conference, under the name Super Mario. The logo had a Raccoon Tail on the "O" letter at that time similar to that of Super Mario Bros. 3 with Raccoon Mario's shadow behind the "3" number. Available screenshots of Super Mario revealed that the game is a 3D platformer and the game is stated to be developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo's same team which had previously developed Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, as shown how a Goomba runs after Small Mario. It even contained such features from the 2D Mario side-scrolling games. Satoru Iwata stated that a more official announcement will be shown at E3 2011 on June 7. According to Iwata, "it will be a game that will come with the kind of surprises and fun that only the 3DS can offer."

In a later interview, Shigeru Miyamoto described the title as being a combination of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64, with a little bit of New Super Mario Bros and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. He mentioned there will be an option for a fixed camera system, very similar to the one in Super Mario 64, to demonstrate depth and the 3DS's 3D. He added, however, that it was tough to describe it, before mentioning that, not only will the title be shown, it will also be playable at E3 2011. Shigeru Miyamoto explained that playing it will give fans a better idea of what it's like. He also commented on the speculation regarding the temporary logo, already confirming that the tail on the end of the logo's "O" was a hint at the return of Super Mario Bros. 3's Tanooki Mario.

The game was given a full reveal with a trailer at E3 2011 and was playable on the show floor, as previously stated. It was announced that the game was targeted for a release by the end of the year. The game was playable on the show floor and allowed attendees to try the game for themselves in four different levels - a standard plain area, an underground area, a level of switch-activated platforms, reminiscent of a few galaxies from the Galaxy titles, and an airship level ending in a fight with Bowser's henchman, Boom Boom. In addition, the conference trailer was put up for download on the 3DS eShop. By playing the trailer on their 3DS, viewers could see the game in stereoscopic 3D effects for themselves.

External links

• Super Mario 3DS at Nintendo 3DS blog
• Video showing Super Mario for Nintendo 3DS at GDC2011
• YouTube - What is Super Mario 3DS? (IGN Analysis)
• Super Mario 3DS - E3 2011 Trailer
• Nintendo Network @ E3 2011 - Games