So I got this a few days early (thanks ShopTo, again) and I'm currently on world 5.

It is really showing off what the DS can do, both in terms of its 3D ability and graphical prowess. Everything is crisp and clean and the 3D helps significantly whilst platforming - I've very rarely misjudged a jump.

On the flip side though, it seems really easy, I've amassed around 60+ lives already and levels can be blasted through fairly quickly. That said, everyone is saying that the 8 worlds after the main quest are a real challenge, so I'll welcome it.

My 3DS is finally getting some use after so long! I opted for this rather than Skyward for now as I have Skyrim and other work to do, I'll definitely getting that around Christmas.

How are you guys finding Super Mario 3D land if you decided to pick it up?

I'll be getting it, but sometime in the future. There's far more important games I want first, which I never thought I'd hear myself say about a Mario game. It just lacks anything special from what I've heard and seen, so it's hard to get excited about it.

( Edited 16.11.2011 21:46 by Marzy )

I'll be getting it on friday since I have some money on my game card, should be good.

Well, like you said it is pretty easy to begin with, I'm only at the start of World 3, but I'm enjoying it so far. It's definitely something you can just pick up and play, having quite a lot of fun with it in the process of doing so.

Maybe I'm loving it so much because of the amount of SMB3 stuff that has been brought back. I loved the airship and the Tanooki suit is just great. (For the record, SMB3 is probably my most favourite 2D Mario title.)

I definitely look forward to the challenge in later levels. If there's 8 challenging worlds after the 8 relatively easy worlds, it's gonna be great.

Not getting it... for now . Will get it later, when I have more money.

I'll probably get it for Christmas if at all, that's with all games that are coming out within the next 5 weeks though. I am looking forward to MK7 more, which isn't too unusual since I love racing games.

The only racing games I enjoy are Mario ones and titles where I don't have to release the accelerator and can take a corner at 170MPH, á la Burnout. So I'll be getting MK7 at some point.

Mm, I'll be getting it later too. My wallet will be hurting enough after Skyward Sword, Kirby Wii and Mario Kart 7. Like Marzy said, kinda hard to get excited about it. I'll definitely get sometime soon though, or maybe early next year if it gets a bit cheaper by then.

I bought it just now. I've got it in my 3DS, I'm just so very afraid to get sucked in. Or have my head explode.

Omg.

AND I've got Skyward Sword.

Omg.

I was so so close to getting this and MK7 - Asda had a 20% off voucher that would have made both games about £45 inc delivery I think! Will probably get it round Christmas methinks!

wow this game is awsome just got it yesterday and I only had to pay 12 bucks for it I preoder my copy at gamestop I also traded in so many games that I droped the price. I am already at world 5 and the game has brought back childhood been playing mario since the days of the Nes. Oh i am on pins and needle waiting for the new Zelda game I prodered my copy at gamestop along with the golden wii remote and the sound track it took me a long time to pay it off but it will so worth. whooooooo hoooo.

The following answers come from Super Mario 3D Land Director Koichi Hayashida...

Why Bowser and Boom Boom were included...

"The fundamental question that we start with is "what type of gameplay do we want to create?. We created a test in which Bowser blows flames from in front of the character in 3D space, and we liked it, so we decided that we wanted to have Bowser appear multiple times. ...when Tanooki Mario appeared, some members of the team wanted to include Boom Boom and the Koopalings. Then we created a type of gameplay where the enemy follows as you run around the room, and we thought this would be interesting, so we used Boom Boom to put it into the game."

How the Zelda level came to be...

"The Zelda tribute level was born from tests we did to determine what type of expressions would be effective in stereoscopic 3D. We determined that looking down on a room from above would be a good match for 3D, and when we created a level in which Mario walks from room to room, we ended up saying, 'this seems oddly familiar… it's Zelda!" he added with a laugh. "Having taken things that far, we decided to add a number of ideas from Zelda. Since it was the 25th anniversary of Zelda, we could have made the Zelda tribute level 2-5, but we didn't think it would be a good idea to put the level in too early, so we made it level 5-2 instead."

On experimenting with Galaxy 2 on 3DS...

"When we started developing the game, we displayed Super Mario Galaxy 2 on a small TV monitor and found that Mario looked like a speck and that the game was difficult to play. This led us to look into the camera and terrain types that would be conducive to playing on a portable screen with a relatively large Mario. If we were making a console game, from the very start, we wouldn't have been thinking about any of those things, and I think the game would have probably been a lot different."

On the inclusion of the Boomerang suit...

"We created the Boomerang Suit after the boss character Pom Pom started throwing a boomerang. We thought that it would be interesting if the player could throw a boomerang too. There's a Hammer Mario in Super Mario Bros. 3, so one way of looking at it is that the thing that Mario throws has changed from a hammer to a boomerang."

On why the Tanooki Suit doesn't let you fly...

"The Tanooki Suit was introduced as a means of supplementing Mario's jump with the power to float. Many people asked us if we could make Mario fly, but when you can fly anywhere in a 3D space, a lot of problems come up."

On Kuribo's Boot being rejected for Galaxy...

"Our team always considers bringing back elements of past games. I myself proposed bringing back Kuribo's Shoe for Super Mario Galaxy, but tragically, my idea was rejected by the director, Mr. Koizumi."

On Super Mario 3D Land being the missing link in Mario games...

"We felt that there was something missing in the evolution of Mario gaming between Super Mario World and Super Mario 64. This feeling gave us the idea that we could create something interesting by applying 2D Mario rules to the 3D Mario know-how that we had accumulated."

On the return of end-level flags...

"the decision to return to the concept of flags sprung from the idea that if, instead of creating a game centered around searching we created a game in which players could always reach the goal by moving forward or to the right, the game would be easier for a wider variety of players to get into."