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For the first several months of the Nintendo 3DS's life, the most compelling games on the platform were remakes and rehashes of 15-year-old Nintendo 64 titles. Despite the huge success of New Super Mario Bros. on the DS (and its Wii counterpart), there wasn't a Mario game to be seen until November 2011, and by then critics and gamers were worried about the future of Nintendo's new flagship handheld. When Super Mario 3D Land finally came along, I didn't expect much other than a last- ditch effort to bring life to the 3DS, complete with a shoehorned 3D gimmick. The truth, though, is that 3D Land is a fresh, interesting, and complex platformer that rightfully bears the Mario name. If you're familiar with the Mario series, you can probably guess the story of 3D Land. If not --- shame on you --- Bowser, king of the Koopas, has kidnapped Princess Peach and whisked her off to his castle, leaving Mario and a few of his Toad pals to rescue her. There's some business about a tree that grows magical leaves, but rest assured, this is still your classic Mario story: Bowser. Peach. Kidnapped. Rescue. Got it. 3D Land walks a delicate line between something old and something new. The courses are a cool fusion between old-school linear 2D Mario levels and open worlds reminiscent of Super Mario 64 and Sunshine. Each course has a well-defined start and end point, but navigating the levels is done entirely in three dimensions at your will. For the most part, there is a singular way to progress through each course, but there are occasional shortcuts and hidden rooms to explore. Mario retains much of his move repertoire from previous 2D and 3D outings in 3D Land, and they'll all come in handy navigating the 3D environments. Running, jumping, and gliding all feel just as natural here as they always have. Once you beat the game as Mario, you'll unlock the ability to play as Luigi, who controls in an appreciably different way than his pudgier brother. If you're a Mario fan from way back, 3D Land will take you on a nostalgic journey through mechanics, features, enemies, music, and power-ups from previous games in the series. Almost every major game is represented here in some way. There are flags from the original Super Mario Bros., the Tanooki suit power-up from SMB 3, musical cues from Super Mario World, and even more recent callbacks such as the Cosmic Clone from Super Mario Galaxy. The most glaring omission in 3D Land is Yoshi, who would have been a welcome addition. Despite all the references and callbacks, 3D Land still manages to deliver a unified experience that doesn't just feel like a hodgepodge of pieces from various games. It all works together very well and the classic elements only serve to reinforce the strength of newer touches. Your first time through the game's eight worlds might only take a few hours, and if your goal was just to get from start to finish in these 40 levels, 3D Land would be a real letdown. But after you (spoilers!) defeat Bowser in the last castle, an entirely new Special world opens up, featuring more difficult "remixes" of the original levels. In truth, the Special worlds are the real draw of 3D Land. The original worlds are quite simple and you'll be breezing through them in no time, especially once you realize the potential of the available power-ups. But the Special courses can be downright dastardly, adding strict time limits, an invincible Cosmic Clone chasing you down, and some genuinely tough castle levels. (Just wait until you get to Special 8-3. Oh boy.) Add to that challenges like collecting three Star Coins and hitting the top of the flag pole on every level, and 3D Land will keep you busy for quite a while. 3D Land's colorful and playful visuals work well on the 3DS's screens, and the way some of the older assets are adapted to a new style works really well. The music and sound effects in 3D Land are appropriately cheery, and even though some of it borrows from previous games, it's all remixed or remastered enough to feel at home. Since it's a Nintendo-developed game, you can bet that all the special features of the 3DS will be used. The touch screen is really only used for swapping in a reserve power-up, but the handheld's other features are used well. The 3D mode, while completely optional, works well and can help you make a few of the more tricky jumps. You'll use the accelerometer to aim a cannon in a few levels. With StreetPass, you'll share stats, fastest time leaderboards, and power-up gifts with those around you. All of this together makes Super Mario 3D Land a surprisingly tight and robust package. Everything feels fresh but still maintains the classic Mario touch, and there are elements here that both casual and hardcore gamers can appreciate. I'm not sure if it can take credit for saving the 3DS, but Super Mario 3D Land is more than good enough to justify its existence among the Mario pantheon. .

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