Super Mario 3d Land

[Zorator]

I want to unlock the true last stage, and one of the requirements is to beat every stage with both Mario and Luigi. I started using Luigi only partway through the special worlds but I didn't really keep track of which characters I did which stages with. Is there any way to display which character you completed a stage with?

[Cronozilla]

It's displayed at the bottom of the top screen when you're standing in front of a level. It'll have an emblem for each character if they've beaten it. It'll also have an emblem for if you've gotten a gold flag (Something you only need to do once, not per character)

The final stage is a completely infuriating affair.

[EllertMichael]

The final stage is a completely infuriating affair.

The first time I got to the end of the "THANK YOU!" message, I fell off the floating platform because I didn't know the platform would stop at the dot of the exclamation mark.

I calmly closed the 3DS, placed it on my coffee table, and sat back on my couch making this face for a while:

[ZeroAX]

Found this game for cheap used (along with Zelda Link Between Worlds, Mario Kart 7 and Resident Evil Revelations) and I thought I'd snap it up to finally give it a chance....aaand....boy do I regret the money I spent. The environments are dull, the game is so easy (though I upped the difficulty a bit by not using the 1 million tanouki suits the level designers liked to give away).

I'm sorry guys but my first impressions from the demo 2 years ago were correct. The game is shallow, dull and boring. It's nothing like Mario Galaxy or the Mario Land games. It's a 3D version of the New Super Mario Bros series. (and that's no compliment).

It's weird cause of the little I tried of 3D World it's actually GOOD, so I'm guessing it's the level design philosophy that makes this game so bad, and not the underlining mechanics.

Oh well, at least Zelda was an amazing pleasant surprise.

[Ziggy]

Well I'm not trying to shove the game down your throat, but how far did you play into it? As far as level design goes, the first world or so acts more or less as a tutorial to get use to the game before it gets a little harder. It's been a while since I've played the game, and I've only played it once, but from my memory I understand what you're talking about. The first levels are kinda boring. But as far as the difficulty goes, the whole second half of the game steps it up a bit.

I finally got the chance to play 3D World multiplayer with my brother and his girlfriend and they both had more or less the same complaint that you do with 3D Land. The levels are boring and are too easy. We only played the first 3 levels though, so I explained that to them, but they said they'd rather play New SMB (which we've all played together a few times in the past).

[Zing]

He must not have "beaten" the game. There is more than 100% additional content after you defeat Bowser, and all of it is far more interesting and challenging than the initial worlds. I also felt the game was kind of flat, but after getting to the "underworld", my opinion changed completely. It is now one of the best games I have played. If I had quit anywhere up to the "final" world, I also would have written it off as tame.

PS: 3D World is similar in feel and design. The content you don't see on the initial world map is where the excitement truly begins.

[dunpeal2064]

Totally agree with the above. Imo, Land starts picking up around World 7, gets pretty nice in World 8, and then hits a level of design that is really unexpected from there on out.

[casterofdreams]

The ideas, difficulty and level design ramp up within the later 2/3rds of the game. This is typical Mario fare with the rare exception. It eases the player in because the games target everyone not just pros.

Super Mario 3D Land and World are different games compared to their predecessors. Mario Galaxy they are not. I never went in thinking they were.

They use a different set of level philosophy such as sort but sweet levels. In turn they add a game clock that counts down but create many more levels to keep it consistently fresh.

[ZeroAX]

I just got into world 7.

I'm sorry, but the fact that it god good 25 hours into the game didn't save FF XIII in most people's eyes and it won't save this game in mine.

Mario games get good and creative at the end of the game? :O. Where were you during SMB3, SML, SML2, Yoshi's Island, SM64, SMS(unshine), SMG? All those games were a treat to play from the get go.

I repeat this to me is the 3D equivalent of the New SMB series. Dull and repetitive, with a couple of imaginative mechanics and levels thrown in every once in a while. But that's a pretty big disappointment if you compare it to earlier Mario games where the dull and repetitive levels were the odd ones out, not the main bulk of the game.

[Ziggy]

I can agree with you that a lot of the levels in the first few worlds might be on the boring side, but I still had fun with them. The core gameplay is fun, so that's what kept me playing until the levels started to get more interesting. Again, I only played the game once and it's been a few months, but IIRC, I thought the levels got better almost right away (world 2 or 3). Or at least, it was a steady increase in difficulty from world 1 all the way up.

Two questions: Did you enjoy the Mario Kart level, and are you gonna stop playing?

If you didn't find the Mario Kart throw back level to be fun... then this game just isn't for you I guess.

Seriously, are you gonna stop playing? It would be a shame to stop now, since you're so close to the end. After you beat Bowser, the next few worlds are made up of all very interesting levels. I say that, but I also enjoyed the entire game as well as the NSMB series where it seems you don't. But the later levels in 3D World are for sure harder. So if a higher difficulty through harder/more interesting level design is what you think this game is lacking, then I say keep playing.