How do you top Mario in space? This is the conundrum that Nintendo have had to contend with for a few years now. The way Nintendo decided to fix this was to bring Mario back down to earth, but to give him full 3D. Meeting the representatives at the Nintendo stand during the Eurogamer Expo, one said to me that he felt Super Mario 3D Land was better than Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. A bold claim indeed, but not one without merit.

Four levels were on display to showcase the features of the game, all with very different locales and obstacles. The first one shown had the bright and colourful green plains that made it fairly reminiscent of a typical first level of a Mario game. Getting used to using 3DS to control a Mario game was like a duck to water. Knowing how to sprint and jump, as well as using the various powers were key things into working out just how to control Mario without a tutorial. It also seems that enemies have a new ace up their sleeve in the form of mimicking Mario by adopting some of Mario’s powers for their own. Tanooki Goombas and fire-breathing Piranha Plants yield their powers to Mario once killed. Both the Tanooki suit and Fire suit feel very familiar, but work well with the game’s mechanics. Pitfalls were few and enemies weren’t many, so this introduction level allowed me to get accustomed to the basic controls.

The second level took me underground and largely consisted of the same deal. The nooks and crannies exploited Mario’s crouching jumps. When I held down the crouch button and jump, instead of the somersault he has performed since Super Mario 64, he now does a little hop which is a throwback to 2D Mario games. He could still somersault if I held the crouch button long enough though. Going through the sewers, I also found pleasant little touches such as slightly more elongated coin boxes and stacked Goombas requiring to be toppled by a rogue green shell. There were a few of these touches as I progressed through, but the spinning platform at the beginning of the level was the most interesting thanks to the 3D effects which looked absolutely amazing. A member of the public put it best though, “this certainly looks like a Mario game”.

Now on the third level, this one had more in common with the whacked out levels of Super Mario Sunshine, as it features switches that generate pathways and warp blocks to teleport me out of harm’s way before the path disappears. I’m guessing this is an example of one of the many unique tricks the game has in store to make levels feel unique in the latter stages and it really does. By far I had the most fun with this one, as the chaotic and frantic nature of rushing back to the switches/teleportation cube in time made me rush involuntarily and it is a mechanic I can see becoming a theme throughout the final release.

Finally, the last of the four levels recreated the same sky planes found in Super Mario Bros 3 with a fair degree of accuracy. The 3D additions such as warp blocks found in the level before were here again to spice this up. This again felt very familiar, but the changes in perspective and location gave an impression that the level was a lot bigger than it actually was. The boss I fought was simple enough, but then again the early bosses aren’t usually known for toughness in Mario games, and before long my very short time with this level was over.

The game seems to have a rather familiar feel as visual style is similar to those found in other Mario games and the idea of collecting special coins as an alternative objective per level is borrowed from New Super Mario Bros. The music and sound were upbeat in nature as well and the game gave off a family friendly atmosphere. Perhaps this is what Nintendo were going for in the first place by releasing the demo in this shape and form, but it does at least charm and the game keeps plenty of surprises.

Super Mario 3D Land has the game structure of the 2D games combined with the controls and layouts of the great Super Mario 64. Familiar perhaps, but it makes great use of the 3DS. Level design already looks smashing, and the potential for further surprises in the near future is an exciting prospect I can’t wait to see for myself. The Nintendo 3DS needs a game to lift it from the ash pit of disarray it has landed itself in at the moment. Mario might come along to save the day yet again, and I for one can’t wait!

Super Mario 3D Land hits stores November 18, 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS.