EDGE has provided the first review of Super Mario 3D Land in its December 2011 issue. While it received a fairly high score – 8 out of 10 – it’s still the lowest grade the magazine has handed out for a “3D” Mario game.
Super Mario 64, Galaxy 1, and Galaxy 2, all received perfect scores. Super Mario Sunshine earned a 9/10. Another recent Mario title, however, only obtained a 7/10. That game was New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It’s predecessor, New Super Mario Bros. (DS), received an 8/10.
Still, an 8/10 is a perfectly acceptable score, and EDGE definitely had great things to say about Mario 3D Land. Below are a few select quotes.
“Super Mario 3D Land is a magpie of a game, but it fuses its 2D and 3D influences to make a Mario that feels fresher than an handheld Mario in years. It’s not a new Galaxy, but it’s an ideal companion piece to EAD Tokyo’s Wii games. Whereas they pushed up against the edge of the universe to show us what an unfettered Mario can do, Super Mario 3D Land does the opposite. It homes in, with a clockmaster’s precision and a playful gleam in its eye, on what Mario does best.
“But there’s a joyousness here that wins out, a simple delight in the basics of running, jumping, collecting coins and bouncing into the air that leaves these mild disappointments behind, and a creative blending of Marios past and present that makes the unabashed retread that was New Super Mario Bros appear almost cynical.”
New Platforming Adventure Includes Powerful Super Abilities and Multiplayer Action
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo’s iconic Kirby™ character is known as one of the most talented heroes in the world of video games. In his latest console adventure, the mighty pink protagonist is unleashing some impressive new moves and abilities. Launching today exclusively for the Wii™ system, the Kirby’s Return to Dream Land™ game lets players guide Kirby through a captivating series of side-scrolling worlds, as he inhales enemies to copy their abilities and battles through colorful environments in search of hidden items. What’s more, the game introduces new Super Abilities that allow Kirby to obliterate enemies and obstacles like never before, as well as multiplayer options that let up to three additional friends jump in at any time and enjoy the platforming action together.
With a delightful storyline designed to please new and longtime fans of the Kirby franchise, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land finds the heroic pink puff striving to help recover pieces of a spaceship that has crash-landed on Kirby’s home planet of Popstar. When Kirby encounters foes, he can inhale them to absorb their abilities – wielding a lasso or swinging a sword, for example. Inhaling special enemies can also grant Kirby Super Abilities that let him wipe out vast landscapes or an entire screen’s worth of enemies in one stroke, while a Super Inhale move allows him to spit out enemies or objects as giant projectiles. As many as three additional players can join in the fun, playing as differently colored Kirbys or as other favorite characters from the series: Meta Knight, King Dedede or Waddle Dee. (Additional controllers are required for multiplayer game play and are sold separately.)
Individual formats
– 1 BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY XB360 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
– 2 BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY PS3 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
– 3 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2012 PC SEGA SEGA
1 4 FORZA MOTORSPORT 4 XB360 MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
4 5 JUST DANCE 3 WII UBISOFT UBISOFT
2 6 FIFA 12 XB360 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
3 7 FIFA 12 PS3 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
– 8 THE SIMS 3: PETS PC EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
9 9 ZUMBA FITNESS WII 505 GAMES 505 GAMES
6 10 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2012 PS3 KONAMI KONAMI
7 11 GEARS OF WAR 3 XB360 MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
5 12 RAGE XB360 BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
23 13 MARIO KART WII WII NINTENDO NINTENDO
8 14 RAGE PS3 BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
10 15 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2012 XB360 KONAMI KONAMI
18 16 DEAD ISLAND XB360 DEEP SILVER KOCH MEDIA
– 17 WII MUSIC WII NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 18 RATCHET & CLANK: ALL 4 ONE PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
19 19 DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION XB360 EIDOS SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
15 20 F1 2011 PS3 CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
12 21 F1 2011 XB360 CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
37 22 SKYLANDERS: SPYRO’S ADVENTURE XB360 SKYLANDERS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
17 23 DEAD RISING 2: OFF THE RECORD XB360 CAPCOM CAPCOM
27 24 WII SPORTS RESORT WII NINTENDO NINTENDO
25 25 DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION PS3 EIDOS SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
26 26 FIFA 12 WII EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
24 27 JUST DANCE 3 XB360 UBISOFT UBISOFT
32 28 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE WII UBISOFT UBISOFT
– 29 DANCE JUNIORS WII UBISOFT UBISOFT
28 30 GRAN TURISMO 5 PS3 PLATINUM SONY COMPUTER ENT.
35 31 DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO PS3 UBISOFT UBISOFT
– 32 SKYLANDERS: SPYRO’S ADVENTURE WII SKYLANDERS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
14 33 JONAH LOMU RUGBY CHALLENGE XB360 ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVE
11 34 DARK SOULS XB360 NAMCO BANDAI GAMES NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
13 35 DARK SOULS PS3 NAMCO BANDAI GAMES NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
20 36 RESISTANCE 3 PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
16 37 JONAH LOMU RUGBY CHALLENGE PS3 ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVE
33 38 RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 XB360 505 GAMES 505 GAMES
21 39 ACE COMBAT: ASSAULT HORIZON XB360 NAMCO BANDAI GAMES NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
29 40 DEAD ISLAND PS3 DEEP SILVER KOCH MEDIA
All formats
– 1 BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
2 2 FIFA 12 EA CANADA EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
– 3 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2012 SPORTS INTERACTIVE SEGA SEGA
1 4 FORZA MOTORSPORT 4 TURN 10 STUDIOS MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
3 5 JUST DANCE 3 UBISOFT (FRANCE) UBISOFT UBISOFT
– 6 THE SIMS 3: PETS THE SIMS STUDIO EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
5 7 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2012 KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT KONAMI KONAMI
4 8 RAGE ID SOFTWARE BETHESDA SOFTWORKS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
8 9 ZUMBA FITNESS PIPEWORKS 505 GAMES 505 GAMES
6 10 GEARS OF WAR 3 EPIC GAMES MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
16 11 SKYLANDERS: SPYRO’S ADVENTURE TOYS FOR BOB SKYLANDERS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
9 12 F1 2011 CODEMASTERS BIRMINGHAM CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
19 13 MARIO KART WII NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
13 14 LEGO PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN TRAVELLER’S TALES DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
11 15 DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION EIDOS MONTREAL EIDOS SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
15 16 DEAD ISLAND TECHLAND DEEP SILVER KOCH MEDIA
18 17 DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO UBISOFT REFLECTIONS UBISOFT UBISOFT
7 18 DARK SOULS FROM SOFTWARE NAMCO BANDAI GAMES NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
10 19 JONAH LOMU RUGBY CHALLENGE SIDHE ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVE
14 20 DEAD RISING 2: OFF THE RECORD BLUE CASTLE GAMES CAPCOM CAPCOM
12 21 ACE COMBAT: ASSAULT HORIZON NAMCO NAMCO BANDAI GAMES NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
20 22 RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 HB STUDIOS 505 GAMES 505 GAMES
– 23 WII MUSIC NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 24 RATCHET & CLANK: ALL 4 ONE INSOMNIAC SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
22 25 WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE RELIC THQ THQ
30 26 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE UBISOFT (FRANCE) UBISOFT UBISOFT
21 27 ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT (MONTREAL) XBOX 360 CLASSICS UBISOFT
23 28 WII SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 29 DANCE JUNIORS LAND HO! UBISOFT UBISOFT
24 30 CARS 2 FIREBRAND GAMES DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
29 31 THE SIMS 3 THE SIMS STUDIO EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
26 32 GRAN TURISMO 5 POLYPHONY DIGITAL PLATINUM SONY COMPUTER ENT.
27 33 PHINEAS & FERB: ACROSS THE 2ND DIMENSION ALTRON DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
25 34 LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4 TRAVELLER’S TALES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
32 35 LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS TRAVELLER’S TALES LUCASARTS LUCASARTS
– 36 RED DEAD REDEMPTION: GOTY ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO ROCKSTAR TAKE 2
17 37 RESISTANCE 3 INSOMNIAC SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
36 38 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS TREYARCH ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
31 39 JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT (FRANCE) UBISOFT UBISOFT
– 40 DANCE CENTRAL 2 HARMONIX MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
You can find some nifty scans of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony program above. All attendees were given a copy of the booklet. It contains messages from Shigeru Miyamoto, Koji Kondo (and more), along with art, and a listing of the music pieces performed during the concert.
01./00. [PS3] Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
02./00. [WII] Just Dance Wii
03./01. [PS3] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2012
04./02. [PSP] AKB1/48: Idol to Guam de Koishitara… #
05./00. [360] Forza Motorsport 4 #
06./00. [360] Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
07./00. [PS3] Dead Rising 2: Off the Record
08./00. [PSP] Class of heroes Mono. Final: Shinnyusei wa Ohimesama
09./09. [WII] Rhythm Heaven
10./07. [WII] Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary: Famicom & Super Famicom Dragon Quest I-II-III
11./10. [WII] Wii Sports Resort with Remote Plus
12./05. [PSP] Eiyuu Densetsu: Ao no Kiseki #
13./12. [NDS] Kirby Mass Attack
14./06. [PS3] Dark Souls
15./04. [PS3] Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends #
16./00. [PSP] Clock Zero: Shuuen no Ichibyou Portable #
17./13. [PSP] Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tag Force 6
18./11. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (PSP the Best)
19./17. [WII] Family Fishing #
20./15. [3DS] The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
