Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D (working title), is an upcoming game of the Super Mario franchise for the Nintendo 3DS. It seems to be closely based on side-scrolling Mario games, but is a 3D platformer in the vein of games like Super Mario 64. As noted by Reggie Fils-Aime at E3 2011, this game marks the first time a 3D Mario platformer has been built from the ground up for a handheld system. The game is being created by the same development team that worked on the Super Mario Galaxy games and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, currently part of Nintendo EAD Tokyo. As it will be a new installment in the main Mario series, Super Mario follows Super Mario Galaxy 2 in this respect. E3 announced that gamers will get to play the game in late 2011.

Gameplay
The gameplay of Super Mario 3D for Nintendo 3DS is largely a mash-up of gameplay from some the best past titles in the franchise. Bearing particular similarities to Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario 64, New Super Mario Bros. and its Wii sequel, and the Super Mario Galaxy titles, the levels of Super Mario 3D are much more linear and compact than the other 3D titles, more along the lines of the side-scrolling games. Levels have a time limit and even feature flagpoles, a staple of the original Super Mario Bros. and the New Super Mario Bros. games, rather than Power Stars, as the level goals. When the player dies, the "Too Bad" banner from the Super Mario Galaxy series is displayed but a circle covers the screen instead of a Bowser face. To enter pipes, the player must press the button. Among other titles, Super Mario 3D is a very unique game that combines some of the most popular aspects of the franchise together, and seems to possess enough traits of both the 2D and 3D veins of the franchise to be incomparable to either. The graphics of the game greatly resemble those of the Super Mario Galaxy games, while the levels show visual similarities to the New Super Mario Bros. titles.

While giving examples of how the Nintendo 3DS enhances gameplay, Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that hitting blocks from underneath in 3D Mario games would be easier with stereoscopic 3D. Judging by videos and screenshots, it can be inferred that blocks will be more prevalent in the title, unlike past 3D games, where blocks were more few and far between, with a handful of exceptions. Star Coins that have a similar design to the Comet Medals from Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be found in each level, with collecting all three being part of the level's challenge, like in the New Super Mario Bros. games. Green timers can be collected to give the player more time to complete the level, a mechanic only seen previously in Super Mario Galaxy 2 ' s Speedy Comet missions.

Mario himself returns with some of his trademark 3D abilities, such as the Wall Jump, Long Jump, and Ground Pound, and is now capable of performing a somersault. His health system is now based on the side-scrolling titles rather than being a numbered meter: one hit shrinks Mario to a smaller size and removes his cap, while power-ups give him an extra health point. These power-ups include the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, the Star, and the Tanooki Suit, the last of which has not been seen since Super Mario Bros. 3.

Nintendo eShop Description
''Super Mario for Nintendo 3DS is an all new game that combines classic Mario game play and 3D visuals in a truly amazing way. It's the return of the Tanooki Mario! Tanooki Mario has a tail that allows him to hover jump easily from platform to platform or even take out enemies with a quick whip of the tail. Players of all skill levels will enjoy playing the game.

Characters

 * Mario
 * Bowser

Enemies

 * Piranha Plant
 * Goomba
 * Paragoomba
 * Bob-omb
 * Tanooki-tailed Goombas
 * Boo
 * Fuzzy
 * Boom Boom
 * Bullet Bill
 * Cheep-Cheep
 * Porcu-Puffer
 * Spiny
 * Spike Pillar
 * Rocky Wrench
 * Ball 'n' Chain (purple ball with yellow spikes)
 * Unnamed Bee that chases Mario
 * Unnamed black Piranha Plant that spits ink that covers the screen similar to Bloopers in the Mario Kart games
 * Goombas that stack on top of each other like a Stackin' Stu
 * Unnamed purple eels that resemble Unagis
 * Flying Bill Blasters
 * Rocket Engines with blue flames
 * Black Venus Fire Traps

Mario's Transformations

 * Small Mario
 * Super Mario
 * Fire Mario
 * Tanooki Mario
 * Invincible Mario

Items

 * Question Blocks
 * Blocks
 * Used Blocks
 * Brick Blocks
 * Elevator
 * Coin
 * Donut Lift
 * Star Coin
 * Jump Block
 * Super Mushroom
 * 1-Up Mushroom
 * Super Leaf
 * Fire Flower
 * Star
 * Blue blocks with arrows on their sides, similar to Arrow Lifts
 * Rotating multicolor blocks (red, yellow, and cyan)
 * Purple teleporting blocks
 * Green ! Switches
 * Green reproducing panels that resemble Flimps and Flipswitches
 * Flagpole
 * Checkpoint Flag
 * Warp Pipe
 * Green Shells
 * Roulette Block
 * P-Switch
 * Unnamed cutout-like Goombas that slightly resemble those of Handfakes
 * Crate
 * Unnamed rectangular Question Block platforms
 * Green Timers

Confirmed Locations

 * World 1-2: An underground area.
 * World 2-1: A plain with many stones and grass.
 * World 2-5: A level with many airships. At the end, Boom Boom can be found.
 * World 3-3: A place in the sky with green panels that generate temporary green platforms to navigate through the level.
 * A sky level with rotating blocks and a white floating wall.
 * A place with many platforms and blocks. Elevators, blue blocks with white arrows on them, and Donut Lifts appear here.
 * A ghostly stage with a giant piano.
 * A beach area.
 * A underwater hole with purple eels.
 * A dark area with metal gears and Bob-ombs.
 * Giant 8-bit platforms, representing Mario and Super Mushroom from Super Mario Bros., much like Toy Time Galaxy and Mario Squared Galaxy.
 * A snowy area with tightropes and Fuzzies.
 * A haunted level with giant books.

Development
Super Mario was first mentioned in an "Iwata Asks" interview with Shigeru Miyamoto since October 2010, where he confirmed that a brand-new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS was already in development at the time, but currently had not been given a proper title. It was currently known as Super Mario Bros. In November 2010, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that both 2D world (side-scrolling) and 3D world Mario games are in the works for the 3DS. Four screenshots were first available on March 2 2011, and the game was officially announced during the Game Developers Conference, under the name Super Mario. The logo had a Raccoon Tail on the "O" letter at that time. Available screenshots of Super Mario revealed that the game is a 3D platformer and the game is stated to be developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo's same team which had previously developed Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, as shown how a Goomba runs after Small Mario. It even contained such features from the 2D Mario side-scrolling games. Satoru Iwata stated that a more official announcement will be shown at E3 2011 on June 7. According to Iwata, "it will be a game that will come with the kind of surprises and fun that only the 3DS can offer."

In a later interview, Shigeru Miyamoto described the title as being a combination of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64, with a little bit of New Super Mario Bros and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. He mentioned there will be an option for a fixed camera system, very similar to the one in Super Mario 64, to demonstrate depth and the 3DS's 3D. He added, however, that it was tough to describe it, before mentioning that, not only will the title be shown, it will also be playable at E3 2011. Shigeru Miyamoto explained that playing it will give fans a better idea of what it's like. He also commented on the speculation regarding the temporary logo, already confirming that the tail on the end of the logo's "O" was a hint at the return of Super Mario Bros. 3's Tanooki Mario.

The game was given a full reveal with a trailer at E3 2011 and was playable on the show floor, as previously stated. It was announced that the game was targeted for a release by the end of the year. The game was playable on the show floor and allowed attendees to try the game for themselves in four different levels - a standard plain area, an underground area, a level of switch-activated platforms, reminiscent of a few galaxies from the Galaxy titles, and an airship level ending in a fight with Boom Boom. In addition, the conference trailer was put up for download on the 3DS eShop. By playing the trailer on their 3DS, viewers could see the game in stereoscopic 3D effects for themselves.

Trivia

 * The logo for the game, like that of Super Mario Bros. 3, has a tail coming off of the end, signifying the return of the Tanooki Suit power-up.