But that screenshot looks like nothing from 3D Land. The only similarity is the cuboid level structure.
You're quick to dismiss this game's gimmicks. We don't know all of the gimmicks this game will have or how they will be used. There certainly is variety from the little footage we've seen.
Calling this safe and homogenized is silly. Nintendo has never made a 3D Mario that put the kind of focus 3D Land put on platforming for a home console. 3D Land was disappointing in how much 3DS' hardware held it back. It's a new type of 3D Mario game that wasn't satisfactorily explored by 3D Land.
I think it's very fair to call it safe and homogenized. It's clearly using the established NSMB tropes of 3 collectible coins, timer, and flagpole (yes, this is functionally different than stars since it eliminates 'objectives'). It's like Nintendo forgot that all Mario games don't need to include the same exact stuff. Super Mario Bros. 3 didn't even have a flagpole!
The 3D Land game, as admitted by Nintendo, is designed to make NSMB players buy the new one. It's the best-selling 3D Mario because it appeals to the lowest common denominator, and now it's got multiplayer. That's the definition of "safe" (at least in the short term).
The game even bafflingly has a run button, making it control worse than any other 3D Mario. 3D Land feels different. If I ask you how the game feels, you and I know it feels different from 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy because of the controls and the moves at your disposal.
Just as level design is important to a platformer, so is that feel of controls/moveset. 3D World looks to be introducing nothing new there and only repeating what has been done before. Honestly, the one big new move is running up walls, but it's a power-up that you lose when you get hit. So we'll see if they can actually make it an essential part of the game.
There's also merit to the idea of a general
level design philosophy. You can feel it in 3D Land. It's flat geometric shapes (mostly squares) that are meant to ease you into the idea that you're playing a 3D game and not NSMB.
The game could be bad, but there's nothing about the footage to imply that it will be. Everything we've seen shows that it's a vast improvement over 3D Land, which is a great game. There's also no evidence of a trend, but if there was what would that show? People shit on NSMB games for reusing an art style and level tropes but the actual levels themselves introduce new ideas and superb design that improve over everything that came before them.
I just want to say that I don't think the game will be "bad."
You got tired of the NSMB formula? There are FOUR GAMES and they are pretty damn different from each other in level design and gimmicks.
There are four games. I bought and played 3 of them. When the games are that similar, it's amazing how few games it actually takes to get tired of a formula.
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CrisKre said:
I see how you are viewing this, and although I disagree I understand. I would say though, that I think you may be jumping the gun and you might want to wait to see how the game comes together before you deem it uninspired. We haven't seen anything yet.
The Mario game I'm looking for is in another castle, but I will definitely be paying attention to the reaction to this one. Unfortunately, hands-on impressions like Edge's latest aren't very encouraging for what I'm looking for.
But I'm glad we can agree to disagree.
