Super Mario 3DS Uncovered: What We Know So Far
By:
Andre Segers
|
March 2, 2011, 11:29 pm

Nintendo today surprised everyone with the announcement of a new 3D Mario game for the Nintendo 3DS. Though only a logo and scant four pictures were shown, we've enhanced the images and examined the pixels CSI-style to glean every juciy tidbit that we could! Enjoy!

 
 
 "Super Mario" is a Temporary Title
Don’t get too attached to the name, as Iwata made it clear that it’s only temporary.
 
 Where's Luigi?
Though temporary, we do wonder whether the absence of “Bros.” in the title is a hint of what’s to come--perhaps Mario flying solo again? (Poor Luigi, can never catch a break.)

 Nintendo EAD Tokyo is the Developer
Unsurprisingly, EAD Tokyo, the maker of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 is heading up Mario’s latest portable outing. Certainly explains the game’s strong resemblance to the aforementioned titles.

 The Raccoon Suit is Back?!
Did you catch the shadow of a tail, hanging just off the letter “O” in “Mario”? It bears an unmistakable resemblance to the tail in the logo for Super Mario Bros. 3, which can mean only one thing: The raccoon suit is back! And lest you think we’re mis-interpreting, Iwata himself drew attention to the “tail” at the game’s unveiling, hinting only that more would be revealed at E3. Those tail-teasers!
 
 

 Mario’s Health...
Now this is interesting...for the first time in a 3D Mario game, it appears that Mario can shrink in size. As fans of the side-scrolling Marios know, this happens when you take damage from an enemy, showing your weakened state. Might this suggest a return to the power-up based hit-point system of the originals, instead of the 3-HP meter most 3D Mario games use?

 Men Without Hats
Perhaps as a throwback to Mario 64, it appears as if Mario can lose his hat during gameplay. Alternatively--though unlikely--it may also be a sly reference to the ending of Mario Galaxy 2, where a playful Luma plucked it from Mario's head. Perhaps Mario's first task in this 3DS adventure is to go and find it! It’s also possible that Mario loses his hat only when small, as an indicator of his weakened state, but we doubt it.

 Question Blocks and Lots of Them!
What would a Mario game be without Question Blocks? (answer: Super Mario Sunshine) However, even though they’re rather plentiful in the 2D games, they’ve always been relatively sparse in Mario’s 3D adventures. But as the images clearly show, the Question Blocks are back and with a vengeance, with a trio grouped closely together in the screenshot above. Perhaps owing to the fact that Shigeru Miyamoto himself has commented that the 3DS makes it much easier to gauge depth and hit the blocks properly, perhaps Nintendo finally feels confident enough to give these loveable bricks their 3D due.
 
 Goombas!
Having appeared in almost every Mario game to date, it’s no great surprise to see these muddled mushrooms have meandered their way into Mario’s latest game. They appear to look exactly as we last saw them in Super Mario Galaxy 2
 

 Paragoombas Return
Making their first appearence in Super Mario Bros. 3, Paragoombas have been a staple of Mario’s 2D adventures for years, but it wasn’t until last year’s Mario Galaxy 2 that they made their 3D debut. It’s good to see that they’re back in Super Mario 3DS, as we’re grown rather fond of these winged goombas.
 
 Coins
A Mario game without coins might as well not be a Mario game at all! And if they behave like coins have in previous Marios, count on a 1-Up for every hundred (which suggests that Mario is still sticking with the classic lives-based system, instead of unlimited redos like most modern games).
 
 Star Coins
It’s easily missed, but you can clearly see a star coin at the top of the last picture. If it’s anything like the New Super Mario Bros. games, count on three being hidden within each world and used to unlock secrets.
 
 
 Piranha Plants are Back
It’s hard to believe, but Piranha Plants have been featured in more games than even the humble Goomba. From the screenshots, we can gather that they’ll be firmly planted to the ground, but whether they’ll also return in pipe-form remains to be seen (or god-forbid, the bipedal ones of Mario 3).
 
 
 Donut Lifts
Donut lifts (top-right in the above picture) are nothing new to the Mario series, most recently having been seen in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, outside of a single appearance in Super Mario 64, they haven’t been featured in a 3D Mario game until now. These platforms, as you may recall, drop from underneath your feet almost as soon as you touch them. 

 Tricky Platforming
There be a lot of platforms in the above screenshot, including the much dreaded Donut Lifts as we mentioned.  This strongly suggests Nintendo's following Mario Galaxy 2's lead and is trying to offer a more challenging adventure. It also suggests that the 3D screen really does help with gauging depth in a 3D environement, enabling even trickier challenges. Also of note: the blue blocks with arrows may be a call-back to the arrow-platforms from Mario 3. 
 
 
 Super Mario Bros. 3...D?
What do the raccoon-suits, para-goombas, donut lifts, and arrow-platforms all have in common? They all made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3. And considering how many similarities we've gleaned from just these four screenshots and the logo, we can only imagine there's even more Mario 3 references in store.
 
 
Two words: Kuribo's shoe. Make it happen Nintendo!
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