3DS Owner's Guide To All Things Mario
From smashing bricks to tossing goombas, Nintendo's mascot is large and in charge.
When Nintendo first launched 3DS, critics complained about a lack of Mario, the publisher's famous and mustachioed mascot.
Now, from the look of the system's release calendar, it appears those same people won't be able to avoid the goomba stomping plumber.
Turns out, Nintendo has planned a full out Mario assault that began June 6 with the arrival of Super Mario Land on the eShop and will last well into 2012 and beyond.
Not that we're complaining, mind you. We've always felt that the more Mario, the better.
That said, here's the full list of Mario titles, ones already released for 3DS, and others on the way.
Super Mario Land (released)
Mario sets off to rescue Princess Daisy from an alien called Tatanga in this fun Game Boy launch title currently available as a download for 3DS. While a bit on the short side, the ability to pilot a submarine/plane, bounce fireballs off walls and raid an Egyptian tomb are but a few reasons to play Super Mario Land.
Mario cameos (released)
While not full-fledged Mario adventures, Nintendo's cash cow makes appearances in a variety of Game Boy titles on the 3DS eShop, including Mario's Picross, Tennis, Alleyway and Baseball.
Super Mario 3D Land (November 13)
Not content to simply release games from Mario's past, Nintendo cooked up a brand new adventure slated to arrive this fall. Super Mario 3D Land is a wonderful mix of old and new, a title that brings back old favorites like the Tanooki Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3 and the flagpoles from the original NES classic, but with cool 3D special effects. You need this.
Mario Kart 7 (December 4)
You better finish Super Mario 3D land quickly, because the next entry in the Mario Kart franchise debuts less than a month later. Featuring 60 frames per second speed, new characters (Metal Mario), hang gliders and a first person view, part seven should be the best yet.
Paper Mario 3DS (2012)
Mario's famous RPG series makes the jump from consoles to the handheld realm, and it appears Nintendo's on the right track. The game retains its predecessors' cute 2D graphics and user-friendly time-based battles, but incorporates various tweaks on the successful formula, including a touch screen inventory and the ability to chuck enemies towards the screen, and subsequently, the player's face.
Mario Tennis 3DS (2012)
Announced this week, Mario and co. will eventually hit the court in this brand new 3D adventure. Little is know about the next Mario Tennis, but the graphics look on par with past console iterations, though with developer Camelot at the helm, gamers have little to worry about.
Luigi's Mansion 2 (2012)
This time, Mario's bro steps into the spotlight for some ghost busting action. Luigi set off to rescue Mario in the 2001 GameCube original, and while it remains to be seen whether Mario gets kidnapped in the sequel, he'll probably receive a mention...or several.
Super Smash Bros. 3DS (???)
Still no word on when Nintendo will show the public its portable Smash Bros. beat-em-up, but one thing's certain: Mario will appear in some capacity, most likely as a playable character.