Its no Mario Galaxy, but Super Mario 3D Land creates an exciting albeit forgettable experience.
A lot of its problems are in its first 8 worlds. Frankly, they suck. They are so easy and forgettably crafted that alone they would have crippled this title. That was not the case, and the later levels picked up the slack and made the game a dream to play. But this doesn't stop the fact that its early levels are forgettable... and almost boring.
There's also an unshakable feeling that I've done this before. The Galaxy games have done nothing but impress me with how deeply they innovate while retaining what makes Mario Mario. But 3D Land is ho-hum. I've seen it a bajillion times and I'm not impressed. I'm having fun. I'm enjoying the reunion and the classic gameplay, but it doesn't jump out at me the way I want it to.
The highlights of 3D Land are in the castles, special levels, etc. The game occasionally throws pleasant curveballs but they don't happen often enough to make it a must play.
A 7.0 out of 10