Super Mario 3D Land Review

Super Mario 3D Land

System: Nintendo 3DS

Release date in North America: 11/13/2011

Now Presenting the Offspring of 2D and 3D Mario Platforming.

Leave it to Mario to show us what a new system is truly capable of. Like the past few Nintendo systems before it. The true potential of the system is not realized till Mario comes in and saves the day. Super Mario 3D Land is the first 3DS title that has made me say…”Wow 3D can add something to gameplay.” For whatever reason, if you are still not able to jump on the 3D bandwagon, Super Mario 3D Land is still as appealing in the secondary dimension.

Boo?

Super Mario 3D Land brings a new concept to the table for Mario platforming. The game manages to combined the 3D look and feel of previous Mario games, particularly the Galaxy series, and combines it with classic 2D Mario elements that was experienced long ago. What I mean by this is that the basic formulas from a side scrolling Mario game are here. Gone is a life meter and in return is the growing and shrinking of Mario from mushrooms. All the levels are pretty linear and short, requiring the player to reach the significant flag pole at the end of the stage before the clock hits 0 seconds. Like many other Nintendo games of recent, SM3DL plays it safe, but still keeps things fresh enough, that you will keep coming back for more.

SM3DL starts you off with 8 worlds, each of these worlds contains three hidden star coins to collect, that later will unlock new worlds. These first 8 worlds may seem like a bit of a push off for veterans of the platforming genre. Regardless all the stages remain interesting and fun till you get to the final boss battle. The real fun kicks in after this though when a whole extra 8 worlds open up to be played. All of these stages feature a nice ramp in difficulty, by adding new hazards and trials, such as less time or a clone that follows your every move. Getting to the final 8 worlds also gives you the opportunity to unlock *Spoilers* Luigi *Spoilers*. Sadly there are not a lot of power ups to go around this time. SM3DL keeps the items on the low amount, but the items that can be found are a blast to use. The new Bommerang item, causes Mario to take on a look similar to the boomerang bros and throw their projectile at foes. You will also see the return of the classic fire flower, as well as the MIA Tanooki tail from Super Mario Bros 3. Mario isn’t the only one with this item; prepare to see goombas, bullet bills, and even big ol’ Bowswer sporting this power up.  SM3DL also takes use of the streetpass feature. Anytime you pass by another 3DS owner, their Mii and time of level completion will appear next to each level. Streetpassing also gives you the ability to find more free power ups from Toad houses.

Wiggle Wiggle

At first Mario’s controls may seem off. This is completely understandable, since it seems that the developers went for a slower and “sluggish” feel to Mario. This will seem even stranger to previous fans of past 3D Mario games, since Mario had always been so flexible and quick before. Once  you get over this small claim you will come to realize that this style to Mario’s controls work well and keep a nice balance between side scrolling and 3D world Mario.

Super Mario 3D Land is one of the best looking 3DS titles to date. The game is very reminiscent to the Galaxy series. Think of SM3DL’s look as a smaller Super Mario Galaxy. Expect to see the vibrant colors and nicely animated characters and environments you come to expect from a Mario game. SM3L also sounds great. The small details in sound effects really keep you involved with the game. The music can be a bit lackluster, featuring a few new tunes as well as some revisits. The music is solid, but not much more than you will probably expect from a Mario game.  So the game looks and sounds great, but what about all this fantastic 3D I was mentioning earlier? As to date SM3DL is the greatest example of how 3D can bring new experiences into the world of gaming. The 3D that this game brings to the table is less of a distraction and more of a way to engage the player into Mario’s world. If you still are not sold on the whole 3D thing, don’t worry, SM3DL is still a great experience minus the 3D.

Its kind of like this...but in 3D! 

It took almost a full year to prove itself, but the 3DS is finally showing gamers why it is a worthwhile investment.  Mario is leading the way for 3D gaming, and it makes me very excited to see what else Nintendo has up its sleeves. Even though Mario’s new adventure isn’t extremely revolutionary, or a fully deep. It is still a blast to play, and a great example of handheld gaming for the era we live in.

9/10

Motivating Monday Week 10

HEY EVERYONE!

It is great to get back to the whole blogging thing. If you didn't know I got caught with a very bad cough and some computer failures.

Luckily my health and technology is all back up running at full speed once again...just in time to figure out my tax return for 2011.

Dealing with tax returns can be a big deal, especially if you are self employed like myself.
For this week's post I found a few links that can help out freelancers in getting on the right track with filling out their tax return information.
Regardless if you are a first time freelancer, or a veteran that has been going strong for years. I believe you can find some good information to help you out.
Tax Tips for a Part-Time Photographer
This is a great post, that not only is good for Photographers, but any artist in general.

Tax Write-Off for Unpaid Work

Tax Deductions that Freelancers can Take

The next two links can be found over at the site Freelance Switch.
The first link will take you to a discussion on information regarding the need to write off taxes on work that you have not been paid for yet.

The second link is a great post on 10 things that freelancers have the right to write off on their taxes.

The tax season can be a crazy mess!
Try not to get too stress out and just look forward to what will hopefully be a nice check from the Government. =)

Till next time....

-Travis

Motivating Monday: Week 8

Click here for video

A lot of wedding videos all look the same. This doesn’t mean the quality is low, it just means that we all come to expect what to get out of viewing a wedding video. Normally a wedding video is captured as a live event more than a narrative of two people joining to become one. 

Vimeo user Mike Wolfe went for the story driven route of this wedding montage for this couple. I applause his great work, not only is the video beautifully shot, it also keeps you interested in this couple even if you have no idea who they are.

If the opportunity arises I would love to capture a wedding in this style.

Keep motivated folks.

-Travis

Mario Kart 7 Review

Mario Kart 7

System: Nintendo 3DS

Release date in North America: 12/04/2011

Blue Shells in the 3rd Dimension.

  

     Mario Kart 7 speeds out of the garage and onto the raceway before receiving any major tune ups, and quite frankly doesn’t want to. Even without any drastic changes to the core Kart formula, Mario Kart 7 still remains fun and exciting. Giving just enough of an update to warrant it as a valid purchase for any previous Mario Kart fan, as well as remain simple for any new comer to get behind the wheel.

Donkey Kong…you a beast. 

     For anyone brand new to the franchise, Mario Kart contains some of Mario’s recognizable and not so recognizable friends and foes battling it out in karts through Mushroom Kingdom’s many locations. Mario Kart hands you a few characters at the start and you must unlock the rest of included roster by racing in the Grand Prix mode. Each Grand Prix includes four races, and if you place high in all four races you will take home the gold. Mario Kart has never been known to incorporate any type of story, and I am content with that.

     Mario Kart 7’s menus our slick and easy to navigate. Jumping right in to a GP or time trial and selecting your character and track is easy. The online menu has also received an improvement over the Wii version. Jumping right in with your friends has improved and a brand new community’s option has been added. If you are tired of all the random blue shells and lightning bolts from playing random matches, you can now make your own community, free of those pesky shells. MK7 takes use of the 3DS’ download play and street pass features allowing you to swap ghost data with 3DS owners you pass by. Multi-player has always been the key feature to Mario Kart titles, but with MK7 being on a handheld, single player is something that cannot be skipped. Sure with a console Mario Kart you can easily get a few buddies together in front of the big screen, but with a portable Mario Kart, getting multi-player together can be an issue. Sadly MK7 features a very bare-bones single player experience. Bringing back the missions mode found in Mario Kart DS would have been a great addition, but sadly there is nothing close to this to find. The lack of mission mode is not the only backward step that MK7 takes either. Small things that have been added in other new Mario Karts are nowhere to be found. Small things like a team battle option may not be extremely crucial, but why can’t we get a bit of customization to our battles and races, instead of one or the other? Also the character roster falls a bit short. Featuring a much smaller roster than MKWii I felt a bit disappointed by the roster. Especially with additions that I feel are not worthy of replacing previews choices. *cough* Waluigi *cough.* thankfully the track selection is wonderful, which boost some of the greatest track designs to date. MK7 also brings back 16 classic tracks from previous entries in the series.

What did you do with Waluigi!?

     Where presentation lacks, game-play makes it up. Mario Kart is as fun as ever, with the addition of kart customization. Kart customization may not be extremely deep, but trying out different character, body, and wheel combinations is great. MK7 removes the bikes from MKWii, but adds in a glider and propeller option to mix up air and sea racing. I am a big fan of the addition of the glider. It truly adds a new depth to racing by figuring out when and where you should land, or if you should just keep gliding along. However I was not as satisfied with the Propeller. This kart addition is not necessarily bad, it just did not feel needed. I would be fine with racing underwater without the assistance of the propeller. MK7 also brings in new additions to the growing list of items. Be prepared to see the Tanoki tail and fire flower in action on the courses. Collecting coins while racing has also made a return. Collecting coins scattered along the racetrack will increase your top speed, and will also unlock to kart parts in the game for later use. MK7 brings in a first person view and the ability to use the 3DS’ gyro feature to to steer your 3DS like a steering wheel. I still prefer to stick with the traditional and more precise way to play, but it is still a fun feature to try out.

As far as graphics, MK7 does not disappoint. The courses are colorful and very interesting to look at, characters are very animated, and the framerate stays up through all the chaos. If you are not big on the 3D part of the 3DS you will not be missing anything with the slider turned down. The 3D is a nice addition, but does not go pass adding a bit of depth to your races. MK7 keeps the same music, sound effects, and voices you should expect to hear. Prepare to hear familiar tunes and Mario chants.

 Just imagine what this looks like in 3D for the full effect

     I had a slight disappointment in Mario Kart 7. It deliverers the goods of previous Mario Kart games with some new additions, but doesn’t make enough of a leap to really stand out from the pack. I enjoyed every minute with MK7, but kept craving for more content. If you are new to the series, MK7 is the best place you can start at. If you are a die-hard Kart fan that has been around since the start, you may feel let down by the lack of change in this one. If innovation is what you are looking for in your Kart racing I cannot recommend MK7 to you. However if you need to fill your kart racing tank, then MK7 is a great addition to your 3DS library.

8/10

Motivating Monday: Week 7

This is a website I enjoy going to from time to time.

Built by Nick Campbell, Joshua Schaible, and Trevor Turk; Reel Roulette’s goal is to deliever random demo reels submitted by designers.
Reel roulette is a great place to go if you need some inspiration on your very own demo reel. Reel Roulette randomly chooses a demo reel to play, if you like the reel you can watch it all the way through and even give the user a like for their great work. However if you get a reel that you just arn’t feeling you are giving the option to skip it.
The site even features a top 20 list of the most liked reels on the site.
Best of all my demo reel can be watched on this website too. =)
See if you can find it…or just take the easy way out and search for it.

Travis out.