Super Mario 3D Land

So, a few more play sessions got me through the eight worlds (with a surprise-but-not-much-really extra couple levels at the end of World 8), and I was generally happy but not ecstatic about Mario 3D Land. There really weren't a whole lot of power-ups, and although there was a fair number of stages, each one was generally so short that it didn't feel like there was much game overall; which, aside from a few pretty challenging bonus coins, are also fairly easy. Fun game, but not really deep or complex enough to stake a claim against other modern Marios.

But! While I knew to expect some extra bonus stages at the end - I actually expected a special world like the ones in Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. Wii - I was surprised to find that there are a whole other game's worth of special bonus levels. They aren't just dark-world versions of the main game's levels, either -- these are new, more stages. And even in the first stage, I already found a new power-up!

I still feel like 3D Land is a good-but-not-great entry in Mario's franchise, but the special worlds might hold more surprises for me yet.

Progress: Special World 1