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Prerelease:Super Mario 3D Land

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This page details prerelease information and/or media for Super Mario 3D Land.

So very stubbly.
This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion.
Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article?


Development Timeline

2010

  • Spring - A Super Mario game for the Nintendo 3DS begins development after Super Mario Galaxy 2.

2011

  • Nov. 3-24 - Super Mario 3D Land is released.

Early Development (2010)

Early Builds

After the work on Super Mario Galaxy 2 was completed in the spring of 2010, the team began working on a new 3D Mario game for the 3DS. First, the developers tried various experiments to see how Mario's proportions and the landscape fit on the 3DS screen. The earliest alpha builds contained a rather angular placeholder Mario character that could run on different test levels. One of these test levels was a port of Whomp's Fortress from Super Mario 64. Other levels contained different color blocks and objects to experiment with platforming in the 3D perspective. Most of the textures and HUD elements are from Super Mario Galaxy (2).


(Source: GDC 2011)

Development Overview

General

Courses

  • Level 5-2 was intended to be 2-5 but this was thought to be too early for a Zelda reference level.

StreetPass

Miyamoto said there are currently no plans for StreetPass functionality "unless a spectacular idea comes to mind".

In the final game, you can share and receive Mystery Boxes, Toad Houses and Time Attack course times via StreetPass.

(Source: Telegraph.co.uk - Shigeru Miyamoto interview)

Powerups

  • Originally Cape Mario was going to appear instead of Tanooki Mario.
  • The development team thought about including flight via the Tanooki Suit but decided against it as it wasn't compatible with the linear gameplay they were going for.
  • Kuribo's Shoe was also thought of, but wasn't included because they couldn't find a new way to use it.
  • The Invincible Super Leaf was to appear after eight lives lost in a level, and the P Wing after 16 lives, but in the final game the former appears after 5 lives lost, and the latter after 10. This decision was made because the earlier numbers felt too big.

Debug Mode

  • A debug mode was used during development that allowed developers to fly around the course, this was used to simulate the problems of having a flying ability.
(Powerups, Debug Mode: 1UP, Nintendo Power May 2012)

GDC

GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2011

SM3DL-GDC Logo.png

  • The game has the tentative title of "Super Mario".
  • It has two borders; one white, one grey.
  • The border has gaps in it.
  • The 'Super' is grey.
  • The 'M', 'I' swapped colours in the final logo.
  • The Tanooki Tail is grey with no stripes.

Stages

SM3DL-GDC Screens.png A slightly higher quality image.

The only recognisable stage is an early version of World 4-3 (bottom-right). In the final the wall is white and the bend does not exist. The Star Medal was moved back and is spawned by zooming in on a Toad with binoculars. The stage shown in the second picture has a very similar layout to W8-1's start section.

The rest are either cut stages or very early versions of familiar stages.

Also what's interesting, is the heavy use of dynamic camera angles. It might be, that the camera functioned very differently than the behavior it has in the final version. It may also be the case that these camera angles were achieved using a debug function, just to look good for the presentation.

Objects

The arrow blocks are purple in the final game. Their arrows also have a gap in them.

E3 - Trailer

E3 2011 - Trailer

Logo

SM3DL-E3 Logo.png

Now the border is solid black, and the 'M' 'I' have swapped colours again. The Tanooki tail has gained stripes.

HUD

The timer is absent.

Gameplay

  • Mario's speed when walking is slower than in the final game.
  • Coins that pop out of enemies when stomped are not automatically collected, but fall down onto the ground like in other 3D Mario games.
  • Touching the Flagpole does not reward Coins.

Audio

  • Boom Boom has a different, higher pitched voice.

Courses

Levels that appear in the Show Floor Demo are covered in the respective article (assuming they are the same).

In order of appearance:

Early World 3-4

The horizontal tight rope nearest to the player has a ? Block above it, in the final game. And the row of coins on the further rope were since removed.

Early World 5-2

A crate was added, a torch was removed and the general layout of the particular section was made less hazardous.

Early World 3-Airship

The airship is absent in the top right corner, instead there are more platforms. The crates are also absent.

Early World 5-3

The spinning blocks were rearranged since.

Early World 2-3 - Bonus Area

The final 1-UP mushroom bonus area is entered and exited via Warp Boxes, not pipes. And it features a 1-UP mushroom, not a pair of Coin Coffers.

Early World 6-3

There are more note blocks in the final game and coins are present.

Early World 7-1

The plants are different in appearance.

Early World 6-1

A Paragoomba was removed from this section, leaving two.

Early/Cut Castle Level

This Bowser area is unlike any in the final game. Bowser also does not have a tail, like in the Main World final battle.

Graphics

  • Warp Boxes are purple.
  • Coin Coffers are a darker green, have spaces between their eyes and have yellow feet.

E3 - Screenshots

(assuming they are not all the same build as E3 2011 - Trailer)

E3 2011 - Screenshots

Floor Demo

(assuming that they are all the same demo)

The demo seen at E3/NY Comic Con/SD Comic Con 2011.



Gameplay

  • Powerups, after coming out of ? Blocks, stay on top rotating, this rarely happens in the final game. Most of the powerups jump out after the blocks are opened.
  • The Midway Flag added 100 seconds to the timer when touched.
  • Lives were limited to a maximum of 99.

Graphics

  • Torches as seen in 1-2 have a different appearance.
  • The Railings also seen in 1-2 are blue and slightly longer.

Audio

  • The Main Theme has some differences.
  • Boom Boom's battle theme is Peewee Piranha's from Super Mario Galaxy 2, in the final game he has an original track.
  • Star Coins: Collecting them while they are gold makes a quieter bell sound than the final game.
  • Bullet Bills don't have their retro 8-bit 'kaboom' sound when they launch in the demo, instead using a standard explosion sound.
  • Footsteps sound slightly different in the demo.
  • Some Coin Timer' sounds are absent in the demo (such as when you light the torch at the end of 1-2).

Controls

  • Rolling is achieved by pressing L or R while moving, as opposed to having to press L or R and the Y button in the final game.

Text

  • Pipes display 'L' in the final game not 'R' when stood on.

Menu

  • The Pause Menu:
    • Has a yellow checkered background on the touch screen in the demo and a transparent chequered background overlaying the paused gameplay on the top screen.
    • The 'PAUSE' text blinks faster.
    • The button text is larger and slightly stretched lengthways.
    • The button that brings you back to the course selection screen reads '"To Course Selection' instead of 'Select Course'.
    • The selection indicator only appeared when buttons were used, was brown, surrounded the selected button but did not touch it and would disappear if the touch screen was pressed. Buttons also sunk down when the indicator was over them.

Courses

1-2

  • The Timer starts at 300, unlike the final game which starts at 500.
  • There is piping down some parts of the wall.
  • The arrow sign and Ball 'n' Chain are not present.
  • Instead, is a pit and an early arrangement of ground and coins.
  • There is a pit between the crates and the Inky Piranha Plant.
  • The first Star Coin is in an alcove that is not there in the final game.
  • The rotating platform has yellow lines on it like the ground to the left and right of it.
  • There is no ground under the platform.
  • After this, there is only one Long ? Block, no torch or raised ground and the distance between the right of the spinning platform and the hole with a Goomba Tower is shorter.
  • There is a Koopa Shell to the left of the hole with the Goomba Tower in.
  • The top of the alcove with the L shaped Brick Block structure is visible. There are also three coins above the Blocks.
  • In the final game the raised ground with the Midway Flag on it and the wall behind it are longer.
  • The coins in the next section are triggered by a P-Switch in the demo, not a coin and their quantity and layout are different.
  • Paragoombas appeared in place of Koopas in the demo and this section features a pit near the camera and a Koopa Shell on top of the first Long ? Block.
  • The section normally after this with Goomba Towers and Ball 'n' Chains is absent, instead are some moving platforms and coins.
  • The second Star Coin is higher up and has only one platform under it, in the demo.
  • This section features a pipe that leads to the bonus room.
  • A slope leads up to the raised ground to the right of the Inky Piranha Plant.
  • The bonus area has a different layout of Brick Blocks and coins. The Warp Pipe exit from the room is upright and leads to a spot to the left of the bridge.
  • There are four Ball 'n' Chains on the bridge in the demo.
  • The length of stone with the third Star Coin and Inky Piranha Plants on ends without a slope.
  • The torch is further to the right, on an extended piece of ground.
  • There is a pit in-between the ground and the wall to the right. There is also a handrail here.
  • The Warp Pipe exit to above-ground is upright on a piece of raised ground.
  • The Warp Pipe in the above ground area does not disappear, there is a coin in one of the clumps of grass and a grassy staircase is present with an Inky Piranha Plant on top, unlike the final which has two moving platforms and some coins.

2-Airship

  • In the demo it is called '2-5' rather than '2-(airship-symbol)'.
  • There is no cutscene at the beginning.
  • The camera is at a slightly different angle.
  • There is one less Rocket Engine on the lower section in the final.
  • There is only one flame out the back of the first ship in the demo.
  • The bonus area entered via a Warp Box contains a flamethrower in the final game, the coins were slightly rearranged and the coins beside the first Star Coin were replaced by + Clocks.
  • The area with the Rocky Wrench and the second Star Coin had the ? Block replaced by a Long ? Block (which did not appear to be used in courses shown in the demo and at the E3 2011 Trailer) and moved away from the camera a bit. The Long ? Block contains three coins, not a Super Leaf.
  • The two Bullet Bills after this section do not have tails, courses shown in this demo and the E3 Trailer do not appear to have used these enemies (they may not have been implemented yet or even thought of).
  • An extra coin was added on the platform that links the Rocky Wrench ship and the Warp Pipe ship.
  • The box that has the pipe on has a slope on it and is smaller and further back in the demo.
  • The pipe on the flagpole ship on the higher platform to the left in the demo, there are no coins in this area and the flagpole is normal sized.

3DS Conference - Trailer

3DS Conference 12/9/11 // Tokyo Game Show 15~18/9/11

(low quality version with no watermark)

Graphics

  • (What is assumed to be an early version of) Tail Goombas were gold and could fly further than in the final.

3DS Conference - Gameplay

(assuming it is the same build as Nintendo 3DS Conference 2011/Tokyo Game Show - Trailer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCP5TnNi3Dg


3DS - Miyamoto Interview - A

(assuming it is the same build as Nintendo 3DS Conference 2011/Tokyo Game Show - Trailer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTzpI0Bk2PE


3DS Conference- Miyamoto Interview - B

(assuming it is the same build as Nintendo 3DS Conference 2011/Tokyo Game Show - Trailer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzfSWb8zeSU