Mario titles are at the very heart of Nintendo’s legacy of quality software. The original Super Mario Bros. reinvigorated the North American home console market, and the continued adventures of the rotund mascot have served as additional high points across the series’ 26-year history. When a new Nintendo console or handheld launches, it is assumed that a Mario game can’t be far behind, and some have postulated that the initially sluggish sales of the new Nintendo 3DS were due at least in part to a glaring lack of Italian plumbers in the system’s launch lineup.

With Super Mario 3D Land now...