Super Mario 3D All-Starswas one of this year’s worst kept secrets. Rumours were flying aroundas early as Marchthat a collection of 3D Mario games would be hitting theNintendo Switchat some point in 2020. Fast-forward to early September and the collection wasfinally announcedwithSuper Mario 64, Sunshine,andGalaxy(but notGalaxy 2) heading to the Switch.
[pullquote]“The new version ofSuper Mario 64did a fantastic job at transporting me back to 1996."[/pullquote]
Leading up to the collection’s release there was some discourse on the internet surrounding the notion that Nintendo had opted to simply tweak andemulate the games, rather than rebuild them from the ground up. Let me tell you though; this decision is absolutely fine by me. Yes, these ports are not perfect, they’re not rebuilt in the stunningSuper Mario Odysseyengine, and they still have their little graphical issues, but that’s all part of the charm.
Super Mario 64is an interesting and perfect example of this. The game has definitely been touched up. Jagged edges are less jagged, the text is less blurry, and environments absolutely look better while fundamentally still being a blocky, polygonal nostalgia-fest – this is exactly what I’m looking for. This is what going back to64should be about. The new version ofSuper Mario 64did a fantastic job at transporting me back to 1996, letting me explore Bob-Omb Battlefield in all its glory, giving me the joy of running around outside Peach’s Castle, and reaching Bowser to spin him around over and over again. I think it would have been more of a disappointment had it of been fully remade from the ground up, simply because you’d lose that original charm.
The improvements toSuper Mario Sunshinegraphically are more striking than those of64. Again, the textures aren’t perfect, but it really benefits from the boost to 1080p and the increased aspect ratio. Playing throughSunshineagain for the first time in a few years felt like a fresh experience simply due to these enhancements. They’re so impressive that there are parts of the game that are almost unrecognisable compared to the GameCube version.
Arguably,Super Mario Galaxywas the game least in need of any graphical upgrades, being released most recently of the three. What Nintendo has done to the game, however, is very much welcome. Seeing the game in 1080p for the first time is a sight to behold andGalaxylooks like it could have easily been a game that Nintendo released today.
Although I bemoaned the idea of rebuildingSuper Mario 64from the ground up, one improvement I’m disappointed wasn’t made was with the camera. Rather than having the freedom to move it at will, Nintendo effectively just mapped the C Buttons to the right stick. As with the original, this can cause some awkward moments. There were times that I would have really benefited by shifting the camera around quickly. Instead, I had to tap the right stick 3 or 4 times, causing me to die. As I’ve said, I’m glad Nintendo didn’t give the game a complete overhaul but neglecting something as important as the camera when given this opportunity to adjust it feels like a bit of an oversight.
[pullquote]“Playing throughSunshineagain for the first time in a few years felt like a fresh experience."[/pullquote]
One of the questions going into the release ofSuper Mario 3D All-Starswas how Nintendo would handle the motion controls inSuper Mario Galaxy. The answer? Fairly well. Of course, the Joy-Cons have their own motion functionality built-in, so in docked mode, the translation was easy.
The translation into handheld mode was clearly a little harder. Nintendo almost certainly achieves the best results they could though, short of making game-changing alterations toGalaxy. The game makes use of the Switch’s touch screen as well as mapping certain moves to other buttons. Mario’s Spin Attack is remapped to the Y button, which is great, and touching the screen will either grab or throw Star Bits. The problem in using touch controls, however, is you then forgo the use of the right Joy-Con, making things feel a little awkward. Overall though, Nintendo needs to be commended for their efforts into making the trickier parts ofGalaxyfeel right at home on the Switch.
The presentation ofSuper Mario 3D All-Starsis also great. The landing screen is well designed, easy to navigate, and accompanied by a different piece of music every time you load it up. The 175 songs that are included are split into their three respective games on the home screen for easy access. The problem is, it’s hard to look at this screen and not imagine how much more it could have been. Despite looking great, it feels like a missed opportunity. This collection was revealed as a celebration ofSuper Mario’s35th anniversary,and aside from the music, there’s nothing archival included.
The omission ofSuper Mario Galaxy 2is also a bizarre one and one that definitely hurts the collection a little. From an outsider’s point of view, there is just no reason that this game should be left out and it’s not a complete 3D Mario collection without it.Galaxy 2takes the beloved formula from the original and even improves on it in many ways, so to leave it out is just mind-boggling. Nintendo could have a trick up its sleeve when it comes toGalaxy 2, but the lack of transparency from the company just doesn’t sit right.
Let’s get to the crux of it though: Yes, the collection as a whole does have some minor flaws, but that doesn’t take away from just how good all three of these games really are.
Super Mario 64is unbelievably 24 years old and one of the first 3D games to ever be released. Considering that it still holds up today, let alone as the masterpiece that it is, just shows what a feat of game design Nintendo achieved over twenty years ago. It still has its janky moments and there’s certainly some stuff in it that if it were made today wouldn’t make the cut, but as a whole, it’s still fantastic.
For somebody who grew up around the period of the N64, there was no better feeling than just popping out of the pipe at the start of the game and running around the castle grounds. Booting the game up on the Switch felt almost as magical as that first time way back when. The fact that I can playSuper Mario 64on my Switch, warts and all, is a feeling that just cannot be understated.
Then there’sSuper Mario Sunshine,which is by far the most polarising of the three games in the collection. The game embodies the weird period Nintendo was having during the GameCube era. Yes, again, there are some bad design choices within it, but even still, it’s a blast. Isle Delfino and it’s surrounding areas are fun to explore and the addition of FLUDD is an interesting mechanic, although at times it can feel like more of a hindrance when compared to the free-flowing nature of the other titles.Sunshineis by far the easiest of the three to slate, and trust me, it can be very, very frustrating, but putting those frustrations aside, it’s still a great game.
Arguably the pick of the bunch, although not if you were to go byour definitive rankings, isSuper Mario Galaxy.Galaxyis the game in which Nintendo took everything they had learned from previous Mario titles up to this point andalmost,in my eyes, perfected them. The game added some awesome new mechanics, an amazing environment, a wonderful orchestral score, and motion controls (which I could take or leave) while still feeling true to the 3D Mario formula.
[pullquote]“The fact that in 2020, we can play three of Nintendo and Mario’s best titles in one handy collection, both at home and on the go, is wonderful."[/pullquote]
To this day, the music inGalaxyis some of the best Nintendo has produced. It adds to the grandeur of Mario’s big adventure through space and really helps make the experience feel special. There’s a reasonSuper Mario Galaxyis the sixth highest-rated game of all-time on Metacritic and the translation to the Nintendo Switch is just excellent.
Ultimately, this is what it all comes down to. There’s no denying that a few improvements would have been nice and some more archival footage would makeSuper Mario 3D All-Starsfeel like more of a celebration, but each one of these games is still a masterpiece and that’s what it’s all about. The fact that in 2020, we can play three of Nintendo and Mario’s best titles in one handy collection, both at home and on the go, is wonderful. I for one am extremely happy this collection exists.
