John Alex Nunnery
Editor
Mario is the best-known gaming icon in history. There is no debate that this mustached Italian plumber has captured the hearts of millions since his inception in the ‘80s. Though not his first appearance, his true rocket ship to fame was in “New Super Mario Bros” for the NES which was released in the year 1985. So, in honor of his 35th anniversary, Nintendo is celebrating with the launch of Mario-themed products. One of the biggest product announcements was “Super Mario 3D All-Stars.”
This collection remasters three of the most beloved 3D Mario adventures and places them together for the first time in one tightly-knight, accessible package on the Nintendo Switch. These games are: “Super Mario 64,” “Super Mario Sunshine” and “Super Mario Galaxy.” Each comes from a different time frame and system in Nintendo’s history, and these are considered to be some of the best Mario adventures to exist.
For this remastered collection, all the graphics have been slightly updated for each game, and the controls are recoded to fit with the Nintendo Switch System — even implementing a handheld mode for “Super Mario Galaxy,” which was previously a motion-control only game. It also comes with a music player that has most of the soundtrack for each title.
Playing each of these games is an absolute joy. As someone who did not own two out of three of the systems, I got to experience most of these games with no prior experience. To my delight, they are an absolute joy to play. Everything you would want in a Mario adventure is here. The controls are easy to use, and changing which game you wish to play is simple. All of the games are unique and offer different gameplay challenges.
“Super Mario 3D All-Stars” is not only a great remake for fans looking to replay a piece of their childhood but also an incredible opportunity for those who have never played these adventures before to try them out. For $60 you get three games with hours of content to enjoy in one small package. The biggest gripe that comes with this collection is that it is only available for a limited time on the Nintendo Switch. Since it was made to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Mario, Nintendo will stop selling copies on March 31, 2021. So, if you want this collection you have to act fast. “Super Mario 3D All-Stars” is available both in stores and the Nintendo e-shop.