Super Mario 3D All-Stars – Review

Special thanks to Nintendo UK for providing us with this review copy.

If you’d like to watch the video review, you can check it out here:

Three incredible classic Mario games have finally come to the Nintendo Switch in the form of Super Mario 3D All-Stars: A limited release featuring Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy all in one package. So, just how is this collection made to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary? Is it truly an all-star collection, or should we simply boot up the original releases of these games? My name is Tris, and let’s take a look in this review of Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

Now, as an important note to start, I’ve played all three of these games before, countless times, as many of us have before. Therefore, I won’t really be reviewing the quality of each individual game in this collection: meaning we won’t be having a story section for this review. With that out of the way, let’s jump right into gameplay.

Gameplay

One of the most notable parts of any 3D Mario title is its gameplay and movement options. It’s what keeps the game engaging and entertaining, after all. As a whole, Super Mario 3D All-Stars allows each of these three games to be played with the same controllers for the first time ever. Whether you play with the joy-con, handheld mode, or a pro controller, each one feels relatively similar and familiar, which definitely helps the experience. Let’s take a closer look at the gameplay of each.

Starting with Super Mario 64, I have to say I’m rather impressed with how well it plays. I’ve had issues with the virtual console releases of the game before, feeling that playing it just..did not feel right, such as some input lag on controls. Playing the game on the original Nintendo 64 back in the day was always great, but that hasn’t really been replicated yet. Don’t even get me started with the controls of Super Mario 64 DS. When it comes to Super Mario 3D All-Stars however, whether I was playing with Joy-Con or in handheld mode, I can’t think of a time when Super Mario 64 has felt this smooth. Outside of playing on the original release of the game, I feel rather confident in saying that this is the best gameplay Super Mario 64 has had. Sure, it’s built off of the original Japanese release, meaning that speedrunners can’t enjoy their Backwards Long-Jumps up the infinite staircase, but I don’t personally believe that’s a dealbreaker. The button mappings make sense, and it’s really easy to get used to even for veterans of the game.

Moving on, let’s take a look at the more controversial Super Mario Sunshine. Given that the Switch doesn’t support the Gamecube’s analog triggers on its controller, many wondered how this game would work. After spending the time to not only 100% the game in less than 24 hours, but also do a casual speedrun through the game, I can confidently say that these controls are great for the game. More advanced gameplay options such as what fans call the “shotgun spray” and the grounded spinning spray are much easier to perform than they were on the Gamecube controller. It definitely took me a little bit to get used to FLUDD and the camera controls no longer being inverted, but…I actually like this change. Beyond adapting the controls of Mario Sunshine to the Nintendo Switch, there aren’t really any other changes made to the gameplay. There’s still plenty of glitchy messy levels all over the place making for hilarious if not frustrating experiences. Another thing to note about Mario Sunshine is how the performance dips in the frame rate. Now…for the most part, this was present in the original game, as I went back and tested. Generally, slowdowns would occur when chasing Shadow Mario if too much water was being sprayed, such as with the shotgun spray, but this isn’t exclusive to 3D All-Stars. What does seem to be a unique issue is a noticeable slowdown when opening up the map menu. I’m not particularly sure what causes this, and it didn’t ruin the experience for me at all, but it was certainly noticeable. As someone who has played Mario Sunshine countless times over the last two decades, I have to say that this new release in Super Mario 3D All-Stars has become my favorite way to experience the game. I don’t want to go back to the original Gamecube release of Sunshine, I’m very happy with this one. It not only perfectly captured the gameplay of the original release, but also made the entire gameplay experience much more smooth with a new set of controls.

Before moving on to Super Mario Galaxy, I want to talk a little bit about playing in handheld mode. I found Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine to both run just as pleasantly as they do when playing docked. I was surprised to find just how much I enjoyed having access to both games in a portable format, as well.

So, let’s talk about Super Mario Galaxy. This beautifully iconic space adventure can now be experienced on a traditional controller for the first time, though it will still require a certain level of motion control. Let’s break this down a little bit though. Now that the game is on the Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Galaxy changed up its controls most drastically of the three in this collection. While the authentic Wii experience can still be replicated by using two separated Joy-Con and shaking the right Joy-Con to spin, much of the game has also been mapped to non-motion controls. The Y button can be used to spin, for example. The game also makes use of the IR sensor in the right Joy-Con to simulate the cursor using motion controls. When playing in handheld mode, however, the touch screen is used for the cursor, and the whole system is tilted for motion controls. I’m…not a fan of how Galaxy plays in handheld mode. I think what ends up becoming a potential over-reliance on the touch screen makes the game become a bit too slow, and it hinders the experience. So, Super Mario Galaxy is a game best kept in docked or tabletop mode for the best gameplay experience. Personally, while I prefer the joy-con motion controls like a nice throwback to the original Wii release, I do also really like how the game translates to the Switch controllers.

From a gameplay perspective, Super Mario 3D All-Stars manages to keep true to these original games, capturing the charm and mechanics that made each of these games so strongly beloved by Mario fans. For the most part, the controls translate very nicely to the Switch controllers, and the games feel just as good as they did originally, if not better.

Presentation

The presentation behind Super Mario 3D All-Stars is where things may get interesting…or, perhaps not. As a Mario 35th Anniversary collection, this game brings Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy to the Nintendo Switch. It also brings the official soundtracks to each game, accessible via the main menu. Now, I love the soundtracks to these games, so their inclusion definitely makes me happy. The thing is, though…that’s really it. The main menus have a nice golden theme to them as they present each game and soundtrack, but beyond that take a very minimalistic and simplistic approach. The music player for the soundtracks is also pretty basic, though you can listen in sleep mode which is a nice touch. Beyond the soundtracks and collection of games, there isn’t anything extra that screams “anniversary” about this game. No concept artwork gallery, no behind-the-scenes into the makings of these games…But, I digress. This is a review of what’s here, not what isn’t here.

So, let’s go into something this game does great: all three of these games look so nice on the Nintendo Switch. Super Mario 64 has never officially looked better, everything looks so clean. Super Mario Sunshine, while definitely looking a little odd in its up-rezzed cutscenes, definitely looks so good during gameplay. Now we have that beautiful water, which has rarely been topped in any other Mario game, in HD on the Switch! Super Mario Galaxy arguably looks like a modern HD game, its art style holds up so strongly. Some changes were made in each game too, such as some new UI to display the updated controls.

As far as the presentation behind the three games in the collection, I personally couldn’t have asked for much more. I’m glad the experiences behind such iconic games were preserved, rather than changed. While I wish the collection as a whole had more to offer as an anniversary game, just the fact that these games are here is enough for me.

Verdict

After months and months of speculation, rumors, and theories, Super Mario 3D All-Stars has finally arrived, allowing many to re-experience their favorite 3D Mario game of their childhood, or for many others, finally experience one that they missed out on! While there’s definitely a reason to be annoyed at the limited availability to purchase this collection, I personally believe that the experience makes up for it. If you’re a big fan of any of these three Mario titles, I definitely recommend this collection. If you’ve missed out on any of these games before and want to give them a try, this is definitely the way to do it. I’m incredibly confident in saying that this is absolutely the best way to experience these three games in this modern era. I strongly recommend Super Mario 3D All-Stars, even if it doesn’t feel like the best way to celebrate an anniversary to some.