StarTopic Super Mario 3D All-Stars |ST| In memory of our fallen hero, Mario

[Josh5890]

Release Date: September 18th, 2020 (All regions)
MSRP: $59.99 USD/ £49.99 / €59.99 / ¥ 6,578 / $79.99 AUD / $83.99 CAD
Developer: Nintendo EPD Tokyo / NERD / iQue
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1 - 2 (Galaxy only)
Controls: Traditional button and motion controls
Controllers: Joycons, Pro Controller, and Gamecube controller for Sunshine (Adapter needed, sold separately)

*This is no longer available available for purchase on the eshop as it was delisted on March 31, 2021. There are still physical copies floating around in stores but new copies are no longer being shipped.

Metacritic: 82
Opencritic: 83

Super Mario 64
Nintendo 64
Original Release Date: June 23, 1996 (JP) / September 29, 1996 (NA) / March 1, 1997 (EU)

Journey through Mario's first 3D adventure as he runs through Princess Peach's Castle to twat Bowser's plans.
Travel through 15 worlds and the castle grounds in order to collect 120 stars and save the day!

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Super Mario Sunshine
Nintendo Gamecube
Original Release Date: July 19, 2002 (JP) / August 16, 2002 (NA) / October 4, 2002 (EU) / October 11, 2002 (AU)

Look, some people love this game. Some people hate it. All I can say is play the game yourself and you be the judge.

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Super Mario Galaxy
Nintendo Wii
Original Release Date: November 1, 2007 (JP) / November 12, 2007 (NA) / November 16, 2007 (EU) / November 29, 2007 (AU)

Mario is back and this time it is an adventure out of this world, literally! Journey across the stars and visit several galaxies as you help Rosalina power up her ship so you can save the Princess one again!

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Spoiler: Missing but not forgotten

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Nintendo Wii
Original Release Date: May 23, 2010 (NA) / May 27, 2010 (JP) / June 11, 2010 (EU) / July 1, 2010 (AU)

Nintendo, please release this gem to us on the Nintendo Switch. It deserves to be played by a new audience. It is an evolved and better form of Galaxy 1.

Also included is a music player that plays songs from the soundtracks of all three games featured in this collection.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

A collection consisting of one masterpiece, one pretty alright game with a lot of issues, and a game that's aged like milk

This has been left intentionally vague so that we can reinstate the tradition of arguing over Mario games for multiple pages

 

[Deleted member 2]

Clearly you meant

Masterpiece: Super Mario Sunshine

Pretty alright game with a lot of issues: Super Mario 64

Game that's aged like milk: Super Mario Galaxy

 

[WestEgg]

Mario 64 still holds really well for me. Though Galaxy is a potential GOAT.

 

[Derachi]

You know what, I’ll maintain that I was absolutely blown away with how much more fun Sunshine was over 64 or Galaxy when I played 3D All-Stars last year. It tries so much! It doesn’t land everything but it absolutely was the most interesting of the 3. Super Mario 64… well, it sure was the first 3D Mario game and it’s obvious they were trying to figure out how 3D Platformers should work while also making a great one. It was like they were trying to invent a plane when while halfway across the ocean at 30,000 feet in the air, and for that, I congratulate them. But also the game is aged. Galaxy… had problems. The camera was bad, the levels were okay but like, not great or memorable. Literally the only level from Galaxy I can recall right now is the Bee one and that’s only because they used that level geometry for two different levels.

Anyway, Sunshine is good!

 

[Deleted member 2]

You know what, I’ll maintain that I was absolutely blown away with how much more fun Sunshine was over 64 or Galaxy when I played 3D All-Stars last year. It tries so much! It doesn’t land everything but it absolutely was the most interesting of the 3. Super Mario 64… well, it sure was the first 3D Mario game and it’s obvious they were trying to figure out how 3D Platformers should work while also making a great one. It was like they were trying to invent a plane when while halfway across the ocean at 30,000 feet in the air, and for that, I congratulate them. But also the game is aged. Galaxy… had problems. The camera was bad, the levels were okay but like, not great or memorable. Literally the only level from Galaxy I can recall right now is the Bee one and that’s only because they used that level geometry for two different levels.

Anyway, Sunshine is good!

100% with you on this

After beating all three last year, Sunshine is the one I keep booting up just to frickin' run around. It's just perfectly colorful and joyful. Despite all the, ya know, rough parts of the game.

 

[Derachi]

100% with you on this

After beating all three last year, Sunshine is the one I keep booting up just to frickin' run around. It's just perfectly colorful and joyful. Despite all the, ya know, rough parts of the game.

Oh it undoubtedly rough. It probably needed another year or so. But what’s there is genuinely great.

 

[Magic-Man]

I love Galaxy, but good lord I hate how Mario controls in it. So sluggish. And I keep pressing X to try and run lol

 

[Deleted member 2]

Does anybody else just boot this up to run around Delfino Plaza...? Just me?

 

[GJ]

I've only played through Sunshine when it came out since that was the one I never finished. I should probably change that. The other two games are so good!

 

[lemonfresh]

The best 3d mario (Galaxy 2) still has no re release booo!

 

[Josh5890]

The best 3d mario (Galaxy 2) still has no re release booo!

That still makes no sense to me. Hopefully it comes to Switch sooner than later.

 

[Mekanos]

Mario Sunshine is not a good video game

That still makes no sense to me. Hopefully it comes to Switch sooner than later.

Yoshi's controls would likely have to be reworked to a greater extent than they are willing to for a port collection like this, since the goal seems to be to preserve them as much as possible. Or they just felt Galaxy 2 increased the product's value too much, who knows.

 

[Josh5890]

Mario Sunshine is not a good video game


Yoshi's controls would likely have to be reworked to a greater extent than they are willing to for a port collection like this, since the goal seems to be to preserve them as much as possible. Or they just felt Galaxy 2 increased the product's value too much, who knows.

I'll be honest I haven't played the game since launch so I barely remember his controls. If Galaxy 2 got the Skyward Sword treatment I would be more than happy to pay for that that.

 

[steviestar]

Yoshi's controls would likely have to be reworked to a greater extent than they are willing to for a port collection like this, since the goal seems to be to preserve them as much as possible. Or they just felt Galaxy 2 increased the product's value too much, who knows.

There's no reason why Yoshi can't just use gyro controls like every other pointer based game on Switch.

 

[KC Hazel]

Does anybody else just boot this up to run around Delfino Plaza...? Just me?

Yeah, I do this with quite a few games. I used to do it with Mario 64 cause Mario is so fun to control. Sunshine then topped that level of control so I did it there. Galaxy....nah. Odyssey bought it back though, I definitely boot that game up to run around and do nothing.

 

[Mekanos]

There's no reason why Yoshi can't just use gyro controls like every other pointer based game on Switch.

I don't think the gyro could compensate for moving Yoshi in a 3D environment while also grabbing stuff with his tongue.



Running and jumping while pointing the gyro might be too drastic of a change for such a core mechanic in the game.

 

[steviestar]

I don't think the gyro could compensate for moving Yoshi in a 3D environment while also grabbing stuff with his tongue.



Running and jumping while pointing the gyro might be too drastic of a change for such a core mechanic in the game.

Running and jumping while pointing the gyro works fine. We know this because Super Mario Galaxy 1 is already on Switch and it lets you do exactly that.

 

[Mekanos]

Running and jumping while pointing the gyro works fine. We know this because Super Mario Galaxy 1 is already on Switch and it lets you do exactly that.

I haven't played Galaxy on Switch, but the impression I get is it becomes problematic in handheld mode.

 

[Brofield]

Ah shit, I really need to get back to this at some point

 

[Doug Bowser Jr]

Still need to do my Galaxy run off this. Anyone played with the Pro Controller? Is it doable or should I really just go for the split joy cons?

 

[VolcanicDynamo]

While the limited release window was terrible and the collection was lacking in many ways in comparison to similar rereleases by other companies, I'd be lying if I didn't enjoy my time with 3D All-Stars. Three big Mario games in one package, and released on my birthday no less! Felt like a little treat.

Out of the games in the collection, I surprisingly found myself enjoying Mario 64 the most. It's absolutely rough around the edges, and not all of the objectives are fun or all that clear to figure out. But man, they got so much right the first time. Mario still controls great, and even the camera isn't AS bad as most say (Mario Cam + C-Down is super useful in a lot of situations). The pace of many of the missions feel quick and snappy, and the structure of the game gives you a lot of freedom on how to tackle the game. I did two playthroughs of this one, one all handheld and one all docked, and I had a blast. Could be recency bias, I admit - back in March of that year I 100% cleared 64 for the first time, and going back in a few months later was like putting on a comfy sweater, all warm and nice.

Sunshine. Hmm. 3D All-Stars is the first time I fully played through this one, and while there is a lot to appreciate, I also had a lot of issues with it. Mario's movements are snappier than ever, and the camera is significantly better. The FLUDDless missions add more opportunities for standard platforming while FLUDD itself expands Mario's movement options and can assist with jump correction. And there's something to be said about the warm tropical vibes the game gives off, it's really charming. But the structure of the game is so weird - we have the Shine system like 64's stars, but you have to do specific missions, meaning that none of the side content meaningfully contributes to progression. Sure, a 100 coin mission may not be the best in 64, but doing it means one star closer to the final battle. Not so here, and sadly a lot of the extras aren't fun either. Blue Coins, Pachinko, Water Lily...it can be a slog to 100% this one. The core adventure has more consistent quality, but it's not perfect there either. I can absolutely see Sunshine as a "greater than the sum of its parts" kinda experience, but all the little things took me out of it more than I would have liked. Far from a a bad game, but it's one I wish I liked more.

Galaxy, meanwhile, is a phenomenal first playthrough. The sweeping orchestral score, atmosphere that sells the vastness and loneliness of space, Rosalina and her backstory, and some pretty memorable levels that easily stick out in my mind. It's also a really solid game mechanically and structurally - my mind always turns to this game's bosses and how they reinforce the mechanics of the stages they're found in. But this was my fourth playthrough of the game, and some of the cracks begin to show. Mario's movement is smooth but a little sluggish, level design can be a bit too simple to be engaging (it attempts more open levels and the controls and style are more suited for linear stages), and while the star structure is brought back from 64, there are a few clunker minigame missions and Purppe Coins of varying quality. All that being said though, Galaxy will always have a special place in my heart. It wa the first game I 100% totally on my own, and it came at the right place and time in my childhood for me to truly be engaged by it. A great game dripping with charm and personality, but other linesr 3D Mario games have surpassed it IMO.

 

[Intoxicate]

I haven't played Galaxy on Switch, but the impression I get is it becomes problematic in handheld mode.

100%ed it in handheld mode. In some situations going to table top helps, but not mandatory.