Is Super Mario 3D All Stars Worth Buying?
With 2020 being 2020, a lot of things were halted and delayed, and video game development was no exception. This is also the same year Nintendo had not had a general Nintendo Direct since September last year.
This year could not be the worst possible time because 2020 is also the 35th anniversary of Nintendo's prime mascots, the Super Mario Bros.
After months of Direct Minis, Partner Showcases and shadow drop announcements, Nintendo dropped the biggest Mario 35th anniversary celebration out of nowhere last month. Many games were announced, including this one, Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
A collection of three classic 3D Mario titles.
Although it's named after the 16-bit SNES remake collection, Super Mario All-Stars, these are NOT full remakes like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy or the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. These are the same games you grew up playing, now with a resolution and texture bump.
Although the collection has overall been well received, it was not without its criticism, some of which is harsh. Some Nintendo fans think it's a lazy cash grab. Is this collection worth it? I'll let you decide.
Super Mario 64:
+Resolution bump
+Texture bump (Mario's eyes, M on his cap, Whomp/Thwomp face improvements, HUD)
-720p resolution docked
-4:3 aspect ratio (even has the overscan area I didn't notice)
-Since it's based on the 1997 Japan only Rumble Pak edition, Backwards Long Jumps are patched, which is bad if you're a speedrunner
Super Mario Sunshine:
+Resolution bump, 1080p
+Graphics still hold up very well
-Some emulation glitches were not fixed (i.e. debug cubes)
-Inverted camera/F.L.U.D.D. controls, which can turn off people who are used to the original GameCube version
Super Mario Galaxy:
+Resolution bump, 1080p
+Looks like a game that would come out today
+Only need to press Y to do Mario's spin attack (originally you had to waggle the Wii Remote)
+Can be played with a Switch Pro Controller or any third-party controller that has gyro motion controls
+Can even point to the screen with a Pro Controller
+Handheld mode is fun and clever with touch controls
-Handheld mode can also feel awkward some people
-Still need to use motion controls in some areas (i.e. Ray Surfing, Ball From Hell)
Other:
+A nice built-in soundtrack
+Can turn off the screen and listen to it as a music player
-Nothing else in terms of extras
-No Super Mario Galaxy 2
-$60 price tag, which some say is a lot for a barebones emulation collection
-Only available for a limited time, even the digital version (March 31, 2021 is the last day)
This is not a review. This is just a a video taking a brief look at each game and how well these games are in this collection.
__________________________________________________
Links:
/ allierx
/ allierx_entertainment
/ allie_rx
/ allierx