Nintendo really went out today by showing so much love to their company mascot Mario. After the expanded port of Super Mario 3D World from the Wii U, the Super Mario 3D All-Stars bundle is a hefty package that contains three console-defining Mario games across the Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii. Check out the trailer for it here!
Mario is without a shadow of a doubt the most well-known company mascot. The slightly round plumber with the iconic stache is pretty much synonymous with the Nintendo brand. But more than just an icon, Mario games have often revolutionized gaming altogether.
There’s no better example than Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. The 3D platformer pretty much single-handedly set the blueprint on how the genre has to work. It might seem unbelievable now but back in 1996, 3D was still in its infancy and every developer had its own vision on how to make gaming work in a third dimension.
Compared to that, the GameCube incarnation Super Mario Sunshine ended up being a rather experimental entry. Nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile experience and a must-play for every Nintendo fan.
Rounding up the Super Mario 3D All-Stars bundle is the outstanding Super Mario Galaxy. The Wii game is often regarded as one of the best games of all time, not just on the Wii. All in all, this bundle is a great package that ought to offer dozens of hours of enjoyment and become a quintessential game for Switch owners.
Sadly, Super Mario Galaxy 2 didn’t make the cut but according to Tom Philips from Eurogamer, it was planned to be included for a while before being axed. Another disappointment is that the Super Mario 64 port reportedly runs at a meager 960 x 720 resolution both handheld and docked. It sure would have been nice if Nintendo at least patched in 16:9 widescreen support. Oh well, in the end, it’s a solid bundle.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars will launch this month, September 18th, and will be a limited-time release until the end of March next year.
