Mario's 35th Anniversary

Some neat stuff in there. General thoughts from me:

Super Mario All-Stars - Nice to see this on the Nintendo Online SNES collection. I'm glad they didn't re-sell it again, as they did for the 25th anniversary on the Wii.  Also nice to be able to play it today.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - This adds to a long list of quality games from the Wii U that not enough people got to play, getting a Switch port with some added bonuses.  I've played enough of 3D World that I'm not itching for this one, but I know quite a few people who will enjoy it, and I'm curious to see what Bowser's Fury turns out to be.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars - This collection feels overdue, so I welcome it with a few caveats.  

First, the positive:
It will be really nice to see these games with some amount of remastering for an HD system.  It looks like Mario 64 it maintaining a 4:3 aspect ratio, but the higher resolution will be appreciated, and if this game has fluid camera controls, instead of the restricted ones based on the N64 c-buttons, it will quickly become my favourite way to play this classic.  Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy have both visually aged better in my opinion than Mario 64, so even if we're just seeing these higher resolution and a 16:9 presentation, that would be great.  Any extras, and the ability to play them portable will be lovely as well.

Now, the negative:
I think everyone will have to decide on their own if this is worth the price of a full-priced game. Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy are available on the Wii U eShop for much less, and my modded Wii U lets me play Mario Sunshine as well.  

Beyond that, an artificial scarcity with thus collection (only available physically or digitally until March 31st, 2021) is definitely scummy, and designed to drive short-term sales at full price for a company known to rarely put their own games on sale.  It is possible that they may do something that seems less unpleasant (for example, selling each part of the collection on their own after that point), but we'll have to see.  

Super Mario Galaxy 2's omission is a bit weird here as well.  With 3D World's release, it will be the only 3D Mario console title missing on the Switch, and it seems unlikely that they'd do a second collection, as only it and 3D Land from the 3DS would be missing at this point.  I guess you could do a "3D All-Stars 2" with Galaxy 2, 3D Land, and Odyssey.

Game & Watch Super Mario Bros - Neat novelty, but not something I'm interested in.

Super Mario Bros 35 - This seems like a nice spin on the Tetris 99 concept, and seems like it will a free add-on for Nintendo Switch Online.  Much like Tetris 99, I'll probably play this one for a week or so, have a lot of fun, and give it a rest.  The March 31st deadline on this one stings less for me, just because I don't see it having quite the same long-term appeal as a puzzle game like Tetris 99

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit - This seems like a really cool AR toy, and a nice Mario Kart spin-off.  However, I can see it being a lot like Labo: fun to set up and play a few times, but something I'd personally lose interest in pretty quickly.  A few friends with kids who really like both Mario and remote control cars will probably pick it up though.


 

I'm definitely getting everything in there. I'm super happy for 3D World, the world deserved access to that masterpiece. I already pre-ordered 3D All-Stars because the physical version is a limit run.

I was surprised they skipped Super Mario Galaxy 2 which is just as good as the first one, but they also skipped New Super Mario Bros. U at the ending video reel, but I guess it is because just like with the real Super Mario Bros. 2 aka Lost Levels, it is just one more of the same, so they didn't mention them.

I'm definitely getting the Game & Watch thing, the Super Mario 35 battle royale, the regular All-Stars, and the augmented reality Mario Kart toys. I loved everything they showed, there was nothing there that didn't make me happy.

They really did a number on Galaxy 2 though. Even in Japan they aren't showing it:







They also went for New Super Mario Bros. U without mentioning New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and surprisingly no mention of the handheld title, and no surprisingly, no mention of the 3DO either, or the learning Mario games.

Yes, for the "New Super Mario Bros." series that started in the DS, it is exactly the same difference between Super Mario Bros. 1, and Super Mario Bros. 2 (the original 2 aka Lost Levels); and the same difference between Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

I'm pretty sure they will care into making a proper port. They pretty much have to. That game is one of their greatest masterpieces, I place it next to the likes of Super Mario 64, Ocarina Of Time, and Breath Of The Wild.

Me too, I really want the Game & Watch for that exact reason

I played both Super Mario Galaxy games and they were both exactly the same, like the same quality, and excellence, at least for me.

So it was very weird to see them skipping it. To me it is just a clear sign of laziness from Nintendo, and it is laughable, but sad at the same time because both Galaxy games are masterpieces, and it would have been wonderful to have them both on the Switch.

Yeah, I'm also afraid they will be hard to get because they look really nice. I hope you guys get it.

@pimpjura

Valid point about it being too soon for Odyssey, and with 3D World having its own solo re-release coming up, I suppose the candidates for a "3D All-Stars Volume 2" would then be, Mario 64 DS, Mario Galaxy 2, and Mario 3D Land...though again, we probably won't see that

I do really enjoy Mario 64 DS, so it would be nice to see it getting some love. I do find that when played on a 3DS, with its analog stick, the effect is somewhat like 3D Land and 3D World, since they required holding down Y to run as well. On the whole, it works pretty well.