Review: Super Mario 3D All-Stars: A straightforward re-release

Selling Super Mario 3D All-Stars ought to be simple. All three come in a neat package: a contemporary masterpiece, a beloved black sheep, and a giant who defined a genre. For better or worse, Nintendo has done the barest minimum when it comes to porting three of its most popular games to contemporary platforms, making this an unremarkable collection overall that, were it not for the games' legendary excellence, is probably one to pass up.

Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy will be introduced to many players for the first time in 3D All-Stars. Given that they are among the most influential 3D platformers ever made, it's unclear how much has to be changed before a rerelease. Putting aside puritanical ideals for the time, I still believe that more could have been done to both contextualize these games and make them appealing to the next generation of players. Some would consider anything more than a resolution and frame rate improvement to be heresy.

It's unfortunate that Super Mario 64, the oldest game featured, gets the least attention—its frame rate is fixed at 30 frames per second in 720p. Aside from an increase in resolution and a better user interface, the boxy aspect ratio doesn't provide a good first impression, and it's regrettable that there haven't been any quality-of-life enhancements.

Mario is at his most clumsy in 64, and the most difficult platforming parts of the game may be frustrating due to its finicky, useless camera. Over time, little irritations accumulate to the point where I predict many inexperienced players will either speed through 64 or perhaps bypass it completely. They would also be missing out on one of the portly plumber's most bizarre and unpredictable escapades, even if I wouldn't blame them for doing so.

Although it may not have the same breadth as the later Odyssey, the 1996 classic still encourages and rewards players' almost infinite inventiveness. Actually, the level designs and Mario's adaptable moveset have the potential to turn us all become boundary-pushing speedrunners. There are proper methods for gathering every single star, however they are often suggestions rather than requirements. All in all, searching the environment for clues and tinkering with the game's mechanics continues to be a fantastic hook—that is, if you can learn to put up with its big and minor problems.

While 64 is widely regarded as one of Mario's best games, Sunshine's status in the pantheon is still hotly debated. Sunshine immediately demonstrates the generational jump forward from its predecessor, with a more cheerful holiday design and an enhanced control system. But it doesn't take long for the game to distinguish itself from previous entries, mostly because of Mario's new tool for navigating and solving puzzles—a water cannon/jetpack combination called FLUDD.

Sunshine still seems like a fun but unnecessary detour for the series in 2020. It everything operates rather well, the aspect ratio change to 16:9 is an instant improvement, and it looks about ten years younger than 64. That being said, the experience is less addictive to play because of its stop-start nature. Its problems include ill-thought-out goals and an uncontrollably steep difficulty curve, but overall it's so much more charming than other platformers from the early 2000s. Does it make it worthy of being named an All-Star? Maybe not. To be honest, however, it's difficult for any platformer to compete with titles like Galaxy and 64.

Speaking of which, before starting up All-Stars, my main worry was Super Mario Galaxy. Although the handheld's transition from motion controls to touchscreen is a bit awkward, the game now looks fantastic in 1080p and 60 frames per second. The courses themselves are exquisitely designed and visually striking, but their longer playtime is limited by how linear they are. Even after all these years, Galaxy remains a delightful game to play, and apart from some strange controls, it hasn't changed much. If I still think 64 should be attempted first, it's also probably the most friendly of the three for beginner players.

Each game is of a high caliber, but the bundle they come in is not conclusive. The title screen of All-Stars provides a basic contextualization of all three featured titles, including their release date and platform, except from the startling exclusion of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The included soundtracks are also expected to fill in a lot of the gaps as there isn't even a concept gallery to be found.

For those who are new to the game or younger, 3D All-Stars offered an opportunity to learn why these titles are considered significant classics. You might well argue that Nintendo has given 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy the freedom to speak for themselves, and they often do. But even with the exceptional quality of each of its parts, All-Stars seems more like a hastily assembled reissue than a well-considered curatorial effort.