Super Mario 3D All stars Review

My biggest goal with Super Mario 3D All-Stars - aside from writing the review you're reading right now - was to finally play and finish Super Mario 64 from 1996. 3D platforming was still in its infancy at the time, and many looked to Nintendo's groundbreaking release as a blueprint for the future of gaming. I grew up playing Mario games with my family, and Super Mario 64 has always intrigued me. But I never experienced it firsthand because we didn't have a Nintendo 64.

The gameplay As a result, I experienced Super Mario 64 regardless of its historical significance. My modern perspective screamed for its numerous frustrations, such as the antagonistic camera and slick physics. Early on, I was even ready to write off this classic as a dud that didn't measure up.

But as I spent more time on the game - and switched from Joy-Cons to a Pro Controller - I couldn't help but be charmed by the depth. I didn't always have fun with Super Mario 64, but I started to appreciate the ways Shigeru Miyamoto's pioneering team tackles the many problems of platforming in 3D space.

With the addition of a Z axis, more acrobatic techniques came for the stocky plumber. While the basic jump still plays a big role, Mario can also long jump, wall jump, rewind, dive, and more. I was surprised by the usefulness of the different movements; For example, I quickly learned that kicking during a jump could both gain speed and act as a kind of brake in the air, depending on the circumstances. Areas that seemed impossibly challenging at first turned into fun obstacle courses to test Mario's various abilities.

Don't get me wrong, levels like Shifting Sand Land and Tick Tock Clock are still complete nonsense, but the annoyance I felt gave way to determination for the most part.

I can't really complain about how the Super Mario 3D All-Stars gate performs. The jump to Switch has had no obvious unpleasant consequences. While it's still running at around 30 frames per second, the occasional performance drops from the original have been eliminated and the control scheme translates well to modern controllers. If only that were the case for Super Mario Sunshine.

Released in 2002 for the GameCube, Sunshine is the odd one out of the Mario canon. Rather than forcing players to rely on Mario's inherent jumping skills, it offers training wheels shaped like F.L.U.D.D., a multipurpose jetpack powered by water. While it's a fun twist on the Mario formula, it also has the downside of sanding down the challenging edges.

Some of the funniest moments in Super Mario Sunshine come when it forces Mario to navigate obstacles unassisted, using only his jumping skills. Still, I get nostalgic for Super Mario Sunshine, just as Nintendo 64 kids look back on Super Mario 64 as a defining moment in the series, because it's when I played then.

The story Sunshine is the story of a failed vacation, where Mario is accused of several incidents involving graffiti and general junk on the luxurious island of Delfino. He's imprisoned - a rather disturbing sequence for a Mario game - then tasked with cleaning up the destroyed island. And in the same way as Super Mario Bros. 2 introduced a slew of strange yet enduring new enemies (e.g. Bob-ombs, Shy Guys and Birdo), Isle Delfino's native Piantas and Nokis have charming appearances in subsequent games.

In any case, Super Mario Sunshine was the most exciting part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars for me. It felt like a dream come true to be able to revisit areas like Pinna Park and Hotel Delfino with higher resolution images. Unfortunately, the drastic differences between the GameCube and Switch controllers sometimes threw a key in my favor.

The original version of Super Mario Sunshine took full advantage of the GameCube controller's great analog triggers. Those great-feeling, pressure-sensitive inputs provided an amazing amount of control over Mario's water gun. You could squeeze the trigger just a little bit for a short dribble or click it all the way to fully engage turret mode. In the Shadow Mario chase sequences, the triggers had a very obvious sweet spot that made these encounters a breeze, keeping Mario following his doppelgänger at a safe distance while constantly submerging him. That muscle memory is what makes these encounters so frustrating in the Switch port.

The conclusion Super Mario continues to hold a special place in my heart because there are so many childhood memories associated with it. Despite some bugs and difficulties, I think this is a very good remaster. It plays as it should, it has been polished up and it is a complete bundle for a not too expensive price. That is why we give an 8.5!