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Release Date: 10/1/20
Platform: Switch (Free Download)
Rating: E
Another game that Nintendo has release for Super Mario’s 35th birthday is Super Mario Bros 35. In this game, you’re playing Super Mario Bros against 34 other players (in different screens) in a 35-player battle royale. It’s like Tetris 99, but you can send enemies to other opponents, get time (you start at 35 seconds), collect coins to use items and even start with a powerup (with a small coin cost). Also, a life mushroom is 20 coins since you can die just once.
I believe just World 1-1 is available from the start, but you can unlock new levels by completing courses that you can’t choose. Courses unlocked are available for practice runs if you want to brush up on your Super Mario game. Additionally, Special Battle is like 35-player battle, but it uses a specific set of levels and you are given special conditions.
I’ve heard that you can technically play as Luigi via a button, but that’s only if you beat the courses. Otherwise, this game is light on content. Also, you cannot play with your Switch friends, which is a disappointment.
Even still, this is a fun game to play. There were times where I was going neck and neck against one opponent and I barely beat them and came from behind. It is quite fun killing all of the enemies and sending them to your opponents because you know they will struggle if they aren’t armed.
Granted, if you’re playing with Joy Cons, I wouldn’t recommend it. You are forced to use the directional buttons for this one and it can feel pretty uncomfortable at times when you do play with them. Using the Switch Lite or the Pro Controller would be a better choice of play for this one.
Overall, this game is loads of fun to play, even if I’m likely to go back to play more Mario Kart or Smash after this. It’s worth at least a play since this thing is free. Just be sure that it won’t exist after March 31st.
Release Date: 9/18/20 Platform: Nintendo Switch Rating: E
The Super Mario series is turning 35! Knowing Nintendo, they would go out of their way to give the famous plumber the best birthday bash ever. This means that a few Mario games will be released around that time. We have Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Bros. 35, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, and a deluxe version of Super Mario 3D World (I used to have the Wii U version – such a fun game!). All but the last one (which is slated for a 2/12/21 release) have been released to the public and I will cover every one, starting with this game.
Super Mario 3D All Stars takes the same concept from the Super Mario All Stars game, but all of the game featured in this collection are the first three 3D Mario platformers (excluding ports). Those games include Super Mario 64 (N64), Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube), and Super Mario Galaxy (Wii). Since 3D All Stars is a collection of 3 games, I thought it’s be fun to analyze each one.
Super Mario 64:
This game is Mario’s first foray into 3D platforming (and even outside of the plumber himself) and we couldn’t have asked for a better debut.
Right when you start the game, you receive a letter from Princess Peach that she baked a cake for you (or Mario). Then Lakitu shows up and you jump out of the pipe in your glorious 3d self. You enter the castle…only to find out that the princess is trapped within the castle walls and you have to retrieve enough power stars to bring peace back to the castle.
This game was absolutely incredible back when it first came out and it still is a wonderful experience today. Mario is given a more advanced move set with moves such as punching, kicking, backflipping and wall jumping. It’s also the first Mario game where you can long jump and triple jump. Also, instead of a powerup system, you are dealt a life meter and when it is depleted, you go back to the castle (if you are inside a painting — I think I gave some of it away!). Replacing the powerups are the 3 hats (that last for 20 seconds when in use) that will help you in getting to Bowser. The Wing Cap lets you fly for a short period of time (cannon or triple jump), the Metal Cap allows you to push through enemies and walk underwater with no effect and the Vanish Cap makes you invisible as you can go through walls.
Speaking about paintings, you enter a course once you jump into a painting. Since the game is so wide open, there is NO time limit in getting a star and you can explore all of the secrets in your own time. Speaking about power stars, you don’t even have to go through them in order! While the first star is the one where you’ll have to face King Bomb-omb at the top of the hill, my first star that I got was the one where you had to let the Chain Chomp loose to get the star for you. There’s a total of 120 stars in the game (121 if you count the final boss) spread out from 15 courses (and a couple of secret ones as well) and 70 are required to be able to get to the final boss.
Mario himself is at his most energetic. Not only do you have Charles Martinet’s excellent voice clips of the man himself, he also appears as a face stretcher in the games opening and his sleeping is just adorable to watch (it’s even better when the Piranha Plant Lullaby is on).
This is also the only game where they get the difficulty just right. The first few courses are relatively easy for star collecting. The basement (10 stars and a key to unlock) is trickier, but can till be passed with a basic move set. When you go to the upper floors (30 stars and a key to unlock, plus Dire Dire Docks Mission 1), that’s where the game ramps up in difficulty as you need to have his advance move set mastered. It is a difficulty curve like no other and it is one of those games where it teaches you to learn all of these new moves so that you won’t get lost in translation when you play those Mario 3D platformers.
Granted, this game does have a few flaws. The most glaring one is the camera in this game. While it was revolutionary back in the day, it feels extremely limited now and it caused quite a few cheap deaths while I played through the game. Also disappointing is the video presentation of the game itself. While 3D All Stars does promise to bring 3 HD remakes of popular Mario games past, Mario 64 on Switch is strictly 4:3 and is limited to a 720p resolution (the other 2 have 16:9 format in 1080p resolution). This makes it even worse when you factor in that one Mario 64 emulation made recently where it allowed you to play the game in 16:9 AND in 1080p (or even in 4K resolution)! This game also doesn’t let you escape the “The End” screen, a normality in most N64 games.
Perhaps, the best part about the game is the final level. It is rather linear (much like the other Koopa Road levels in where it’s a pathway to Bowser), but this level takes place in the sky (albeit rather gloomy with a head-bopping tune). While it is not the most difficult level in the game, it is one where you need a good amount of experience should you beat it or not. The last Bowser battle is simply incredible for 3D platforming standards. While the boss battles are too boring and easy to defeat, (even the previous Bowser fights, which only require to throw him at a bomb one time), this battle requires Bowser to be thrown into a bomb 3 times. Not only that, but the arena is much larger, there are 5 bombs, Bowser has a more varied move set, and the stage crumbles after you hit him the second time (though a piece does fall off if you make Bowser fall off) all accompanied to a genuinely creepy tune. In fact, the stage crumbling caught me the first time I was playing that I had to redo the fight all over again!
Granted, this final battle does become easier once you know what’s going to happen, but aiming for one of the bombs can be quite difficult as it is very spaced out. Once you do throw Bowser at a bomb three times, it is incredibly satisfying because Bowser disappears and one final star will plop up at the center of the stage. Getting that star will transform Mario into Ultimate Wing Mario as he flies over the stage (with triumphant music) and back to the castle entrance, putting up the final star needed to restore peace back to the castle. And yes, the end credits song is still a banger to this day. Just watch:
Super Mario Sunshine:
In this game, Mario, Peach and a couple of Toads (incl. Toadsworth) go on a vacation to Isle Delfino…but someone’s been vandalizing the town with some rather icky paint. After Mario gets the first shine by cleaning up the goop, the localists say that it was Mario who has been doing the dirty work…and he must do some community service after cleaning up the goop. After completing some levels, we find out that “fake” Mario is actually Bowser Jr. (his debut) and he calls Princess Peach his mama according to Bowser (he also said that Mario is a bad man…which is why Jr. cosplayed as him).
First off, I would like to say that the cinematic presentation is incredible. Given that it was released for the GameCube, the developers made an intro scene depicting Mario & company heading to Isle Delfino. Not only that, but the game shows cutscenes for FLUDD, the court trial, and even Bowser Jr.’s antics. I enjoyed the movie presentation as it made me laugh a lot. While the voice acting is incredibly cheesy and awful, it is an enjoyable kind of cheesy and awful. Just watch this clip from the top of the Corona Mountain and try not to cringe:
Even the rest of the presentation is incredible. Unlike the original GameCube version, Mario Sunshine boasts a 1080p resolution in a 16:9 format. The menus and worlds are perfectly polished as well and it definitely looks like a game that came out recently, which is a good thing.
Another thing that I can’t rave enough about is how tight the controls are. Aside from Mario Odyssey, this is the tightest controlling Mario game. Wall jumping has significantly improved from Mario 64 in that each jump doesn’t need perfect timing. And it has never been easier to perform a side-somersault and it gets to the point where it requires zero effort to pull one. Also new to this game are spin-jumping (when not bounced high into the sky) and diving. While it does come at the expense of a lack of a long jump, the move set that Mario has in this game is great enough as diving can become a substitute for the long jump. I also loved the camera setup in this game. Unlike the one from Mario 64, this one is unlimited in terms of angles and the position (you can even shift into first-person mode to act like you’re in a shooter!). While some people did have camera problems this game, I virtually had none.
FLUDD is also a great aspect in this game. While it does have a learning curve, the game becomes immensely enjoyable once you know how to use him. In addition to spraying water, you can also hover for a short period of time, dash really quickly and shoot yourself high in the sky (the latter 2 are unlockable). I also love how you can shoot FLUDD by moving or aiming in normal mode.
Other aspects of gameplay are really solid too. The level design is varied and unique (given that it’s all based on a tropical theme) as you can ride a blooper, fight a robot version of Bowser on a roller coaster, and explore the secrets hidden in the areas (which are incredibly difficult to complete). Oh, and the game is NOT an easy one by any means. It is, by far, the hardest 3D Mario game ever made. Whether it’s the wonky physics at times or the complex levels you have to get through, be prepared to get multiple Game Overs as each area presents quite a few challenges up ahead with very few 1-ups for support. The kicker? You have to complete Episode 7 of every entire level to unlock Corona Mountain, the pathway to Bowser (and his son). You want to skip the Sand Bird level? Too bad! You are FORCED to complete that level too since it’s the 4th episode in Gelato Beach. Thankfully, the Pachinko and Lily Pad levels (the latter takes a looong time to open up) are optional. While this was the game that I struggled with the most, it was also the game that I had the most fun playing due to its unique courses.
Going back to a major complaint that I have, clearing 7 episodes in each location to unlock the final boss literally kills off the exploration demonstrated in Mario 64’s levels. Technically the HUB world (Delfino Plaza) is fully explorable, but the shines there are ABSOLUTELY MEANINGLESS unless if you want to 100% the game. This also applies to the blue coins. Also, the seventh episode in each location is catching “fake” Mario, which is all too easy to do and quite disappointing. Personally, I would have preferred the required shine count to be 75 to unlock Corona Mountain, have the “fake” Mario chases be limited to Delfino Plaza, and added a shine in the plaza itself plus 60 more blue coins to compensate for the added difficulty. Therefore, the theme of exploration is put back into other pats of the game and those blue coins could mean something useful for once.
Granted, the Bowser fight in the end is a disappointment when coming off the heels of Mario 64 as it’s basically ground pounding and avoiding attacks which are easy to dodge. Otherwise, this is another fantastic Mario installment that I don’t think deserves the hate. Even Charles Martinet said that this is an underrated gem!
Also, the end credits remind me of when I finish watching the sequel to a great film for some reason.
Super Mario Galaxy:
This Wii installment takes place during the Star Festival. You get a letter from Peach to come celebrate the Star Festival with her. You go to the star festival…only to find out that Boswer’s airship armada has ruined the festival and kidnapped the princess, this time by lifting her castle high into the sky and being taken to witness the creation of Bowser’s new Galaxy found in the center of the universe. From there, you are transported to another planet, gain a spin attack via a Luma, go on a quest to get a Grand Star and then sent to Rosalina’s home (Comet Observatory) to add more power to reach the center of the universe (and liven up the home itself) by getting Power Stars along the way.
First of all, let me tell you that this is probably the only game that has changed quite a bit from its original release. That, and it has been the only game that I’ve beaten prior to playing the collection. Back when it was released for the Wii, motion controls were heavily implied in this game since that was what the console was known for. Not a lot of people will play with separated joy cons (but I do since they feel so natural) and motion controls, so spin jumps are now mapped to a button. Not only that, but the pointer also acts as a touch sensor for collecting star bits and other selections.
The gravity in this game has some time getting used to as you walk all over these planets with a gravitational pull (and it can be a bit frustrating at times), but I managed to get the hang of it a couple minutes into the game. Also, side-somersaults are a bit trickier to pull off this time.
This game suffers the exact opposite problem Mario Sunshine had. While Sunshine was insanely difficult to beat, Galaxy was just too easy. You may think I am biased since I have played through this game twice before reviewing, but I still stand by it. Like Mario 64, you need a set number of stars to defeat Bowser. You only need 60. Also, this game is way too generous on 1-ups, as was the case with Mario games since New Super Mario Bros (Odyssey not included). Collecting 50 star bits will net you an extra life and Peach will often send you a letter containing FIVE 1-up mushrooms. Finally, this game does not get difficult at all until you reach Toy Time Galaxy (where you are FORCED to use Spring Mario on some levels – quite aggravating to control). Then again, I am aware that this was made for the casual gamer crowd (since the Wii is typically for the “pick up and play” people).
However, the rest of the game is phenomenal. The most obvious fact found in this game is that it’s the first Mario platformer to have a fully orchestrated soundtrack. They can range from quiet and peaceful, strong and furious, and even fun and cheery. What’s more mind blowing is that a couple of music tracks from Mario 64 were remixed in this game! The tune from Shifting Sand Land can be found in the Dusty Dune Galaxy and the Koopa’s Road theme is found in the first two Bowser levels.
Rosalina has got to be one of the most interesting “new” characters introduced. In this game, we learn that she is the mother of all the Lumas and this observatory is her home. She also guides Mario on his quest to save his special one (Peach). I also adore how she has her origin story in the form of a storybook as the story itself makes Rosalina a more fleshed-out character. It’s a shame that her character got ruined a bit in future Mario spinoffs (whoever thought about Baby Rosalina was NOT thinking straight at all). Still, there’s a reason why my cousin chooses her (or Villager) when playing Mario games.
Super Mario Galaxy, unlike 64 and Sunshine, acknowledges that Luigi is indeed part of the game. You first rescue him in a haunted mansion in some creepy galaxy and he will help you in finding 3 Power Stars. If you do collect 120 stars (which I have not since Luigi’s Purple Coins is freakin’ impossible), there is a mode where you play as Luigi (jumps and runs higher, but loses grip). 100% that mode and you unlock Grand Finale Galaxy, the most chill level in the game (or so what I saw from).
Like Mario 64, the best part about the game is the final Bowser level (titled “Bowser’s Galaxy Generator: The Fate of the Universe”). You go through multiple planets (all accompanied with an epic song) to reach Bowser and its final fight is easily the best one from the 3 games. It takes a nod from Super Mario World in which it consists of 3 phases: Boulder Bowser, Shell Bowser, and the true center of the universe. The fight in itself is largely cinematic and while it is not a hard level, you can see the immense effort developers put into making this one fight. The events after the fight have got to be one of the most tear-jerking Mario moments I have ever witnessed as well. While the credits music ain’t that memorable to Mario 64, it still serves up as a wonderful conclusion to this trilogy.
Extras:
If there was one thing that the collection is lacking in, it would be the extras. The menu screen, while polished, is a bit boring to look at. The only extra feature in this collection is the complete soundtrack in all 3 Mario games. While it is a nice feature in itself (the Piranha Plant lullaby on Piano is something I haven’t heard), you can look up for the tunes on YouTube or something like that and make you own playlist. Also, you cannot create/load a suspend point or even rewind the gameplay, a feature seen in NES/SNES on Switch.
Also really disappointing is the lack of Super Mario Galaxy 2, a game that I also have not gone through. However, I have heard via a leak that it might come out as DLC around the end of 2020. I really hope this becomes true because I’ve heard Nintendo say that Galaxy 2 is a harder game than Galaxy 1 (and I hope to god they’re right about that…).
Conclusion:
While the games themselves are a 9 or even a perfect 10, the collection itself isn’t that great. While Galaxy 2 would make it complete, this is still a very good set that’s worth picking up if you haven’t played any of these games before. Keep in mind that it’ll be out of business by the end of March, so act quickly!
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