Super Mario 3D All-Stars is Nintendo at its worst

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was more than what Nintendo delivered with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. This bundle is available now on the Nintendo Switch eShop and at retail (if you can find it) for $60. I bought it last night, and it’s reminding me of how calculated and aloof Nintendo often is. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is ostensibly a celebration of Super Mario’s 35th anniversary, but instead it feels Nintendo is celebrating how easy it is for them to squeeze more money out of its most dedicated fans.

As GamesBeat reviews editor Mike Minotti explained in his appraisal, it’s difficult to feel anything but joy when playing these games. Some of the most talented creators in the world designed Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy with the explicit goal of making players smile. All of that still works — mostly. Nintendo did find some ways to slightly spoil the play experience for me. So in a way, this package is worse than if the games were just three straight ports.