The Switch has proven itself to be one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles. The Switch has done a good job at featuring games that reflect both Nintendo’s past and their future. The 35th anniversary of the company’s most beloved mascot, Mario, has led to the release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection that features some of the most iconic 3D titles from the Super Mario franchise.
Many fans are excited to get to experience these games, whether it’s for the first time or not, but there are certain things that the audience should be aware of before they head into the collection’s version of Super Mario Sunshine.
10 It’s The Hardest And Most Punishing 3D Mario Game
The Super Mario franchise features various levels of difficulty, with later titles usually reserving the most difficult challenges as optional requirements or achievements for hardcore completionists. Super Mario Sunshine features very different mechanics than other games in the series and the FLUDD can be difficult to gain a grasp on. Add to this some very difficult platforming levels that take away FLUDD and some frustrating blue coins to hunt down and it’s easily on the harder side of Super Mario titles. Understanding this before going in makes a big difference.
9 The Camera And FLUDD Controls Are Now Un-inverted
It’s worth pointing out that those that played Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamecube know that the controls for FLUDD and the camera work with an inverted control scheme. Some of this may be jarring, especially the camera, considering how much video games have evolved in this department. In 3D All-Stars, Sunshine reverses these controls so they’re “un-inverted.” Some may prefer this style, but Sunshine doesn’t include the option to turn them back to the original play style, a feature that would be appreciated for those that are used to the original.
8 It Runs Off An Emulator Rather Than Being A Port
This may seem like splitting hairs and not a major concern for the general public, but it’s still a significant factor that 3D All-Stars runs these games off of a built in emulator rather than directly porting the game assets. It reflects a disappointing amount of effort put into these releases.
This is not the norm with other recent classic collections like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, or Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Those are full remakes for $40, whereas this is $60 for un-upgraded games. The price should at least reflect this.
7 There’s An Upscaled Resolution
It’s not uncommon for re-releases of this nature to feature certain aesthetic and graphical upgrades to reflect the current generation of gaming. Super Mario 3D All-Stars does make some strides in this department and they’ve managed to make Super Mario Sunshine slightly prettier. The game still runs at 30 FPS, but the 480i resolution is now at 1080p. This is more obvious in some areas than others and it’s the smaller touches, like HUD details, that are the most obviously improved. It’s still a better job than what they’ve done with Super Mario 64 in this package.
6 The FLUDD Sensitivity Is Changed
An innovative feature with Gamecube controllers is that they feature analog trigger buttons with varying degrees of sensitivity. A lot of games don’t take advantage of this, but Super Mario Sunshine is a special case where the pressure used on the triggers determines how much water Mario will spray out of FLUDD. In the 3D All-Stars version there are two different buttons that are mapped for the equivalents of a full press and half press on the analog triggers. It’s a convenient fix, but it ultimately provides less control for what was originally a unique feature.
5 Widescreen Support
It’s been interesting to see how the three games that are included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars have been more or less left untouched from how they used to play. This even applies to the resolution and aspect ratio in some cases, like how Super Mario 64 is still locked in a 4:3 presentation.
Thankfully, Super Mario Sunshine does feature widescreen support and it looks wonderful. It’s a detail that’s appreciated, but raises questions as to why this couldn’t be consistent across the board for these games.
4 The Soundtrack Is Included
The Super Mario franchise features some of the most infectious and enjoyable music from any of Nintendo’s properties. As much as the songs may change between titles there’s still a unifying energy that ties all of this together. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a scant package, but one extra element that’s thrown in is that the soundtracks for the three Super Mario games are included in the collection. Super Mario Sunshine’s soundtrack is a fun reflection of Mario’s new coastal setting. Players who just want to escape to this music can do so without having to play the game.
3 No Gamecube Controller Support
The last few generations of consoles for Nintendo gave featured incredibly unique game controllers, but they’ve still looked back to the past and made older peripherals like the Gamecube controller still be compatible, especially for efforts like Super Smash Bros. Curiously, this version of Super Mario Sunshine doesn’t support the Gamecube controller, which was important in Sunshine. Technically a Gamecube controller can be connected, but the Switch reads it as a Pro Controller. This means that the analog shoulder buttons don’t work, which is the entire point in the case.
2 There Are Occasional Frame Rate Issues
Super Mario Sunshine is one of the best looking games in 3D All-Stars, but it could play even better with minimal effort. Sunshine suffers brief frame rate dips because the emulator can’t handle the same things that a port can. Sunshine runs at 30 FPS, whereas a port could upgrade this. It seems these frame rate drops are related to the news alerts at Delfino Plaza, but these become prevalent at the end of the game. There’s no reason a game that’s decades old should struggle in this capacity, even if it’s still marginally smoother than the original experience.
1 Lack Of Special Features
This may not be a deal-breaker for those that simply want to play Super Mario Sunshine and the other games included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, but the Nintendo fans who were hoping for a more celebratory package are definitely going to be disappointed. Besides the addition of the games’ soundtracks, there’s nothing extra included here. This feels slightly disingenuous for something that’s supposed to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their most popular series. For a point of reference, the SNES’ Super Mario All-Stars didn’t just give every game a visual overhaul, but they included a “lost” title, too.
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