Super Mario 3D All-Stars Critic Reviews

Despite availability issues, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is easily one of the greatest games on Switch and a celebration of some of the best Nintendo games of all-time.

For those that have never played these games, or longtime fans looking to revisit some old favorites, Super Mario 3D All-Stars offers three of the best games of all time. After all these years, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy remain as captivating as ever.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is not a very good compilation but two of the three games it contains are exceptional, one more from a historical perspective, the other from every angle imaginable. These are games that everyone owes it to themselves to play, and if the medium for doing so is this rather underwhelming collection that’s still far better than nothing at all.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars represents the pinnacle of platforming goodness and with perfect ports, as well as top notch optimisation for the console, it's a must-buy. For newcomers, they are getting the chance to experience the timeline of how Nintendo first experimented and mastered the 3D platformer, all the way up to it improving on the formula with each iteration. For stalwarts, it's a great excuse to dive back in and revisit a childhood hero in all his hat-wearing, moustache-twirling glory. Each inclusion has perfect character and level designs, as well as an ever-increasing level of innovation that simply cannot be matched by any other gaming company in the platforming genre. To sum up Super Mario 3D All-Stars in one word? Unmissable.

The game is out now at a decent price and is worth more than a couple hours of your time or, maybe your kid who never played these can learn a thing or two. Either way, pick it up. This package alone is worth owning a Switch for.

While a few nitpicks hold it back from absolute perfection, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is an amazing collection and a definite must-buy.

For any longtime fan returning to the series, or even those newer players curious about Mario’s roots, picking up Super Mario 3D All Stars is a no-brainer, with three top tier games packed to the brim with content providing some of the best platforming you’ll experience anywhere.

The Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection brings together three iconic Super Mario platformers, all with enhanced, crisper visuals. These games have never looked better. The added widescreen support for Super Mario Sunshine is a huge plus, but I'm disappointed the same care wasn't given to Super Mario 64… Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy are three near-perfect platforming adventures. In my opinion, they are must-play games that everyone should experience at some point, and what better time than now on the Nintendo Switch.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is for everyone who loves videogames. Hopefully, even though it’s a limited-time offer at the moment, Nintendo will change its mind and 3D All-Stars will be available for purchase even after March 31.

What All-Stars lacks in extras and celebratory content, it more than makes up for with a boatload of music to enjoy and three masterwork video games to play. It is not hyperbole to say that any Switch collection is incomplete with Super Mario 3D All-Stars in it.

Whether the year it was released has affected the way Super Mario 3D All-Stars came together, we’ll probably never know, but it still comes with a wholehearted recommendation simply due to the quality of the games.

Super Mario 3D All-Star is possibly the best compilation of platformers ever. It's obvious that Nintendo could have improved these games more, especially Super Mario 64. However, it still maintains the essence of three of the most influential titles in the videogame industry.

Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy are not only two of the greatest Mario games ever, they're two of the greatest video games ever. Each brims with ideas, with intelligent and intuitive design, and with an irresistible pull on the player to get through just one more level before calling it a night - which then becomes one more, and another, until your Switch battery dies. Even without anything extra added, and the non-native-platform awkwardness of Galaxy appreciated, they're essentials. Super Mario Sunshine is also included.

We’ve had an absolute blast playing through these three gems all over again, especially now they look sharper than ever. It’s a shame that the presentation is practically barebones with no bonus content beyond the soundtracks, but there can still be no denying the quality of the games on offer here. This is the Beatles’ Greatest Hits of the video game world, and is an absolute treat whether you’re reliving it in HD or discovering it for the first time.

It would be easy to ask for more, but as it stands these are the best officially available versions of the some of the greatest 3D platform games of all time. The HD visuals and elegant control adaptations are arguably close to bare minimum, but the charm, craft and imagination on display in these three games is timeless and undeniable.

In gameplay terms alone, Super Mario 3D All Stars is a predictable triumph, one which will delight new players and experienced fans alike. The only minor drawbacks are the package’s lack of extras or updates and its limited release.

Nintendo seems intent on showing Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy as they were, warts and all – just in HD and playable on the Switch. Does the camera in Mario 64 kind of suck? Yes, it does. How has Sunshine come out best in this? I’m not sure. Are the controls for Galaxy here a bit of a problem? Maybe. But despite all this, you’ve got three tremendous games which are all still a ton of fun.

Although nothing here is likely to change your opinion on any of the titles, most people who have played these games don’t need any convincing. Each game holds up very well and shines behind its own compelling strengths. It’s hard to imagine what could have been — a fully revamped Super Mario 64, tweaks to a few of the more painful aspects of Super Mario Sunshine, or some fresh levels in Super Mario Galaxy, for example. But despite some disappointment with how little was done to enhance these games, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is ultimately a convenient, fun collection that enables you to take some of the best 3D Mario games wherever you go and swap between them with ease. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Overall, it’s safe to say that Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a compilation worth its weight in gold. Not only have the games stood the test of time, they remain some of the best 3D platformers of the late ‘90s to early 2000s in existence. Between its visual resolution upgrades to the sheer flexibility of ways to play, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is the triple threat of the Nintendo Switch games’ library – well, until 31st March.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is an amazing retrospective that shows us the first few steps that the series took going into three-demensional space. Even in this original form the trilogy easily stands tall among most modern games with it's timeless game design. All we can do now is just appreciate this masterpieces and celebrate Mario's anniversary together.