Back in 2020, Nintendo brought three 3DSuper Mariogames to the Switch through theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollection. This bundle was a wonderful way to celebrate this iconic franchise and went a long way in showing just how far it had come. It was great to see Nintendo release something like this, but for some reason it made it a limited release. Since March 2021,Super Mario 3D All-Starsis no longer purchasable, but hopefully another collection will take its place.
Super Mario 3D All-Starswasthe perfect release forMario’s 35th anniversary, but it left out some iconic 3DSuper Mariotitles. Every singleSuper Mariodeserves to thrive on the Switch, and if the entirePikminseries can be there, then there is no reason Nintendo’s mascot should be left out of the fun. While it may not be a special occasion, a secondSuper Mario 3D All-Starsneeds to release before the end of the Switch’s tenure.
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Other 3D Mario Games Deserve to Shine
Super Mario 3D All-Starsbundled three ofMario’s most iconic games into one great package. Players could revisitthe classic adventure ofSuper Mario 64, they could revisit the days of the GameCube withSuper Mario Sunshine,and could take the adventure to the next level withSuper Mario Galaxy. Each title was given a slight HD upgrade and seemed to work very well on modern hardware. While the package had its faults, it was still a fantastic way to experience these influential platformers.
While these threeSuper Mariogames were great, Nintendo seemingly forgot about a couple of other important 3DSuper Mariotitles. The handheld exclusiveSuper Mario 3D Land, the Wii U’sSuper Mario 3D World, andthe acclaimedSuper Mario Galaxy 2were left out of the fun.Super Mario 3D Worldmay have gotten its own standalone re-release, but the other two games have been left to gather dust. While neither may be as iconic as the ones included in the collection, they are just as deserving of an HD port.
There does not seem to be any rumors suggesting a secondSuper Mario 3D All-Starsis on the way, but Nintendo already has the perfect package ready to go.Super Mario Galaxy 2andSuper Mario 3D Landcould shine on the Switch, and then the studio could toss in another 3D game just for fun.Super Mario 64could make another appearance,Super Mario Galaxycould be included to give the collection the entire series,Super Mario 3D Worldcould help boost the appeal, or evenSuper Mario Odysseycould make the cut.There are so many options for the mysterious third game, and every choice would help boost the appeal of this second pack considerably.
A secondSuper Mario 3D All-Starscould help shed some light on these other 3DMariogames, and it could also rectify Nintendo’s biggest mistake with the first package. For some reason, that first collection was a timed exclusive and is no longer purchasable. This feels like a disservice to the brand and may have limited the overall success of the collection. A secondSuper Mario 3D All-Starsshould not follow this model and could even include games from the last one so that Switch players have a permanent way to access them.
Super Mario’s 35th anniversary may be over, but Nintendo should not stop celebrating its mascot. As the Switch era winds down, a secondSuper Mario 3D All-Starscould be a sweet swan song for the console or serve as a massive launch title for whatever Nintendo does next. Putting Mario front and center is always a recipe for success, and honoring the past with a second collection is the best way to do that.
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