Super Mario 3D All-Stars is the second best-selling game on Amazon this year, even though it won't actually be released for nearly two weeks. Super Mario 3D All-Stars combines three classic 3D Mario games - Super Mario 64Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy - on Nintendo Switch for the first time. It was announced during Nintendo's recent Direct stream dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the iconic platforming plumber.

Nintendo announced a lot of exciting new projects during the anniversary Direct, including a port of Super Mario 3D World complete with a mysterious new addition called Bowser's Fury. In addition to conventional games like these, Nintendo revealed some more unusual projects, like a functioning Game & Watch system and a Mario Kart game played with physical, remote-controlled karts. But the biggest reveal of all was Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which Nintendo wisely saved for the end of the showcase. The game had been rumored for some time, but what fans didn't expect was the news that the compilation would only be available for a limited time, both physically and digitally. At the end of March 2021, Super Mario 3D All-Stars will disappear.

Related: Why Mario 3D All-Stars Is A Limited-Time Only Release (& When It Ends)

This was a transparent attempt by Nintendo to drive up profits of the new game, but it worked. Fans flocked to digital retailers in droves to pre-order their physical copies and make sure they were ready for release day. This is evident on Amazon, where Super Mario 3D All-Stars sits as this year's 14th bestselling video game product on the entire website. Most of the products preceding it on the list are pieces of peripheral equipment like headphones and screen protectors, or gift cards for services like Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. The only actual games that rank ahead of 3D All-Stars are the physical and digital editions of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo's previous mammoth sales success.

Super Mario 35th Anniversary

Amazon's bestseller list is far from the only or best measure of a video game's success, but it is quite telling. And there are other clear signs of how well 3D All-Stars is faring, especially due to its limited run. Even though it's only been four days since the collection was announced, and it's 11 days before the product is actually released, scalpers have already begun listing their pre-ordered copies on eBay for wildly exorbitant prices. It will likely be next to impossible to get a physical copy after release, all thanks to Nintendo's preposterous decision to market the game for such a limited time.

The most disappointing thing about Nintendo's shady decision to inflict artificial scarcity on its new game is how well it's already working. The compilation is set to bring Nintendo overwhelming profits, and that's already plain to see on Amazon's bestseller list. There's absolutely nothing stopping the company from indefinitely selling Super Mario 3D All-Stars and making it available to everyone who wants it. Unfortunately, it looks like the siren song of maximized profits is just too tempting.

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Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be available on Nintendo Switch on September 18th, 2020.

Source: Amazon