Nintendo has finally pulled the curtain off of the Nintendo Switch's long-rumored Super Mario 3D collection, now officially dubber Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Reports of the collection first surfaced earlier this year, with supposed industry insiders reporting that Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy would all be featured in a single SKU. While many online rumors held a varying degree of believability, it's long been believed that this 35th-anniversary offering would be made available to consumers eager to re-experience the original platforming games on modern hardware.
The house of Mario has been hit or miss with anniversaries for various games in the past, but Super Mario is not a property the company is known to ignore. Following festivities around the franchise's 30th anniversary, the pudgy plumber's 35th birthday was sure to always be a big deal. While there's noticeable excitement surrounding announcements like a Super Mario 3D World port and other reveals from the showcase, the focus was always on the 3D Mario collection.
Fortunately, Nintendo finally pulled the curtain back on Super Mario 3D All-Stars in a recent video highlighting the 35th-anniversary celebrations surrounding the franchise, giving gamers their first look at the remastered 3D platformers in action. The end result appears to be nothing short of a massive score for fans of the series, with three of the most adored games throughout Mario's illustrious history securing a spot in the newfound collection. Suffice it to say, longtime fans are sure to be excited, especially since the grouping of all these games is a deal in and of itself.
It's important to note that Nintendo has planned a very limited release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which will see the game launch at brick-and-mortar retailers and the Nintendo Switch eShop on September 18, 2020 before being removed from physical and virtual shelves on March 31, 2021. It's a bizarre marketing tactic on the part of Nintendo, as there are no signs as to when the collection will be made available again – if ever.
That decision is sure to irk fans that want the game's availability to live on beyond a roughly six-month window, and rightfully so. But all consumers can do at this point is to make sure that they aren't left wanting their own copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars after March 31, 2021 passes them by.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is available exclusively for Nintendo Switch on September 18, 2020.
Source: Nintendo - YouTube