The rumors were true! Although, there’s a bizarre caveat. Nintendo dropped a surprise Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct today, a 15-minute video announcing and showcasing various celebratory products for the NES release of Super Mario Bros.’ milestone anniversary. The biggest announcement in the presentation was Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a compilation of the first three core 3D Super Mario games.
The weird thing about it, though, is that if you want it you only have around six months to buy it. Nintendo is once again up to its wily, mysterious ways, and will only be selling Super Mario 3D All-Stars from September 18, 2020 to March 21, 2021. It seems like the game will even be removed from the eShop, something that usually only happens when there’s some kind of licensing issue. For whatever reason, Nintendo has decided this release, something fans have been jonesing for even before the rumors, needs to be a fully limited-time deal. Perhaps there is something else up Nintendo’s sleeve, but for now that’s the way this is shaking out.
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The set includes high-resolution ports of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. It seems like Super Mario 64 is retaining its original 4:3 ratio, but Super Mario Sunshine is getting a full 16:9 facelift. While Super Mario Galaxy was originally released on a Standard Definition console, it did support widescreen resolution already. Oddly missing is Super Mario Galaxy 2, so for now it’s unclear what plans, if any, Nintendo has for the well-received sequel. If you’re looking to buy Super Mario 3D All-Stars before it goes away, you can pre-order it now on the Nintendo Switch eShop, and a physical retail version is seeing pre-orders roll out for different retailers. As of this writing only Best Buy started selling pre-orders, but other stores will likely join in sooner rather than later. This is a $59.99 release, regardless of which format you choose.
Considering the limited nature of this release, you can expect secondhand prices to skyrocket once March 21, 2021 rolls around. So if you’re interested in revisiting these classic games in HD in official capacity, you have a deadline, unfortunately. In the meantime, if you’re a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, the Super Nintendo version of Super Mario All-Stars, which comprises remakes of Super Mario Bros., 2, 3, and Lost Levels, is coming to the Super Nintendo app sometime today.
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Are you excited about this Super Mario celebration? Or are you as confused as we are about the limited availability? Let us know what you think over at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!
Published: Sep 3, 2020 02:35 pm