Exploring Super Mario’s 35th Anniversary Anthology

Let’s take a closer look at the titles proposed for the collection

Reports have been circulating for months suggesting that Nintendo is on the cusp of revealing a massive 35th anniversary Mario collection. You could think of it like a sequel to Super Mario All-Stars, which debuted on the SNES in the ’90s, and contained the first three Super Mario Bros. games from the NES (along with The Lost Levels). In that version, the games were all “remastered” to feature shiny new 16-bit graphics. There is some evidence that Nintendo is working on a new anniversary collection, but folks have repeatedly predicted that it would be revealed in a Nintendo Direct that (as of writing this), hasn’t yet occurred. So who knows if it’s actually happening, or if Nintendo have other plans. Regardless, the sheer volume of reporting certainly suggests smoke (with or without associated fire).

Most of the reports so include the following games as being likely inclusions in the collection:

• Super Mario 64
• Super Mario Sunshine
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Super Mario 3D World

If such a collection is produced for the Nintendo Switch, it seems advisable not to expect complete remakes of any of these games. So, in the case of Super Mario 64, we might see an upscaled/higher-resolution image that also supports a 16:9 display. I doubt we’ll see any other significant enhancements (I know many folks would probably like to see an improved camera system in Super Mario 64, but I can’t see that being likely here).

Although there are certainly other great candidates for inclusion in this collection, the above list is pretty solid. And if you are a more recent Mario fan (perhaps you didn’t grow up with a Nintendo 64 or even a GameCube), there’s a lot to discover here. Thankfully, all of these games still play well today. And I’d argue they all represent the absolute pinnacle of 3D platformers across the last (almost) thirty years.

I thought it might be fun to take a brief look at the games in the list and consider what makes each one different and uniquely special.

Super Mario 64

Nintendo 64 (1996–1997)

What makes it an important game?

Super Mario 64 is the first 3D Mario game. That fact alone makes it special. But it’s not just that this was Mario’s first foray into 3D — Super Mario 64 became the benchmark for all 3D games in the mid-90s. There had certainly been games with polygon-based graphics before, but Super Mario 64 had full analogue 360 control as well as a moveable camera. Even game creators like Gabe Newell, head of Valve (creators of Half-Life and Portal) has said that Super Mario 64 was a major influence on other game designers over the years.

Where does it sit in the Mario family tree?

Being the first 3D Mario game, Super Mario 64 really set the tone for what was to come. Although subsequent games are all remarkably different from each other, the core mechanics — especially around Mario’s movement — represent evolution, rather than revolution. Super Mario 64 set the standard, and its DNA is present across all 3D Mario games.

Why should I play it?

One thing that’s truly awesome about Super Mario 64 is that even in 2020, it still plays well. Yes, the camera is a little wonky (in-game cameras have improved dramatically since the mid-90s), but the game still feels great. Moving Mario around is just as effortless now as it was back then. So you’re guaranteed to have fun, whether you like Mario games specifically or platformers in general. And if you haven’t played it, Super Mario 64 is one of the most important games ever made in terms of its impact on the industry — it’s a vital piece of history that shouldn’t be missed.

Super Mario Sunshine

Nintendo GameCube (2002)

What makes it an important game?

There must be so many Super Mario 64 Part 2 experiments on the cutting room floor. A seven year gap between major Mario games is unheard of since Mario’s debut in the ’80s. There was no sequel to Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64 (although Banjo Kazooie certainly comes close), and the GameCube (which launched in 2001), didn’t feature a Mario game at launch (I’m not counting Luigi’s Mansion as a Mario platformer, despite being a brilliant game in its own right). It’s fair to say there was a lot of pressure on Super Mario Sunshine.

Where does it sit in the Mario family tree?

Super Mario Sunshine is regarded — understandably — as the black sheep of the 3D Mario games. Why? Well, for one thing, it takes place in the colourful land of Isle Delfino (far removed from the more familiar Mushroom Kingdom). And, rather shockingly, Mario wields a weapon…in the form of an anthropomorphic water gun (known as “FLUDD”), which is used to clean up pollution in the form of paint splattered all around the world. Despite its relative oddness, Super Mario Sunshine still features sublime platforming action.

Why should I play it?

It might be weird, and it might have a somewhat tarnished reputation…but let’s not kid ourselves: Super Mario Sunshine is still a Mario game. That means it’s still one of the best 3D platformers you’ll ever play. There are some aspects of Super Mario Sunshine that don’t sit well with me (a couple of levels in particular), but it’s still full of imagination, and the FLUDD mechanics are deeply incorporated into all aspects of the experience — for the most part, they work incredibly well.

Super Mario Galaxy

Wii (2007)

What makes it an important game?

Super Mario Galaxy may have been released in 2007, but it can trace its origins right back to the Super Mario 128 GameCube demo from the Space World trade show in 2000. In that demo, multiple Marios ran and bounded across a large disc that warped into a sphere. Super Mario Galaxy featured unique, spherical worlds. And although putting Mario in space was a novel idea for the franchise, Super Mario Galaxy was, in its own way, a “return” to pure 3D platforming.

Where does it sit in the family tree?

As a Mario experience, Super Mario Galaxy is both extremely forward-thinking as well as being a product of its time. You can use the Wii Remote to control a star-shaped pointer on the screen to pick up gems and fire them at enemies. You’ll also need to “waggle” to perform certain actions. Fortunately, motion controls are largely optional or additive to the experience here — the core platforming gameplay is watertight.

Why should I play it?

Everyone will have a different opinion on this, of course, but for my money…Super Mario Galaxy is the best 3D Mario game since Super Mario 64, at least within this collection (strictly speaking, I think Super Mario Galaxy 2 is even better and the far more recent Super Mario Odyssey is a stunner). Even now, Super Mario Galaxy feels fresh and ambitious. A higher-res version of this beauty, played with Switch Joy-Cons, sounds sublime to me.

Super Mario 3D World

Wii U (2013)

What makes it an important game?

This was the one and only 3D Mario game on the ill-fated Wii U console. Partly because the Wii U sold so poorly, relative to other Nintendo machines, I’d wager that Super Mario 3D World is probably the least-played 3D Mario game at this point. Which is a shame, because it provides yet another solid interpretation of what a 3D Mario game can be.

Where does it sit in the family tree?

Super Mario 3D World is something of a cousin to Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS. It borrows much from that (excellent) game, particularly the semi-overhead isometric perspective. But there are other things that make this Mario game particularly special — it supports four player cooperative (or, er, competitive) gameplay and you can access a wide range of suits (similar to Super Mario Bros. 3) that give Mario many unique abilities.

Why should I play it?

Aside from being a great Mario game, Super Mario 3D World is particularly unique in the sense that you can play the entire experience cooperatively on the same screen. This was something Nintendo wanted to do for many years in a Mario game, but they struggled to nail the design. Super Mario 3D World largely gets it right. That cooperative element is likely to be especially at home on the Switch.

The idea that we might get some sort of Mario collection on Switch is pretty exciting. Even if these games (at least those prior to Super Mario 3D World) are only slightly improved to be a little sharper on modern TVs…I think that’ll be a pretty good outcome. We are used to playing and re-playing older 2D Mario games repeatedly across many platforms/devices, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to easily access the 3D Mario games in one place, on a modern TV. A new anthology would be a great way to preserve these classic video games, and to potentially introduce a whole new generation to these masterworks of game design.