I was sure Nintendo was running dry on games and was banking on Animal Crossing and third-party stuff to carry the system through the launch of the super raytracing machines until they can resume work on things and have the Smash Bros. Expander Ass Part 2 run through until the next system. I was also sure that the whole Mario 3-pack thing was a rumor someone started to try to not go crazy from the lack of major Directs. But somehow, it’s going to exist, and in some bizarre fashion, it’s a limited time bundle. Some suspect that they’ll be split into individual games that will likely run for the usual new price each following that arbitrary date.
The games have been slightly modified. At the very least, they work with the Joy-Cons in whatever relevant fashion, which is a given. Button prompts have also been modified, and it seems that UI graphics have been upscaled, and Super Mario Sunshine runs in widescreen. However, nothing else seems to have changed. A win for the purists, but for anyone hoping that the games would max out the hardware with super graphics or gameplay balance adjustments, this isn’t that. Both 64 and Sunshine seem to be running at original framerates. I’m suspecting that there’s emulators underlying the bulk of the games, and it’s going to be similar to how those PSP games that got onto the PS4 were re-released and upscaled. Now, if this leads into the possibility of later GameCube and N64 re-releases, that would be appreciated. Possibly even Wii, but that could go either way as far as a remaster or emulation, as there’s also the original Xenoblade now on Switch, but updated.
Is it a deal? Depends who you ask. Most people will say no. Most people also don’t realize that Super Mario Sunshine itself tends to run for as much as, if not more than, a new game these days, at least before they up the price again for those raytracing machines. So, to get that game and two others, technically a deal, even if this is an emulation layer. It’s really more of a retro collection along the lines of Sonic Gems Collection, but with only the three games, unless they really did hide something else in there, but I doubt that. Even so, I’m not sure if I want to get this one. Seeing as it took until Odyssey to really get me into a new Mario game, knowing I’d have to go into Sunshine with all of its bizarre jank such as squids dying if you even so much as touch a thing while riding them, or those weird arbitrary levels where you don’t have a jetpack, I’m not entirely sold on the concept, especially at an unwavering price. I mean, it’s likely a store like Wal-Mart might do their usual new game cut if I really wanted to get a discount, but still. I do already have 64, but not Sunshine or Galaxy. And also people seem to be angry at how it doesn’t include Galaxy 2. And some people are suspecting that will be re-released separately, or else Nintendo is trying to pretend the game exists as much as Hotel Mario.
Here’s a concept, regardless of how much I need fuel or change. What else had three games that could stand to use a remaster? Chibi-Robo. Unlikely, I know. But I would buy it, provided it had the original GameCube game and the two DS games, not the two 3DS games. Even though I do already have the original GameCube game and the one DS game that got localized. The third one only released in Japan. There’s a fan translation somewhere, but I also feel that at least the DS games could be remastered visually and not require touchscreen gimmicks to play, even if some get replaced with motion control gimmicks. The GameCube game could probably just be extended to widescreen if possible and that would be passable. Of course at this point, Chibi-Robo exists to Nintendo less than F-Zero does, so for all I know we’d be more likely to get an F-Zero collection that includes… two games? Namely the N64 and GameCube ones. At the same new asking price, of course. Nintendo is acting like the Apple of consoles while even Microsoft and Sony are starting to reach out to PC, even if the games come out much later for PC. The Switch is a neat concept and it works, but in any case, I’d like to see more branching out than just on mobile where mobile games become… mobile games.