Super Mario is one of the most recognizable figures in gaming, he might be the most recognizable mascot out there. 2020 is the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros, and Nintendo is pulling out all the stops to celebrate it. This week saw a Nintendo Direct finally be held, revealing all the new titles we can expect from Mario. Alongside some much-rumored releases of older games. We’ve also got a Battle Royal take on the original and one of the most inventive Mario toys produced.
The most important thing in this batch of announcements has to be the new Mario titles announced. This is what you can play over the coming months:
Super Mario All-Stars 3D is a collection of Mario’s 3D platformers, bringing 3 of his biggest hits into one cartridge. The package includes the ground-breaking Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy.
Mario 64 is one of the most important releases in the whole of gaming. Another way to play this title is always good. Perhaps the most exciting part of this collection though, is Super Mario Sunshine. Its long thought to have been trapped on GameCube, since the game makes extensive use of the analog triggers of that controller. Nintendo hasn’t included the same tech in any controller since. This is the first opportunity to play Sunshine outside of its original release.
Mario Galaxy was a title released for the Wii, and this port allows you to play with a standard gamepad. These 3 games in one package are an exciting product for Mario fans, but if you’ve never had much experience with the mustachioed plumber this package might be the best way to rectify that.
One weird omission is Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is now going to be the only 3D Mario not available on the Switch.
Super Mario 35 is a title that celebrates Mario’s 35th anniversary in maybe the most literal sense. This is an all-out royale between 35 players, just one that you fight by playing a Mario level. As you defeat enemies, you send enemies to the game of other players. Do this and compete to be the last Mario standing. It seems more fun than the fan-made Mario Royale that was taken down. The format is similar to Tetris 99, which proved to be a bizarre but fun take on that franchise. Tetris 99 is one of the most fun Battle Royale, so this Mario 35thanniversary is an exciting addition.
The regular 2D Super Mario All-Stars is making its way over to the Nintendo Online catalog of classic titles. This is a compilation of original Mario games, including the ‘Lost levels’ package. While a lot of this was already available as individual titles, All-Stars does add a level of quality.
Maybe one of the most interesting announcements was the Mario 35th anniversary Kart tie in. This is an AR Mario Kart game. It is a set of physical Mario Kart toys, loaded with AR cameras. You set up a racetrack in your own home, and compete in Mario Kart in the real physical space! Your Switch will display the AR Mario Kart game being played in front of you.
This is a particularly inventive toy, but it does feature a hefty price tag of £99.99 for the starter pack!
Maybe the most predictable part of the Super Mario 35th anniversary is 3D World coming over to Switch. This is one of the few WiiU titles that hadn’t made it to the more successful console yet. This game isn’t coming until next year, but it will launch with an Add-on ‘Bowser’s Fury’. This is an exciting part of the announcement as it’s a substantial amount of new content. Mario doesn’t get 3D titles all that often, and we can’t expect one beyond Odyssey on the Switch. So a new batch of sandbox 3D platforming is a welcome surprise.
Mario’s titles are pretty timeless. This batch of Super Mario 35th anniversary announcements are a great time to revisit some of the older Mario titles.
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