“I would work Miyamoto any time,” said Dyack when the subject of a remaster or remake of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem came up. “Those are some of the best people we ever worked with, and I think that when you tap into a cultural zeitgeist like we did with Eternal Darkness, the culture changes.”

However, a potential remake of Eternal Darkness wouldn’t exactly be a 1:1 recreation of the original. Dyack spoke about some of the elements of the horror game that wouldn’t hold up to modern scrutiny, like how it toyed with old-school TV interfaces and visual effects, and how they would need to be changed.

“We would have to do different things, but you can do more effective things now with social media and the way things are working now, all kinda of crazy things that you can do that would be super awesome,” he explained. “We often joke about sanity effects and stuff like that, what we would do today, and so there’s a lot of potential for sure. And then that begs the question, would you want to remake it or why not just do a sequel, or another game, hate to say sequels, another game in the Eternal Darkness universe.”

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a beloved title, and was notable as being the first M-rated game published by Nintendo. The title revolves around Alexandra Roivas rushing to her grandfather’s mansion after getting a phone call about him being found decapitated in his study. While Alexandra is simply there to identify the body, she gets caught in a deeper web since the mansion shows no indication of a break-in or other likely ways that the assailant may have entered to commit the murder.

The plot kicks off in earnest when Alexandria discovers a hidden book called the Tome of Eternal Darkness, through which she learns the story of twelve people throughout history from all around the world. The wisdom she gains from these stories help power Alexandria’s own magical abilities, which she must use to explore the mansion and its mysteries. What truly set the title apart from its contemporaries like Silent Hill and Resident Evil were its tendency of showcasing the damage Alexandria takes to her sanity by breaking the fourth wall.

Nintendo might not be interested in bringing Eternal Darkness back for now. Nightdive Studios—a development team known for its work in bringing back classic games on modern systems—had discussions with the company. CEO Stephen Kick confirmed through social media posts that Nintendo wasn’t interested in a remastered release, however.

For more details, check out our thoughts on what made Eternal Darkness special.

In its statement, Nintendo said that Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Pikmin 2 were included in the “Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics” image by accident on its part. Since then, the image has been removed.

“We recently provided a retailer with an image of Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics titles that incorrectly included games that are not planned for release at this time,” said Nintendo of America. “The image has been removed, and we apologize for any confusion.”

The Nintendo GameCube Classics were introduced alongside the launch of the Switch 2, and can be accessed through a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was noted as being an interesting potential addition to the service, since the company was rumoured to have been working on a remaster of the title since as far back as 2023. These reports started to surface just months after the release of Metroid Prime Remastered. According to Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb, Nintendo has been planning to remaster the second and third games at some point. Due to this, some believed that Nintendo hadn’t yet brought Metroid Prime 2: Echoes to its online service to sell more copies of the eventual remaster.

None of the GameCube Metroid games are currently available on the service. However, older titles like the original Metroid, Super Metroid, and even Metroid Fusion are available.

Metroid Prime fans can check out our review of the latest entry—Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The title was released just last month on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

As for Pikmin, Nintendo had started teasing something for the franchise with an animated trailer back in October. However, few details have been revealed aside from the fact that the trailer was created completely in-house by Nintendo Pictures. The teaser was largely focused on a baby left alone in a room by its mother and being confused when its pacifier popped out. While the teaser released on YouTube at the time had invisible forces at play, another version released through the Nintendo Today smartphone app confirmed that Pikmin were the source of the baby’s adventure.

The last entry in the series was Pikmin 4, whose producer had also noted that we wouldn’t have to wait too long to see a new release. “We’ll try not to let everyone wait,” he said in a 2023 interview.

Pikmin 4 was released in 2023, and has sold more than 3 million copies. It introduced a host of new elements to the franchise, including a new space dog named Otachi.

That means you can experience where it all began, from obtaining the Poltergust 3000 and cleansing its four areas of dastardly ghosts to treasure hunting and eventually saving Mario. While praised for its new ideas, visuals, and audio, Luigi’s Mansion received its fair share of criticism for the short playtime and low replay value.

Still, as part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, it’s worth checking it out for historical purposes (and Halloween celebrations) if nothing else. For more details on the other games, check out our reviews for Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and Luigi’s Mansion 3.

"The alarming thing about Metroid Prime is that it simply refuses to age."

Metroid Prime was a total, thorough, comprehensive, unmitigated truimph in pretty much every possible way. It looked so stunning, so gorgeous, that it was among the best looking games ever (and it the tech and art underlying it all was so far ahead of its time that even today, the original Metroid Prime holds up. No longer the best looking game ever, but a good looking game regardless). The sound design was incredible, and thoroughly grounded you on the lost, alien, lonely planet you found yourself isolated on. The world design was a true 3D translation of the dizzying labyrinths of Super Metroid, but now in full 3D, seen through Samus Aran’s visor.

The storytelling went above and beyond most other games in the medium, presaging the rise of passive, interactive, and environmental storytelling techniques that future games such as Shadow of the Colossus, Prey, the Dark Souls games, as well as Nintendo’s own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, would take cues from. And the overall structure, design, and gameplay of the title was legendary, and ended up influencing countless games to come in the years and decades since. I brought up From Soft and Dark Souls earlier – playing Metroid Prime Remastered shows us just how much of its DNA was present pretty much wholesale in that, and so many other games.

The alarming thing about Metroid Prime is that it simply refuses to age. In terms of gameplay, world design, music, storytelling, and even the graphics as already mentioned, it still holds up on par with, or beyond, most other modern games. You can turn it on right now for the first time and within a few minutes, you may completely forget that you are playing a 21 year old game. In other words, Nintendo and Retro Studios could have quite simply taken the original Metroid Prime as is, maybe upscaled the resolution, made it widescreen, and make it run in 60fps, and it would still hold up. But they chose to go above and beyond, to deliver a truly definitive version of one of the most definitive games ever.

"Metroid Prime Remastered almost feels like a misnomer. The game’s visual facelift is so massive, so immense, that pretty much every single visual asset you can see or interact with in any capacity has been redone from the ground up."

Metroid Prime Remastered almost feels like a misnomer. The game’s visual facelift is so massive, so immense, that pretty much every single visual asset you can see or interact with in any capacity has been redone from the ground up. Environmental geometry, lighting, particle effects, alpha and transparencies, textures, resolution, frame rate, meshes, everything is rebuilt to make Metroid Prime Remastered look like you remember the original game looking, but brought up to modern standards. So overzealous is the update, in fact, that in the process, Metroid Prime Remastered ends up becoming one of the best looking games on the Switch, while being an update to a 21 year old GameCube game. It is a very thorough, very comprehensive, very extensive visual remake. We’ll come back to this in a second.

The remarkable thing about it all is that while the visuals are updated to an absurd degree – this game is closer to Bluepoint’s Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls, or the just released (and excellent) Dead Space remake in terms of the visual facelift it got – all of that happened without the original art style or atmosphere or aesthetic being compromised at all.

Usually, at least some of the original aesthetic ends up being diluted or compromised once more detail is added to an image (in part because very often, the original aesthetic exists the way it does because of the technical limitations of its time). In this case, somehow, that did not happen. It just serves to reinforce just how incredibly ahead of its time and future proof the core art style of Metroid Prime really was all that time ago to begin with. 

I’ve called the game a visual remake a few times already, and I want to explain that terminology, at least the way I see it, a little. In terms of the graphics and visuals, this game goes far beyond a simple remaster. Every asset is either touched up and updated beyond recognition, or outright redone from the ground up. But the actual core game here is identical to what you played in 2002. With one critical exception which we’ll get to in a second, this is very literally the exact same game that it was all that time ago.

The maps, level design, enemy design, AI, even the HUD and UI, nothing has changed at all. You would think that this would be hearing, particularly given the game’s age, and the efforts made to bring it up to modern standards in the presentation related areas, but it isn’t. As I mentioned, Metroid Prime was so far ahead of its time, and so bonkers in terms of being great at what it set out to do, that it manages to not only hold up as a modern game today, but ends up being better than most other modern games in the process too. 

"The one area where the game makes changes – a lot of them – is the controls."

The one area where the game makes changes – a lot of them – is the controls. Well, changes might be the wrong term to use, because what it does is add things. Options, really. The game allows you to not only play with the original GameCube controls (in case you never played the original release, the GameCube release was not dual analog, and instead had a very unique and specific control scheme that people love to this day – so it’s good that they brought it back), but also the excellent Wii controls (the pointer based aiming from the Wii release has to be emulated using gyro on the Switch.

It’s more accurate, but also more sensitive to drift, and requires you to reset the cursor fairly frequently), and a fully fledged, modern dual analog control scheme. The game includes gyro assist for aiming, it includes a toggle for the lock on, allowing you to have a full lock-on, a “soft” lock-on that air you in the right direction, but lets you make specific adjustments, and no lock on at all. You can customize individual axes for the camera, sensitivity, and you can even mix and match these options on the fly. What’s most impressive is that each of them feels well balanced, and the game somehow lets you switch between these completely different control styles (that all lead to very distinct and unique flows and gameplay loops from one another) on the fly.

Other than the control options, Metroid Prime Remasted also includes some new accessibility options (there is a color blindness assist filter that I am reasonably sure is new, and that I was happy to see, given how much the world gating and UI and HUD in Prime rely on colors to convey information), all the extra content that the game ever got (including everything in the original concept art gallery, from models, artwork, and music, to other unlockables), and even the narration that was added in the European and Japanese versions of the game. 

"In literally every way possible, this is the best, most definitive, most comprehensive release of Metroid Prime."

Really, in literally every way possible, this is the best, most definitive, most comprehensive release of Metroid Prime. It includes all the content from all the different versions. It includes all the control schemes from all the different versions (including some of its own). It includes this game looking the best it ever has, veering on being a full on remake, without diluting or compromising on the look and atmosphere of the original.

And at its core it is the same game from 20 years ago untouched, except that 20 year old game is so ridiculously ahead of pretty much everything else on almost every single front that matters (and certainly every single area that it puts up a fight in), that even with the core being untouched, 20 years later, this game ends up being better than most other games released today regardless. Like, literally, on every possible level, big and small, this represents the best possible version of one of the best possible games you can buy today, in any genre, on any platform. 

And all of this for only $40 is absurd. It’s a steal. Metroid Prime Remastered, just by existing in the form it does, becomes one of the best looking, playing, and just best in general, games of this year, of the Switch, and of the generation in general. You must try it, whether it will be your first time (win which case you are in for a treat) or your umpteenth replay.

And you can join me, and the other long suffering Metroid fans, in hoping that Prime 4, whenever it does end up coming out, actually lives up to the absurdly, unreasonably high bar set by this 21 year old game.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

The game is now touted to be 91% complete, following which the game will be converted into code that is native to the PC. Of course, it’s by no means an effortless PC port of the game – however the game may be ported at a later date. Another N64 classic, Super Mario 64 was also decompiled in a similar fashion and received full modding support.

Fans who wish to play the classic can obviously do so with the use of emulators on mobile phones as well as computers. Fans are still clamoring for a full-fledged remake of the classic and were hopeful of some news since 2021 marks the franchise’s 35th anniversary, but Nintendo has stated that no new Zelda surprises are planned for this year.

Resident Evil 4 is back but not quite in the way you’d imagine. During its second Resident Evil Showcase, Capcom was announced to be working with Oculus Studios and Armature to bring Resident Evil 4 to VR. The title will be playable on Oculus Quest 2, taking place from the first person perspective. Check out the trailer below courtesy of GameSpot.

More details and gameplay footage will be provided on April 21st at the Oculus Gaming Showcase. Resident Evil 4 originally launched for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005 before heading to PS2 in the same year. It would subsequently arrive on nearly every major platform throughout the years with the Nintendo Switch version being the latest.

Rumors have stated that a remake for Resident Evil 4 is currently in the works but it may be a while before it launches. It’s reportedly been overhauled and is now expected to release in 2023 with Capcom’s Division 1 spear-heading development. In the meantime, Resident Evil Village is out on May 7th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Stadia with a new demo coming May 1st. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2

Of the many titles that convinced fans of the GameCube’s power, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2 sits near the top. Improved texture work, more detailed ships and increased draw distance all provided substantial upgrades over its predecessor. But it was the addition of bump-mapping that provided that extra bit of oomph, pushing photo-realism that much closer to the films. Even if you weren’t a Star Wars fan, Rogue Squadron 2 had to be seen to be believed.

In more recent years, the publisher has devoted itself to its yearly sports sequels. Multiplayer shooters are still a prime directive, as indicated by the Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield series, but we began to see more different titles like A Way Out, Unravel, Fe and Sea of Solitude. The company’s reputation has still been questionable, as indicated by its loot box and live service debacles. And yet, there are positive strides being made to bring back franchises like Command and Conquer, as seen with the Remastered edition, and Skate, with Skate 4 currently being in early development.

It’s strange though – of the many IPs that EA has shelved for not being successful, SSX remains an exception. Developed by EA Canada, the first SSX released in 2000 for the PlayStation 2, having originally been planned for the Sega Dreamcast. Though snowboarding games weren’t necessarily new, none had gone quite as bombastic as SSX. With boarder-cross creator Steve Rechtschaffner serving as its executive producer and creative leader, SSX was a revolution in terms of high-speed snowboarding.

The main emphasis was on tricks and filling up the boost meter to go even faster during a race. Many of the tricks were ridiculous, feeding into the game’s arcade-like design, but it’s overall style and visual design were fantastic. It also introduced an ingenuous way for players to actually care about their performance with the music becoming louder and more pronounced as one excelled. SSX would become an overwhelming critical and commercial success, touted as one of, if not the best, PlayStation 2 at the time.

It was followed by SSX Tricky. Whether considered as an enhanced version or a clear sequel, most agreed that it was still a great game. Performing tricks for boost was still a core mechanic, but if the boost bar filled completely, then one could perform Uber moves to boost infinitely for a short time. If six Uber moves are performed and “TRICKY” is spelled, then you get infinite boost throughout the level. A new Rivalry system was also implemented – being friendly with other characters means they’re less likely to oppose you during races but act like a jerk and they’ll assault you.

The soundtrack was also amazing thanks to the involvement of Mix Master Mike (who was also an unlockable character) and other artists. It continued to change according to one’s performance, with the complete song playing if you were doing well. SSX Tricky was another critical success and it was only a matter of time before SSX 3 came along just two years later. It saw the return of a boost meter (referred to as the adrenaline meter) and a soundtrack that adapted to one’s performance. Ubers would increase the meter level and unlock Super Ubers, further increasing the depth of the gameplay.

An expanded campaign saw players completing events and challenges in order to reach the next mountain peak. The PS2 version even had online multiplayer where two players could race against each other, and even rank up. Not only was SSX 3 a huge critical success but it sold one million copies – a first for the series, with total sales for all games reaching 3 million by July 2006.

Over the years, several things would change at EA. Rechtschaffner went on to become a chief creative officer at EA Canada and wouldn’t be involved in future titles.

SSX On Tour was released in 2005 and introduced custom characters. The Uber tricks became Monster Tricks and increasing one’s Hype to rise through the leaderboards was the main goal. The presentation went for a more sketchbook-like format and even the music saw some changes with more punk rock, rap and alternative songs. The music would also reduce in volume upon performing Monster Tricks in the air before cutting back in when the player hit the ground. Despite all of these changes, SSX On Tour still received positive reviews and even some awards. EA Montreal would handle SSX Blur, a 2007 Wii title that introduced motion controls with decent results, before EA Canada developed the reboot in 2012.

A new rewind feature, nine different mountains to descend down (with challenging Deadly Descents limiting how often you could rewind) and Explore Mode helped distinguish it from previous entries. For the most part, however, this was SSX Tricky’s gameplay for a new generation, right down to the return of “It’s Tricky.” There was also the new Harmony system which remixed songs on the fly. SSX reviewed favorably and despite all kinds of competition at launch, did well in sales, exceeding EA’s expectations.

However, EA Canada was changing. From six titles, including SSX, in 2012, it narrowed its focus to a select range of sports titles like FIFA and NHL. EA Sports UFC would also be included throughout the years. This could likely be attributed to their more “guaranteed” sales status, especially with the billions that FIFA generated in Ultimate Team microtransactions. Despite the majority of its resources going towards its prime money-makers, there are plenty of reasons for EA to bring back SSX.

First, the company has seemingly realized that leaning so heavily on live-service titles, especially following Anthem and Battlefield 5, isn’t the best move. There’s also Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order which had over 10 million players within four months of its launch. Multiplayer isn’t a terrible move though – Star Wars: Squadrons proved that you could have a successful space dogfighting title with a campaign and multiplayer features that also receives updates without burying the player in microtransactions or live-service shenanigans.

There’s also another successful revival to draw on – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, which reviewed positively and sold well. And this is coming off of the reviled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 which many felt to be the death knell of the franchise. With Vicarious Visions now part of Blizzard Entertainment and working on Diablo 2: Resurrected, the way is clear for EA to capitalize on a market that clearly favors remakes of beloved properties. Even if it didn’t go the sequel route, remakes of SSX 1, Tricky and SSX 3 in one package would be the dream.

There’s hope that EA could revive SSX, that too without dipping fully into the open world, seasonal model with microtransactions like Ubisoft’s Steep. If there’s one thing the publisher could learn from Activision’s handling of classic franchises, it’s to give the people what they want (and this is Activision we’re talking about). Don’t overthink it, tap the people who would best fit – like Steve Rechtschaffner who founded his own studio, SuperNatural Games – and bring it back. There may not be a huge petition or countless memes like with Skate 4 but if there’s one classic franchise that’s a great fit for EA’s portfolio and a proven success, it’s SSX.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars has received a new update which adds some much-needed options for players. Each title now supports inverted camera controls and have received “general fixes” to improve the gameplay. But perhaps the biggest new addition is Nintendo GameCube controller for Super Mario Sunshine.

This will support the original release’s controls though it’s only playable in TV/docked mode. Furthermore, you’ll need a GameCube Controller Adapter to connect the controller to the Switch. Buttons displayed within the title won’t reflect the GameCube controller either so hopefully your muscle memory kicks in. And it goes without saying but the Switch Lite doesn’t support this option.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is currently available for the Nintendo Switch and packs Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy into one package. Check out our official review for it here. It’s currently available to purchase physically and digitally via the Nintendo eShop until March 31st 2021.

PATCH NOTES:

General

• Players can now invert the camera controls within all three individual titles.
• Super Mario Sunshine now supports the Nintendo GameCube controller (sold separately). Players can now play this title using the same controls as found in the original GameCube release.
• The Nintendo GameCube controller for Super Mario Sunshine is supported only in TV mode.
• You’ll need the GameCube Controller Adapter (sold separately) to use this controller with your Nintendo Switch system. Information on connecting this adapter and controller can be found here.
• The Nintendo Switch Lite system does not support this controller option.
• All button displays within Super Mario Sunshine will not reflect the Nintendo GameCube controller.
• Other general fixes have been applied to improve overall gameplay across all three titles.

Even if you’re only interested in one of the three included games, I’d argue it’s worth it to have a version of said game on a modern console; however, things get a bit tricky once you stop taking this package as a whole, and start to break it down into its individual constituents.

First off, let’s talk about the quality of the games themselves, before anything else. It’s astonishing how well they hold up. Super Mario 64 is obviously the most aged here, and has a lot of jank you will need to come to terms with at first. However, once you’re past the initial hump, it’s honestly astonishing how incredibly well it holds up today. Super Mario 64 is the direct forebear of just about every single 3D game on the market today – so the jank and roughness was expected, given that literally every game since has had a chance to build on it. What wasn’t expected was just how delightfully well the core design of the game holds up. Nintendo has arguably the best game designers on the planet – and it should come as no surprise that they were as inventive or creative while literally pioneering an entire dimension as they were in Super Mario 64.

"Even if you’re only interested in one of the three included games, I’d argue it’s worth it to have a version of said game on a modern console; however, things get a bit tricky once you stop taking this package as a whole, and start to break it down into its individual constituents."

That roughness can make it tough for a newcomer to jump in, however. Super Mario 64’s camera, in particular, is pretty bad, and the camera controls for the original game were mapped to the Nintendo 64’s four C buttons – meaning it was controlled digitally. In this Switch version, those C button controls have been mapped to the right analog stick as is, meaning you’re using an analog stick for digital camera control, which can cause a lot of frustration when things don’t work the way you are naturally inclined to expect them to.

These camera issues only get in the way of what, as I have already explained, is a game that holds up marvelously well in just about every regard. From its level design to the actual movement controls for Mario, Super Mario 64 has aged far better than most games of its era – and honestly, far better than a lot of games of subsequent eras too.

Super Mario Sunshine is a controversial game; it has been that since its initial launch, and is now widely regarded as the lowest point of the 3D Mario series. There are very valid reasons to have issues with Mario Sunshine, from its frustratingly obtuse objectives (which stand in stark contrast to how effortlessly and intuitively the other games in the series communicate what they expect from the player) to some extremely fiddly platforming – platforming that, to be honest, is made a bit worse because of Nintendo having to map Sunshine’s analog trigger controls to a console which lacks them entirely. So here we have those controls mapped to the right analog stick (again), with some complicated and contrived control schemes to achieve the varying levels of pressure you could achieve with Mario’s water backpack FLUDD.

Gameplay aside, there are other problems with Sunshine that very clearly mark it as a product of a time when Nintendo was in an existential transition, and not yet sure what direction the company would take in the future. For instance, Super Mario Sunshine remains to date the only Mario game with full voice acting (and yes, it is every bit as unsettling as you would expect), which is no better today than it was in 2002.

"From its level design to the actual movement controls for Mario, Super Mario 64 has aged far better than most games of its era – and honestly, far better than a lot of games of subsequent eras too."

But for all its considerable shortcomings, Super Mario Sunshine has a lot of merits that shine brighter now with the benefit of hindsight – it has some of the sharpest platforming in the series (once you get used to the controls, at any rate), with FLUDD being an extremely versatile addition to Mario’s repertoire of movies; it is the only Mario game to date to take place entirely in one location, and having a cohesive theme like that really adds to the game’s sense of atmosphere and charm. Delfino Island’s various locations make for some delightful sandboxes, and if and once you have made your peace with the controls, allow for some of the most expressive platforming in the series.

Sunshine, one way or the other, is definitely the weakest link of this package, however, at least in terms of the core game’s quality. There are obviously fans, and I am sure they will be delighted by the ability to finally play it on a modern system (Sunshine had been stranded on the GameCube until this release), and I am glad this update exists for them, however, if nothing else.

Which brings us to Super Mario Galaxy.

Super Mario Galaxy is arguably the greatest game ever made. It was widely acclaimed as that when it first launched, it was reinforced as that when its sequel (mysteriously missing from this collection) launched, and it stands tall even today, 13 years after its initial release. Super Mario Galaxy can almost justify the $60 for this collection by itself. It’s a remarkably special game, with impeccable controls and some of the best level design in the medium’s history. Super Mario Galaxy has some of the most stirring vistas in any game ever, brought to life by an ageless art style that holds up incredibly well, and one of the all time great soundtracks . It’s even the most story focused Mario game ever – and while obviously it’s no The Last of Us, it has some genuinely moving story developments centered around the new character Rosalina, as well as some surprisingly dark developments later in the story.

In every way possible, Super Mario Galaxy holds up. It could be released as is today, and it would still be better than most games currently on the market, including most of Nintendo’s own. It is a work of creative genius, put out by a development team at the peak of its powers, and it is absolutely unbelievable how incredibly well this game has held up, especially given how poorly most other games of that era aged. With Super Mario Galaxy, there are very few to no shortcomings I can nitpick at – it is an absolutely marvelous game.

"In every way possible, Super Mario Galaxy holds up. It could be released as is today, and it would still be better than most games currently on the market, including most of Nintendo’s own."

Thankfully, it’s the game that has gotten the most care in this package as well. Nintendo has updated the game’s resolution, and it is now running at widescreen (while maintaining its original 60fps framerate). The game’s pointer controls have been mapped to the Switch’s gyro (in console mode) and touch screen (in handheld mode). Neither are, to be honest, optimal, but the pointer controls were deemphasized enough in the original game to never feel too obtrusive to begin with – so their implementation in this new package doesn’t really detract from Galaxy’s underlying brilliance in any way.

Super Mario Sunshine has also seen some work. It, too, has been updated to run in widescreen, with some upgraded textures, and as mentioned previously, the controls have been rethought (to mixed results). Unfortunately, the rest of the upgrades are minimal – Nintendo has not, for example, taken this chance to update the game’s framerate to 60fps (the original infamously ran at 30fps, in spite of being marketed at 60fps all the way through to its release); however, even Sunshine’s barebones updates feel far beyond what Super Mario 64 got, which feels like an almost a direct dump. It’s not even running in widescreen, the updates to the textures and graphics are minimal to none, and like I mentioned earlier, even the camera controls haven’t been reworked from their original digital implementation. Super Mario 64 is also the original, N64 version of the game, missing all the improvements and additions that Super Mario 64 DS brought to the table.

This shocking lack of effort is actually endemic to this whole collection – I’ve so far stuck to discussing the games themselves, and the games are amazing, but if we are to view this as a collection of remasters, released to celebrate a milestone anniversary for the single biggest and most important gaming franchise there is, it comes up horrifically short. You don’t even need to view it as a celebratory collection, in fact – even compared to the recent Crash or Spyro releases, which remade the original games, gave them loving facelifts, and sold at $40, Super Mario 3D All Stars feels almost insultingly lacking in so many ways.

"I’ve so far stuck to discussing the games themselves, and the games are amazing, but if we are to view this as a collection of remasters, released to celebrate a milestone anniversary for the single biggest and most important gaming franchise there is, it comes up horrifically short."

Unlike many other legacy collections, there are very few to no extras here – you don’t get any bonus features such as save states, you don’t get any cool concept art, you don’t get any special features or insights into development, there’s really nothing other than the games themselves – and their respective soundtracks, which can be accessed directly from the main menu (and can even be played with your Switch in sleep mode, turning it into a makeshift portable music player. Nifty). And the soundtracks are amazing – you won’t find me complaining about the ability to listen to Gusty Garden Galaxy on an infinite loop. But it’s still disappointing that this is all we get – again, this is a full priced celebratory collection to commemorate a landmark milestone for the most important franchise in gaming. And this is what we get? Three games, two of which are barely touched up or updated, and no other content?

So this review is really a tale of two entirely opposing assessments – inasmuch as you just care about the core quality of the games, this is unbeatable value, because even without much in the way of updates, the games hold up, and are great to play through. If you look at it as a collection of re-releases, even without the whole anniversary celebration context, it comes up short, and looks positively offensive next to how great (and cheap) other similar releases have been.

Obviously, it’s still worth buying – as I said, Galaxy alone justifies the price of admission, and throwing in 64 and Sunshine on top of that is just overkill. But if it is worth buying, it is no thanks to any merits of this collection in and of itself – Nintendo is, ultimately, coasting off of the back of some amazing work it did more than a decade ago to sell what is ultimately a disappointingly barebones, facile celebration of gaming’s most important icon who truly deserves better.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.