videogamescritic
← all games
Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Nintendo · released Sep 18, 2020

CompilationNintendo Switch

Play three of Mario’s greatest 3D platform adventures, all in one package. Play three classic games at home or on the go, all in one package on the Nintendo Switch™ system! Jump into paintings in Super Mario 64™, clean up paint-like goop in Super Mario Sunshine™, and fly from planet to planet in Super Mario Galaxy™. Run, jump, and dive with ease! Make Mario move using the Nintendo Switch system’s Joy-Con™ controllers. You can also pass a Joy-Con controller to a friend to play the Super Mario Galaxy game in Co-Star Mode! Mario’s movements are as smooth as ever with HD resolution for each game, while still retaining the look and feel of the originals. Listen to timeless Super Mario tunes Listen to a total of 175 iconic tunes from all three games! Whether you want to get up and dance or take a minute to relax, this collection has music to fit your mood! Discover (or rediscover) three of Mario’s most iconic 3D platform adventures, all in one package, available on the Nintendo Switch™ system. Experience Mario’s first foray into 3D platforming in the Super Mario 64™ game, originally released in 1996. Wall jump, backflip, and even fly as you explore paintings and collect Power Stars to save Princess Peach! Soak up the sun in the Super Mario Sunshine™ game, originally released in 2002, and spray the goop away with your water-spouting pal, FLUDD! You’ll need to collect Shine Sprites and clear the picturesque Isle Delfino of pollution, just look out for Bowser Jr. Defy gravity as you explore space in the Super Mario Galaxy™ game, originally released in 2007! Help Rosalina restore her ship by collecting Power Stars and save Princess Peach. Gently shake a Joy-Con™ controller to activate Mario’s Spin ability or pass a Joy-Con controller to a friend for some extra help in Co-Star Mode*. Even when you aren’t playing, you can enjoy the sounds that these worlds (and galaxies!) are so famous for. With three games, modern upgrades, and music-player mode, this collection is filled with fun for both new players and 3D platforming Mario masters. Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be available as a limited-run retail edition and a digital edition that is available for a limited time until the end of March 2021.

74
VGC Score
·No trend datamedium confidence
82%
Press
74%
Player sentiment
78%
Backloggd
9,321
Ratings

Screenshots & trailers

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)8220
Creator reviews (2 tracked)832
All-time Steam reviews0
Metacritic user ratings68538
Backloggd ratings78750
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)0
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (103)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 95
    trust 80Sep 23, 2020

    While a few nitpicks hold it back from absolute perfection, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is an amazing collection and a definite must-buy.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 78Sep 16, 2020

    Super Mario 3D All-Stars is an amazing retrospective that shows us the first few steps that the series took going into three-demensional space. Even in this original form the trilogy easily stands tall among most modern games with it's timeless game design. All we can do now is just appreciate this masterpieces and celebrate Mario's anniversary together.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 76Sep 16, 2020

    We’ve had an absolute blast playing through these three gems all over again, especially now they look sharper than ever. It’s a shame that the presentation is practically barebones with no bonus content beyond the soundtracks, but there can still be no denying the quality of the games on offer here. This is the Beatles’ Greatest Hits of the video game world, and is an absolute treat whether you’re reliving it in HD or discovering it for the first time.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 75Oct 8, 2020

    A collection of 3 marvelous, timeless titles, that could be improved upon a bit further, but still stand strong, defying the test of time. While the price should ironically be more like 35 instead of 60 and the availability should not suffer a six months long deadline, these are still one of the best Super Mario games of all time and nothing can change that. If you can get it - get it.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 75Sep 16, 2020

    Mario isn't for everyone - that's self-evident. But Super Mario 3D All-Stars combines three games so good that all platformer fans out there simply have to own it. Even if you already know Mario 64 and Galaxy from WiiU, it's still worth buying the set just for Sunshine. Even at full price. Not even kidding.

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 70Sep 16, 2020

    Super Mario 3D All-Stars represents the pinnacle of platforming goodness and with perfect ports, as well as top notch optimisation for the console, it's a must-buy. For newcomers, they are getting the chance to experience the timeline of how Nintendo first experimented and mastered the 3D platformer, all the way up to it improving on the formula with each iteration. For stalwarts, it's a great excuse to dive back in and revisit a childhood hero in all his hat-wearing, moustache-twirling glory. Each inclusion has perfect character and level designs, as well as an ever-increasing level of innovation that simply cannot be matched by any other gaming company in the platforming genre. To sum up Super Mario 3D All-Stars in one word? Unmissable.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 69Sep 16, 2020

    While yes, the updates are restrained somewhat in their ambition, the end result is undeniable. Even if some elements show their age, this is without a doubt, the best, and most versatile release these three classic 3D platformers have ever received.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 68Sep 29, 2020

    Super Mario 3D All-Stars is certainly rough around the edges as far as a classic collection is concerned, but there is no denying the impact of all three games. The omission of Galaxy 2 and the questionable ports are certainly head scratchers, but that doesn’t change the fact that this collection will deliver hours of fun for Mario players old and new. Another solid title for the Switch lineup. Now make sure to snag it before Nintendo removes it from sale…at least until they break it up and sell them individually that is.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 68Sep 16, 2020

    Super Mario 3D All-Stars offers three excellent games in close to their original forms, but it misses a lot of opportunities to polish and improve them.

    read full review ↗
  • 91
    trust 68Sep 21, 2020

    What All-Stars lacks in extras and celebratory content, it more than makes up for with a boatload of music to enjoy and three masterwork video games to play. It is not hyperbole to say that any Switch collection is incomplete with Super Mario 3D All-Stars in it.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 67Sep 23, 2020

    So rather than looking at what this collection could have been, it’s easier and simpler to see what’s here and decide if that’s enough for you. If one of these games is an all-time favorite, that even these marginal adjustments make them the best and most convenient versions could make a sale for you. There’s nothing here to “fix” them if you didn’t like them the first time. You get what you get, and Nintendo’s confidence in the core products isn’t unwarranted.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 67Sep 21, 2020

    In the end, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a perfectly adequate collection of three very good games. Even if Sunshine isn't to your taste, Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy are two of the finest platformers ever made, and they absolutely make the collection worthwhile. The only disappointment is that not enough was done to adjust and touch up the games for the Switch. Despite that shortcoming, there's hardly a better bang for your buck on the Switch than Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and it is a must-have for any Switch owner. Just remember that for some reason, it's only available for purchase through March 2021.

    read full review ↗

…and 91 more tracked reviews.