Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)

Ok, I know this is terrible, but I was doomscrooling Instagram and someone was complaining, in 2023, about how this is a better year for Mario than Mario's 35th anniversary, in 2020.

First of all, 35 isn't even an anniversary worth celebrating. 30, yes. 40, yes. But 35? Are we going to get wildly mad every 5 years with massive expectations that ultimately never get met? Sounds exhausting. And that's just for Mario. It'll always be somebody's 35th. "I can't believe the disrespect for (insert nintendo IP) on its 35th anniversary!". Oh jog on you melt.

Also, we know how disruptive 2020 was. The Mario 3D collection might have been better if everyone wasn't, you remember right? Stuck at home away from all the things you need to, you know, do your job?

Nintendo didn't help themselves by hyping it up. But we're closer to the 40th anniversary now then the 35th and the whole cycle is going to start again.

"The 40th anniversary collection will be full 3D remakes of all the Mario games ever made!" No. It won't. You said this last time... learn! Learn!

... I'm tired and hot and in a place I can't properly relax... sorry.

It blows my mind that I obsessed over this game (and N64 in general) in my childhood, and I just cracked open Super Mario 64 for the first time in probably ~10 years and it still holds as one of my favorite games. I'm trying to save some money so I'm waiting a few weeks until I can nab Metroid Dread on a sale, but in the meantime I'm relishing in my childhood a bit.

So much raw nostalgia for me in this game, just oozing from every corner!

But what really blows my mind is just how fun a 25 year game was to me when I was 10 years old, and now when I'm in my mid-30s. Some things are best left unchanged.

Borrowing this from a friend. I am currently bouncing between all three games. It's a revisit for 64, but first time for Sunshine and Galaxy. I'm probably 1/3 to 1/2 way through each right now (in terms of story, definitely not in terms of 100% completion).

• Mario 64 -- It was only a couple years ago that I played this. I don't think my opinion will change for it -- it's fine, but dated. The earlier levels are a lot more fun than the later ones. People complain about the camera, but for me it's the imprecise controls that make it frustrating. Still a lot of charm to it all though. I think it was a huge missed opportunity to not include the DS extra content here.

• Mario Sunshine -- Whoo boy. So this is the infamous weird 3D Mario game, which has since been determined to be an underrated classic that most people seem to love a lot now (even the reviews that complain a ton about it still give it a 4/5). I actually kind of like how weird it is in terms of premise and presentation. But the level design just isn't good, movement is janky, and there are probably like a dozen or so little things that consistently frustrate me... and those little things add up. I'll see if I can reach the ending at least.

• Mario Galaxy -- I admit I had my doubts at first. Wonky gravity levels are a bit of a hard sell for me, and here was a whole game devoted to them. I also just do not care for what I'll call "Wii gimmicks," which this one has plenty of (including a kind of pointless star cursor that is always distracting me on-screen). But still, I'm finding this one gradually winning me over. The levels are well-designed and engaging, the controls are polished and smooth, and the general presentation of it all is excellent. The full orchestra music is a real standout here, and I'm finding the "lore" with the side characters a pleasant surprise. I'll probably end this one really wishing Galaxy 2 was included as well.