TGO Daily | September 4, 2020 | Super Mario's 35th Anniversary
Two days ago I spent the majority of the newsletter talking about the closure of indie studio Vlambeer. Today, I’m spending the whole newsletter to talk about Mario.
I promise this won’t be a running theme — I like to keep the news varied. But there’s just so much Mario to come out of today that it’s impossible not to cover in full. Not to mention the other news stories aren’t nearly as exciting.
Sorry I was unavailable yesterday. Still learning how to navigate all the things life throws my way :)
Back with the news on Monday. Until then,
Adrian
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As rumoured, Super Mario’s 35th anniversary is being celebrated in a big way this year, with a number of major announcements released today.
Perhaps the most talked about reveal is Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which is a collection pack of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. They will be arriving with performance optimizations (but not major redesigns) on the Switch on September 18th. Interestingly, this is going to be a limited release title which will only be available until March 2021 — both physical and digital. While many people are very excited to finally have modern versions of these games, there have been some concerns around how they plan to monetize it. Putting digital games on a limited release doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
That collection is obviously inspired by the SNES Super Mario All-Stars, containing the first four Super Mario Bros. platformers. The original All-Stars is now available to all Switch Online owners through the SNES library.
Mario-Kart Live: Home Circuit will be a Mario-Kart spinoff which incorporates real accessories and augmented reality. To play the game you create a track within your own home that will be reflected virtually using AR. While you race in the game, a physical kart will also whiz around. The exact mechanics haven’t been outlined, but the trailer gives a good idea. Nonetheless, it will ship on October 16th, presumably with some kind of multiplayer option.
Super Mario 3D World was one of the more popular Wii U games, but it didn’t reach mass popularity thanks to the console’s poor sales. It’s now getting re-released via the Switch on February 12, alongside some extra levels under the name of “Bowser’s Fury.” It will have both local and online co-op.
Following in the shoes of Tetris 99, they’ve also announced Super Mario Bros. 35. It’ll be a battle royale where 35 people all play the first Super Mario at the same time. Each enemy you defeat will get sent to another player’s screen, and the last person alive wins the round. It will be free with a Switch Online subscription starting October 1, but will only be playable until March 2021 (why they’re taking this one away, I’m not sure).
Finally, Nintendo is releasing a new portable console by the name of “Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.” Traditionally, Game & Watch was a single-game LCD console that featured classics like Donkey Kong and Balloon Fight. This iteration will have Super Mario Bros. as well as The Lost Levels in full colour. Releasing on November 13th for $50 USD, also with limited units.
A number of non-Mario games will also be joining the anniversary celebration like Animal Crossing and SMM2.
Also In The News
^ This will be starting from fresh next Monday. You haven’t missed too much :)
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