Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Despite its minimal trimmings, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a worthwhile collection of some of the plumber's most memorable adventures.

Two of Nintendo's finest, and one of its most interesting, come together in a compilation that isn't worthy of their greatness.

If anything, Super Mario 3D All-Stars shows the breadth of what a 3D Mario game can be, and much of that is truly excellent.

Super Mario 3D All Stars' package of three of the best 3D Mario games are just enhanced and tweaked enough to be an enjoyable revisiting, but without removing the classic charm.

Nintendo has delivered a joyous compilation of three platforming classics, but it's difficult not to feel like it could have been even more.

I still think Mario deserved a more lavish birthday celebration, but the classic titles in this collection really can’t be diminished.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars, as barebones as it might be as a compilation, is a great way to experience (or re-experience) these games all over again. It was a joy running through all three of them even if they weren't strictly upgraded. That goes double for Mario Galaxy, as this is going to be my preferred way to play it from now on.

Although I have my qualms with this collection—strange inconsistencies in the Super Mario Sunshine port chief among them—it does what it set out to do: chart Mario’s evolution from a bushwhacking pioneer to the inimitable mascot of 3D platforming.

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.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is frustrating, because it could be more. It could be so much more. But even with Nintendo phoning it in, the games themselves are such classics that they're still worth putting in your Switch library. Just make sure you add it before it goes away forever.