Louis Hughes’ Direct Opinion:
Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct
The rumor of a Mario 35th anniversary collection was started back when E3 2020 was supposed to happen. The smoke only got bigger as some speculated that the announcement would be made in September. Nintendo would stealth drop the direct with the announcement people were expecting with some surprises.
The first being that a limited Game and Watch with Super Mario Bros. and the Japanese sequel would be playable. Then, Nintendo Online Members will be treated with Super Mario Bros. 35 from the team that did Tetris 99. Then the biggest that no rumor report saw coming. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. I can see this easily being the must-have item for the holiday season.
During the Direct, there were moments of disappointment mainly coming from that most of the games announced will only be available till the end of March 2021. Because of this, I pre-ordered Super Mario 3D All Stars. I feel the Game and Watch will be harder to find than 3D All Stars. This isn’t the first time Nintendo did limited runs. This happened with 25th Anniversary of Super Mario All Stars for Wii. I remember buying my copy day one and haven’t seen the game in store shelves since then. I feel the 3D All Stars will be in full supply for its limited run while the Game and Watch will sale instantly.
My thoughts on the 3D All Stars is positive, but I am disappointed that Super Mario 64 is just given a smooth texture look and some dialogue changes because of the internet. I was hoping they could remake the game with the Super Mario Odyssey engine. I am surprised to learn Super Mario Sunshine will not support the GameCube controller’s analog triggers for F.L.U.D.D. But, out of all the announcements, my favorite would be the Super Mario Bros. 35 since I feel I would fare better on Mario Bros. battle royal than Tetris 99 though I did manage to make it in the top 20 once.
I skipped on New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe among other Wii U ports because I already own them on Wii U and have no plans to replay them. I purchased Mario Kart 8 Deluxe only for the improved Battle Mode. I am conflicted on Super Mario 3D World +. I’ve already played the game, but I’m very tempted with the Bowser’s Fury DLC.
