Review: 25th Anniversary Edition of Super Mario All-Stars

[roostuf]

Greg all you really did for me in this review is telling me what i already know, this is a cheap cash-in special edition with no shame.

Yahzee is going to bum-rape nintendo for this.

 

[Snotnarok]

I knew it was going to be the same stupid game. The biggest slap in the face is that they didn't do the version with Mario World. They actually made that version but didn't use it, it's psychotic!

I mean for this you should have gotten Mario World, Yoshis Island and Warios Woods.

Hell you can still get the cartridge for allstars for the same price..WITH MARIO WORLD.

 

[EricBC]

Isn't comparing this to the VC releases a little silly? The games aren't the same. The All Stars Version has the updated look and everything. Unless there are things missing in the AS version that were in the originals, couldn't they be considered the "definitive" version?
Then if that's that case, this is the first time the proper version of the games has been available since 1993.

Having said that, flame on.

 

[Madmanonfire]

I just find it hilarious that so many people think that this is a ripoff, but Sony puts out God of War Collection and Sly Collection and everyone says "Thank you!" and throws their money away. They don't even have the graphics upgrade that All Stars has over the original versions, they just press the widescreen and upscale buttons, toss in trophies and call it a day. I don't know about the Sly games, but for the God of War titles they didn't even press the upscale button on all of the content. Half the cutscenes would suddenly look like you were playing an original SNES on your HDTV. So not only is it nothing more than a simple port, but it's also a lazy port. And it's also a port of games for a system that you can still buy new in stores. At least Nintendo has the excuse that you can't pick up a brand new SNES and find a copy of All Stars in the GameStop used games section. And yeah the NES versions are on the VC, so if you don't care about the graphics you can save some money, but if you do then All Stars is here for you and you aren't about to get it anywhere else for Wii. The only thing Sony can say for their collections is "Yeah we took out the ability to play these games on their original discs so now you can just buy these games all over again! And while you're at it, here's the PSP Go, get one of those and re-buy your PSP collection from us as well."

So yeah. I just don't get why Nintendo gets blasted for re-releasing a game you can't your hands on easily, but Sony does the same thing with games that aren't that hard to find and people act like they are awesome when in reality it is Sony that's really ripping people off.

The main difference is SMAS was released twice while those two collections were released once. Couple that with the ease of being able to play all the titles in their collections without having to hunt down each one and you'll find that you're just laughing in ignorance. Also, there are people who enjoy the games in the collections who didn't happen to buy any of the separate disks, so they would love such collections. Don't forget about them.

 

[hespanky2669]

couldve sworn the old collection also had super mario world, does this not even have that??? if so big old WTF!!!! to nintendo

 

[DeadlyYellow]

You think they'd at least have given it a 2.5D update like Sonic 4. Something to justify the existence of this lazy cash grab.

Hell, they likely had access to the NSMBW engine and assets. It shouldn't be all that hard to duplicate levels from the original.

Hell, they could have been even lazier and just claimed some HBC hackpack.

 

[Crono Maniac]

I would pay thirty bucks for the soundtrack alone, personally. But hey, to each their own.

 

[Son of Detroit]

I just find it hilarious that so many people think that this is a ripoff, but Sony puts out God of War Collection and Sly Collection and everyone says "Thank you!" and throws their money away. They don't even have the graphics upgrade that All Stars has over the original versions, they just press the widescreen and upscale buttons, toss in trophies and call it a day. I don't know about the Sly games, but for the God of War titles they didn't even press the upscale button on all of the content. Half the cutscenes would suddenly look like you were playing an original SNES on your HDTV. So not only is it nothing more than a simple port, but it's also a lazy port. And it's also a port of games for a system that you can still buy new in stores. At least Nintendo has the excuse that you can't pick up a brand new SNES and find a copy of All Stars in the GameStop used games section. And yeah the NES versions are on the VC, so if you don't care about the graphics you can save some money, but if you do then All Stars is here for you and you aren't about to get it anywhere else for Wii. The only thing Sony can say for their collections is "Yeah we took out the ability to play these games on their original discs so now you can just buy these games all over again! And while you're at it, here's the PSP Go, get one of those and re-buy your PSP collection from us as well."

So yeah. I just don't get why Nintendo gets blasted for re-releasing a game you can't your hands on easily, but Sony does the same thing with games that aren't that hard to find and people act like they are awesome when in reality it is Sony that's really ripping people off.

PS2 collections are re-mastered with 2x anti-aliasing and run at a locked 60 frames-per-second. Hell, the Sly Collection even has move support. You can't compare what Sony did to the way Nintendo just slapped some NES games on a disc and called it a day.

 

[Nieroshai]

In all truth, this is a bit of a nitpick. First off, yes the game does cost a little more than the games off of the Wii Shop Channel. Why? Because of the book and the comprehensive soundtrack. In a way this is a discount. Not only do you get a free artbook and guide to Mario history, you get a dirt-cheap CD. Video game soundtracks are expensive and hard to come by physical copies. So if you like the extras, this is a deal.

 

[CyberAkuma]

This game is a testament to how lazy Nintendo has been this year.

 

[C117]

Not to mention the fact that the entire SMAS is about five hours of gameplay.

Wait, what? Have you actually played any of these games? Without taking the shortcuts that is?

OK, this isn't in this collection, but Super Mario World serves a decent example.
If you take the shortest route to the end game, you can finish it in <30 minutes.

If you play it through though...

The same logic applies to the older games.

Super Mario Bros - taking the warp to world 8 will cut out 90% of the game. But how does that count?

OK, there are about 24 stages, and they're designed to take 2 minutes to play if you can do them flawlessly.
But I doubt anyone's going to be that good unless they've played it a lot already.

Anyway... 5 hours. Huh. That just seems unlikely for all but the most inhumanly good players.

Oh so true. I've played Super Mario Allstars for as long as I've played videogames (first videogame evaar), and I still haven't beat it.

So yes, you need to play through it quite a few times until you're done...

 

[Motakikurushi]

I don't think I've ever seen a more poignant example of how Nintendo are just leeching money off of people now without giving anything back. I could stomach New Super Mario Bros. Wii because it's kinda different to the DS version, but nobody on earth could ever say this was worth porting. Not only is it hideously expensive, there are no improvements made to the games at all. Who the hell can defend Nintendo's logic behind this? I got my copy of Super Mario All Stars FREE with my Super Nintendo!

Wait, is Super Mario World in this collaboration? It better damn well be!

 

[Okysho]

that's kinda silly about the game select screen. If Nintendo really wanted a Mario collection, you'd think they'd put more into the disk. I mean those games can't be more than a few megs. THey could have updated the menu, included some cool Miyamoto interview or something, at least some better bonus material than just a soundtrack and... well maybe a few more super mario games? Super Mario world maybe, you know more than just three... That would have made it a bit more worth the money...

 

[Kuchinawa212]

Actually I was a little displeased they used Mario 3 graphics for all of them. I think having the orginal graphics would have been awesome.

And we have always been able to play Lost Levels. Super Marios All Stars for the NES. had all this on there AND Super Mario World!

 

[Something Amyss]

So Sony does what Nintendon't?
Please don't hit me.

I will personally smite anyone who hits yo for that.

Anyway, I think Graham Stark said it best on ENN a while back: This is why we can't have nice games, people.

 

[CatmanStu]

So we finally have the ultimate distillation of Nintendo's copy and paste mentality.

Just to clarify, I am not a Nintendo hater, in fact I believe every game publisher should have a lazy, corner cutting development team to make cheap, cash-in games for the 'casual gamer' and 'ultra hardcore collect everything' crowd, making money that can be used for good original ideas; but as an industry it needs to stop fellating companies for games like Mario Galaxy 2 and any COD using the Modern Warfare engine which (except the first one, obviously), despite the quality of the games, are just shameless cash-ins to suck more revenue away from fresher more innovative titles.

More power to the Escapist for having opinions for reviews rather than marketing and revenue initiatives.

 

[kouriichi]

They should do this with Kirby.
Remeber Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards? The double-sided Lightening blade?!? The sandpaper ability so you could light yourself on fire and run around killing stuff using your flaming body as a weapon?!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVRtc5ljqBg&feature=related

Kirby had some amazing games back in the day! And plenty of them! They should totally re-release the kirby games.

 

[Iskenator67]

I still own SMAS on the SNES so I see no point in buying this if you (like me) keep great old games. $2 at a yard sale beats $30 at Wal-Mart everyday.

 

[v3n0mat3]

I was thinking they'd recreate the games using the New Super Mario Bros. engine. But they didn't. Oh well.