A lot of Switch users may thinkNintendo Switch Onlineneeds stronger connectivity, but the service has a substantial library of games to make up for it. Because ofNintendo Switch Online, tons of classic games from the NES and SNES can be played on the Switch in a time where these games are hard to find elsewhere. NSO is a great way to experience gaming history, and because fan reception to NSO’s game library is generally positive, it’s no surprise that Nintendo announced plans to add an N64 expansion pack.
However, the NSO N64 expansion does raise questions about one of Nintendo’s recent projects. About a year ago,Nintendo releasedSuper Mario 3D All-Stars,a collection of classic 3DMariogames meant to celebrate the franchise’s 35th anniversary. Six months later, Nintendo stopped producing copies ofSuper Mario 3D All-Stars,makingSuper Mario 64and its companions inaccessible again. Now fans know thatSuper Mario 64will return to Switch via NSO, and the door seems open for future NSO expansions that could addSuper Mario SunshineandSuper Mario Galaxy.If so people may wonder what the point ofSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollection was.
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Looking Back on Super Mario 3D All-Stars
WhenSuper Mario 3D All-Starsgot announced, fans were delighted. It’s not every day that old entries in any franchise get remakes or remasters for a current console, but Nintendo arranged forthree influentialMariogamesto arrive on Switch.Marioveterans could experience these games again on a new console, meanwhile younger Switch fans could play these games for the first time.
However,Super Mario 3D All-Starscame with a significant drawback.Nintendo told fans in no uncertain termsthat it would only produce copies of3D All-Starsfor the duration ofSuper Mario’s anniversary celebration. Even though fans immediately expressed frustration and disappointment,Super Mario 3D All-Starsis no longer on the market - save for copies bought ahead of time that now circulate physical and online sales.
Super Mario 3D All-Starsbecame more valuable thanks to its rarity, but fans also foresaw a worrisome opportunity. Even if3D All-Starswas no longer in production, Nintendo still had Switch versions ofSuper Mario 64,Sunshine,andGalaxyon hand. It could release permanent versions of these games on Switch, makingSuper Mario 3D All-Starssomething of a pointless celebration in retrospect. The last thing fans want is to feel like they wasted their time and money scrambling to get a copy of3D All-Stars. Unfortunately,the advent of the N64 Expansion Packmight mean that fear will come true.
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Nintendo Switch Online Clashes with 3D All-Stars
Fans already know thatSuper Mario 64will be a part of the N64 pack for NSO. Although there’s no proof that Nintendo plans on adding GameCube or Wii games next, if the N64 andSega Genesis expansion for NSOsell well, a GameCube and Wii expansion only seems logical. It’s hard to imagine that Nintendo wouldn’t includeSuper Mario SunshineandSuper Mario Galaxyin such an expansion, especially since it already has Switch versions ready to go.
If all three games come to Switch Online,Super Mario 3D All-Starswas ultimately pointless.Super Mario 3D All-Starswas meant to be the core of theSuper Mario35th anniversary celebration, but if it becomes obsolete andSuper Mario Bros. 35remains offline, Nintendo did little to celebrateMario’s anniversary in the end. Re-releasingAll-Stars' contents through NSO flies in the face of Nintendo’s stance thatAll-Starshad a limited run to celebrate the anniversary. After all, it was little more than a collection of the three games, so making them available on NSO would be equivalent to Nintendo never takingAll-Starsoff the market.
Fans don’t want to feel like they made fools of themselves for rushing to getSuper Mario 3D All-Stars,but that feeling could be exacerbated based on how much the N64 expansion of NSO costs, as well asany theoretical GameCube and Wii expansions. If fans ultimately could’ve gotten all three games inSuper Mario 3D All-Stars,as well as a ton of other games, for something like half than the anniversary collection’s $60 price tag,All-Starsseems like a bad deal in retrospect.
Fans Should Watch Nintendo Switch Online Closely
Nintendo hasn’t confirmed more expansions beyond N64 and Genesis games, but it seems like a logical step if Nintendo is going to stick with the Switch as its home console for a few more years.The new Switch OLED modelsuggests that Nintendo doesn’t want to come out with a new console yet, so further expansions to Nintendo Switch Online would be unsurprising. There’s certainly a lot of GameCube, Wii, Game Boy, and DS games that could make good use out of Switch Online’s multiplayer service.
That does make it look likeSuper Mario 3D All-Starsmay be obsolete one day. If Nintendo keeps working with the Switch, it’ll be tending to NSO for years, meaning it’ll probably put the rest of itsSuper Mariogames and others on the service. They’re toosignificant to Nintendo’s historyto keep out of NSO’s library, after all. While it’s a shame thatSuper Mario 3D All-Starshas a dubious future, there is a bright side. Not everyone managed to get a copy ofAll-Stars,so bringing its games toNintendo Switch Onlinewould be a great way to put them in the hands of all fans. If Nintendo does spiritually releaseSuper Mario 3D All-Starspiece-by-piece in the coming years, at least the games will be here to stay as long as the Switch does.
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