Now, virtually everyone has already played the three titles in this collection. So, I’m not going to waste your time and review each of them separately. Instead, I’m simply going to list for you my main likes and dislikes about the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very hard for me to come up with my dislikes. That said, I still enjoy the collection, as a whole. But enough small talk, let’s get into the beef.

What I Like: Super Mario Galaxy

Alright, so let’s get this out of the way first. Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite platformer out of the three in this pack. It’s actually not even close, either, as it’s arguably my favorite 3D platformer of all-time. However, after I finally upgraded to a QLED, 55-inch, 4K HDTV, I noticed that 480p, Wii content doesn’t look too amazing.

So, no doubt, this is the game I was looking forward to the most. Outside of the utterly amazing visuals (seriously, Galaxy literally looks breathtaking in this collection), the reworked controls are actually very nice. I never had an issue with the motion control in the original, as I thought it was executed very well.

Yet, I have to admit, using the Pro Controller to play this game is a wonderful experience. Sure, there’s still motion control required, but remapping the spin/shake to a button was a brilliant idea. To me, it worked out better than I could’ve imagined.

What I Don’t Like: The Bare Bones Menu

Oh boy, I knew the menu system was going to be lazy, but even I was surprised. I know complaining about the menu seems to be nitpicking, but I think it’s fair game. What I was hoping for was some type of overworld to explore. In this overworld, in my mind, you would have the three games in different locations. Heck, this could’ve even included a museum celebrating the history of the franchise.

Instead, Nintendo did what Nintendo does. They slapped a bland menu system with the ability to select between the three different titles and their respective soundtracks. Yippee, so freaking exciting.

What I Like: The Visuals

This was touched on with Galaxy, but really each of the three titles here look fantastic. Nintendo nailed that aspect of this collection, which was one of the main points of doing it. Some people have complained that Super Mario 64 wasn’t expanded to a 16:9 aspect ratio. To me, though, it’s not too big of a deal because the game plays well at 4:3.

What I Don’t Like: Little to No Improvements

As much as I want to say that the 3D Mario games are flawless, they really aren’t. Even Galaxy has its camera issues. Super Mario 64 still feels like the same clunky and somewhat irritating platforming experience. Nintendo could’ve done a couple of things. One, they could’ve at least attempted to fix the awful camera a little bit. Secondly, they could’ve made Mario feel smoother and more modern. Really, the same problems could’ve been fixed for Sunshine too.

Look, some will say that not doing this is a good thing as each game retains the same feel. This still could’ve been achieved with the addition of improvements. Yet, Nintendo went the lazy path again. Boy, that’s a real shocker.

Bottom Line: It was a Cash Grab

Yep, this game was a cash grab. With the limited availability added on to the fact, it becomes even more apparent. However, do I regret the purchase? No, I don’t. Despite the complaints I have, the collection is still pretty darn good. You get three of the most famous Mario games of all-time on one, modern platform. They all look really good, and you can even play them on the go now. More should’ve been done, but it’s still nice that Nintendo did deliver on them.

They released Super Mario Galaxy and then released the sequel around three years later (closer to two-and-a-half years). While I do think that both of these games are great, I believe the original to be an utter masterpiece. In fact, it’s my second favorite video game of all-time and what I believe to be the best 3D game ever made.

Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but it’s just my opinion. But, what are my feelings about the sequel? Yeah, it holds up very well and is indeed a really good game. Yet, I personally find it inferior.

I Seem to Be Alone in This

Over the years, I have noticed that many, many fans seem to prefer the sequel over the original. In my opinion, there are really only two areas the sequel improves on. Firstly, the mechanics are more optimized and secondly, the power-ups are much better. Outside of that though, I can’t see where everyone calls the follow-up better. Let’s break down why I feel this way.

The First Has an Overworld

Super Mario Galaxy is the last true entry in the series to have a full-fledged overworld (that’s kind of crazy to think about). You could count Super Mario 3D World, but it’s not quite the same. Anyway, the sequel did away with this and went with an old-school world map to traverse around.

The problem with doing this in a 3D environment is it cuts away from the freedom you have. In the first, you can traverse around the homeworld and go to whatever galaxies you want (granted you have enough star power to get there). In the sequel, you can only go where the map takes you. It’s a dynamic that, to me, only works in the original 2D Mario games.

There Are Larger Galaxies in the First

One of my major issues with the level design in the sequel is its overreliance on smaller galaxies. In the first game, you visit a ton of galaxies that feature many different stars to collect. No, you can’t collect them out of order, but you can’t in the sequel either (unless you are talking about the green stars).

The first also has some smaller galaxies but the blend of scale is done so masterfully. There is little to no fluctuation of the scale in the second game, which makes a big difference.

The Original Simply Has a Better Atmosphere

Some of you may think I’m crazy for saying this, but the two games don’t compare in their respective atmospheres. In the original, you just get the feeling (with the amazing soundtrack and the ambiance) that you’re traveling through space on an epic adventure. The second just doesn’t give off those vibes for me. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t think so.

At the end of the day, I still enjoy the sequel quite a bit. When it comes down to it, however, it will always be inferior to the original. Both will always be classics, though, and will go down in history forever.