Gaming

Praise Be: A Bunch Of The Very Best Retro Mario Games Are Finally Coming To Switch

Nostalgia overdrive.

by Joseph Earp  4 September 2020
Super Mario on Switch

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This year marks the 35th birthday of everyone’s favourite stereotypical Italian plumber, (Super) Mario himself.

Yep, despite looking like a 40-year-old since the day that he was born, the dude’s only just crossing into genuine adulthood now. Is he having an existential crisis over it? Impossible to tell. Mario’s face has long been caught in a rictus smile that implies he has seen a Lot of Shit, so who knows if this new milestone is unsettling him any more than all the turtle murder he’s committed.

On the upside, Nintendo have gone all out for the little dude’s birthday. The centrepiece of the celebrations? In two short weeks, three classic Super Mario games are coming to Switch.

Yep, finally — finally — Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy are all coming to the device. That means you can get nostalgic for three separate periods of Nintendo’s development.

Slightly weird is the “time limit” on the game. It’ll only be available to buy until March of next year. Why? Who knows. It’s possibly an attempt to make the release feel limited and special. But to be honest, finally being able to return that pixellated penguin her egg feels like a special day for me, regardless of how long the game’s on sale for.

Anyway, because this is an important announcement in a dark year, the internet has lit up with memes about the highly-anticipated title.

Truly we are blessed this fine day.

Super Mario 3D All Stars hits the switch on September 18.