4.5/5 ★ – heyvladislove's review of Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

After having played Mario Odyssey I automatically assumed that the previous installment are obsolete simply because they are older and I thought that the formula is "we made a game, now let's improve some of the stuff in the next one". Boy was I wrong! Super Mario 64 A game released in 1996 still plays so well thanks to rather precise controls and the freedom the game provides you with. The game gives you more than enough tools to achieve the goal which is usually the stars and it's up to you how to use them. It's a game that benefits from multiple playthroughs because the first time around I didn't quite like some of the stuff related to the controls and I especially didn't like the camera. But as you play it more it starts to click and then the game really unlocks. I only wish that in this collection Nintendo would've improved some technical aspects of the game, like some objects are popping in and out depending on the distance and the locked aspect ratio. Super Mario Sunshine It started great for me after being slightly disappointed with Mario 64 first because the camera and movement here were much more intuitive. However I soon came to realize that this entry is a spawn of Satan himself. The cheery music, the colorful environments set in a tropical resort paradise is a false front. In reality, Mario gets into a fucking Vietnam warzone where one step in a wrong direction becomes your ultimate demise. Maybe it's the same as with Mario 64 where multiple playthroughs would make me appreciate it more, but I don't have the strength to go through all of that at this point. Some of the levels are so hard or barely functional you start to question your own sanity. On the bright side because of Sunshine I learned to love Mario 64 much more. Super Mario Galaxy Now this is how you make a fucking videogame. There isn't an ounce of fat on this bitch, it's back to back quality supported by once again precise controls, amazing levels that engage you much more than in the previous two, and the soundtrack. The soundtrack alone deserves all the appraisal because it's simply fantastic, it's a miracle to save your soul. It's always used appropriately, with slower, simpler tunes on larger levels or spookier tones with the ghost levels, for example. But one thing all of the songs share is that they make you feel so grateful for having working ears, it's unreal. Mario Galaxy is the game that makes you wanna live, it brightens any gloomy day and games like this set the bar high in the Kingdom of Heaven for the rest of the industry.