Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2) (Switch)

 

All in time for the Galaxy-movie!

I continued with the sequel that I haven't finished on the Wii. It originally came out in 2010 which means it probably was the last game I got as a student at university, meaning I was rather depressed so didn't feel like playing anything... and then four years unemployment followed. Recalling this I actually got the version with a DVD on how to play the game. Sadly the package it all came in had been destroyed by water or corroded electronics. Great I put it on since now I can actually see that the graphics are much better on the Switch version. On the other hand the game crashed on me on the very second level so it might not be as stable.

So the story is basically a retelling on the first Galaxy-game with Bowser attacking Toad Town and getting Princess Peach, but instead of being picked up by the Cosmic Comet, you instead meet a Luma called Lubba that travels around space. It takes the shape of Mario's face for some reason. Some people on the internet speculate that had the game been released today it would just have been DLC for the original game and I can see that. Some stages are lifted directly from the first game, but Thwomps Fortress from Super Mario 64 showed up and that was nice. 

Changes to gameplay is that now, as you can see on the cover, you also can get Yoshi with you. He eat stuff and can use the flutter jump as well as using his tongue to platform even higher. In that way it feel a bit like Super Mario World with the first stage being in front of Yoshi's house and he being out. You used the wii remote pointer, but the Switch make you use the gyrocontrols instead. Seen as one of the reason why it wasn't on the All-Star 3D Collection, but since it works rather well here that can't be it. 

So did I 100%? Not as of writing, I ended up with 120 star and activated the green prankster comets that put in another 120 stars to collect which double the stars for each stage. Mostly they are hidden around the levels so you gotta find them. Not that hard since they give away the sound of a shimmering star when you get near so as long as you hear that you can deduce where they are. I got stuck at the third green star at the digging level in the first world where I found it, but couldn't get how to get to it. After some tries I gave up for another time. This is written right before Halloween 2025 which means I have four day weekend to look forward to, but Dragon Quest 1+2 comes this Friday or something like that which means the weekend is scheduled for that. 

Super Mario Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2) (Switch)

 

Lost in Space... again!

Well, I guess I'm part of the problem when I got this duology since I've already got the first game for Switch, and finished it 100% at it as well. I guess they fixed some graphics and added some story book pages, otherwise it's pretty much the same game. Used the pro-controller for this and it worked rather well. I guess this is pretty much the only way to play this game now if you didn't get a copy of Super Mario 3D-All Star (which I did). 

I finished it at 60 stars and continued a bit, but I realized pretty quickly why it was a bit of a bother to 100% it. So I haven't unlocked Super Luigi Galaxy, but I already have the picture to prove I finished that one as well on my Switch so I don't feel the need to finish it. I'm more worried by Super Mario Galaxy 2 which I haven't finished so sometime would be the first.

Things I can say is that I hate the bouncing power up, I can't get it to work all the time and I don't know why. 

Mario Kart World (Switch 2)

 

This will not help with the tour.

So like everyone else there is basically one new game for the Switch 2 at launch and as stated, I got it at the launch bundle with my Switch 2. And it's Mario Kart. I drove through the coursers and unlocked the final Grand Prix with Rainbow Road in it. I gathered it was an unlockable course since Mario Kart needs a Rainbow Road as the final. 

Overall, it's Mario Kart and it looks and sound great. I'm not a competitive player or plays online so I don't get as much out of it. My first Mario Kart was Mario Kart 64 and I think the most enjoyment was playing with friends and my sisters. Took years until I managed to unlock mirror mode since we played it more as battle mode or two. Dubble Dash for the GameCube was better that way since we could all four play in the Grand Prix. But what I did when I played on my own was driving around the coursers looking around. The train level I followed the tracks into the tunnel or found Peaches castle at the Mario Circuit level so when this game introduced the Free Roam mode, I would have loved it as a kid. I even got vibes of Diddy Kong Racing and the adventure mode. You got to collect Peach coins, ?-panels and find missions to solve. Meanwhile you can find food that unlocks new costumes for your characters. 

As a kid I would have loved it, as an adult that have a gigantic backlog it's busy work I don't really feel like going through. Meanwhile there isn't anything else to play beside older games and such so what else are you gonna do. I got it was a mirror mode you can unlock as well, but then you have to collect ten off everything in free roam and then beat all coursers in 150cc I think. Maybe I will someday, but we will see. A thing I would have wished they added from Diddy Kong Racing was a plane mode to fly around the stages instead of just gliding. 

Online I gather there is some controversy regarding the intermission tracks, instead of standard 3 laps coursers they put in Intermission tracks where you travel around the world. In one way it showcases the free roam mode, but I get it for those that want to learn the coursers since you need the repeating tracks to do it since the tracks gets long in intermission mode. Especially irritated for people was that there was a workaround, but after a patch people couldn't get past that in the same way I gathered. I can understand peoples irritation over it and maybe this is one of the times when Nintendo maybe should give the people what they want? Then on the other hand, people doesn't always know what they want or what they need? Then again I don't really care since I don't play online.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch)

Throw a book at them!

Yet another GameCube-remake, this time of a game I actually finished... not that long ago either... 6 YEARS AGO? Boy, must have played it as soon as I got my home. Should probably play Golden Sun again so I can get a remake of that as well, but that was 6 years ago as well. Got nothing to add really since the last playthrough regarding story or so. Same story. They changed some lines, no catcalling goombas in the sewer and Vivian clearly a trans-character in this. Somehow this was controversial before the games release, but I don't really care, I get to send a shadow demon queen back to the abyss with jumps!

Mostly the remake have been upgrading is the graphics with what people speculate is the Origami King-engine. Now, I can't instantly see that the graphics have been improved unless someone shows me a side by side comparison. As someone said, it looks like I remember the game to look. Especially since last time I was using a small screen so it will probably look rather awful at my current setup. I now that they also added a match with Prince Mush, the former champion of the Glitzpit, which I haven't beaten, my attacks just stops working after passing 50 % health. I beat everything else like Bonetail, and every trouble, all star pieces and upgraded all characters. Which unlocks all the art galleries and music players. Best addition probably the increased coin purse sine it goes to 9999 instead of 999. Less need to use coins constantly and actually have a buffer for special occasions.

Game stills great. Fun and engaging. They also apparently added some shortcuts which minimise the traveling time between areas and thank god for that with the General White quest and side-quest. Hope this will make Nintendo do another adventure like this. The badge system is so fun since it gives you freedom to play however you want as long as you got the badges. I ended powering up Mario to max in jumping, even disabling the hammer for extra damage. Kinda fun hitting 7 damage constantly. If I was a bit more daring I might even have lowered the hp get more badgepoints to push danger (5 hp or lower) and critical (1 hp) extra damage. Of course, one hit and your dead so better be good at those super guards.

So I tried it for Prince Mush, and I got so close so many times. I get him down to 9 hp and then I have to time the damn super guard to be able to damage him. I make it in the beginning to get him to the second phase but after that I just can't seem to do it, and I use both simplifier badges I have. Either start leveling up for more bagde points or actually get good at the game... might be time to change game.

Princess Peach: Showtime! (Switch)

 

All the worlds a stage!

Newest Princess Peach game and a short game at that. My niece got it as well when she turned 8 and seemed to like it. At that time I still hadn't picked up my copy which I did the day after. Got to play it a week after when I finished up the Dragon Quest Monster game.

So the story is that Peach wanted to go to the theater, but after arriving a body-less "sorceress" named Madam Grape and the Sour bunch seals of the the theater with Peach and a lot of locals called Sparklas (I think). So she has to go through each play to get 10 different costumes that allows her to master different vocations like some bakery chef, a kung fu master, swordsman (or woman in this case), ninja, detective, superhero like Iron Man, a cowgirl, master thief, figure skater and a mermaid... maybe not a vocation, but still?

There's three stages per costume, first you begin with Peach and something like half-way through you get the costume and learns the rope. The second stage you are dressed from the start and the third stage is rescuing the one that the costume was based on. There's 5 floors and a basement and 5 bosses to beat. In every stage there is Sparkle gems to collect and a costume for Peach and her friend for the adventure, Stella. After beating the game you can find hide and seek ninjas in every stage and refight the bosses and try getting sparkle gems from the bosses by clearing some conditions, like take no damage, use minimal of resources and such. Each floor also has a rehearsal stage that allows you to do certain costume segments to get a high score, like Swordsman and Kung Fu Master beating up enemies without taking damage, the master thief gliding and collect jewels during an obstacle course and the superhero rescuing civilians from aliens. 

I did most things and it took something like 24 hours. Only thing left is getting the sparkle gems from the bosses. Two cleared in full, one with one condition left and two where I got to get everything. The gems is then used to buy decorating stuff in the theater. Only one thing left. Final boss is interesting since you "get" a new costume called Radiant Peach which turns the battle into a shoot'em'up. I also get that the joke is that Peach is radiant like a star since she's the star of the game (and in universe the plays). 

You would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love her and despair!

Now, I found it rather enjoyable the time I played it. There where some issues like that the nature of the stages dragged a bit if you replayed them a lot to get everything. You can't skip in-game cutscenes so it drags a bit, the movie like scenes you can skip and you can watch them whenever you like. Wished you could jump around the stages a bit easier. The game also took a long time loading the stages for some reason. And the final nitpick is that the dress costumes you can buy and get. Most of them look the damn same, in that they are white and pink for the most of it. They have different designs, but more colors wouldn't be bad. Really, the most interesting dresses are the bosses since then you get a different color. And the detective costume since it alone is brown to suit the Sherlock Holmes look. 

I heard some people compare it to Balan Wonderworld that have the same costume idea, but I guess it's much less costumes here and it only affects the stages they are in. In Balan I got the impression you choose which costumes to use and that differentiated the game play. Of course I haven't played Balan and with the reviews I will probably never do it. I thought going in that this game would be get the costumes and choose what to use and such. 

Overall, fun game. Feels like it could be in the Paper Mario Universe with the stage feeling and such. Will I play it again? Maybe not, I'm not that interested in playing the bosses until I master the game and there is no reward what I could see for doing it. I wonder if they use this to test certain ideas for games. The super hero one gave me vibes of Wonderful 101 and I would have liked more Kung Fu Master, Master Thief and Detective. I can skip Mermaid and Skater.

The last thing I saw before playing this was that the director is actually the same director who made Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon for the Nintendo 64 and you know I like that game. The ninja stages made me think of that and still wait for the Mystical Ninja collection Konami has to be working on.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch)

 

A return to their roots.

As of writing it's the end of February and I haven't played any video games beside some levels of Super Mario Bros. Wonder when I was at my sisters place the weekend 13 days after Christmas, and before that nothing since early December. As usual I'm not too inclined to play games during this time, and usually I get over it with a puzzle game. The game for 2024 was apparently Mario vs. Donkey Kong for the Nintendo Switch.

It's a remake of a 2004 GBA-game (which make it the second GBA-remake I know of after Advance Wars Switch-game) which I have two versions of on 3DS and Wii U. Never finished though. I finds that being the best thing about remakes, improvements to ease off play that actually allows me to finish them. Yes, I played casual mode that took away the timer which is new for the remake. The mode also gives you five bubbles instead of using extra lives taking some stress out of getting hit (in most levels it doesn't even hinder you from getting a gold star compared to the original). It also seems that they've added 2 set off overworlds since looking at the original it just seems to be 6 overworlds compared to the remakes 8. Since I don't intend to play through the GBA version I won't know unless I'm stuck somewhere with my 3DS and can't muster anything else to do.

Story is that one day Donkey Kong is zapping through the TV-channels when he stumbles upon a commercial for a new toy called Mini-Mario, he rushes out to get one (as the commercials message of "gotta get them all" repeats in his mind, think it's a jab at the Pokemon tagline). The stores is sold out so he rushes to the Toy Factory and steals them from the Toad workers there and Mario just happens to be there so he follows the Kong in order to get them back. He jumps and platforms his way through a set of 6 levels collecting mini-Mario's so that he can use them to collect the letters T-O-Y so that they open a chest he can put them in to get 6 hits on a boss level with Donkey Kong. Both the music and gameplay evokes the Donkey Kong arcade game and the Nintendo 8-bit series. After that you get a new set of levels and continue that for 8 overworlds to fight the big boss and then you do that all over again for the plus levels so that you can fight the final boss, Donkey Kong in a giant Kong Suit. Credits roll.

Then there is 10 extra levels that you unlock by the amount of gold stars you have, in the end I had 112, missing the boss fights. So in total. 130 levels to complete everything, but I don't feel the need to overextend my enjoyment. Took me a weekend of on-and-off play to get through it and that felt enough. A couple of days and I'm ready for something else during my half-week vacation.

Super Mario RPG (Switch)

 

Clash of the Gaming Titans!

Yet another remake, this time of a Super Nintendo game, the very first Mario RPG, made by Square (now Square Enix). Originally not released in Europe until it was one of the first special Wii Virtual Console releases during a certain Japanese holiday and cost a bit more than the usual releases. I got it there and then they released it for the SNES Mini as well. Never finished either version. Only tried it on the Wii Virtual Console, but I fell asleep somewhere after the bow boss. Should probably finish it some day to see the differences from this game.

Story is that Bowser have kidnapped Princess Peach, but as Mario beats Bowser in his castle a gian sword falls from the sky and throws Mario, Bowser and Peach in different directions. Apparently the sword was sent by Smithy from Weapons land as he intends to take over the world. So Mario begins the rescue of the whole world.

First he meets Mallow a cloud boy that says he is a frog. He had a run in with a pick-pocket so you help him and you go back to his father, the frog sage that tells him that he really is adopted since the sage found him in the river so he took care of him. You also meets up with a living doll called Geno that have been possessed by a star entity to find the seven stars to restore the star road (that was smashed by the sword crashing down) so that wishes can be granted again.

I played to much D&D when this is what I think of as star entities.

You also recruit Bowser and Peach in order to stop this existential threat to the Mushroom kingdom and all others. You fight underwater shark pirates, climb to the clouds and fight off a usurper to the throne that belongs to Mallow, you traverse Star hill, fight some dwarf in a tower that tries to marry Peach and so on until you fight off Smithy in his weapon factory. Beat him and you win, a parade is shown and everyone lives happily again. 

It was a fun adventure. The changes made the game go a lot faster. For one, if you time your attacks right you get an area of effect that damage all enemies and that greatly speed up the game. I think that was what broke me last time, that I had to fight every individual enemy in a fight. You also can gather energy to a super attack with all three players in your party either do some buff or healing effect or do decent damage. Otherwise it's seems to be just graphics and music that is changed. Also they added cutscenes that was a bit more cinematic than the in-game cutscenes from the original. Interesting choice not to have any voice acting. You are able to play some post-game stuff and finish up unfinished quests, like what's behind the locked door in Monstro Town... OH NO!!!

I haven't been fooled like this since Final Fantasy V and the damn treasure chest!

Overall, I found it most enjoyable. Finally finished it for the first time. Really looking forward to the Thousand Year Door remake in 2024. Why I mention this is that the Paper Mario was the sequels to this game Nintendo made themselves and you can feel that the first Paper Mario really took a lot of the story like the seven stars and star road and incorporated it into that game. Due to the first Paper Mario being on the Switch as N64-game I have a hard time seeing that being remade. All I'm saying I got a craving for more Paper Mario. (This was of course played well before the announcement of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake)

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

Happy Together!

So not only have I've been dusting off my old reliable Wii U, I also went through reading this old blog and realised that when I wrote about Smash Bros for 3DS I wrote that I would play the Wii U version, but I never wrote about it, mostly because as noted, I was a bit burned out by the series, and it has actually not been helped with Ultimate. So why didn't I play that instead? Well, I mostly played the Wii U version because it was the last game in the series as of yet to have trophies. And you couldn't transfer data between the version, what a huge hassle.

Cause what is there otherwise to talk about? It's a fighting game and works as much every other Smash game. Didn't help the Wii U that much, but introduced DLC where we finally got Roy back in the fold. As well as Mewtwo that you could get for free if you bought both games and registered it on some Club Nintendo site or such, unfortunately I bought the 3DS version in a Swedish shop meaning it didn't have the code so I had to buy it on the side. Well everything is bought online today so no problem with that anymore.

So I played through Classic Mode with every character, and some on All-Star Mode, but with this many characters it's a real pain getting through it. Also, All-Star mode is fine since it's pretty much the same as it always been, but Classic mode, what a downgrade from the original (now this might be just me playing it on easy since I want to get through it) but I recall Classic mode have different phases with metal Mario, large and small versions and such spicing up the gameplay, here it's just move around the board and choose a group of enemies. And why isn't there any Adventure mode like in Melee or Brawl? At least the 3DS had the great cave offensive or whatever it was called. So nothing special about, works like everyone else and if you have a couple of friends it's a great time, maybe not so much playing alone.

So why is trophies so important? Because it introduced me to a much larger world of games. In Melee you could get trophies from games that wasn't out yet and games that never was released in Europe or the US. The stickers in Ultimate doesn't tell me anything about the games they come from. I learned about Earthbound from the trophies, got me interested in Metal Gear before the Twin Snakes come out and something called the Famicom Detective Club... wait, that came out on the Switch some time ago. And I got it, might be a fun playthrough.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (3DS)

 

Big Trouble in Little Beanbean Kingdom

Well, had to pick up these 3DS games before the eshop closes down. So I got the remake of the Game Boy Advance game Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga that started the other Mario RPG-series after Paper Mario. I got the original version on the Virtual Console on the Wii U. Not finished it, played maybe 20 minutes and then almost fell asleep so that didn't end well. Well, 20 hours later in this game and I'm finished. Main story complete.

So story is that during a diplomatic mission from the Beanbean Kingdom, Fawful (who that is is never explained) together with the... witch Cackletta (I assume as well since it's never actually explained where she comes from or why she does what she do) steals Princess Peach voice and escapes back to Beanbean Kingdom to get the Beanstar that will grant Cackletta her wishes. Mario and Luigi is called in to help and with the help of Bowser that finds it insulting that someone else attacked Peach, but his airship gets hijacked by Fawful stranding the Mario Bros at the mountain border between the Mushroom Kingdom and Beanbean Kingdom. Entering the kingdom and the Castle town the Bros drive out Fawful and Cackletta so that Queen Bean can help you together with Prince Parsley that you rescued from an egg at the top of the mountain. 

Well, that was apparently part of Cackletta's plan since she dumped the Bros to fix the plumbing in the castle that somehow released the security around the Beanstar, but when you tried to stop her the Beanstar fragmented into 4 pieces that you now have to get since it appears that Peach was kidnapped while getting to the Beanbean kingdom. Gather the star pieces, some shenanigans to rescue Peach as Cackletta now possessed Bowser and known as Bowletta that gathered his Castle and starts shelling Beanbean Kingdom. The Bros flies up to the castle and fight their way through the koopalings and I gotta say, this is where the game gets hard. It effing cheats. Damn Ludwig and Wendy, that made me put on the Easy mode since can't stand that damn timing attacks both to get to them and then the fights.  Gah, and then then finally you fight Bowletta, that ends with the bros being sucked into the stomach of Bowletta where you gotta fight Cackletta's... true final form I guess, some kind of elemental cloud.

Original version I get and apparently it's her soul

The Bros escapes the castle after defeating the soul and rescuing Bowser. The Bros together with Princess Peach and Toadsworth fly home in the plane with Bowser in tow, credits roll and everything is fine... well, there is another mode, Bowser's minions where the minions from Bowser's cruiser try to gather the troops and find their lord while trying to fight of Fawful and the kooplings that have been brainwashed by Fawful. Basically choose the right minions for the team to fight through 2-4 battles to get on. I played 2 and a half level and just stopped, it might be a distraction and a thing to get the time up to respectable 40 hours, but I'm not gonna do that. I have other games, but the banter between the minions are kinda fun with everyone pushing the main goomba as leader so that they don't have to, the so called aura of stupidity.

Main game is kinda fun, interesting puzzles and such. I wish there was some kinda quick defeat fighting enemies that clearly can't kill you and you will defeat in one hit. Why is Earthbound one of the few games that implemented that feature? Even Paper allowed you to equip a badge that did that. Well, time for another game and as of writing summer vacation is soon upon me with less than a week of working left. Thank god for public work where you get a half day of the day before midsummer

Mario's Super Picross (Wii U)

 

I'M MELTING! I'M MELTING!

So, 2023 Nintendo is gonna close the Wii U and 3DS eshops, so now with disposable income and a years knowledge in advance, I had to go through and buy games I was on the fence on to get my hand on the games. Especially since I don't want a repeat of Super Adventure Island 2 where I missed to get it on the Wii virtual console, forcing me to pay 100 $ or € instead of... I don't know, was there 15 €/$ for SNES games on the Wii? Doesn't matter, I will get the most out of my Wii U and 3DS. 

So, basically this is a puzzle game. I think I saw the Game Boy version back in the 90's when looking for Game Boy-games. What I didn't get was that it was completely in Japanese. So I guess it was released on one of those festival releases where we could get some really interesting games, like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy and other games. Well, I don't speak Japanese, but does it stop me? No, the gameplay is pretty much like the puzzle portion of Murder by Numbers and fidgeting around in the choice at the start of Mario levels I get that it gives you hints in payment with lowered time. Should explain that there is two modes, either Mario levels or Wario levels. Mario gives you a 30 minute timer while Wario gives you endless time (as far as I know), which should make Mario harder, but I get that it is easier puzzles than Wario that gets you to guess at times and doesn't tell you if it's right or wrong.

There's cutscenes between certain levels, but I don't know what they said. I found out that there was 300 different puzzles. I think it overstayed i's welcome a bit since I wanted to get out of the game after 250 puzzles or something like that. I guess you at least got a rather long puzzle game, I had to play it over 4 weeks (might have been a bit faster if I hadn't to be social). Still, it was fun to play for a while, especially when I got things like Orion or the big dipper before the picture was finished. Well, guess there will be more of these reviews of odd games I pick up.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Switch)

Meow Meow Meow!!!

Another remaster from Nintendo, this time of Super Mario 3D World. Played the original back in... 2014? 7 years ago? Good God! I feel old! Still, I for some reason liked it much more this time around. Mostly since I finished it in one day. Or at least beat Bowser in World 8... oh sorry, World Bowser. I went back and checked my old save on Wii U and I only got to World Fire Flower. This time I actually got to the final level. Mind you, I didn't finish it since it was hard so I started doing some groundwork for 100 % and for that you need to clear each stage with each character. It's not that hard after getting all stamps and green stars, but it's tedious. I basically started one character from first to last level I finished. Mario and Luigi is almost done. Then after Bowser stages done by secret character Rosalina and occasional Toad and Peach done here and there where they were needed or in Toads case used for a faster time just running through. Still, challenging all the way through. The only thing that was interesting was how they handled the few levels needing touch controls on the Wii U Pad, but was solved with use of a trigger and the controls inner gyro. Worked very well.

The interesting part was the Bowser's Fury. An all new mode in real 3D. Mario is helping Bowser Jr after Bowser went crazy and covered in oil rampages through some lake so Mario sets out collecting Cat Shines in order to awaken the Cat Bell that enlarges Mario so that he can battle Bowser's huge form. 100 shines and I 100 % it in 10 hours. So that was my Sunday. Man, I guess I really was well prepared after finishing the Super Mario 3D All-Star Collection. I really liked this mode. Hard to see it as a direct sequel to Super Mario 3D World since it could as easily have been an Odysseus sequel. Maybe that the Power Ups is more showing it. One thing I really liked was that you could collect 5 of each and use it as see fit, and I really liked that since I was getting a bit annoyed in the base game having to go to an old level to get the right upgrade since I needed it in another level. A problem in the mode is that as we get close to the end Bowser never left the Fury mode, meaning if I didn't die or found another shine it was a hurdle so it was easier just to die. Think you got more time as well before the next showing.

I really liked that game. It was a true 3D Mario game, maybe a bit short and pretty much one world, but it was a fun world. The use of Plessie to travel around was real fun and using it in the final battle, real fun. Also the boss battles with Bowser is amazing, feels great ground pound him or just stun lock him with his own created pillars. 

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.

 

Now Your Playing with Power, Nintendo Power!

I couldn't resist getting this. I have two of the games on it, the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2 (aka the Lost Levels). I could get Ball on my 3DS with either the rereleases for the DSI or Game & Watch Gallery releases for the Virtual Console... so technically I could classify my 3DS as the same thing. But there is something special in having it in your hand. We had a couple of Game & Watch games at my parents house so it was a bit like "yeah maybe get one myself". 

There's also watch... wouldn't be Game & Watch without it I guess. Also hidden within it is 35 secrets you are encouraged to find... although pressing A+B to get the timer shine isn't that much of a secret I would say. Nothing else to say really. Played around with the games, but beside the authentic way of playing it I find that the NES Mini plays better. I don't know what it is, but I find I don't slip around as much. Could be that I watch it on a big screen.

Well... that short. Happy Belated Birthday Mario!

Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch)

It's a Me, Mario!

 So I beat them all! 100 %! And it went as a charm, feels nice. I don't get why they limited it at physical and digital release, but hey, I don't care that much since I got it physical and I can keep that going from now on as a responsible adult with a job. A job that is in the Swedish state and therefore more protected than most people in this pandemic as of writing in October 2020 still goes on. 

Back to the package... compared to the original All-Stars for the SNES it lacks a Super Mario Lost Levels game that says, I need that. It has the music from the three games and that's neat, but nothing else. The Mega Man collections had art and challenges as well as music. 

People complain that Galaxy 2 isn't in the package, and I can agree that it would be nice since I think I haven't finished that one. I wonder if there is something about the motions control that doesn't work 100 %. I didn't have any problem with Galaxy here so it worked fine with me. What it really really tells me is that I would love a Zelda All-Stars with the N64 games (if they ported the 3DS version I would probably only like Ocarina of Time since the changes in Majora's Mask made it a bit worse, but maybe better controls work in it's favour), Skyward Sword and the remakes from the Wii U (I would gladly take every single game, but Nintendo is a bit more stingy than Capcom in their legacy collections).  

If not like me that have all games (well, not Sunshine, but I played it not that long ago), either rerelease or original game, well worth it since they are solid platforming games. For people like me, the only reason to get it is the limited run since who know when it will come back and what form. So, Nintendo clearly judged it right.

Super Luigi Galaxy (Super Mario 3D All-Stars) (Switch)

Well, what do you know, Luigi was playable.

Dun-dun-dundun-du! Whao! 120 more stars to get, but this time with the taller, faster and green Mario brother. Meaning that most of the time it's pretty much the same. Running after things are faster and you can jump higher so the platforming feels faster, but Luigi is a bit slower on the start and he also slides a bit more. The hardest missions are the ones with the prankster comet where you have to run against shadow Luigi since you really need to use every move and trick to outsmart him. I even had to look up how to get a boost from the start and then translates the controls from the wii to the switch.

Also, the Luigi missions where you save Luigi and then finds him on already finished levels is just weird now. Since it's still Luigi, they even acknowledge it that it might be some alternative dimension Luigi. Sadly, the dialogue with Bowser doesn't change. The Bowser fights was much easier a well. 

Got 120 stars, kicked Bowser into the sun, caused a Black hole, all lumas jumps in and creates a new universe. In some ways it's not worth it to play it twice. What do you get for this? Getting all 240 stars gives you access to a new planet which was the starting point in the mushroom Kingdom what you gotta play with both Mario and Luigi. From there you get a picture taken and sent to you with different people in it to fit if the player is Mario or Luigi. 

Overall, feel rather satisfied with 100 % this game for the first time, but I don't think I will do again. I say now, but  we will see if Nintendo releases a complete Mario All-star pack on the console after Switch and I sit there playing it to have something to write to fill out the weekly posts in 5 years or so. Liked the music and graphics are nice. It was fun to play as Luigi though, and it came as a surprise for me, even though I think SomecallmeJohnny talked about it at his Super Mario Galaxy review. 

Super Mario Galaxy (Super Mario 3D All-Stars) (Switch)

No Guts No Glory

The next game in the collection. Super Mario Galaxy, got it original for the Wii and finished it once with just 71 stars, meaning I got the minimum to defeat Bowser and then went for it. Of course I went for all 120, sadly the game forces you to stop at 105, defeat Bowser and then unlocking the purple coins comet so that you can replay all the multi-star stages. By some seen as the best 3D Mario game, and I'm not that inclined to it. For one, there is no large areas to explore and the closest ones are divided by the mission stars since they often are composed by several planets. And secondly, while the mission based set up off the game has some advantages they don't feel as mysterious as some of the stars of Super Mario 64 where you really had to figure out the meaning behind the text at the beginning of the level. Odyssey is more fun that way with a connected world and really have to figure out most of the moons.

Story is that there is a star festival that happens every 100 year and Mario is of to Peaches Castle to watch the comet that will pass over head, but shocker, Bowser attacks with his armada and kidnaps Peach and take her out into space. Mario ends up tumbling into space upon a planet where he meets Lumas, star children, that leads him to Rosalina a new character that will guide him to her spacecraft that needs power stars in order to follow Bowser to the centre of the Galaxy.

Here they introduced Captain Toad and his squad together with the music cue. You will rescue Luigi that will help you find some stars. And that's pretty much it. The long jump is back, but you loose a forward jump attack since they gave you the luma spin, originally activated by flicking the wiimote, but now replaced with a push of the Y-button. It usually gives you the extra boost to get to a far-away platform or allow you to zero-in on the platform for better landing. Stars are back to collect, but they also gives you starbits that every 50 gives you a 1-up and also can be used to shoot things that either distract enemies or gives you coins. You can also use them to feed hungry lumas that open up new planets or pay for a 1-up or a health mushroom that gives you 3 more health points. 

Going through the game you also unlocks story pages on Rosalina. It was a bit challenging getting all 120 stars, but I got it. Kicked Bowser into the sun, caused a black hole and the lumas filled it up, creating a new universe. And what's this? A new mode? Super Luigi Galaxy? Do I have to play that too?

Super Mario Sunshine (Super Mario 3D All-Star) (Switch)

 Starlight, Shining Bright!

Onward to the next game, Super Mario Sunshine. The sequel to Super Mario 64 released on the Gamecube. We got the original back in the day, and this was also one of those games that we won (you could pre-order the game and I think 5 lucky winner would get the game for free), the other game being Star Fox Adventure. Finished it two times before, lastly only a couple of years ago. Got it for myself on the Switch on the 3D All-Star pack and intended to play through 100 %, I did it on Mario 64, so why would it be harder here? I've come to regret those words and in fact ended up only with 115 shines. 

Story is that Mario and Princess Peach together with an entourage of toads are getting an vacation on Isle Delfino where the Piantas and Noki live. Landing on the airport trouble is brewing. Some mysterious goo is polluting the area and Mario  has to clean it up, finding F.L.U.D.D. invented by Professor E. Gadd that made the Polterguster that Luigi uses in the Luigi's Mansion-series. After the airport Mario gets arrested because a Shadow Mario is running around polluting the island and Mario is sentenced to clean it up. Shadow Mario appears and try to kidnap Princess Peach and while hunting them Mario unlocks portals to different areas around the island. Turns out that Shadow Mario actually is Bowser Jr. and of course the game ends with a battle inside a volcano with the king of the Koopas. 

I really tried to get all the shines in game, but it's not as fun compared to star gathering in Mario 64. First, every shine you get throws you out of the level or reset the plaza which is the main hub. Even the 100 coin shine. Mario 64 didn't do that so you could get 2 in a mission so you didn't have to choose between a mission and the coin star that you accidentally gathered 100 coins for. Also, another difference is that it's a lot more linear compared to Mario 64. You gotta do the shines in order, no doing them all out of order just to show that you know what to do. Also, it didn't matter which stars you got, if you got 70 you could fight Bowser and finish the game, here you gotta get the first 7 shines of every stage since by defeating Shadow Mario in all of them you unlock the final confrontation with the Koopa family. And then we have the numbers of levels. 64 have 15 plus the Castle, Sunshine have 7 levels plus the plaza. And you know what, they compensate with filling the levels with 30 blue coins that equates to 3 shines, there is 8 mission and 100 coin shine in every level plus 2 secret missions in all of them, meaning there is 14 shines per level. Get's a bit boring in comparison.

So, finished and got to 115 shines. Peach saved. Is it fun? Yeah, parts of it is actually better than 64. I feel the controls work better and it feels really satisfying pulling off certain moves to get all over the levels. And I had fun on most levels, the ones no one enjoys are the usual suspects, the pachinko secret level, the sand bird, the lily pad ride and the chuckster secret level (and as I now found out trying to get the 120 shines, there is a second run on that level with the time constraint to get 8 red coins, that made me quit since it's gonna hurt). I beat them all (except chuckster version 2), I don't wanna do that again though. Music nice and the only real problem I found was some audio glitches or that one time I tried to hoover in a secret mission and was thrown of the level. I don't understand people I read on twitter that complained that this was a rushed incomplete mess... what kind of standards does people have these days? I've seen unplayable games that still haven't been fixed even though we have ability to patch games or games that actively destroyed my fun by crashing. Super Mario Sunshine did none of that. 

Update: I f***ing did it! 120 shines, spent over half an hour on the damn chuckster level v. 2. I hate chuckster, If I ever meet a chuck they have it coming. But I did it. It feels satisfying looking at that score board. 

Super Mario 64 (Super Mario 3D All-Stars) (Switch)

 It's-a-me Mario!

Of course I was gonna get the All-Stars package for Switch, and of course I got it physical and obviously I began with the first game, Super Mario 64. Bowser kidnapped kidnapped Princess Peach Toadstool (think this was the last time they used that and went with Peach from here on out), stolen the Princess's Castle's Power Stars and trapped all the toads in the walls of the castle. There's 120 stars on 15 different worlds together with the ones hidden in the castle. And Mario gotta do it all by himself. So jump into paintings, battling huge bosses, finding secret stars and secret caps that allow you to fly, turn invisible and turn you to metal.

Played the original game back in 1997 on our Nintendo 64 and it was the first 3D-game we got. It blew our minds. I also beat it as a kid, but it took years and I didn't get 120 stars. It was also remade for the Nintendo DS to show that the handheld system was capable of 3D-games as well. Beat that as well and got 150 stars on that, checked on my DS cartridge. It was also released on Wii and Wii U on the Virtual Console and I thought I finished them there as well, but my Wii U file only got something like 70 stars. Got tired around Wet-Dry World I guess on the 100 % route. And it's still a great game, I had a lot of fun and even though the later levels can be a bit more frustrating (I think Tick Tock Clock is my most hated level of them all) I still managed to get through them without all that much headache. I guess getting older and take my time payed of really well.

Now, would I replay this I might be more inclined to play Wii U with the added save state since I can't handle the damn stress of collecting 90 coins and by fluke getting thrown of the damn ledge by a chuckya and killed so I have to redo it. Still, compare it to DK64, I don't have any interest in 100 % game and here it just went by (could be that it doesn't overstays it welcome) and I also didn't have any problem with the light (might be the console version). Graphics are of its time, no denying, but it doesn't look bad, and the music is iconic. The fun bob-omb battlefield theme, the soothing water level theme and the intense Bowser level theme. Love it all. Getting 120 stars also unlocks the cannon outside of the castle so that you can climb the roof and get a flying cap and find Yoshi that gives 100 1-ups... bragging rights it is, although I think I'm 23 years to late with that. 

Dr. Mario (Wii U)

The Doctor is in the house!

Got a bit of urge to play some puzzle game and started up my Wii U again and found Dr. Mario. And the search function at the blog states that I haven't written on it before so, new game finished after 30 minutes!

We got it the first time for the NES back in the 90's and the most fun thing about it is its multiplayer action that me and my sister had going trying to beat it first or at least not die first since we were hardly any experts on it. Playing it on its own... I prefer Tetris actually. I will give it that the music is good and it is satisfying in defeating the viruses as they plop and then the big ones in the magnifying glass wriggles in pain until each of the colours are gone and they just... poff out of existence. Now, I can't recall if there ever was any story beyond that you have to destroy the viruses, but in one of the Nintendo Magazines we had I could read about this comic advertising the game:

Wish I had all of the comics since it's just campy fun.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch)

Looks familiar

Yet another game that was ported over from the Wii U, and I played it 3 years ago so maybe it was about time to replay it. It's still a nice puzzle game, looks fantastic and it's challenging enough if you want to 100 % it. I gave at chapter 3 since then I just wanted to finish it with my growing back log. Story is still that Captain Toad and Toadette is locking for power stars but a giant bird steals the one they are looking for and kidnaps one of them and the other gotta rescue the other. 

The one thing that is a bit different is how you interact with the controller. The original game had the gamepad that also had a touch screen where you could interact with enemies and the environment. This works just the same if you have the Switch out of the dock, but I think you substitute that with the motion controls, but I haven't tried it since the dock is still packed in its designated travel bag and hooking it up and all for that small detail isn't really worth it. 

They also changed the bonus stages based on Super Mario 3D World to stages based on Super Mario Odysseus. While understandable since it was just cross-promotional for a game on the same console it is a bit sad that they couldn't keep that. Now they also released a DLC pack with more stages where you are looking for crowns (which I assume is cross-promotional with the updated New Super Mario Bros. Wii U Deluxe where they introduced the crown for Toadette to turn her into Princess Peach as they released it for the Switch). Just introduction stage at the moment, but more is on the way.

Still like it, nice distraction. They also introduced a 2-player mode so that can be fun as well.

Luigi's Mansion (3DS)

I ain't afraid of no ghosts! (joke made by everyone playing this game)

The launch-title for the Gamecube, I played it and never finished this game, until now that is when it was remade for the 3DS. It's about Luigi winning a mansion in a lottery he hadn't entered and, when arriving after his brother Mario, finding out that the mansion is overrun by ghosts. He is saved by professor E. Gadd that equips him with the Poltergust 3000 and it's of ghost hunting to find Mario. Basically a puzzle-adventure game where you go to each room of the mansion, trying to figure out how to capture the special portrait ghosts, capture the 50 boos and find Mario. It was fun, but I wish the c-stick on the N3DS was more responsive, meaning I miss the gamecube C-stick. Especially when fighting boos, or bosses that forces you to be more precise with your vacuuming sight. And the bosses are the most irritating ones, well, mostly the boo bosses. The several boos you fight at the balcony was a pure hate to play through. You are supposed to vacuum it into a unicorn statue so it splinters into several boos, and then freeze the boos and then vacuum them up. The final one was a real pain since he continued to hurt me, bit by bit, getting me down to 12 hearts before I by some random luck was able to freeze him and suck him up. I was at 90 when he was the last one standing. Yeah, he sucks.

The C-stick problem gets really noticeable as soon as you get to fight ghosts on the ceiling or so. Also, Luigi goes so slow that running up and down the mansion can be a hassle at times... at least until you get the key for the shortcut of the stairs so you don't have to run all around the backyard. Basically the boos have created the mansion to capture the brothers and released the ghosts from E. Gadds paintings. And in the final when you cleaned out the house you fight King Boo in the basement in the form of Bowser. I never finished it at the gamecube, mostly because I got frustrated by not being able to maneuver correctly. Maybe they made the auto-targeting better, but I at least did it this time. You get all the ghosts back into the paintings, rescue Mario and depending on the amount of money you have collected, Luigi gets a new mansion. I got a D. It's pretty much the same thing from Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land where he got a castle depending on the treasures he got. Winning unlocks the Hidden Mansion mode where you get into hard mode, but you can earn more money and go for the better mansion. All in all a fun game for a couple of hours. You can play 2-player co-op on the 3DS as well, but since I'm alone I can't test it.