If there's anyone in the video game industry that deserves a blowout birthday celebration it's Nintendo's most recognizable face, Mario. This year the world-famous plumber is celebrating his 25th birthday, and Nintendo is honoring him with parties, limited edition releases of the Wii and DSi XL, and a special re-release of the Super Nintendo classic "Super Mario All-Stars" for the Wii. "Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition" includes the original Super Nintendo game, along side some unique "SMB" goodies that will make a Nintendo fanboy's heart skip a beat.
THE BASICS
It has been seventeen years and three consoles since the original release of "Super Mario All-Stars" and there's really no better game in Mario's back catalog to celebrate how far he has come from the NES to the Wii. Essentially the same game that it was back in 1993, "All-Stars L.E." features Super Mario's first four console platformers ("Super Mario Bros.," "Super Mario Bros. 2," "Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels," and "Super Mario Bros. 3") packed in with a special soundtrack CD, as well as a retrospective booklet about Mario's history.
THE HIGHS
The Classics
The entire video game industry owes a lot (if not its very existence) to the four games included in this compilation. The four early "Mario Bros." games are not only classics that defined a generation (of gamers and games) but they are still fun. A lot of games don't hold up the way these four do, and going back and playing them should bring back some great memories for older gamers. Oh, and if you still haven't played "The Lost Levels" you really have absolutely no excuse anymore.
A Little Extra Love For Mario
The overall package should warm the heart of any "Super Mario" fan, as it offers a look back at some of Mario's biggest successes, even offering a taste of some of those games courtesy of the soundtrack CD. Nintendo has even gone back in and included the sideways Wii remote control scheme as an option for the game to help make it feel a little more like the NES/Famicom Disk System originals.
A (Brief) History Of The World
These days, it's not commonplace to get any insight into Nintendo's game development division circa 1983, but the history booklet that is included with the game offers just that. While it does cover Mario's entire career, touching on a little bit of everything from "Super Mario Bros." to "Mario Galaxy 2," it's a unique look back at some of the greatest games to ever appear on any video game console. It is a little on the short side, but seeing the classic artwork alongside some of the other all-new content should adequately fan the flames of nostalgia.
THE LOWS
No Surprises
If there are any Mario fanboys out there holding out hope that Nintendo snuck a little something extra into the "Limited Edition" version of "All-Stars," you can officially give up now; the only extras you're going to get here are in physical form. This version of the Super Nintendo compilation is the exact same one that came out in 1993 with the only tweak being the addition of Wii Remote support. There's nothing else hidden anywhere, so much so that the game doesn’t even sport a 2010 copyright. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with them not adding any additional content in, as long as you can leave your expectations for a hidden "Super Mario Deluxe" at the door.
THE VERDICT
Unfortunately, "Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition" comes off as an attempt by Nintendo trying to make a quick buck on a seventeen year-old game. "All-Stars" could have been released on the Virtual Console for less than a third of the price, and slightly less fanfare. Basically, this is a $22 package (assuming the standard 800 Wii Points for SNES games) for the soundtrack and history booklet. Sure, both are great, but for something as momentous as Super Mario's 25th birthday, it seems a little underwhelming; at least they don't ignore more than half of his career like the game does.
In the end, this package accomplishes exactly three things: 1) It's a fan service for Nintendo lovers that want to celebrate Super Mario's birthday, but don’t want to shell out for red Wii or DSi XL. 2) It explains why "Super Mario All-Stars" hasn't been released on the Virtual Console. 3) Gets people's hopes up for "Super Mario All-Stars Volume 2."