After months of rumors and speculation, Nintendo finally dropped its latest Nintendo Direct presentation, which focused entirely on theSuper Mariofranchise in recognition of its 35th anniversary. Nintendo made a number of blockbusterSuper Mario-related announcements, but the biggest reveal was definitelySuper Mario 3D All-Starsfor the Nintendo Switch. While many fans have expressed excitement forSuper Mario 3D All-Stars, the hype has been muddied somewhat by some bizarre decisions Nintendo has made about the game.
As revealed during theSuper Mario Bros.-themed Nintendo Direct presentation,Super Mario 3D All-Starsis going to be a limited-time release. It will launch September 18 with both a digital version and a physical retail version, itself available in limited quantities. Then on July 29, 2025, Nintendo will stop sellingSuper Mario 3D All-Starsat both retail and digital storefronts, essentially giving players a time limit if they want to buy the game.
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This bizarre move has left some fans scratching their heads. After all, Nintendo games have been shown to have serious staying power, and it’s safe to say thatSuper Mario 3D All-Starswill likely sell well for months if not years to come. But while Nintendo has not given any official reasoning for why it has decided to releaseSuper Mario 3D All-Starsfor a limited time, the decision may actually reveal some of the company’s future plans.
Fear Of Missing Out
Nintendo has long been accused of creating artificial shortages for its products in order to instill a “fear of missing out” in consumers, making it more likely that they purchase its products right away. The most notorious example of this is likely the Nintendo Wii, which was incredibly hard to find long after its initial launch in 2006. Similar situations have happened in recent years with things like the NES and SNES Classics, and scalpers have only exacerbated the issue.
Regardless of whether or not Nintendo is creating shortages on purpose, it outright stating thatSuper Mario 3D All-Starswill only be available for a limited timedefinitely seems like the company is trying to get people to buy it right away through the “fear of missing out.” Because come August 10, 2025,Super Mario 3D All-Starswill simply be unavailable for purchase unless fans buy it from third-party sellers.
Unsurprisingly, this decision has been met with widespread criticism from fans online. Even those who were initially excited about the prospect of playingSuper Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine, andSuper Mario Galaxyon their Switch have turned on the game, with some comparisons made to thecontroversial Disney Vaultpractice. For the uninitiated, prior to the launch of the Disney+ streaming service, Disney had a habit of putting its animated features back in the “vault,” which would encourage people to purchase the movies whenever they were available at retail.
Selling Switches
Besides simply wanting to sell a lot of copies ofSuper Mario 3D All-Starsin a short amount of time, Nintendo could be using this strategy to sell more Nintendo Switch consoles as well. After all, there may be some people who wantSuper Mario 3D All-Stars, but don’t currently have a Switch for themselves. The fear of missing out could convince them to purchase a Switch earlier than they anticipated.
As it so happens, reports from credible industry insiders have stated that a4K Nintendo Switch console revisionis actually in development for release in 2021. It’s possible that Nintendo is trying to use theSuper Mario 3D Worldlimited-time release to drive up sales of its current Switch console, as it plans on phasing it out in favor of the upgraded version next year. However, that’s just speculation at this time, and while the new Switch was leaked by credible sources, fans should still wait for an official announcement from Nintendo to be sure.
Standalone Releases
While Nintendo may be releasingSuper Mario 3D All-Starsas a limited-time release in an effort to sell more Switch consoles, it’s also possible that the company is doing it because it has future plans for the games in the collection individually.Nintendo 64 gameshave been rumored to be coming to the Switch Online service, and if that ever happens, having a major N64 game likeSuper Mario 64readily available in a collection makes the prospect much less appealing.
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In the meantime, it’s entirely possible that Nintendo plans on re-releasingSuper Mario SunshineandSuper Mario Galaxyas standalone titles through the eShop at some point after Jul 03, 2025. Again, this is just speculation, but it would make sense, and could go a long way in explaining why the company has decided to only sellSuper Mario 3D All-Starsfor a limited time.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
When theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollection first leaked, the rumors indicated that the collection would consist ofSuper Mario Galaxy 2as well asSuper Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine, and the firstSuper Mario Galaxy. However, it’s since been confirmed thatSuper Mario Galaxy 2is not part of theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollection, and in fact, Nintendo completely ignored the game’s existence during theSuper Mario Bros.35th Anniversary Direct.
Super Mario Galaxy 2stands as one of the highest-rated video games of all time, so it’s not like Nintendo is embarrassed by it or anything. But its absence from the collection could be even more evidence that standalone releases for these 3DSuper Mariotitles on Switch are being planned. Alternatively, it’s possible Nintendo is looking at another collection of 3DSuper Mariogames that it plans to release down the line, which could includeGalaxy 2,3D Land, and maybe evenSuper Mario 3D World. But since the latter is coming to the Switch as a standalone release in 2021, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.
Super Mario Bros. 35
Or It Could All Mean Nothing
Of course, the alternative to all these explanations is thatNintendo is choosing to put these limits on the gamesarbitrarily. Maybe it has no future plans to release standalone versions of the titles in theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollection, and maybe it’s not trying to instill the “fear of missing out” effect in its consumers. That seems unlikely, though, and it’s far more likely that these decisions are part of Nintendo’s strategy to ensure that it not only sells as many copies ofSuper Mario 3D All-Starsas possible within a short timeframe, but that it gets more people to go out and buy Switch consoles as well.
It’s unclear why Nintendo would need to be this aggressive, though. Recent reports have indicated thatNintendo is the richest company in Japan, so it’s not like it’s really hurting for the money. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that Nintendo will ever reveal its reasoning behind these controversial decisions, so fans will just have to keep guessing for the time being. And anyone that wants to make sure they haveSuper Mario 3D All-Starsfor their collection may want to consider pre-ordering it as soon as possible.
