The 35th anniversary Mario direct was chalk full of new announcements all relating to the Super Mario Bros. series. Among the reveals was the highly rumored and much anticipated collection of 3D Mario games in Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
The new collection involves porting over Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy into one package for the Nintendo Switch that is only being sold for a limited time. While all three games aren't being remade from the ground up, leading to some disappointment in fans, Nintendo has done some visual work to bring the games to modern consoles.
The up scaling of Super Mario 64 has fans noticing a slightly cleaner look to Mario, his enemies, and the levels in the game which may mean a 24- year long mystery can finally be solved. When visiting the Castle Courtyard, players can check out a small statue with a silver star on its top. The statue has a plaque accompanied by text that has led to countless rumors and speculation among fans with many believing the text says "L is real 2401".
The text fueled speculation that Luigi was playable in the game, a rumor that was still prevalent to this day with a major Nintendo leak confirming Luigi assets can be found in pre-launch versions of Super Mario 64. Since the game's launch on the Nintendo 64, it had been revealed through interviews, and development discussions that Luigi was intended to to be in the game but development was hampered by the limits of the Nintendo console.
Although his inclusion remains unconfirmed for the Super Mario 3D Collection, Luigi did eventually make his way into Super Mario 64 as a playable character in its eventual port to the Nintendo DS in 2004. Sequels also featured Luigi, albeit in much smaller role as either playable in certain levels or a small support role in Super Mario Odyssey.
Though Luigi wasn't present in Super Mario 64, he did get his own eventual series starting on the Gamecube with Luigi's Mansion. The series has become a hit for Nintendo with the third installment debuting in October of last year. The series has found its own success with a sequel and remake of the first installment being released on the Nintendo 3DS. Meanwhile Luigi's Mansion 3, received new DLC earlier this year establishing the game as a must buy on the Nintendo Switch.
The Super Mario 3D Collection could be a good sign from Nintendo for things to come. Next year The Legend of Zelda also turns 35, which could mean a Zelda focused collection could be on its way for fans of the series. Either way, its a good time to be a Nintendo fan.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars launches on the Nintendo Switch on September 18.