Today's game on display from our physical collection is Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch!
I owe a lot to the Super Mario series. I was roughly two years old when I was passed down my cousin's NES, with Super Mario Bros. itself being the first video game I ever played. Of course, my memories of that time are pretty vague, to say the least, but I can still remember sitting in the corner of the living room as I got killed by a Goomba. They say the only memories you retain at that age are ones that truly left an impact on you, and I guess for me, that is exactly what that Goomba did!
A Collection of Milestones
When it came to the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, I knew I had to have it. Super Mario 64 was the only reason I wanted a Nintendo 64 back in the day, and I still remember being completely blown away by the 3D graphics. After receiving it on my sixth birthday, it became my daily go-to for years, and I honestly cannot count how many times I've finished both it and its DS remake. Super Mario Sunshine, on the other hand, was my dream follow-up and, once again, the main reason I wanted a Nintendo GameCube. I still consider it my favorite of the 3D Mario titles, and having access to it on modern hardware was a must for me. As for Galaxy? It didn't resonate with me as much as it did for others, but it did help me through the passing of my childhood dog. In a way, all three titles were special to me, but I never expected the collection itself to be just as special in its own way—I got it the day I met my wife.
"Hi, My Name Is Allison"
Our meeting was anything but standard. It was shortly after the 2020 lockdown, and everyone was returning to work—including my mother and the new employees her company had hired shortly before reopening. One of those new workers was none other than Allison, and after spending some time working with her, my mom realized we seemed to have a lot in common. Unaware of any of this, and shortly after placing my order for the new Mario collection, I received a text from an unknown number: "Hi, my name is Allison and I work with your mom." My response? "Oh hi, I'm Ben."
We spent time texting for the next couple of weeks, and then she invited me to join her for the upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer's event. While I said yes, I thought it would be a good idea for us to at least meet before the event itself. So the night before, she came home from work with my mom, and we met for the first time—with my new copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars waiting for me on the doorstep.
While I never put a lot of time into playing the 3D All-Stars collection itself, it serves as a constant reminder of that night. It brings back memories of when she and I first sat down and talked, how we ordered pizza, and how we eventually became lifelong partners. That was the starting point of it all.
To Be Continued
As for the games themselves? We will cover those in the future, because, of course, all three original releases are still sitting on our shelf! But for those who were lucky enough to pick up this limited-time release, all three remain well worth playing.
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