It’s been years since Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars landed on the Nintendo Switch, and honestly, the conversation around it hasn't really died down. People were skeptical. How do you take a game built entirely around a pointing stick—the Wii Remote—and cram it into a handheld console? You’d think it would be a disaster. But somehow, it isn't.
Nintendo has this weird habit of making things look easy when they're actually incredibly technical nightmares.
When Super Mario 3D All-Stars launched back in 2020 as part of Mario’s 35th anniversary, the inclusion of Super Mario Galaxy was the crown jewel. 64 was nostalgic but blurry. Sunshine was... well, Sunshine is a divisive fever dream of a game. But Galaxy? That was the masterpiece. Even so, playing it today on a Switch OLED feels fundamentally different than it did back in 2007 on a CRT television.
The gravity still hooks you. You're still soaring between tiny planetoids, collecting Star Bits, and wondering how a plumber survives in the vacuum of space without a helmet. But the "how" of playing it has shifted.
The Joy-Con vs. The Wii Remote: A Control Crisis?
Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the controls because that’s where most of the friction happens. On the Wii, the "Star Pointer" was always there. It was a physical relationship between your wrist and the screen.
In Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars, Nintendo had to use the gyro sensors in the Joy-Cons or the Pro Controller to mimic that infrared pointing. Does it work? Mostly. But you’ve probably noticed that the cursor drifts. A lot. You find yourself hitting the "R" button every few minutes just to center the thing. It’s a minor annoyance, but it changes the rhythm of the game. You're no longer just playing; you're constantly recalibrating your reality.
The handheld mode is where things get truly bizarre. If you’re playing on a Switch Lite or just have the Joy-Cons attached to the screen, you have to use the touchscreen to collect Star Bits.
Imagine trying to jump over a lava pit while frantically swiping at the screen with your thumb to grab some blue gems. It’s clumsy. It’s sweaty. It’s definitely not how Shigeru Miyamoto and Yoshiaki Koizumi imagined we’d be playing their magnum opus. Yet, there’s something strangely tactile about it. It forces you to engage with the screen in a way the original never did.
That Stunning 1080p Jump
The resolution bump is the unsung hero of this port. On the original Wii, Galaxy ran at 480p. It looked great for the time—Nintendo is the master of "art style over raw power"—but it was undeniably fuzzy.
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In Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars, the game runs at a crisp 1080p when docked.
The difference is staggering. Look at Mario’s overalls. You can see the fabric texture. Look at the water in the Beach Bowl Galaxy; it doesn't just look like blue soup anymore; it looks like actual, refractive liquid. The lighting engine, which was already ahead of its time, finally has room to breathe. The way light glints off the "Pull Stars" or the glowing trail Mario leaves behind him while flying... it’s beautiful.
It’s 60 frames per second of pure, unadulterated polished gold.
The Music Nobody Talks About Enough
Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo basically reinvented what a Mario soundtrack could be with this game. Before Galaxy, Mario music was "boppy." It was synthesizers and catchy melodies. Galaxy went full orchestral.
The "Gusty Garden Galaxy" theme is widely considered one of the greatest pieces of video game music ever written. Period. In the 3D All-Stars version, the audio is uncompressed. If you have a decent soundbar or a good pair of headphones, you’ll hear the violins swell in a way the Wii’s limited hardware just couldn't handle. It’s emotional. It makes the act of jumping feel grander than it has any right to be.
Why Was It a Limited Release?
We have to address the elephant in the room. Nintendo decided to stop selling Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars (and the rest of the collection) after March 31, 2021. This "Disney Vault" strategy left a sour taste in many fans' mouths.
Why delete a masterpiece from the digital storefront?
Basically, it was a marketing tactic to drive "fear of missing out" (FOMO). It worked. Physical copies now trade for significantly more than their original $60 MSRP on secondary markets like eBay or Mercari. If you didn't grab it then, you’re looking at a premium now. This scarcity makes the version of Galaxy on Switch feel like a digital artifact—a protected piece of history that you can't just go out and buy on a whim anymore.
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Is the Gameplay Still "Modern"?
A lot of games from 2007 feel like garbage now. They have "jank." The cameras are bad. The tutorials are condescending.
Super Mario Galaxy avoids almost all of those traps. The spherical gravity mechanic is so intuitive that your brain just "gets" it within five minutes. You don't need a map. You don't need a quest log. You just see a shiny thing on the horizon and you launch yourself toward it.
There’s a purity here that’s missing from modern "open-zone" games like Sonic Frontiers or even the more sprawling Super Mario Odyssey. Galaxy is linear, sure, but it’s curated. Every single planet is a hand-crafted puzzle. There is no filler. No "fetch 10 mushrooms" quests to pad out the runtime.
The Rosalina Factor
We can't talk about Galaxy without mentioning Rosalina. She’s arguably the most complex character in the Mario mythos, which is a low bar to clear, but still.
The Storybook segments in the Comet Observatory are genuinely touching. If you haven't sat down and read through the whole thing in the Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars version, you’re missing out. It’s a melancholic tale about loss, family, and finding home in the stars. It gives the game a soul that Super Mario 64 and Sunshine lack. Those games are about vacations and rescues; Galaxy is about the universe itself.
Technical Quirks and Frame Rates
Some tech-heads at places like Digital Foundry pointed out that this isn't a native port. It’s actually a highly sophisticated emulator.
Nintendo essentially built a "Wii-on-Switch" wrapper to run the original game code. This is why the game feels so authentic—it is the original code. But the Switch is powerful enough to upsample the textures and clean up the edges. There are almost zero frame drops. Even in the heavy lava-filled levels or the chaotic boss fights with Bowser, the 60fps target is a rock-solid line.
One thing that’s different: the Co-Star mode. On the Wii, a second player could point a second remote to help collect bits or stun enemies. You can still do this on Switch, but it requires a second set of Joy-Cons or a Pro Controller. It’s still the "little brother mode," but it’s a great way to play with a kid or someone who isn't great at platformers.
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Hidden Secrets You Might Have Missed
Did you know that if you collect all 120 stars with Mario, you unlock the ability to play the entire game again as Luigi?
Playing as Luigi isn't just a skin swap. He jumps higher. He runs faster. But he also slides like he’s wearing buttered shoes. It changes the physics just enough to make the "Perfect Run" challenges feel like a brand new nightmare. And if you get all 120 stars with him too? You unlock the final, final, final secret: the Grand Finale Galaxy.
It’s basically a victory lap through Peach’s Castle during the Star Festival. It’s not hard, but it’s the ultimate "thank you" from the developers.
The Real Value of the Switch Version
Despite the weirdness of the limited release and the sometimes-finicky motion controls, this version of Galaxy is the definitive way to play.
Why? Because of portability.
The idea of playing a grand, orchestral space opera while sitting on a bus or waiting at a doctor’s office is still a bit of a "future is here" moment. The Wii version required a whole setup—the console, the sensor bar, the cables. Now, it’s just in your pocket.
Actionable Insights for Players Today
If you’re looking to dive back into Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars, keep these practical tips in mind to avoid frustration:
- Stick to the Pro Controller if possible. While Joy-Cons mimic the Wii Remote better, the Pro Controller’s gyro is more stable for long sessions.
- Don't ignore the Star Bits. You can shoot them at enemies to stun them. This is vital for the later, "daredevil" comet runs where you only have one hit point.
- Check local retro shops. Since the game is off the eShop, check local game stores or Facebook Marketplace. Often, you can find a physical copy for close to the original price if you avoid the big "collector" sellers.
- Use the Y-button Spin. Don't rely on shaking the controller. Mapping the "Spin" to the Y button is the single best quality-of-life improvement in the Switch version. It’s faster and saves your wrists.
- Calibrate often. If your cursor starts drifting to the left, just point at the center of the screen and tap R. Make it muscle memory.
Super Mario Galaxy 3D All-Stars isn't just a port; it's a preservation of what many consider the peak of 3D platforming. It has its quirks, mostly born from the transition of hardware, but the core—the gravity, the music, and the sheer joy of movement—remains untouched. It’s a reminder that even in a world of 4K ray-tracing and massive open worlds, a plumber on a tiny planet can still be the most exciting thing in gaming.