The GameCube and Wii emulators that power Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy in Super Mario 3D All-Stars can potentially run any game.
OatmealDome, who has been taking a good look at the game since before its official release, discovered that the two emulators implement more features than are needed to run Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy, like Bounding Box, which is used in the Paper Mario games.
Interestingly, Nintendo’s GC/Wii emulator appears to implement more GC and Wii GPU features than they need.
For example:
Bounding Box – mainly used by Paper Mario games
ZFreeze – used in Mario Strikers, EA sports games, moreNOTE: I’M NOT SAYING THAT THESE GAMES ARE COMING!!! pic.twitter.com/kSP8Na3zhV
— OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) September 19, 2020
With all the information that has been emerging on these emulators, OatmealDome speculates that the developer implemented generic emulators and then made specific builds for the Super Mario 3D All-Stars games. This could mean that these emulators could be used again in the future for other collections, or Nintendo Switch Online releases.
It seems likely that NERD implemented a generic GameCube and Wii emulator that can run any game, and then made specific builds that target Galaxy and Sunshine for SM3DAS. Perhaps a sign of more to come? *It isn’t guaranteed* – we’ll just have to see. I certainly hope, at least.
While improvements could have been better, and more games included, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is an essential purchase for all Super Mario fans.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars contains three legendary games, and this package allows you to experience all of them, the way you remember them. Whether or not these games hold up as competitive, contemporary pieces of entertainment is one question, but they do serve as an amazing time machine taking me to the moments I shared with friends and loved ones years ago, and this is a perfect way for you to form new memories with yours. This is three of the very best 3D platformers of all time, at their best.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is now available on Nintendo Switch worldwide. The game will be available for purchase until March 31st, 2021.
