With its 2D retro revival game library prepared to continue its march unabated this holiday season thanks to Donkey Kong Country Returns and a new stringy Kirby title, Nintendo seems content to dip into the past for the time being when it comes to releasing major first party titles.
And with the success of the New Super Mario Bros. franchise, the Virtual Console, and the inevitable success of the 2D titles already mentioned above, who could blame them?
So on that note, today’s rumor-cum-reality that Super Mario Bros. All-Stars is making a comeback as a Wii title is as unsurprising as the sun setting at night. Called the Super Mario Collection Special Pack, this now legit retail title is described thusly:
The “special pack” part of the name comes from the bonus item Nintendo will be including. The item, known as “Super Mario History 1985 – 2010,” includes a booklet recapping 25 years of Mario history and showing previously unseen development materials, and a soundtrack CD with music spanning Super Mario Bros. through Super Mario Galaxy 2. Super Mario Collection Special Pack is set for October 21 release at Â¥2,500.
All-Stars was an SNES rental for me back in the day (good enough for a quick nostalgic taste and little else), and I imagine this one would have been too, if not for all the extras the will not be included in a GameFly mailing. Guess we’ll have to see what kind of extras the collection itself includes before making final judgement.
UPDATE: This is looking more and more like a re-release of the original and Japan-only by the hour.
Freaking thing includes the four original SNES remakes—which are awesome— a soundtrack CD, and an illustrated commemorative booklet, just like Japan. Following is the official press release: