super mario galaxy – Trekking with Dennis

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Film Review

The first part of this review is free from major narrative spoilers for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The end of the spoiler-free section is clearly marked.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Super Mario Galaxy games when they premiered on the Nintendo Wii a few years ago. So when Illumination and Nintendo announced that a sequel to 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie would be based on those titles… I was a tad underwhelmed, to be honest. And in 2026, Nintendo – with its price hikes, anti-consumer attitude, and underwhelming new console – isn’t exactly my favourite company in the gaming space, either! So it’s with that background that I belatedly sat down to watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

With all that being said, I had a great time with The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023 – I even called it my favourite film of the year. And my feelings about the Mario Galaxy games have more to do with their confusing spherical levels and the Wii remote’s awkward motion controls, rather than any actual narrative gripes. So there were definitely reasons to be optimistic about this return to the Mushroom Kingdom!

If you missed it, please check out my review of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which I wrote back in 2023. You can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Three promo posters advertising The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) — A trio of promotional posters.

Here’s the one-sentence summary: I liked The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I don’t think it’s necessarily a “film of the year” contender, as its predecessor had been, but it’s definitely an enjoyable film for folks who’ve liked any of Nintendo’s games, the wider Mario franchise, or just animated films in general. Two main story threads felt connected, not just by characters, but also thematically, thanks to a strong focus on family ties, and the film had plenty of good-natured, kid-friendly humour throughout. Despite how I may have felt about the Mario Galaxy source material, the film wasn’t merely an attempt to re-tell the story of either of those games, and it included plenty of references to basically four decades’ worth of Mario games, from the original 2D platformers of the 1980s through to Odyssey and Wonder.

In terms of animation, I really can’t fault Illumination. I was lucky enough to watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in 4K on a pretty decent screen, and it really did look fantastic. Bold, bright colours are the order of the day, and there are plenty of stunning views of outer space, too. A variety of different locales came to life, and my only criticism would be that a couple of them felt a little samey, thanks to re-using the Mario franchise’s “blue sky, green grass, and brown rocks” aesthetic. But character models looked fantastic, there were a great variety of allies and villains for Mario, Peach, and the gang to encounter, and big set-piece moments all looked spectacular.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing Peach and a firework — The animation was fantastic.

The film’s score was solid, and it leaned heavily into nostalgia, with classic refrains from the video games being heard at multiple points. That goes for sound effects, too, with many different noises from the games being brought to the big screen. While I wouldn’t say I was “disappointed” that the film didn’t get a big song, like its predecessor… perhaps that’s something which, having sat with the film for a couple of days, I might say was missing. Given how Peaches, Bowser’s song from the first film, went mega-viral, I’m a little surprised to see Nintendo and Illumination not trying to repeat that.

Voice acting was generally pretty good. Brie Larson did well as Rosalina, with the only downside to her ethereal performance being that she wasn’t actually on screen all that much. The controversy of casting Chris Pratt as Mario has subsided since the first film, and again I think he did well in the part. I wanted to highlight the performance of Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.; he gave so much life and personality to what could’ve been a pretty flat, over-the-top kind of villain. Jack Black as Bowser… I’m actually in two minds, and we’ll have to talk about why in the spoiler-ful part of the review.

The cast of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) at the premiere — Most of the main cast with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto at the film’s premiere in April 2026.

So I think that’s all I can say without really getting into spoiler territory.

Who’s this film for? Nintendo fans, obviously. But also fans of animated films in general, kids, parents of kids, and anyone looking for a fun adventure, really. If you *despise* Mario and all things Nintendo, I doubt this film will be the thing that finally wins you over! But even if you’re just a casual player of a few Nintendo titles every now and then – as I am, really – I still think you’ll find something to enjoy. In many ways, the film is a nostalgia overload; drawing on familiar characters, visuals, sounds, references, and more. But I don’t think that has to be a problem; a film like this, really, is designed from the ground up to be that kind of thing. My concern was whether, beneath all of that, there’d be a story worth following. And there was.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was lighthearted and funny in places, intense and action-packed in others, and even managed to hit some emotional beats. It’s a film I’d be happy to recommend to anyone who enjoyed the previous instalment and any fan of Mario or Nintendo games. We’re going to get into the film in a bit more detail now, so if you don’t want to see any spoilers, this is your chance to jump ship!

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie from here on out. Also beware of spoilers for several Super Mario games, and the first Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was really about two families – neither of which were Mario’s! Bowser and Bowser Jr., on one side of the film, got a storyline about a deadbeat dad’s reconciliation with a son who adores him. And on the other, Peach yearned to discover her true origin – something she talked to Mario about in the first film – and belatedly discovered Rosalina, her long-lost sister. These stories weren’t symmetrical, but I liked the way that they rhymed, and how both Peach and Bowser Jr. kind of started out with similar motivations.

I love a good villian, so let’s start with Bowser.

The decision to have the pitch of Jack Black’s voice altered for basically half of the film was… well, not my favourite, to be honest. It was one of those things where, when you first hear it, it sounds hilarious; like hearing a friend who’s just inhaled a helium balloon. But for that to take up so much of his performance… I don’t think it landed as well as it should’ve. With Jack Black usually being such a commanding presence in any role, messing with his voice so much didn’t really work. I get where it came from, but for me, Bowser’s best moments came *after* he regrew to normal size and got his voice back.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing mini Bowser in Luigi's hand — Miniature Bowser.

Sticking with Bowser, a story about being true to oneself is a good one for a kids’ film. But to frame that story through a villainous lens isn’t necessarily a choice I’d have made. Bowser, though clearly still struggling with his evil side, had made clear and demonstrable progress since the events of the first film, and even seemed to be ready to overcome all of that in a moment of self-sacrifice, willingly going to prison so that Mario, Luigi, and Toad could go free. That’s character growth.

So to take that and then toss it aside so that Bowser could be his “true self”… it sends a bit of a weird message to the film’s intended younger audience, doesn’t it? It’s either saying “rehabilitation doesn’t work; evil people will be evil forever,” or it’s saying “it’s okay to be a bad person if that’s who you are, just be yourself.” I don’t like either of those messages *in a film for kids*, and while I agree with the sentiments that “Bowser should be Bowser,” and that a Mario movie wouldn’t work with Bowser being a reformed ally… it does make me wonder why the writers and producers inserted any of that rehabilitation stuff at all. Was it just to be able to pull a twist later on? Was it to make Bowser’s supposed death hit harder? I don’t know… but I don’t think those justifications are enough, I’m afraid.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing Bowser's demise — Bowser’s downfall.

That being said, Bowser Jr. made for a strangely relatable character. A kid who just wants to see his father again, who’s willing to do anything to get him back, and who’s taken his father’s lessons to heart – evil though those lessons may have been – is a character I can empathise with to an extent. And far from being a one-dimensional “I’m evil for no reason, mwahaha!” type of villain, it gave both Bowser Jr. and his dad a bit more depth. I don’t think kids’ films should be granted an exception for weak writing, worldbuilding, or character motivations – not in most cases, anyway – so to see Bowser Jr. given a backstory that led directly into his scheme, and a plan to reunite with his dad that I could understand and that made sense? I liked it.

On the other side of things, we have Peach and Rosalina.

For the culmination of Peach’s single biggest desire across both films, my only criticism of the Rosalina connection would be that it felt a bit hollow to just have Peach learn about it from a book, rather than having another character – like one of the Lumas – explaining it to her. It was also, perhaps, a tiny bit rushed; Peach’s memory of being sent away seemed to come rushing back to her very quickly as she read from Rosalina’s storybook.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing Peach and Rosalina's book — Peach remembers…

But the sibling connection worked really well. I genuinely couldn’t remember if, in the *very* loose “lore” of the Super Mario games, Rosalina and Peach were already siblings, or otherwise related, but I think the connection works really well in the film. The way it’s set up, with Rosalina as the older sibling, having to send her younger sister away for safety… it made for a decently emotional setup for both of their arcs. I’d have liked to have spent a little more time with Rosalina, and especially with Peach and Rosalina after their reunion, but maybe that’s something we’ll see more of in the inevitable sequel.

One thing I strongly complimented 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie for was how it moved away from the tired, played-out (and arguably pretty sexist) “save the damsel in distress” trope. And while The Super Mario Galaxy Movie gets some credit for making Peach the main character invested in saving her sister… the setup, with Rosalina being kidnapped, still felt just a little bit regressive. And certainly less original than the previous instalment’s quest to save Luigi.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing Rosalina in a cage — Peach and Mario have to save the princess.

Perhaps it’s because I don’t have a lot of close family left, and because I live far enough away from my remaining close relative that I don’t see them as often as I’d like, but both of these storylines – Peach’s quest to help her sister and Bowser Jr.’s mission to save his dad – resonated with me, and I think they hit more of those emotional beats than I’d have expected when I sat down to watch the film. I don’t think The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a tear-jerker by any stretch, but there are moments between both pairs of characters that hit me quite hard.

Mario’s storyline, such as it was, was definitely less important this time around. His “should I ask out Peach?” mini-arc didn’t really go anywhere, and didn’t get enough time in the spotlight to really build up much dramatic tension. It wasn’t bad, and it gave the character something to do beyond just chasing after Peach and Bowser. But in a film that had its main focus elsewhere, Mario’s hesitancy to ask out Peach, and his self-doubt about his “worthiness” to date a princess just… didn’t do much for me, I guess.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing Luigi, Mario, and Yoshi — Mario with Luigi and Yoshi.

There was potential in Mario and Luigi losing control of the Mushroom Kingdom, perhaps coming to realise that Peach’s job was harder than they realised. But that idea, when it was hinted at at all, likewise didn’t really get much time to shine. Nor did the fact that, on their watch, Peach’s castle was obliterated. In fact, I wish the film had made a tiny bit more of that – either through Mario confessing to Peach what had happened, or through an extended rebuilding sequence at the end. This is, after all, Peach’s home and the seat of authority in her kingdom. She left Mario in charge, yet didn’t so much as bat an eye when he showed up to help. And Mario and Luigi didn’t even have one moment of conflict or anxiety about how to explain to Peach what had happened.

Okay, let’s talk cameos! I don’t think I noticed everything, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie might be a ton of fun to revisit just to catch more of these little easter eggs that Illumination and Nintendo slipped in! But I loved seeing things like the Nintendo 64 logo in the “seedy underworld” part of the galactic spaceport. Birdo made for a fun mini-villain at one point. R.O.B. (the annoyingly slow information kiosk robot) was a cute callback to the Nintendo product of the same name from the 1980s, Bowser Jr.’s weapon looked like a SNES Super Scope, and there were plenty of others, too. Some of these were deep cuts to a single game – Luigi’s frog suit, for instance, or the Tostarena Kingdom from the beginning of the film. And others were more directly connected to the Mario Galaxy titles, like the Lumas, the star bits, the star cannons, and so on. The baby characters – a callback to Yoshi’s Island – were cute, too.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing a Super Scope — Did anyone else have a SNES Super Scope? I loved mine!

Then we have Star Fox! I loved Star Fox on the SNES; it was one of the games that really made me fall in love with that kind of space-shooter. It was a real treat to see Fox McCloud in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie… but I agree with what a lot of other commentators and critics have said: spoiling that reveal ahead of time, in the film’s own marketing material, was a bit of an own goal.

That being said, I loved the way Fox was presented in this story – a kind of Han Solo-esque rogue with a heart of gold. Fox didn’t get a ton of time in the spotlight, but his moments were some of my favourites in the film. And the sequence of him piloting his ship, blasting his laser cannons and taking down Bowser Jr.? That was genuinely a lot of fun – and a sequence, which, quite frankly, eclipses many comparable sequences in “serious” sci-fi films! It was genuinely that good.

Still frame from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) showing Fox McCloud — Fox McCloud, from the Star Fox series.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a hard act to follow. And I felt some absences this time around: there’s no Donkey Kong, for instance, despite D.K. returning for his first 3D adventure in decades on the Switch 2 just last year. The first film’s Mario Kart sequence is still one of my favourites, and it’s a shame there wasn’t more of that this time around. And, as mentioned, the lack of a big musical number, while not something every animated film *needs*, felt a bit odd in light of what we got last time.

With all that being said, I enjoyed my time with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It met my expectations in many ways, exceeded them in a few, and didn’t really let me down at all. It’s unlikely to be a film I revisit a lot; I’m just not *that* big of a Nintendo fan, especially at the moment. But I’m glad to have seen it, I certainly enjoyed my time with it, and it’s the kind of happy, bright, kid-friendly adventure that I think we all need to see, sometimes.

So that’s all for today. If you missed my review of The Super Mario Bros. Movie back in 2023, you can check that out by clicking or tapping here. And I have quite a few articles about the venerable Mario Kart series – click or tap here for more on that! I still don’t own a Nintendo Switch 2, so I’m afraid reviews of any potential upcoming Mario titles will have to wait! But I’m sure I’ll have more to say about Nintendo – and the wider video games industry – before too long, so be sure to check in from time to time if you’ve enjoyed my take. Thanks for reading… and let’s-a go!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is available to stream now and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray later in the year. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the copyright of Nintendo and Illumination. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is… fine, I guess

Fri 18.09.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Super Mario 3D All-Stars (and its three constituent games).

Tempted by the promise of replaying Super Mario 64 – which remains one of my favourite games of all-time – I overlooked Nintendo’s godawful “forced scarcity” business model and stumped up £50 for Super Mario 3D All-Stars. And the game is fine. All three titles work, and in the short amount of time I’ve been able to spend with them today, there haven’t been any glitches or bugs that would make me feel it was somehow unfinished. And there shouldn’t be – these games are between thirteen and twenty-four years old, after all.

Let’s talk about this business model, then. I mentioned this when I talked about Super Mario 3D All-Stars shortly after its announcement, but the idea of releasing a game as a limited-time only thing is a blatant attempt by Nintendo to drum up more support than it would otherwise merit. Removing the game from sale – even as a digital download – after a mere six months is just awful, really, and there’s no excuse for it.

*Super Mario Galaxy* is one of three games in the collection.

This is a shameless marketing ploy, nothing less. And Nintendo is playing right into the hands of scammer and scalpers, who are already selling copies of the game for well over its asking price on sites like eBay. This is something that will only get worse as time goes by and as the deadline for buying the game next March passes.

I guess why I feel underwhelmed by Super Mario 3D All-Stars is that the game could be so much more than Nintendo chose to make of it. There are small details in the games that have been improved – such as the text in Super Mario 64, which has been upscaled. Some of the in-game icons have clearly been polished too; gone are the rough edges where a lack of pixels caused a blocky effect, replaced by the smoother lines a modern title can deliver. Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy have been upgraded to be in 1080p widescreen.

*Super Mario Sunshine* is now in widescreen.

But that’s all. Super Mario 64 doesn’t even get the 1080p treatment, and isn’t even in widescreen, leaving weird black bars on all four sides of the screen when played on a television. Sunshine and Galaxy are at least in widescreen, and as more modern games to begin with don’t look quite so out-of-place.

The soundtracks are a something-and-nothing addition. All three titles’ soundtracks are included, but can only be played via the Switch. If you don’t mind having the console on and doing nothing but listening to music, perhaps that’s okay. If you want to listen to it in the background while working or studying, perhaps that’s okay. If you want to do other things or if you want to listen to the music while on the go, you can’t unless you bring your Switch with you – hardly something easily done while jogging or engaged in any number of activities. An mp3 of the albums would have been a far better offering – perhaps redeemable via a code. As it is, all three albums are stuck on the Switch.

The soundtracks don’t really offer much by way of added value.

Perhaps I rushed to buy Super Mario 3D All-Stars too quickly. Perhaps I was taken in by Nintendo’s decision to artificially limit the game’s availability. Perhaps… something. Because I feel like for £50, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is quite a big ask. In a way it’s hard to argue that I didn’t get my money’s worth, because I picked up a slightly-updated version of one of my favourite ever games, got the chance to replay a great game I only rushed through once in like 2002/03, and a game that everyone says is amazing that I haven’t played yet. Yet it still feels like a lot of money for these games considering the newest of the bunch is from 2007. Maybe PC gaming, with its Steam sales and heavily-discounted older titles, has spoilt me!

For somebody who got into gaming this generation and thus missed playing all three of these games when they were new, I would recommend Super Mario 3D All-Stars. These are not just classic Mario games, all three are classics of the 3D platformer genre. Super Mario 64 in particular is a piece of gaming history and well worth any Nintendo fan and indeed any gamer’s time. The problem is that in its current form it still feels like a piece of history – its outdated controls and unimproved visuals will be offputting for some players.

*Super Mario 64* has weird black bars on all four sides. Not the best look.

Instead of releasing three titles in a bundle for £50, what Nintendo could have opted to do is to release them one by one after giving them a proper remaster. The engine used for Super Mario Odyssey a couple of years ago could certainly be repurposed, and the games rebuilt from the ground up akin to the work Capcom put into Resident Evil 2. A fully-remade version of any of these games would still have been a celebration of Mario’s past, and if they were to make all three they could retail for, say, £35 each or thereabouts.

Regardless, I knew what to expect from Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I can hardly say the game was not as advertised; it absolutely was as advertised. And again, for the price getting three awesome games – one of which I haven’t played in almost twenty years and one of which I’ve never played – is still good value, even if they haven’t been upgraded as much as I would have liked.

For Mario superfans, I think this is a must-buy. And for gamers who skipped these titles for whatever reason when they were new, it’s also a must-buy. For me… perhaps Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a shouldn’t-have-bought.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is out now on Nintendo Switch, but will only be available until the 31st of March 2021. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is the copyright of Nintendo. Some screenshots courtesy of press kits on IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Some interesting Mario projects for the franchise’s 35th anniversary

Sun 06.09.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

The Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary Nintendo Direct.

I don’t usually watch Nintendo Direct presentations, at least not unless I’m eagerly anticipating a title. I only own a handful of Switch games, as they often remain expensive even years after release. When I have a stack of unplayed PC games, spending £50 on a Switch game feels wasteful! This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Mario franchise, as Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1985. Though a 35th anniversary is hardly one of the “big ones”, rumours had been swirling for months that Nintendo would take the opportunity to do something significant in celebration of their most famous character and mascot.

Super Mario All-Stars, which features the original Super Mario Bros. as well as its first three sequels, was one of the first games I owned when I had a SNES in the early 1990s. I enjoyed playing through those games, and while the Mario series has never been my biggest fandom, it’s one that’s usually offered fun and well-made titles. Though I skipped the Mario Galaxy games, I’ve played many of the other mainline entries, including the recent Super Mario Odyssey.

*Super Mario Bros.* was released in 1985 – 35 years ago.

The main reason why I tuned in, though, was because there had been rumours of a remastered Super Mario 64 – perhaps my favourite entry in the series. I was at least a little disappointed that it hasn’t received an upgrade, as seeing that game with the visual style of Odyssey would have been spectacular in my opinion! But Mario 64 is coming back in its original form, bundled with Mario Sunshine and the first Mario Galaxy game as part of a collection called Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

The collection looks like a lot of fun, and being able to replay Mario 64 will be great. I’ve also only played Mario Sunshine once, in like 2002, so it’ll be fantastic to have a proper look at that game for the first time in a long time too. And as someone who’s never played Galaxy, perhaps now’s the time to give that one a try! But Super Mario 3D All-Stars comes with a stupid and artificial limitation – in true Nintendo style. I criticised Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the arbitrary decision to prohibit players having more than one save file per console, despite there being no reason for such a limitation. And Super Mario 3D All-Stars deserves all the criticism it gets for its forced scarcity business model.

*Super Mario 64* might be my favourite Mario title.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars will only be available for six months. At the end of March next year it will be removed from sale – both physically and digitally. I’ve never heard of such nonsense as a digital download game being removed from sale. It’s arbitrary and it’s clearly designed to drum up as much support as possible by playing on gamers’ fears of missing out. Many people, myself included, choose not to buy games at launch because they’re often discounted (or available pre-owned) a few weeks or months later. Super Mario 3D All-Stars, thanks to its unnecessary removal from sale, won’t be in that position, and thus the only way for players to get a copy is to snap it up as quickly as possible. This is a scummy tactic from Nintendo – a company that, despite its family-friendly façade, is no stranger to them. Resellers will be loving this – copies of Super Mario 3D All-Stars will go for big money in six months’ time, and even Switch consoles with the game pre-installed will sell for a packet. Just look at how scalpers have been making money selling iPhones with Fortnite installed since the Epic Games/Apple fight. Something similar will happen in this case too.

It’s one of those difficult situations. I want to like this game, and I’m interested in playing it, but at the same time I don’t want to endorse or support a company that uses such an unfair and anti-consumer business model. Though I felt the same way with Animal Crossing: New Horizons I did ultimately buy the game… and I guess I will be one of the suckers who buys this one too. But I want to register my protest at its business model – which is so incredibly stupid. Nintendo won’t even see most of the benefit, as resellers and scalpers will take the profits. It’ll just screw over ordinary gamers.

It’ll be great to replay *Super Mario Sunshine*.

As it costs £100, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a bit beyond my budget! But the concept is fun, and I can see this becoming a must-have Christmas toy this year. Augmented reality is a neat idea, but the applications I’ve seen of it have always felt like little more than gimmicks. And usually the nature of augmented reality either necessitates every participant using a single platform or makes the experiences one-person things. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is basically just a remote control car with a camera strapped to it and a few gateways to drive through, but the Mario Kart branding, and being able to race around courses in the real world, hold some appeal.

The only drawback I can see is that it’s very much a one-trick pony. And considering most people don’t have huge homes, there will be limited options for setting up a racetrack. Once those options have been expended, the toy will perhaps be cast aside in favour of others, and while that is the nature of toys, £100 for something that looks like a day’s worth of interest at best from the average child means it feels like poor value. Some of Nintendo’s gimmicks are just there for the sake of it, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, the single-use nature of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit feels like it would be offputting except for Mario fanatics and wealthy parents.

*Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit* looks gimmicky, but fun.

It’s encouraging to see Nintendo making use of the Mario Kart brand, though. I’m still hopeful we’ll see Mario Kart 9 on the Switch before too long; I even made a list of tracks that could be included a little while ago. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit shows that Nintendo is still making use of the brand, and that raises expectations – at least a little – of a new game perhaps being in development. The original Super Mario Kart was released in 1992; with Nintendo making a big fuss about anniversaries, 2022 will be that series’ 30th so perhaps that could be a good time for a new iteration? I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

The other big announcement was a port of the Wii U game Super Mario 3D World, which will bring with it what looks to be a new expansion pack titled Bowser’s Fury. I played this a few years ago, when I was one of about fourteen people who owned a Wii U, and while it was okay and I enjoyed the cat suits the characters can wear, I’m not in a mad rush to replay it so soon after its launch on that console. Nintendo have released some solid Switch titles since 2017, but they’ve also put a disproportionate amount of time into porting Wii U titles to the new system, and the result is that some franchises haven’t got the attention they deserved. Even Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a port – there are a few extra characters and the DLC included, but nothing about the game is substantially different to the Wii U version. The Bowser’s Fury expansion for Super Mario 3D World may make the game worth a second look, but we didn’t see a lot of it in the direct and while it absolutely could be great, it could also turn out to be insubstantial and a bit of a let-down.

*Super Mario 3D World* is getting an update and a re-release.

The final game worth mentioning is a very strange one – Super Mario Bros. 35 is a multiplayer competitive version of the classic game, played with 35 players in homage to the title’s 35th anniversary. Defeating an enemy will send it into another player’s game, and it looks like whoever racks up the most points per level wins. Or something. I’m struggling to see how this will be all that fun – Super Mario Bros. simply isn’t designed for something like this, and if the game sticks with the original level design I think players could be overwhelmed with enemies. I know multiplayer isn’t usually my thing to begin with, but even with that caveat this doesn’t seem like a game that will be a lot of fun!

So my dreams of playing Super Mario 64 in the engine used for Odyssey will have to wait for another day! The 3D All-Stars collection is tugging me in both directions right now: it looks like fun, but I’m upset at its crappy anti-consumer sales tactic. Otherwise, despite the pandemic, Nintendo has managed to pull out several fun surprises to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary. Not all of them will be to everyone’s taste, but even a casual Mario player should be able to find at least one title that they’re interested in.

The Super Mario franchise, including all titles listed above, is the copyright of Nintendo. Some screenshots courtesy of press kits on IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Ten of the best games… that I’ve never played!

Mon 10.08.20Mon 21.11.22Dennis

After Star Trek, gaming and the games industry is probably the subject I write about most here on the website. I used to work in the games industry as regular readers will recall, and I’ve enjoyed the hobby for decades – though I spend less time playing these days for a number of reasons. However, with decades of gaming under my belt, and time spent on the inside, I like to think I can write about the subject from a unique perspective and perhaps even with some degree of authority. So let’s completely ruin that by looking at some of the biggest games and game franchises that I’ve never even played!

The entries on this list are games (and franchises) that I’ve heard almost universal praise for; these titles are undeniably good. However, for a variety of reasons I simply haven’t got around to playing them, or they seemed like “not my thing” so I never gave them a try. I’ll make an attempt to justify myself… but I’m sure you’ll agree that this seriously harms my “gamer” pedigree! There shouldn’t be any major spoilers because these are games I haven’t played, but we will be discussing some details. If there’s a title you want to avoid even the slightest chance of spoilers for, it may be safer to skip that entry and move on to the next.

Here comes the disclaimer: just because I’m not interested in these titles or haven’t played them doesn’t mean I’m saying that they’re bad. Look at the title of this list! These games are generally held in very high regard, so if one of your favourites is here and I’m being negative about it, please try not to take it personally. Our experiences are all subjective; we all enjoy different things. And that’s great!

So without further ado, let’s look at the list!

Number 1: The Pokémon series (1996-present)

When I was still at school in the late ’90s, Pokémon cards became a short-lived craze among some of the younger kids. I considered myself “too grown-up” for a silly card game like that, which was a pretty typical attitude among my teenage friends at the time! I did, however, receive a pack of the cards as a gift at one point – and promptly gave them away to someone I knew who was collecting them.

I also didn’t own a Game Boy at the time – though in those days they were available to rent! Do you remember going to a rental shop and literally checking out a whole console? But because I didn’t own a Game Boy – and could afford to rent one so infrequently – I never got around to trying out the first entry in the series. Since then, there have been eighteen mainline Pokémon games across eight “generations” that have come out on six systems, and a number of spin-off titles too, including Pokémon Go, which seemed to take the world by storm in 2016.

And I’ve managed to avoid playing any of them! Japanese-style RPGs aren’t my favourite kind of games usually – particularly due to their style of combat – and combined with Pokémon’s youthful style and seemingly ever-growing list of critters, it’s something that’s never seemed like “my thing”. The increasing number of creatures in particular feels a little daunting at this point, and the series has developed a lore over the course of almost a quarter of a century that spans not only the games but a long-running animated series as well. At this point, even if I were interested in the series, I wouldn’t know where to start!

Number 2: Practically every arcade game!

I grew up in a rural community, and none of the small towns in this part of the world had arcades, not even during the height of their popularity in the ’80s. The closest I got was a small “penny arcade” in a seaside town which had a couple of video games alongside claw machines, slot machines, and pool tables. On the odd occasion that I’d get to go to bigger cities in my youth, visiting a video arcade was never a high priority.

As such, I’ve only ever played a handful of arcade games, and even then not many times and not for very long. The one I can remember playing most is 1994’s Sega Rally Championship, which I was fortunate enough to play a few times when I lived overseas. But I missed out on the arcade experience that many gamers of my generation had, and I’ve never played the arcade version of titles like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Out Run, the Star Wars arcade titles, or Space Harrier. The closest I got to playing Space Harrier in an arcade was in Shenmue on the Dreamcast! Though this entry might seem like kind of a cheat for this list since I have technically played many of these games when they were ported to consoles or via emulators, the experience isn’t the same.

Because of my health, I’m no longer in a position where I can travel very far, nor would I be able to really use an arcade machine for any length of time (unless I could do so from a seated position). So unfortunately it looks like I’ll never really be able to have that arcade experience.

Number 3: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

So far we’ve looked at games I wasn’t interested in and games that were generally unavailable to me. Red Dead Redemption 2 is in neither of these categories. I could have played it upon its 2018 release on PlayStation 4, or after its 2019 PC release on my computer, yet despite being interested in its historical setting, I simply haven’t got around to doing so – at least, not yet.

As a history buff, a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 should be exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for. It ticks almost all of the boxes for things I’d enjoy – a single-player game with a detailed story, an open world with lots to do, and a fun historical setting. American history is one of my favourite fields of study (despite not being American), so there’s really no excuse for not playing this game, right? The only real drawback is that it’s a sequel (technically a prequel, despite the somewhat confusing numbering) and I’m not usually someone who likes to jump into a series that’s already in progress.

I’ve been interested in Red Dead Redemption 2 since it was released, for all of the reasons listed above, yet I just haven’t got around to picking up a copy yet. I think if I’d seen it discounted I might’ve, but on Steam during the recent summer sale event it was only 20% off, which still left it priced at over £40. I don’t have a huge budget for games, so that’s definitely one reason why I haven’t picked it up yet. Unlike some of the other entries on this list, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game I absolutely plan to get around to playing… one of these days!

Number 4: The Dark Souls series (2011-2016)

This entry could really be expanded to encompass a number of other titles besides the three main Dark Souls games which fall into that new pseudo-genre inspired by the series. “Souls-like” games are notorious for their high difficulty, and the three Dark Souls games pioneered and epitomise that. I respect people who play games for the challenge, and I’m sure it must be very rewarding to finally overcome a difficult level or boss after numerous attempts. However, I’m not that kind of gamer!

If you read my playthrough of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you’ll recall I played on the easiest difficulty setting. I usually do this where possible, because in single-player titles I’m more interested in an engaging story than a challenge. The Dark Souls series deliberately doesn’t offer lower difficulty options, which is an artistic decision that I respect; I’m not going to argue that the game should go out of its way to accommodate players like myself. However, it means that it’s a series I have no interest in playing.

I’m not the world’s best gamer. Completing Jedi: Fallen Order and The Last of Us Part II on their lowest difficulty settings have been two of my big gaming accomplishments of 2020, and perhaps the most challenging games I’ve played have been rounds of Fall Guys! But I’m not really someone who seeks out a challenge. I don’t have the skill to be a top-tier gamer, nor the patience to play one game over and over and over again to “git gud”. If Dark Souls seemed like it had a genuinely interesting story underneath the difficulty, perhaps I’d be willing to try. But everything I’ve seen from the series looks like an incredibly generic fantasy world with hack-and-slash gameplay, so I don’t think I’ll be convinced to give it a try any time soon.

Number 5: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (2016) and Fortnite Battle Royale (2017)

I’m not really into competitive online gaming, at least not unless a title offers something genuinely different. Fall Guys, which I mentioned above, does fall into that category, but PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite really don’t. Both titles are in the action/shooter genre, and if I wanted to play a game like that I could choose from myriad single-player offline titles.

However, in both cases I have a great respect for what the games bring to the table. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds didn’t exactly create the battle royale genre, but it certainly elevated and refined it, and Fortnite is a phenomenon that the gaming world hadn’t seen since Minecraft. Both titles brought millions of new people into gaming as a hobby and helped the medium grow to the point where it’s wholly mainstream. I’ve touched on this topic before, but when I was younger, gaming wasn’t exactly a niche but it was certainly a nerdy, geeky hobby to be associated with, shunned by adults and self-proclaimed cool kids. The rise of titles like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite – and their ubiquity on practically every platform from consoles to phones – has meant the video gaming hobby has expanded far more than I would have ever thought possible a few years ago.

That doesn’t mean, however, that I’ll be tempted to try either of these games any time soon.

Number 6: World of Warcraft (2004)

Earlier, I criticised the Dark Souls series for feeling very generic and uninteresting in its fantasy setting. The same simply cannot be said of World of Warcraft, the title which arguably defined the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) genre. It has a rich lore and a deeply detailed, painstakingly crafted world, all of which has been built up over more than fifteen years with updates, patches, and expansions massively improving the game in that time.

From my perspective, World of Warcraft falls down simply because of its online nature. I just don’t enjoy playing with other people in this kind of always-online environment, and I find that interacting with other people is immersion-breaking. In a fantasy world, I need that sense of immersion to enjoy myself and have a good time, and as I said in the previous entry on this list, there are many single-player titles which offer something similar.

The longest I’ve ever stuck with an MMORPG was Star Trek Online, which attracted me for obvious reasons! However, even being set in my favourite fictional galaxy and having some enjoyable story missions couldn’t overcome the issues I have with this kind of game, and after struggling on with it for a while, I eventually stopped playing.

Number 7: The Final Fantasy series (1987-present)

As I mentioned when talking about Pokémon, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Japanese-style roleplaying games. The combat in particular is something I find offputting, not because it’s bad but there’s something about its slower, turn-based nature that I tend to feel doesn’t gel with an action-oriented title. The Final Fantasy games have always had this style of gameplay, which is one reason I’ve never been all that interested.

The second major reason why I’ve never jumped in is that the Final Fantasy series is complicated. There are sixteen “main” games (counting Final Fantasy XIV twice as it has an online and offline version), as well as dozens of other titles (perhaps as many as fifty if you consider mobile games and spin-offs). There are also films and other associated media, making the series quite daunting to get started with. While I gather many of the games are semi-standalone titles, there is a lot of background and lore that connects them and keeps the series intact. Maybe that’s a bad reason not to jump in, but coupled with the style of gameplay being something I generally don’t enjoy, it’s enough to be offputting.

Though I have owned several of the consoles that Final Fantasy titles released on – like the SNES – many of the most well-received entries in the series are or were PlayStation exclusives. As someone who didn’t own a PlayStation until the dying days of the PlayStation 3 (which I bought so I could play The Last of Us) I didn’t have access to most of the games released between the mid-90s and the mid-2000s.

Number 8: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

The SNES was the first home console that I owned, but for many of the same reasons given above regarding my general dislike for Japanese-style RPGs, I didn’t play the only Zelda title released on that system: A Link to the Past. Nor did I play the Zelda titles on the Nintendo 64, Wii, DS, 3DS, or any other Nintendo console I’ve owned in the years since. I wouldn’t say I’ve deliberately shunned the Zelda series; it’s more a case of having other priorities and putting my money elsewhere.

I must be practically the only Nintendo Switch owner to have not played Breath of the Wild, as the game has been one of the system’s best-selling titles since it launched in 2017. Though I have been tempted to pick up a copy, especially if I could find it pre-owned or at a discount, I simply haven’t got around to it yet, as I’ve had other games I’m more interested in playing.

Number 9: Super Mario Galaxy (2007) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)

Ever since I received Super Mario 64 for Christmas in 1997, I’ve been a huge fan of Mario’s 3D adventures. I was even lucky enough to play through Super Mario Sunshine on a friend’s GameCube as I didn’t own the console for myself. Yet I skipped the two 3D Mario titles that were released on the Wii.

The Wii had one of the best Mario titles ever in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I had great fun playing that game. But the two Mario Galaxy titles didn’t hold much appeal, mostly due to the level design, which consists of a number of spherical planets and asteroids to navigate. I found those environments looked incredibly confusing, and the Wii’s motion controls seemed like they would make that worse. With so many other titles to play on the Wii, which was a fantastic console that had a great library of games, I kept putting off playing Super Mario Galaxy. When a sequel came out I put that to the back of the queue as well, and I’ve just not got around to picking up either game.

I think I still have my Wii in the attic, so perhaps one day I need to get it out, dust it off, and finally pick up one or both of these games. In 2018 I had a great time with Super Mario Odyssey, so it’s clear that my enjoyment of 3D Mario titles hasn’t waned at all!

Number 10: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

A couple of years ago I set out to play the famed Witcher series. Not wanting to begin with the third entry, I started with the first game – but I had a hard time getting into it and haven’t picked it up since. It wasn’t the world, the lore, or the story that I found offputting, but rather the mouse-and-keyboard controls. I’m so used to playing most action/adventure titles with a control pad these days that it was a bit of a jolt, and I’m surprised that a game from as recently as 2007 didn’t have any controller support on PC!

As a result, I didn’t get into the series and haven’t got to its incredibly popular and critically-acclaimed third entry yet. The Witcher 3 is many people’s pick for game of the decade or game of the generation, and I’m very interested to try it for myself. I own the game and both its expansions, so I will one day get around to playing it – once I’ve completed the first two titles!

The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings are supposed to take around 40 hours each to complete, so it may be a while before I finally get to this acclaimed game, but unlike some of the other entries on this list, it’s one I hope to play one day.

So that’s it. Ten great games and franchises that, for a variety of reasons, I’ve never played. Sorry if your favourite made the list, but remember that this is all one person’s opinion, and I’m in no way trying to argue that these games are bad. Some of them just aren’t my thing. If you love them or are passionate about them, great! Diversity takes many forms, including the titles we enjoy in the entertainment space. It would be a very dull world indeed if we all enjoyed the same things!

Hopefully this list has been a little bit of fun. If you’re new to the website, I write lists and articles on gaming and related topics often, so I hope you’ll check back for more in future. Until next time!

All titles listed above are the copyright of their respective studio, developer, and/or publisher. Screenshots and promo artwork courtesy of press kits on IGDB. Arcade machine photo courtesy of Unsplash. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.