The gaming world was rocked by Nintendo’s sudden announcement that it soon release Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a compilation of some of the best platforming games to ever be created. However, may gamers were slightly disappointed that the Super Mario Galaxy 2 won’t be appearing in the new collection… or will it?
While 3D All-Stars will definitely include the first Super Mario Galaxy, so far there has been no word of its popular sequel being included in the lot. It’s a glaring omission for sure, as the two titles would naturally be assumed to be bundled together in a collection of this nature.
Most fans resigned themselves to just being happy with the three games confirmed to be in the pack: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and the original Galaxy.
That is, until Nintendo recently uploaded a video to their YouTube channel that has fueled speculation that Super Mario Galaxy 2 may indeed be included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars after all.
The video stars longtime Nintendo social media presenters Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang as they talk about their experience playing the Super Mario 3D All-Stars ahead of its release this Friday.
The same video already caused waves for giving players a glimpse the game’s actual menu. But then, attentive viewers noticed something even more revealing: either the game itself or the official Nintendo video for the game contains distinctive music from Super Mario Galaxy 2‘s soundtrack.
The music clip only plays for a few seconds, but it comes at a very telling moment of the video – moments where a short montage of games in the collection plays before the 3D All-Stars title pops on the screen.
Some have dismissed this as just being a natural song choice that fits the scene, but many others have fairly pointed out that there are plenty of other musical offerings from the Mario games confirmed to be in the collection that would’ve fit the scene just as well if not better. So why did Nintendo specifically choose to give a musical shout-out to Galaxy 2 in a compilation that supposedly doesn’t include Galaxy 2?
Well, we know the collection includes soundtracks for each of the playable titles contained within. Perhaps the Galaxy 2 soundtrack, but not the game itself, is merely a bonus easter egg?
Or, perhaps this is Nintendo’s way of cryptically foreshadowing a future Galaxy 2 release, either as DLC or as a separate title altogether.
Or maybe, just maybe, the fans are right. Maybe Galaxy 2 itself is an unlockable title to play in 3D All-Stars. While it would be strange for Nintendo not to market its inclusion in the collection, the company is known for doing unconventional things and subverting expectations. After all, the collection itself was shockingly announced a mere two weeks before release date. (A decision which has led to the game selling out at major retailers before its release.)
What better way of surprising fans than by including a beloved sequel title in the collection without advertising it? The other three games in the collection are already a big enough selling point on their own – Galaxy 2’s surprise inclusion would be an easy way for Nintendo to generate even more goodwill amongst loyal fans, especially in a year like 2020 where people could do with some more good surprises.
Still, it’s important to note that all of this is wild speculation and merely rumors. Reviewers who received early copies of the game are tightlipped as they under a strict non-disclosure agreement until the game’s official release. We won’t really know for sure until after the game comes out on Friday. Here’s hoping!
