Earlier today we reported that Super Mario 3D All-Stars is actually using emulators to run Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. This information was gathered by dataminers, who found more than a few interesting things within the games source code.
What's perhaps the most interesting bit of information discovered by dataminers was the fact that the emulator used to run Super Mario 64 also included other Nintendo 64 titles as leftovere; with some users suggesting that this could be leftovers from the Wii U's Virtual Console.
According to the information collected through the source code in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, it appears that the full list of Nintendo 64 games recovered is actually bigger than initially thought.
Twitter user @IbDashing reveals that games like Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Mario Golf, Mario Story(the Japanese name for Paper Mario), Mario Tennis, Pokémon Snap, and even Rare's Perfect Dark are some of the leftovers found in the code; leftovers that should've been removed.
What's more, this also suggests that whatever emulator is being used to run Super Mario 64 in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and therefore on the Nintendo Switch hardware, could be the same emulator that Nintendo may be thinking of using for a Nintendo 64 app on Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo Switch Online currently has an NES and SNES apps, and the next logical step for Nintendo would be to add a Nintendo 64 app to their online service.
To stir the pot a little bit more, I'll have you know that the NES and SNES apps were added to Nintendo Switch Online in September of 2018 and Septemeber of 2019, respectively, and now would be the perfect time for the Tokyo-based company to add the long-awaited Nintendo 64 app.
Could it be that Nintendo is testing the waters by using emulators to run Super Mario 64(Nintendo 64), Super Mario Sunshine(Nintendo GameCube), and Super Mario Galaxy(Nintendo Wii) in Super Mario 3D All-Stars? Well, it is definitely a possibility, especially in regards to Nintendo 64 titles — which are more likely to be added in the near future than the more recent consoles.
Three Mario adventures in one collection jumps on to Nintendo Switch! With HD visuals, take Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy on the go in Super Mario 3D All-Stars. The collection arrives September 18 as a limited release until the end of March 2021.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars releases for the Nintendo Switch, for a limited time, on Friday the 18th of September.