Dataminers have recently uncovered information regarding to the soon-to-be-released Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection that suggests all three games are actually being emulated — which isn't really a big deal, but it is definitely interesting to see.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is including the original Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy in one convenient bundle that gives players the chance to experience three of the most critically acclaimed titles in the long-running Super Mario Bros. series.
According to the information leaked online, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy would actually be running on Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii emulators, respectively, called "hagi" — which has been theorised would've been made by Nintendo of Europe division NERD.
Super Mario Galaxy, in particular, seems to be using the game's original code that has been recompiled in order to run natively on the Nintendo Switch's CPU, and here's where things get even more interesting, as the GPU and audio are actually running on the emulator.
Super Mario 64 is also running on a Nintendo 64 emulator, although the emulator itself has still to be identified. It has also been revealed that references to other Nintendo 64 games can be found within the collection's code.
Other users have found that these references could be leftovers from the emulator used on the Nintendo Wii U's Virtual Console; suggesting that Nintendo has opted to use the same emulator to run Super Mario 64 as part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection.
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.