Super Mario 3D All-Stars is reportedly the third biggest UK game launch this year

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Super Mario 3D All-Stars reportedly had the third biggest game launch in the UK this year, following behind The Last of Us 2 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Gamesindustry.biz journalist Christopher Dring posted the stat on Twitter, clarifying that the figure relates to the UK physical launch of Nintendo's latest big release. Super Mario 3D All-Stars was first announced in celebration of Mario's 35th anniversary during a Nintendo Direct at the start of September, with the surprise reveal that it would be launching just a few weeks later on September 18. 

Super Mario All-Stars rolls three classic Mario games into one edition, with Super Mario 64 which first released on the N64, Super Mario Sunshine that originally came to the GameCube, and Super Mario Galaxy that released on the Wii. While it's only been out for a short time now, reports emerged not long after the initial announcement that the Mario-tastic bundle was already raking up some impressive pre-order numbers in the US. 

Not only that, but scalpers also put the price up for 3D All-Stars after the news that the collection of games will only be available for a limited amount of time. The game has both physical and digital editions, but both will only be available to buy until March 2021, at which point Nintendo will be closing sales on the game. While nostalgia and Mario's own selling power surely played a big role in the successful launch of the game, the limited window it's available for also likely had a significant part to play. 

There have been plenty of announcements from Nintendo recently, with the likes of more upcoming Mario adventures such as Super Mario 3D World and Bowser's Fury and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity also got a surprise reveal with a trailer showing that it will be a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild prequel set 100 years prior to the events of the game. 

See what else is set to come to Nintendo's console in the future with our roundup of upcoming Switch games

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at 12DOVE. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.