This is kind of a weird one for me.
I think it's safe to say that all the games in this collection are still really good and imo hold up pretty well, and overall some of the finest 3D platformers you can get both on the Switch and in general.
But when rating this as a collection? That's where it gets iffy. This collection doesn't necessarily "ruin" the experience of these games - the games still play perfectly fine and being on the Switch you can also play them portably which I believe is a plus. But it really feels like Nintendo did the bare minimum with this collection. I wouldn't say they had to go as far as to completely remake these games, but for $60, you're essentially getting barebones ports of these old games with very little in the way of improved visuals (Super Mario 64 doesn't even have widescreen for whatever reason), and a pretty bland presentation where the collection doesn't have anything more than a simple menu, the games and the soundtracks.
Considering Mario is Nintendo's mascot, I would've expected them to do so much more with this collection, especially at a $60 price tag, but this collection just feels like the bare minimum. Compare it to, say, the Crash and Spyro remake trilogies - where all three games are completely overhauled visually with improvements to the controls and mechanics, both for $40, or the Kirby's Dream Collection in 2012 which not only had the games, but history of the franchise, box art to look at, challenge stages, and episodes of the Kirby anime series. For such a classic franchise and mascot, and especially for the price you're paying, this collection could've easily been so much more.
I think it's safe to say that all the games in this collection are still really good and imo hold up pretty well, and overall some of the finest 3D platformers you can get both on the Switch and in general.
But when rating this as a collection? That's where it gets iffy. This collection doesn't necessarily "ruin" the experience of these games - the games still play perfectly fine and being on the Switch you can also play them portably which I believe is a plus. But it really feels like Nintendo did the bare minimum with this collection. I wouldn't say they had to go as far as to completely remake these games, but for $60, you're essentially getting barebones ports of these old games with very little in the way of improved visuals (Super Mario 64 doesn't even have widescreen for whatever reason), and a pretty bland presentation where the collection doesn't have anything more than a simple menu, the games and the soundtracks.
Considering Mario is Nintendo's mascot, I would've expected them to do so much more with this collection, especially at a $60 price tag, but this collection just feels like the bare minimum. Compare it to, say, the Crash and Spyro remake trilogies - where all three games are completely overhauled visually with improvements to the controls and mechanics, both for $40, or the Kirby's Dream Collection in 2012 which not only had the games, but history of the franchise, box art to look at, challenge stages, and episodes of the Kirby anime series. For such a classic franchise and mascot, and especially for the price you're paying, this collection could've easily been so much more.