5 Reasons Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy Is The Better Compilation & 5 Reasons It s Super Mario 3D All-Stars

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5 Reasons Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy Is The Better Compilation & 5 Reasons It s Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Nintendo's Super Mario 3D All-Stars collect some of the best platformers ever, but which compilation is better? 3D platformers seem to be coming full circle in terms of popularity, particularly when it comes to remakes and remasters. Two of the key examples on this front might be the multiplatform and the Switch exclusive . Both of these games harken back to the early days of 3D platforming, where Nintendo and Sony sought to dazzle consumers with the magic of this added dimension. The parallels of these titles prove numerous – not just with compilations themselves, but also with what these franchises represented. For a long time, Mario and Crash were staples of Nintendo and Sony consoles respectively. Both were symbols of the platforming genre and of gaming at large. While Mario has seen more success as a whole, many point to the 2018 Crash compilation from Vicarious Visions as the superior package. Is this true? Or is the influence and quality of these Mario classics just too great to overcome? Here are some ways each of these is the better title. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Crash More Incentive To Replay With Achievements And Challenges

Even when it comes to the 3rd dimension, platforming games typically adhere to arcade sensibilities. These qualities tend to mesh well with grinding for high scores, , and other challenges that incentivize gamers to play over and over. While were strong in this area, the entries of 3D All-Stars are more akin to slower-paced adventures. There's plenty of fun and depth to be had, though they arguably lack replayability. This becomes even more apparent in the remaster, which fails to add any sort of leaderboards, time trials, or high score challenges to shoot for. This is contrasted with Crash, which is chock-full of time trials, collectibles, and other added challenges to mix things up.

Mario The Added Soundtrack

While Super Mario 3D All-Stars has gotten its share of criticism for a lack of new content or refinements, one must give props when they are due. Nintendo offers a convenient and elaborate list of tracks from each of the three Mario games featured, which can be accessed directly from the main menu. And with , this addition is a welcome one. It's tough not to appreciate the prospect of plugging in one's headphones and getting lost in some epic Galaxy melodies or Mario 64's serenading "Dire, Dire Docks."

Crash More Newbie-Friendly

Rich and enjoyable as they may be, most Mario fans will tell you that the 3D efforts aren't exactly . This is especially the case with the somewhat-archaic Super Mario 64, and the . The Crash games on the N. Sane Trilogy, on the other hand, feel more akin to an accessible title tailored to a mass-market audience. That's not to say the games cannot be tough – far from it – though the more basic platforming and linear style tends to be less overwhelming.

Mario Utilizes The Switch s Bells And Whistles

via: ign.com Those looking to utilize the fancy bells and whistles of modernity control-wise will find more to play around with in Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Despite the revamp from a technical perspective, the controls and interface of Crash remain pretty conventional. On the other hand, Nintendo has incorporated the touch and that Super Mario Galaxy enjoyed on Wii. Not only this, but they've further refined them on Switch. Players can use the touch screen to perform the actions the motion would in handheld mode swiftly and precisely. At the same time, using the Joy-Con in place of the Wiimote when docked feels sharper than ever.

Crash The More Reasonable Price

It may not be entirely fair to judge a title based on a non-gameplay element, but at the end of the day, this Crash remaster does have added appeal and a decided advantage when it comes to its price tag. The N. Sane Trilogy currently stands at around $45 and has seen sales prices for as cheap as $15. Yet, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is stuck at a steep $60 with no signs of budging. And given the game's limited availability, it's likely this title will only escalate in price as its rarity increases.

Mario The Brighter Potential For DLC And Updates

One silver lining of a rather bare-bones remaster is that the potential for expansive, robust DLC tends to be greater. This is certainly the case for Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which is rife with add-on potential. A game with is likely to see some attention from the Big N in terms of updates and patches. In fact, it's already been confirmed that the remaster will receive a . Rumors have also been circulating about the addition of the renowned Super Mario Galaxy 2 by way of purchasable DLC.

Crash A Ground-Up Remaster

It's no secret that, despite the appeal of the package, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is about as minimalistic as a remaster can be. Compare this to the appropriately-named N. Sane Trilogy, which offers far sleeker visuals and ground-up rebuilds. This is all the more impressive considering Vicarious Visions having to recreate the experience absent Naughty Dog's source code. The remaster retains that Crash feel and nostalgic charm while sprucing up the visuals to an impressive level. This is heavily contrasted with Super Mario 64, which isn't even given widescreen in its revamp, and the 30FPS Super Mario Sunshine.

Mario More Content As A Whole

Considering the Mario games in 3D All-Stars date back many years, it's easy to forget and neglect just how expansive and robust they were. Just getting to the final boss in all three epics could take a few dozen hours. But when giving in to the tempting proposition of nabbing each Star or Shine? Well, that could comprise well over 60 hours across all three games. Even factoring most of the collectibles and added challenges, the more straightforward Crash games collectively will run you about 40 hours tops.

Crash Far More Added Features

Vicarious Visions did not just polish and refine the Crash trilogy from a technical standpoint – they also added ample new content. The Time Trials from Warped now exist in all three games, while unified checkpoints, pause menus, and save systems were added to make the titles feel less "90s." Remastered cutscenes and audio are also included, as is the ability to play most levels in all three games as Crash's sister, Coco. There's definitely merit to the mantra "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Yet, Nintendo certainly doesn't add to it either when it comes to their Mario remaster...

Mario The Quality Differential

Via: Nintendo Wire Though this at admittedly a more subjective point, it's hard to deny the level of difference in quality between these two titles. At the end of the day, even a remastered, refined version of Crash – for all its enjoyable qualities – still has its blemishes. Mario is, well, Mario. Even the more divisive Sunshine tends to have a certain refinement and charm to it that Crash, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped don't quite reach. The level of care, refinements, and additions put into the Crash remaster almost undeniably surpasses Mario; however, the difference in the actual game quality is subject to debate, to say the least.