The Super Mario 3D All-Stars co-op mode requirements are already confusing players. It’s not quite clear if you will need a Joy-Con to play this collection of remastered Super Mario games, and that has a lot to do with the messaging on Nintendo’s websites.
A thread on ResetEra points out the following disclaimer included on the Nintendo eShop store page for Super Mario 3D All-Stars:
“If playing on Nintendo Switch Lite, detached Joy-Con controllers are required and sold separately.”
Further details about Super Mario 3D All-Stars co-op mode are included on that same page in the section for Super Mario Galaxy:
“Gently shake a Joy-Con™ controller to activate Mario’s Spin ability or pass a Joy-Con controller to a friend for some extra help in Co-Star Mode.”
That leaves us with a question: will you need a Joy-Con to play Super Mario 3D All-Stars on a Nintendo Switch Lite, or will you only need it for co-op mode?
The answer lies on the UK’s Nintendo eShop page for Super Mario 3D All-Stars which has slightly different wording in the subsection for Super Mario Galaxy:
“All three games are optimised for Nintendo Switch with updated Joy-Con controls – including rumble! You can also use Joy-Con controllers to mimic the original Wii Remote motion controls** when playing Super Mario Galaxy.”
Note the use of “can” there — it seems unlikely that Nintendo Switch Lite players are going to need separate Joy-Con controllers to enjoy these games as a single-player experience.
Why the confusion, then? Aside from the wording, people may not be clearly remembering how co-op worked in Super Mario Galaxy. While Player 1 controlled Mario’s movements, Player 2 used a Wiimote to move a floating star on the screen in order to help Mario collect objects in the game.
Naturally, that would mean that you would need a separate motion controller for Player 2 in Super Mario Galaxy, but it doesn’t mean that you would need a detached Joy-Con to play it in single-player. Things are made even clearer in another portion of the Super Mario Galaxy section on the Nintendo UK website:
“Defy gravity and hop across planets with optional motion controls, or pass a Joy-Con controller to a friend for some extra help in Co-Star Mode!”
That seems pretty clear. It looks like Nintendo Switch Lite players will only require a separate Joy-Con controller if they want to enjoy Super Mario 3D All-Stars co-op mode in Super Mario Galaxy. Otherwise, I don’t think you’re going to need separate Joy-Con controllers to play this game on a Nintendo Switch Lite.
