Nintendo never takes the easy way out. Take, for example, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, coming to the Switch. The upcoming collection will debut on September 18, offering high-resolution versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. So far, so good.

But if you don't buy the game by March 31, you may lose that chance forever. In other words, Nintendo is giving fans just what they've been hoping for: six months.

This information comes from a special Nintendo Direct video celebrating the 35th anniversary of Super Mario. Super Mario 3D All-Stars was not the only game announced. It was a sort of Mario-themed battle royale, with 35 players competing for various Mario levels at the same time.

Super Mario 3D World, which gained popularity on the Wii U, is also coming to the Switch, along with a small expansion called Bowser's Fury. Super Mario 35" will be released on October 1 and, like "3D All-Stars," will disappear from the Nintendo eShop around March 31. Meanwhile, "Super Mario 3D World" will be available on February 12 and does not appear to have an end date.

Still, 3D All-Stars is today's big announcement and seems to be exactly what fans have been asking for: three classic 3D Mario titles from the N64, GameCube, and Wii in one package. Players can purchase either the digital or retail version, but either way, the game is priced at $60. The digital version will be available through March 31, while the physical version will be in limited production. (Nintendo probably won't go so far as to remove all remaining physical versions from stores after March 31, but they could if they really wanted to.)

Mechanically, the porting seems fairly straightforward. Nintendo promises that new versions of these games will have higher resolution, "optimized" gameplay, and a music player mode that works even when the Switch screen is off. Other than that, it's (presumably) the same game we played in the past.

While the time limit sounds a bit aggressive, this is not the first time Nintendo has sold a limited number of highly requested game collections. One is Ocarina of Time and Master Quest; the other is The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. Both of these items were only available through Nintendo promotions, and despite widespread fan demand, Nintendo never released either widely.

One imagines that Nintendo will take a similar approach with Super Mario 3D All-Stars: either buy it within six months or as a collector's item on eBay years down the road. [Super Mario All-Stars is a collection of Super Mario Bros, The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros 2, and Super Mario Bros 3 for the SNES, now available for purchase on the Switch Online SNES app. Of course, Nintendo still does not allow a la carte purchases of SNES games, so it seems that no matter which generation of Mario games you play, you will have to make an effort to enjoy the platform.