How to record in Super Mario 64
Let's start with the toughest of the bunch. Super Mario 64 is the oldest title in the 3D All-Stars collection, and Nintendo hasn't gone to great lengths to update its feature set. Most of the time, the game is presented without major modifications, which includes the save system. There is no autosave feature here, you have to rely on the same save mechanics everyone did in 1996 on Nintendo 64. This means you will save all the progress you need to get a star.
Completing a stage and getting a star returns you to the main center of the castle and offers a choice of save options. You can save and continue, save and exit, or skip the recording altogether. 99% of the time you'll want to save and continue, but the choices are presented every time. There isn't really much other progress you can actually make other than creating a new star, so the system makes sense. Opening a door in the castle can be redone quite quickly, but if you're deep in a scene and need to stop, you'll have to rely on the Switch's suspend and sleep feature.
How to save in Super Mario Sunshine
Things improve a bit when switching from N64 to Gamecube. You can lose a save file from the main menu, but the save system is much more robust in Super Mario Sunshine. It mirrors Super Mario 64's setup of offering a choice after hitting each Shine, which replaces the stars. However, on top of that, you can tap More and choose to save anytime in the in-game hub, but not inside an actual level.
This is much more useful as the Isle Delfino hub is more complex and has more unlockable coins than Peach's Castle from the last game. You cannot completely pause or create save states as many other re-releases have offered. , but you can still run the game in the background for some apps and put the Switch to sleep, picking up where you left off later. Just keep an eye on your battery and try to save first just in case.
View to save in Super Mario Galaxy
Saving files follows a similar formula when switching to Super Mario Galaxy. Players have a lot more save files to choose from in the main menu, but inside the game things are getting back to normal. In the game hub, you can press More and select Back to return to the main menu. Before doing so, the game will let you save, which is good since there are some things that can be unlocked in the hub that don't involve stars. For the stages, you need to complete and collect the star to be sent back to the hub and offer a chance to save.
This is how to record in Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. The games haven't changed much, but given the amount of change that has been tweaked between each sequel, it can be difficult to keep up.
