Great gameplay clashes with not so great presentation.
Let's start with the gameplay, which takes center stage. Even after twenty to twenty-five years, all of the games hold up really well. The original Super Mario Bros. has that indescribable Mario charm. It doesn't hide behind any gimmicks. You're looking at a straightforward platformer which involves collecting coins, shooting fireballs, finding secrets, kicking Koopa shells, and everything else that you've come to know and love about Mario. The true sequel to SMB (The Lost Levels) feels much more like an expansion pack rather than a proper sequel, but it also has the expected Mario enemies and elements. This game might be more difficult than the original, but since you can save by level in The Lost Levels rather than by world, it is still just as fun. The North American Super Mario Bros. 2 is drastically different than other entries in the series, but choosing among four unique characters and plucking/throwing enemies is still fun. Last but certainly not least, Super Mario Bros. 3 keeps everything you loved about the original, but adds new suits, an inventory system, a world map, item mini-games, koopalings, and air ships to keep things fresh. In short, the gameplay is classic, and I have no major complaints about it.
I DO have complaints, however, about the sloppy presentation. This is the exact same game made for the SNES (down to the copyright 1993) except on a Wii disk. The game even keeps the same SNES controller directions, causing players to have to figure out the menus on their own. When you take into account that one could download all four games from the Virtual Console for twenty-one dollars (nine dollars less than this game), the presentation is further diminished. It is likely that many Wii owners already own these games, and those who don't can still get them cheaper.
So you may be asking "But doesn't this game come with extras?" Yes, but the poor presentation is here as well. At first glance, the extras appear to be a success: fancy packaging, a booklet of Mario's history, and a CD with twenty songs. Upon opening this package, one realizes what I mean about poor presentation. The booklet only has a few (although nice) illustrations along with a few sentences of commentary for some of Mario's mainstream adventures. All of Mario's famous spin-offs (kart, party, baseball, soccer, paper, etc.) are not even mentioned. So, the booklet is good for about one quick read-through. Likewise, the CD is a missed opportunity. The initial "wow" of twenty songs quickly depletes when one realizes that half of those "songs" are just sound effects. Sure, the music there (one song from each mainstream Mario game excluding Super Mario Land, Super Mario Land 2, and Yoshi's Island) is fine, but limited.
The graphics are another aspect of the game which makes the game difficult to score. On the one hand, they look great for 16-bit sprite graphics, technically better than the originals. On the other hand, many are more familar with the 8-bit originals, and thus might prefer them for nostalgic reasons. Fortunately, the music is great either way. Some of the most memorable video game tunes (such as Super Mario Bros. 3's athletic theme) are present here and are still pleasant to one's ears.
CLOSING COMMENTS: Here lies my dilemma: Giving Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition a low score is a disservice to how great the gameplay holds up. Conversely, giving it a high score forgives its lazy presentation. I'm torn. I guess all I can say is this: if you don't own these games and never use your Virtual Console for whatever reason(s), then buy this edition by all means. You owe it to yourself to play four of Mario's biggest games. If you already own these games through Virtual Console or other ways, then this edition doesn't have anything worthwhile that you don't already own. If you don't own these games but could buy them off the Virtual Console, then you have a tough decision to make. Is an upgraded 16-bit form, a short history booklet, and few songs worth nine extra dollars? Decide for yourself, as this will no doubt vary from person to person.