Article Classic: Super Mario Sunshine Review

By: Benjanime

The Nintendo Gamecube had its ups and downs in the console market. Nintendo didn't wow many people with their first-party releases when they first came out, but over time those titles had gotten a cult following. Super Smash Bros. Melee was the reason I wanted the system, but Super Mario Sunshine was another story, because I didn't own it after launch, but as a rental instead. During my freshman year of High School it had been only a few months since I played the game, so I wrote my own review paper for my creative writing class that I was taking at the time. I've revised the original review a bit for length, so I hope you, the viewers will like it as an intended final report.

Super Mario Sunshine Review, written as of 2003, revised for 2015

The crew at Nintendo always know how to deal out a good set of cards when it comes to developing video games, and the Super Mario series has never been a slouch. Super Mario Sunshine is the recent Mario platform release and it packs quite a punch.

The plot of this installment starts when Mario, Princess Peach and the Toads are on a flight to Isle Delfino, a tropical paradise island, but they're given a disturbed welcome as the citizens accuse Mario of dirtying up the residence with a goop-like substance. Noticing the culprit, Mario sees a strange doppelganger of himself in a liquidized form. Being a hero of only few words, Mario takes the accusation and is given the task of cleaning Delfino with a water spraying device called F.L.U.D.D. as well as retrieving Shine Sprites to bring sunlight back to the island.

The settings of the levels as well as the characters are fresh and vibrant, and the water effects from both F.L.U.D.D. and the vast oceans are a treat to look at, while the environments and everything else are bright and colorful.

As for the music, they're appropriate for the many settings on the island, Delfino Plaza has a paradise-sounding tune, to Gelato Beach which also sounds comforting. The sound effects are very appropriate for the target audience as they're pulled off in a cartoon fashion, and add to the charm of playing the game, and for the first time there's quite a bit of voice acting, for a Mario game.

The gameplay to some may need some getting used to, but to start you have some of Mario's moves from Super Mario 64 such as the three timed jump, the side jump, wall kick, ground pound and the diving slide, though unfortunately the long jump is gone as F.L.U.D.D. substitutes for that. In total there are three uses for the water device, the spray nozzle which shoots water forward and lets you aim, the hover nozzle letting you make it across long gaps during a jump, the rocket nozzle giving Mario a high boosting jump at a great distance, and the turbo nozzle that shoots Mario forward letting him run across water. You'll eventually run out of water in F.L.U.D.D.'s tank, so you'll need to find an area that's full of water to refill it. All of the device's features are used with the R shoulder button, and switching two at a time with the X button.

Obtaining the Shine Sprites relies on the same mission structure from Super Mario 64, they start off easy but become difficult as you get farther into the game. You'll meet some bosses along the way, and they put up a bit of a challenge too.

Strewn throughout the levels (and Isle Delfino) are blue coins. You retrieve them in a number of ways, such as spraying wall graffiti, blue birds, or finding them in hidden places. By finding ten each time, a citizen from Isle Delfino will give you a Shine Sprite, and 200 are in total to find. Some levels even have their own minigame, pictured above is Mario riding a Blooper to get eight red coins in an area. These minigames have their own unique challenge, and they never feel the same.

The camera might be a challenge in itself, as you can change the angle with the C-stick, and fix it with the L shoulder button. The only problem is that the L shoulder button is the same to be used for the ground pound, so it's best to remember only to fix the camera when you're not jumping. When you're in tight spaces it might be more of a chore to fix the camera at how you want it exactly where you are.

Overall, this is still a great Mario platformer by heart. It has a couple of flaws, but to make up for it is the length of making it through the game, and making the completion of getting all 120 Shine Sprites. Give the game a go if you're into a good platformer, or better yet play it during Summer!

Score: 8/10

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onipar Posted on Aug 06, 2015 at 02:48 PM

Good review! I've only recently purchased a Gamecube, and while I've enjoyed some games, I have to say, the inability to change the inverted axis for games like this one and Luigi's Mansion ruins the games for me. It's my own damn fault for not being able to adapt, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it, and so end up having to stop playing those games. Which of course is the pits.

Benjanime Posted on Aug 06, 2015 at 02:16 PM

with a virtual console release they'd have to force using the gamecube controller. when shooting water there were two different uses with the shoulder button, holding it slightly would let mario run around while shooting water, while completely holding the button down would have mario shooting water while standing in place and aiming.

massreality Posted on Aug 06, 2015 at 06:13 AM

I bought Super Mario Sunshine and played maybe five minutes of it. I regret not spending the time to truly see what the game brought to the table. I wish they'd released a Virtual Console version of it. I'd love to give it another go.

I also have to second Benjamime with the Mario Galaxy recommendations. Man, those games are amazing. They never get old.

Benjanime Posted on Aug 02, 2015 at 04:14 AM

seeing as how super mario galaxy was its successor, i highly recommend giving galaxy 1 and 2 a try. they have a better formula, and a better camera to work with too.

Vaporman87 Posted on Aug 02, 2015 at 04:00 AM

I never had the opportunity to place this one. It seemed to stray quite a bit from the standard Mario offering, and I think that made me unsure of whether or not it was worth investing any time into. I guess I figured nothing could top Mario 64

Benjanime Posted on Aug 01, 2015 at 02:36 PM

i think it would've been interesting to see a fully playable beta, since the residents of delfino were human-looking folk when the original game trailer was shown.

vkimo Posted on Aug 01, 2015 at 02:25 PM

I remember owning SMS but never really getting into it. The worlds and levels seemed empty and lonely to me for some reason. Even though the graphics, controls and mechanics were all there I could never really bond with the game.

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