Mario is back. Super Mario Sunshine is the name of his highly anticipated return to heroism. However, it starts out with him taking a vacation (hasn’t he been slacking long enough?) to sunny Isle Delfino. Unfortunately for Mario, an imposter with similar looks has been terrorizing the island with paint - causing the shine sprites to take off. Of course the cops think Mario is the villain (how rude!) and is put in jail. Before we know it, Mario is ordered to clean up the island with a little water spraying gizmo called FLUDD. Mario’s latest adventure begins here, and provides all the fun and variety that is expected of a Mario adventure.
Gameplay
At first sight, yes, Super Mario Sunshine does look like Mario 64 with a tremendous facelift. You travel to different stages and collect “shine sprites” for completing objectives in each one. Sound familiar? The controls are familiar too, feeling simply as a translation from the N64 controller to the Cube’s. Is this game revolutionary? Not quite. Mario has a couple new moves and all, but there are no real major evolutions besides FLUDD.
FLUDD is really what sets this game and its predecessor apart. This complex backpack will accompany you for practically the whole game, and is equipped with two nozzles when you get it (with 2 more available to unlock). The first nozzle you can’t change, it’s your standard water shooting utility. The second, and probably most frequently used nozzle is the hover nozzle. Water will spray for a short time, allowing Mario to briefly hover above the ground or in mid-jumps. This obviously changes the game quite a bit, allowing for longer jumps, and innovative puzzles. The last two nozzles are the rocket and turbo nozzles, which are self-explanatory and not used as often.
SMS is not a revolutionary game, despite the introduction of FLUDD. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad game - it’s quite the opposite. Sticking to a formula that works was the plan. Few new innovations were added, but that’s not a big deal, because the game is simply fun to play anyway. The sheer variety in the stages is astounding. You’ll find yourself rolling huge watermelons around, riding roller coasters, cleaning a sea monster’s teeth, and more. That’s part of the hook, the desire to know what’s to come next. Side-quests and optional under-takings fill in any gaps.
The only problem that hurts the fun is the camera. Nintendo, a pioneer of the 3D platformer still has yet to master this. You’ll have to maneuver the camera manually more often than you’d like. It sometimes tries to re-adjust itself, but can end up giving you the exact angle that you don’t want. It’s not a major problem however, just a slightly persistent annoyance.
I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this game. However I feel the need to say that, already, this tried and tested formula is starting to feel like a beaten path. I know it has only been two games, but the feeling that the third 3D Mario adventure will continue to walk this path lingers. Yes, Super Mario Sunshine is a great game, it never gets boring, and has a lot to offer - but personally I’m getting a little tired of the whole collect-a-bunch-of-these concept. Anyone who has played games like Banjo-Kazooie will probably know the feeling.
Graphics
Super Mario Sunshine isn’t an ugly game, nor jaw dropping. Shigeru Miyamato’s focus has never been on aesthetic appeal, but rather gameplay. Nevertheless, bright sunny environments and smooth, shining colours bring the game to life. Delfino is about as tropical as digital tropical islands can get. People are coloured in a water-colour/cell-shading style without the black borders mix. The result works very well for a Mario game. Also worth mentioning is the water, which looks absolutely fantastic.
The levels you visit are lush, but lack variety from stage to stage. I realize Mario is on a tropical island, but the environments end up being limited at times. The tropical theme gets a tad bit tiresome.
Animation is very fluid, flowing like a river! Mario appears more than ever to be a master of his acrobatics, moving from one motion to another and never looking awkward. Simply put, Mario’s moves will look as good as you are with the controller.
Audio
Catchy, but not quite memorable tunes are what make up Super Mario Sunshine’s soundtrack. As tradition goes, simple and fun little pieces act as background music but only background music. Nothing special. The sound effects are impressive; always a perfect sound for everything. Although voice acting isn’t a prevalent feature, it’s there, sometimes, and isn’t too bad.
Overall
Does SMS live up to the hype? Yes and no. It’s a fantastic game, with a pretty look, and lots of variety, but it all feels a little too familiar sometimes. Besides FLUDD, Super Mario Sunshine has practically the same type of gameplay as Super Mario 64. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but innovation is something Mr. Miyamato has become famous for - and I just don’t feel it as much in this game. Maybe it was just the impact of playing the first 3D Mario game that left such an impression on me, or maybe it wasn’t. Nevertheless, Super Mario Sunshine is still a great game with only minor flaws and is definitely worth picking up whether you’re a Mario fan or not.