Super Mario Sunshine

Review

by Scott Alan Marriott

It's hard to believe it took nine months after the launch of Nintendo's fourth home console to finally see Mario in another 3D platform game. If this isn't indicative of Nintendo's software balance problems on GameCube, then perhaps nothing is. To be blunt, Super Mario Sunshine is hardly the groundbreaking title players have come to expect from the franchise, as it follows the blueprint of Super Mario 64 almost to the letter. Only this time you won't be experiencing the sheer wonder you had while seeing a beloved character journeying across a virtually uncharted 3D realm.

During the six-year span between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, platform games have become more epic, more interactive, and prettier. Yet the core element of collecting items in a world divided into sub-sections has been left unchanged. So it comes with a modicum of disappointment that Super Mario Sunshine doesn't shake up the genre with a number of new and fresh ideas other than the usual enhancements expected from a sequel. Perhaps this is due to designer Shigeru Miyamoto's reduced involvement with the franchise, but those who have played Super Mario 64 will be surprised at how similar Super Mario Sunshine is in its design and play mechanics, to both its credit and fault.

While the setting is completely different -- Super Mario Sunshine takes Mario away from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom to the tropical setting of Isle Delfino -- the gameplay isn't. Instead of collecting stars by completing specific objectives within an area, Mario collects shines (golden suns). Instead of walking around a castle, which connects all the worlds together, he walks around a town. Instead of jumping through mirrors to access a new area, he jumps through graffiti. There are still 100 yellow coins to collect as a sub-quest on each level; timed races on foot and atop creatures; and similar objectives, from running up a large mountain to navigating fiery platforms inside an active volcano.

What Super Mario Sunshine does bring to the table is Mario's back-mounted water cannon, which adds a twist to the hopping and bopping action. There's a degree of satisfaction you get when cleaning up the ooze and grime, since it's immediate feedback for a job well done. Little details -- such as Mario getting muddy after walking through a puddle, cleaning off little Toads trapped in ooze, or dousing a burning backpack strapped to a frantic salesperson -- add some personality to the title, which features more character interaction than Super Mario 64. The water cannon is also used to complete objectives apart from cleaning up the world or removing graffiti, such as cleansing the teeth of a giant eel, watering plants, or using it to diffuse Bob-ombs before picking them up and tossing them.

The addition of new nozzles is also a great idea (players will eventually acquire a turbo nozzle and rocket nozzle, the latter blasting Mario high into the air for a short time), which encourages players to revisit past areas to find even more shines and secrets. Yet it seems there could have been more variety in this area. Super Mario Sunshine sticks close to the water formula when there was a clear opportunity to add some Inspector Gadget-like instruments to his backpack like spinning helicopter blades, a jetpack, scuba gear, or more inventive designs -- which would have offered a far more compelling reason to explore the island than to collect hundreds of yellow, blue, or red coins.

Super Mario Sunshine does bring back Yoshi, however, who was absent in Super Mario 64. Yoshi is not available in all areas, and will unfortunately disappear if he gets wet, but the game certainly becomes more interesting whenever Mario rides his loyal steed. Yoshi can ground pound, latch onto enemies with his tongue and eat them, and even spit out fruit juice in a clever workaround to Mario's inability to use the water cannon while riding the dinosaur. In true Mario fashion, stages can be revisited once you have unlocked Yoshi and more objectives can be completed (such as eating a blue butterfly, something that doesn't sit too well with Mario's palate).

The setting, the beautiful island music, the water cannon, and the reappearance of Yoshi are all solid reasons why players should book their next gaming vacation on Isle Delfino. Super Mario Sunshine is not a radical departure from Super Mario 64 and it's not without a few faults in the gameplay department, either. Players must constantly manipulate the camera. The water cannon can also be tricky to control when used as a hose, as it's hard to adjust the height of the water while also keeping an eye on the enemies pursuing Mario. Yet none of these issues take away from the delight most will have playing the game, something Nintendo has been able to deliver with unprecedented success throughout the years.