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Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube
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Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube
147 reviews   4.35 of 5

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Rating

Reviewed By


Cheezmaster

 (100)

Review Date
12/20/2004

Overall Rating

 5 of 5

Value Rating

 0 of 5



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Summary

The return of the Mario series and it was never so...wet. Most of Super Mario Sunshine takes place in water or around it. In fact, the only missions you aren't around water are the hidden missions. But I have to say, I still haven't even gotten every star. So this game is definatley challenging but fun and never frustrating. I think that games like this are simply a reason to own a Gamecube alone.

Sound

Bright, Evil, Mysterious, and Classic are the three types of music used in Super Mario Sunshine. I think that they did a great job remaking the classic Mario tune. They also did a great job setting the mood for boss battles, exploration, and triumphant and relaxing moments. I also think they did a wonderful job with the water SFX. I think that they had a great crew working on the SFX and music for Super Mario Sunshine and I hope they use the same crew in the future.

Gameplay

They really expanded on the gameplay in the next of the Mario installment. Now you can pull off wall jumps over and over with ease instead of timing it wrong and ending up swearing at your TV. It's also cool that you can ride Yoshi in this Mario, Unlike the last one. I mean seriously, who needs 100 lives after you beat the game. On Mario 64 when I saw Yoshi I was like, "awesome I'm gonna get to ride Yoshi" but then he just says a few words, gives you 100 lives, and jumps off the building and commits suicide(If you found him in Mario 64 you'll understand this joke. So when I picked up this copy and rode Yoshi early in the game I was like,"this is sweet". Seriously, the only reason I found all 120 stars in the last one was become some evil little kid said, "Oh yeah, if you get 120 stars you'll get to ride Yoshi whenever you want". So you can imagine how mad I was when Yoshi commited suicide. So throughout the entire Mario Sunshine I was so glad I was finally riding Yoshi in full 3-D. I also like how they added that cool water pack on you back. It allows you to reach higher places, get somewhere faster or jump across a gap that would otherwise be impossible. Another cool little gimmick is that there are many hidden items. For example when you see an open window squirt it and some coins will most likely fly out. You can also discover lots of mini quests and they often reward you with blue coins or shine sprites. It's also cool that you can acess the cities sewers.This allows you to get where you are going much faster. All in all, I think the gameplay is one of the top of any game out there.
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Rating

Reviewed By


Dragon

 (40)

Review Date
06/07/2004

Overall Rating

 4 of 5

Value Rating

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Summary

This is the long awaited Mario game(besides mario party,etc.).Now I know this game has been out for about 2 years but I forgot to review it.This is a very fun innavated and all around great game, alot like the other Marios.This is almost the same concept of super mario 64 where you jump through portals on the wall and complete different tasks.Well I was playing super mario 64 the other day and I found it pretty easy (because I played it alot as well).This game adds a new feature which is the FLUDD, basicly a big hoze type gadget.This device can have 4 nozels a normal spray nozel,Hovering nozel,jet nozel,and a turbo type nozel.You must use these nozels to get stars, help clean up the island, or defeat enimies.This game is a good overall game with exelent water effects and great sound.

Sound

The sound is very catchy and is cheerful.But overall really good.

Gameplay

The controls are great.Really easy to learn.There are ALMOST NO LOAD TIMES.Anyway about the story ***i really dont think there are any spoilers but just in case read at your risk***(the last mario did't have much of a story).The way it starts off is Mario is going with Peach on a vacation to get away from all the stress at the mushroom kingdom.When they land the runway is covered in goo and mario must get the fludd to clean it up.Then Mario is charged with polluting this island with this goo because the suspect looks a bit like Mario.Now Mario has to go around the island cleaning up "HIS" mess.
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Summary

Mario. The name on it's own is just cool. For 20 years now, Mario Nintendo has been dominating these super Nintendo consoles: Super Nintendo, NES, GameBoy, N64, and GameCube. The games he's been in: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, and Mario Party 4. But now, there's a new Mario era. This newest Mazza platformer put's it's polygon's on the line, because this is the first Mario sequel to be on the N64 (Mario 64) and on the GameCube (Super Mario Sunshine). It's been six long-awaited years for Mario to return in his own game, and the wait was worth the wait! He's already been in 4 GameCube games (Melee, Party 4, and not even released yet Mario Kart being the other three), but this is his only own game. Walk about loads of levels including Corona Mountain, Ricco Harbour, Delfino Plaza, and Bianco Hills. Look for 120 Shines, and meet friends (The Piantas and Nokis), and old and new foes (His Watery Self, Mecha-Bowser, and Ill Piantissmo)as he cleans up the whole of Isle Delfino. On the back of the Sunshine box, it may say Dark Days on Isle Delfino, but this game is very light! Nintendo really have out-done themselves!
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Summary

Anyone who knows anything about videogames knows that Mario is perhaps the industry’s most recognizable figure. Yeah, Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft is sexier and Sonic the hedgehog may be a bit hipper, but the fact remains that Mario, for all intents and purposes, is singlehandedly responsible for keeping the home videogame market alive. Not bad for an overweight Italian plumber (no offense to any overweight Italian plumbers who may be reading this, of course).

The Super Mario legacy has been strong for nearly 20 years, though his last adventure was over six years ago. Super Mario 64, which launched with the Nintendo64, handled the plumber’s transition to 3D perfectly, and the end result was one of the best games ever created. Shigeru Miyamoto has shown his genius repeatedly over the years—with such names as Link, Donkey Kong and Samus Aran to his credit—but Mario has always been the game that fans point to first.

Which is why it was so surprising to see the GameCube hit the market in November 2001 without a Mario game. Instead, the Big N gave the nod to Mario’s lesser-known brother Luigi, in the form of the addictive yet all too short Luigi’s Mansion. But in August of 2002, Nintendo finally ended the six-year drought, releasing Super Mario Sunshine. The 3D adventure title had come in under a lot of hype, not just because it was Mario, but because it promised a unique gaming experience.

But does Sunshine deliver? Is this title a worthy successor to Mario 64? Well, that’s really hard to say, because in a lot of ways, this game is a masterpiece, while it drops the ball in a few other key areas.

The basic premise of the game goes something like this: Mario and Peach (whom I’ll always know as Princess Toadstool) are on their way to Isle Delfino for a little vacation. When they arrive, they find out that someone has polluted the island with graffiti and taken all the Shine Sprites, which give the island its energy.

However, the biggest issue is the fact that Mario is accused of polluting the island and stealing the sprites. Obviously that can’t be the case, because Mario just landed on the island at the start of the game. Still, the natives are restless, and in return for his freedom, Mario must clean up the mess left behind by what seems to be an evil doppelganger and bring the being to justice.

The plot is admittedly shallow and childish, but I’ll give Nintendo credit for integrating the story into the gameplay, which is the game’s real focus (ladies and gentlemen, you have just stumbled upon the theme of this review. Expect to see this phrase and its many variations scattered throughout the remainder of this piece).

Unfortunately for Nintendo, this emphasis comes in an industry that is increasingly shifting to a focus on cinematics and presentation. With games like Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X and Grand Theft Auto dominating sales charts, games are really shifting to a more aesthetically pleasing paradigm. Herein lies one of Sunshine’s biggest flaws, where the presentation is sorely lacking.

I’ve never been one to fall into the idea that Nintendo games are “kiddie,” but Sunshine really feels like it was made solely with younger gamers in mind. I’m not holding it against the game too much—who cares how kiddie a game is as long as it’s fun?—but it’s possible that some older gamers will feel alienated by the game’s youthful, enthusiastic feel.

FMV sequences are choppy and seem thrown together, and the fact that plot quickly becomes an afterthought really hurts the possibility of presenting this game as anything more than just a good ol’ romp through Isle Delfino.

Which isn’t to say Sunshine’s an ugly game. In fact, it’s one of the GameCube’s prettiest efforts, with its massive, colorful world and wonderful animations. Mario 64’s most impressive asset was its expansive, seemingly limitless world, which the player could explore for hours on end. Sunshine duplicates this feat, which is refreshing when compared to some of the more restricting adventure games on the market.

Mario and his contemporaries on Isle Delfino are rendered nicely, and the color in this game is spectacular. In fact, with all the graffiti that Mario has to clean up, color becomes one of the game’s more important aspects from an aesthetic standpoint, and the game delivers in this regard.

Even more important to the game is water, which Mario uses to clean off the paint that litters the island. Water effects are often some of the toughest to pull off in a videogame, but Sunshine manages to do it in a convincing yet aesthetically pleasing manner.

Still, there are some visual problems; Sunshine falls victim to a few out-of-place polygons and some rather horrid-looking textures. On top of that, the game really seems to have a problem with objects in the environment becoming more pixilated the closer you get to them. I’ll readily admit that the GameCube isn’t the world’s most powerful console, but it’s capable of better than some of the visual touches this game sports. Looking at games like Star Wars: Rogue Leader and Metroid Prime proves just what the Cube can do, and it’s a shame that Sunshine can’t quite take full advantage of that power.

Sound is a mixed bag, with Nintendo experimenting a little bit with music selection. There are the series classics (such as the underground theme when Mario’s chugging along the sewers), but there are some new tunes as well. While they’re nice as far as novelty’s concerned, they do get old after awhile. What’s more, the voice acting (what little there is of it) is horrible, which sort of makes me wish Nintendo had just left that feature out.

But as I said before (and I’ll likely say again and again), this title’s emphasis is on gameplay. This is where the review gets tricky, because Sunshine is loads of fun and it controls like a dream. But in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t feel like Mario. As a result, the game loses a great deal of its charm and replay value.

Okay, first the good news (read: what makes Sunshine so fun). The developers have gone to great lengths to make sure that Sunshine is a wonderful gameplay experience, and they’ve done just that, even if they sacrificed presentation to do it.

I’ve made it clear more than a few times that the GameCube’s controller design is unorthodox (and even a bit uncomfortable at times), but the layout actually works in this game’s favor. Controls are as tight and responsive as you could hope for them to be, and this is one of the most intuitive layouts I’ve seen on the console.

Sunshine also emphasizes freedom. Sure, there’s a mission structure and following said structure will eventually lead you to finishing the game, but much like GTA III, you’re free to go wherever you’d like. The world is so expansive and limitless that you’ll never feel restricted or confined. Mario 64 found much of its charm in the ability to just wander aimlessly for hours, and Sunshine continues that trend.

Interestingly enough, a large deal of fun comes from the introduction of FLUDD, the jetpack/watergun that lets Mario clean up the island. Mario games in the past simply let you run around, disposing of enemies and the like by yourself, while offering you power-ups such as mushrooms and fire flowers, but this game actually gives you a device to do your bidding. This adds a bit of depth to the overall game, and while it takes a while to get used to, you’ll have no problem with it after about 20 minutes.

Sunshine is also a rather long game, one that you most likely won’t complete in under 10 hours. A lot of games these days—most notably Zone of the Enders and Luigi’s Mansion—have been too short in the minds of some gamers, but this is one game where that complaint holds no validity. It’s not too long, but it will keep your interest for a good long while.

The game has a very surreal feel to it, almost as if it’s a cross between Mario 64 and Jet Grind Radio. An odd pairing, I know, but it works here for some reason. There are some classic Mario touches here, like using the concept of piranha plants, just covering them in graffiti, but there’s so much different in Sunshine.

Which is one of the game’s biggest weaknesses, as far as I’m concerned. While I love how fresh the game feels (a lot of other adventure games on the market today feel a bit stale), this game doesn’t quite have that Mario feel. I know this is a Mario game—that’s Mario on the screen and the box itself says Super Mario Sunshine, but in a lot of ways, this game doesn’t feel the slightest bit like Mario.

Bringing freshness and a sense of newness to the table is always a good thing—especially with the game industry lacking in innovation these days—but in a way I feel alienated by Sunshine’s radically different mechanics and style. Props to Miyamoto and co. for giving gamers a unique experience, but it’s a Mario game that really doesn’t feel like Mario game.

Over the years, 3D action/adventure games have struggled with frustrating camera mechanics. Even the best—the original Tomb Raider and Mario 64 among them—were not immune from them, and we’ve almost come to accept the fact that any game of this type will have a somewhat suspect camera system. However, Sunshine’s camera is one of the weakest I’ve seen in a long time, even worse than the one seen in Mario 64. Controlling it with the C stick is cumbersome at best, and if you get caught behind a wall for whatever reason, forget about cycling the camera to find the best view possible.

Also, while the game brings with it a sense of freedom and freshness, there’s also a sense of sameness throughout. Environments, while beautiful, aren’t nearly varied enough and mission objectives seem to run together toward the end of the game. Cleaning up graffiti takes precedence over defeating enemies, which is a good thing, since enemy fighting can become tedious after a while. This isn’t a huge problem, but a little more variety would’ve made what it already a solid effort even better.

All told, Super Mario Sunshine is a wonderful game, but considering the pedigree from which it comes, a wonderful game is disappointing. I had a ball with this game—it’s one of the GameCube’s best entries—but it’s nowhere near the classic Mario 64 was. Miyamoto hasn’t lost his touch yet; he’s far from it.

There’s no denying just how fun this game is, but perhaps the developers focused too much on making the game fun and not enough in making it functional and presentable. You won’t find a lot of polish or technical glory here, which hurts the game in the long run, but you will find a fun, addictive addition to your Cube collection.

THE JEFF CUNNINGHAM BREAKDOWN (ON A SCALE OF 10):

PRESENTATION: 5.0
Poor FMVs, hardly any plot beyond the first half hour or so, the “vacation” theme and some atrocious voice acting hurt this game’s credibility as far as presentation is concerned.

GRAPHICS: 8.5
Wonderful animations and environment designs complement beautiful water and particle effects, though some awkward textures and pixelization don’t do the GameCube’s hardware justice.

SOUND: 7.5
Classic Mario tunes are blended with contemporary compositions in a mixed bag. Sound effects are really nothing special, but the voice acting is just awful.

GAMEPLAY: 8.0
The game controls wonderfully and it’s really a lot of fun, but the camera is inconvenient at best. Also, while the graffiti and FLUDD add to an incredibly fresh experience, this game just doesn’t have that classic Mario feel.

LASTING APPEAL: 8.0
While it’s unlikely anyone other than hardcore Mario fans will play through more than once, Sunshine lasts long enough the first time to not only keep your interest, but to make the most of your gaming dollar.

OVERALL: 8.0
It’s not the classic its predecessors were, but Super Mario Sunshine is still a worthy addition to your GameCube lineup.
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Summary

I got Mario Sunshine free with my cube (as a pack-in). Then I got two other games, Metroid and Rogue Leader, free as well. Zelda is the first game I'm actually buying for the Cube! It's obvious that Nintendo is hurting for market share. But it's also obvious that they can still put out classic games. Mario Sunshine is either a classic or a near-classic, I can't decide which just yet. Either way, it's a great game.

Frankly, the only reason I got the cube was because of the free games. Nintendo's discount strategy is nearly non-existent ($30 for year old games? come on...), and their software library is anemic. But since the free games available were from the cream of the crop, it was an enticing offer. And I couldn't be more happy, in fact. At the end of this month, I'll have a grand total of 5 Cube games: Mario, Metroid, Rogue Leader, Zelda, and the Zeldo promo disc. But unfortunately that's going to be it for a while.

Nintendo needs to put out more software! If they really want to compete, they should buy Sega and make all the Sega titles Cube exclusive. Then they could put out more than one must-have title per 3 months and really compete with M$ and even Sony.

But I digress. Back to the review.

Sound

I love the incorporation of old game sounds (the tube-warp sound, the underground level music) and the new sounds. The character 'voices' are really funny, especially the Toad voices. Princess Peach is pretty doggoned annoying, however. After about the fourth time she whines "Marioooo!" I just want to say "Hey, you can have her." She must be really good in other departments for Mario to keep her around (wink wink, kinda like my ex girlfriend).

Gameplay

Mario Sunshine doesn't play too differently in mechanics than Mario 64. This is by no means a bad thing. Mario 64 was the first and still one of the best 3D platformers. Only recently have games come out that improve on it (like Jak & Daxter, one of my personal favorites).

What Sunshine adds is a wonderful wrinkle to the gameplay and story, the water. Water is practically a supporting character in this game. The Water cannon backpack and oceans of beautiful water surrounding the islands are truly amazing. The backpack makes for really neat platforming fun, allowing you to jump, twist, hover, and reach places that seem impossible at first.

The game scheme is sort of a "collect the stars" concept which has been done before, by Mario and imitators alike. I don't mind it at all, in fact I like it. It allows me to pick up and play the game without having to commit hours to it, I can just solve one or two puzzles, collect one or two stars, save it and get on with the rest of my life. It makes Mario Sunshine a very fun "break time" kind of game, and heightens its appeal for me.

The controls are rock solid, the camera a little less so, but still among the best 3D cameras around.

I expect this game to consume another 30 or 40 hours of my time. It's that much fun and there's that much to collect.
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Sound

Ok. What can you do with a Mario game, you need the mandatory boings, bangs and Mario tunes. Suitable for the game itself.

Gameplay

Kicking the durian fruit around rocks it's the best bit. SMS is too boring. Run around an island and shoot water at some liquid turds. Jump on stuff and collect coins and shines. Controls are pretty easy. The camera is really dodgy it is difficult to judge the flight of your jump, especially around the harbour bit. All in all it was just boring, I sold it to my mate (mug) and bought eternal darkness - fair deal??. If your prepared to stick with it there are plenty of levels, although they are previous levels with slightly more available areas. I suppose die hard Mario fans will love it, but even then I consider myself a big Mario fan and this didn't deliver. Lets hope Nintendo get it right next time cuz I wanna see more Mario - bring on the Karting.
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Sound

Sonic (1) VS Mario (1) tied ROUND 3

Well here we go the last round. Mario Shuneshine has average sound but the stupid nozzle takes the sound down. He takes him 5 seconds just to say one little word. Now for Sonic the music fits right in. Even though in SA 2 the sound was a little choppy it is by far better than Mario. Why? Well when your playing the action stages they have fun and entertaning punk/rock music. I loved the music so much I spent 30 minutes just listining to music in the option screen.

SONIC BEATS GAY MARIO BY THE FINAL OF 2 to 1!!!

Those of you who like Mario are just like my brother. He judges a game by if it says Nintendo or if it has good graphics. My brother is so stupid!!!! SA 1 and 2 is by far better than Mario 64 and Mario Sunshine put together. I hate people that judge a game by looking at the box or at the graphics. On the otherhand for people like who like fun and easy action/adventure games then be proud of yourself. What ever you do don't be like my dumb brother!! SEE YOU LATER!!!!!!!!!

Gameplay

MARIO VS SONIC Round 1

In Mario Sunshine your objective is to be dumb and clean up Island Delfino RIGHT Yes. How gay is that. The idea is stupid and thats not even the worst part about this game. The controls suck. It is hard to master the jumps and movement of the little thing. OHHWW!!! It is the gay nozzle. Since this game is for kids you would think this game will be so so easy. GUESS AGAIN!!!! It's not easy its hard.

In the Sonic Adventure games 1 and 2 it was fun fun fun to race around the stages and throw stuff. And the action stages were so fun and it was probally the hardest part about the games. The BOSSES were easy as 1 2 3. I like games that are easy and are fun. Would you rather wash paint or would you want to go grinding down streets with a snowboard and kick major butt!!

Sonic leads 1 to 0 in Round 1 against Mario.
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Sound

Sounds real. Doesn't make much use of surround, but all the effects themselves sound just like they should. Backround tunes are catchy, but don't stick in the mind very long. Exceptions are the theme for Delfino Plaza (which I will never get un-stuck from my head as long as I live, dammit) and the acappella Mario theme for the waterpack-less areas. Excellent.

Gameplay

...By the end of the introduction, Mario has been arrested, and is charged with cleaning up the goop covering the island and restoring the island's shine sprites, the source of power for the people of Delfino. Basically, the shine sprites, or shines, are the equivalent of the stars in Mario 64. There are eight of them per level...plus, yes, a hundred-coin shine extra like in Mario 64...and you have to collect them all (pretty much) in order to battle...yourself?

Controls are exactly the same as Mario 64's, except for getting rid of all of the dumber moves (did you EVER use that trip maneuver of Mario's? Or the punch, or the kick? I didn't think so), and the addition of FLUDD, your water pack. FLUDD is pretty simple...it can have two nozzles at a time, one of them always being a spray gadget. The other nozzle is by default Hover (guess what that lets you do, although only for a short time, and very sluggishly), and then you can get one of two other nozzles, one of which allows you blast yourself up into the air (very cool) and another that lets you blast yourself across the landscape (and sea). That's pretty much it for FLUDD.

Shines are varied, but there are a few basic kinds of 'missions' that are pretty standard per level. One is the 'Chase Shadow Mario' level, in which you have to chase a water version of yourself and catch him. There are also 'Secret' level shines, all of them with titles like, "The Sand-Dune Bud's Secret" or "Secret of the Yoshi-Go-Round". In these, you have to find a hidden cave or pipe, and you are transported to another world of floating blocks (intentionally primitive) in which you must make your way to a shine, without the use of your water pack. Most popular are the red coin levels...man, the creators really went insane with those. Each level has at least two, and sometimes far more. Occasionally, you even have to do it, while, say, surfing on the back of a squid-like blooper for a time limit...these can take forever to complete, but they're really fun. Boss shines are a given, and then there's the blue coin shines. Hidden throughout the game are over a hundred blue coins for you to collect. If you trade them in with a salesmen in Delphino plaza, you get a shine.

There are one-hundred and twenty shines in all, scattered across all seven or eight levels. Obviously, ordinary shines and a hundred-coin shine aren't enough, with only eight per level, right? That's where Delphino Plaza, Blue Coin Shines, and Secret Shines come in. Delphino plaza has perhaps seventeen shines of its own, blue coins account for perhaps fifty, maybe more, of the hundred-twenty shines, and each level has two Secret Shines. Most of the secret shines are just a red-coin hunt through a 'Secret' level course, except that you get to use your hover pack (but there's a time limit).

All in all, this game was created for those who buy guides. Otherwise, it's almost impossible to find all the blue coins...they're really small and can be hidden anywhere. But don't give up hope, it might take a while, but all blue coins can be found through hard work. I still have forty or so to collect to complete the game, though. Sigh...

One of the most important parts of a platformer is level design, and sadly in recent attempts this vital area has fallen. Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Tooie both suffered from Stupid Tunnel Syndrome, in which each level is basically a bunch of small little areas and one main playing field, with a bunch of tunnels and bridges connecting them all. In addition, in all recent attempts, levels have grown larger than the number of collectable items have...in Banjo-Tooie, you still only to collect only ten jiggies per level like in Banjo-Kazooie, even though the levels were perhaps three times as large, leaving a lot of empty and useless space.

Fortunately, Mario Sunshine does not fail us like the two aforementioned Rare efforts did. Each level is, essentially, a wide-open area for you to explore. No tunnels, no bridges, just pure, open space platforming fun. The good thing about this is it means there are more than one way to get to certain places. If you need to get to a cave in a cliff wall, there will probably be at least three ways to get there.

The only exception