Super Mario Sunshine

Throughout the years, Nintendo has christened, defined and set the standard with the release of a Mario title in the beginning of their console's five to six year run: Mario Bros. on the NES, Super Mario World on the SNES, and Super Mario 64 on the N64 are the prime examples. Mario's first solo incarnation on the Gamecube, Super Mario Sunshine, released more than a year after the Gamecube itself came out, is an effort worthy to be deemed a Nintendo and Mario title, but it lacks the groundbreaking and definitive qualities that its predecessors had, most notably Super Mario 64 when it debuted on the N64 six years prior.

By groundbreaking and definitive, I mean that Mario 64 introduced to the world of gaming the sheer potential of three-dimensional gameplay. SM64 represented a paradigm shift in gaming, a changing of the guard, from 2-D to 3-D, from pre-rendered to real-time, bringing with it the glorious potential for innovation and interaction. Helmed by the great Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario 64 dazzled gamers and critics alike, sold countless N64s, and most importantly it emphasized the most vital aspect a game can have--gameplay.

Fast forward six years to the year 2002. Super Mario Sunshine has just come out. I play it and realize that there's just something not quite right with the game. I recognize that the game is no slouch--don't get me wrong--but something's missing. The magic, that intangible, fleeting magic that you can only catch glimpses of , is not there in its entirety in Sunshine. This can be attributed to many factors. For one, the gameplay is similar to that of SM64, so it doesn't have that entirely innovative appearance. Two, games before Sunshine have rehashed some of the gameplay mechanics introduced by SM64, adding to the wear and tear of that general formula. And three, Sunshine feels like a prettier yet restricted version of SM64.

In Sunshine, you collect Shine Sprites, similar to the stars found in SM64. There are 8 objectives per level instead of six, which yield a Shine Sprite upon completion. Two Shine Sprites are hidden per level, and you can claim the eleventh by collecting 100 coins. This formula of gameplay has been exploited over the years since SM64's release. Donkey Kong 64, a game I think was a letdown in many ways, uses this gameplay formula, as does the lovable Banjo Kazooie and its sequel. Where Sunshine doesn't shine as brightly as its predecessor, however, is in its control mechanics and some aspects of its gameplay design. Mario controls well enough, and your ability to manipulate the camera is improved, but in the end, this compromises--along with the way the levels and objectives are designed--the sense of freedom Mario 64 had. In SM64, levels were usually massive, although at the sacrifice of detail. Through the open-air level design of Mario 64, the developers utilized the full potential of 3-d gameplay. Mario could launch out of cannons across whole levels, take to the sky with the wing cap and touch the heavens. This liberating factor allowed the player to devise his or her own methods for capturing certain star pieces. That was the beauty, the intangible variable that I think made SM64 the classic game that it is. Sunshine takes that away with the exclusion of things that allow the player to improvise, and with the inclusion and reliance on the water cannon, the way the objectives are designed, and the restricted scope and design of the levels you play in.

The premise of the game involves Mario, the Princess and her court going on vacation away from the Mushroom Kingdom to an island called "Isle Delfino." Upon arrival, a crisis has broken out: the airstrip where they have landed is covered in a mysterious goop, and there is so much pollution that the sun is being blotted out. The locals accuse Mario of these crimes and he is sentenced to mandatory labor to clean up the area with the help of a new gameplay device, FLUDD, a sentient water cannon with interchangeable nozzles. These nozzles allow Mario to manipulate water in various ways, giving him the ability to move through his environment, clean up goop, fight enemies, and solve puzzles. Setting out on his journey to clear his name, Mario discovers the true perpetrator to be a "shadowy" figure who possesses Mario's form.

Much like SM64, the levels that Mario can visit are accessible through numerous, indirect passages, never directly accessible in the sense that Mario can run to them. These levels are equally as exotic and sunny as the rest of the game, from the rolling, green Bianco Hills, to the massively mycological and tribal Pianta Village. Each level feels sharply distinct in its design and detail, right down to the musical themes that play, which conform to the personality and atmosphere. Organic instruments play upbeat tunes in the tribal-like Pianta village; the theme of Pinna Park captures the spirit of an amusement park as you stare in wonder at the swaying pirate ship's reflection in a pool of water below, spinning merry-go-rounds, and a rotating Ferris wheel. If you get up on said Ferris wheel, you have a breathtaking vantage point of the whole front side of Isle Delfino's, enabling you to see the other locales of the game situated at certain points along the Island.

Three-dimensional gameplay has come a long way since SM64 revolutionized it, and not many games have come close to the way SM64 executed it. A game is not supposed to have many limits unless its purpose is emulating the real world or a realistic facsimile thereof. In our real world, gravity holds us back: we can't jump as high as Mario, we can't leap off a mountain and watch ourselves and hope we land on the huge mushroom with the star on it, moreover survive. In a virtual world, gravity's not necessary, and especially with a 3-d Mario game, its full effects aren't necessarily desired.

Nintendo finally delivers what it's always been known for: stunning graphics and addictive gameplay.

Few gaming icons are even half as recognized as Mario. And no gaming icon has produced more quality games over the years. So when a new Mario game comes out, it should come as no surprise that there is a good deal of hype surrounding that game.

With all the hype, it's hard to live up to what people expect. If you are expecting the same shock the world received with Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, or Super Mario 64, then you'll be sorely disappointed. Super Mario Sunshine isn't groundbreaking or breathtaking, but it is a solid adventure game that no GameCube owner should be without.

Super Mario Sunshine begins with a plane trip to an exotic island, with fun, sun, and plenty of water. Upon landing, Mario, Peach, and the usual entourage of toads exit the plane and prepare for their vacation. Hey, Mario deserved it. How many times has he saved the Princess?

Things go wrong, right from the start. Mario is framed for crimes he didn't commit, and he's ordered to perform community service as penance. Who would frame Mario, anyway? It's not like he has any enemies, right? Well on this particular adventure, Mario is framed by a clone who takes on a mercury-type shape shifting appearance, much like T-1000 from Terminator 2. This clone looks incredible, from a graphical standpoint, but he hardly looks like Mario. Mario doesn't look like a giant reflective mirror, does he? How could anyone mix Mario up with a sparkling clone?

Apparently the legal system is not the only problem on this island, though, because the entire island is filled with your typical brain-dead adventure characters. The dialog is absolutely horrendous, but it's not as bad as the voice acting. Super Mario Sunshine has some horrible voice acting, when you can actually hear it.

So let's get into game's first problem, the sound. You can never quite hear what the characters are saying, mainly because the music is exponentially louder. In the case of Super Mario Sunshine, though, that could be a good thing. The voice acting is terrible. Peach talks in a broken form of speech, Mario just makes his typical Italian `noises', and the toads and other characters all make some kind of squeal or goofy laugh. It goes more than being lighthearted-it's downright annoying.

The music isn't on par with the other Mario games, or any other game for that matter. There are quite a few nice tracks, which include some fancy remixes, but other than that, the music is nothing to be desired. The sound effects are decent, but they are incredibly overused at times.

Away from your ears and onto your eyes, Super Mario Sunshine is quite a sight to see. It is easily the GameCube's most impressive title visually, mostly because there is just so much going on without problems and glitches.

Each level is filled with interactive scenery, an incredible number of moving objects, and the best water effects ever seen on a video game. Graphically, it's just amazing that the levels are so nice to look at, and so large. The textures could use some work, but the water (which is truly astounding) and other great effects clearly overshadow the small graphic problems. Super Mario Sunshine is visually stunning.

Throughout these huge levels, you'll be controlling a new and improved Mario. Gone are the punches and kicks; they've been replaced by jetpacks and jetpack add-ons. With these new tools, you can hover around or shoot water at your enemies. Apparently Mario has some incredible strength, too, because he jumps and leaps higher than ever, despite carrying a backpack of water that would weigh any normal person down.

Mario's goals include finding red coins, killing (and re-killing, as you'll see) bosses, locating certain items, or trying his hand some old-school platforming action.

Wait, what's that about old-school?

Throughout each level, Mario will `accidentally' have his new jetpack stolen by the same fiend who framed him in the first place. Without his new jetpack, you'll be forced to complete an obstacle course using only the old-school Mario techniques, like walk kicks and triple jumps. A nice diversion, and a nice challenge, too.

Mario will work his way through a handful of unique worlds, scouring each world for hidden `shines', exactly in the same manner as he did looking for stars in Super Mario 64.

Controlling Mario is essentially perfect. The camera might bug you in the beginning, but you'll find it to be one of the best cameras in any video game, ever, once you get used to how it controls. The C-Stick will swing it around you, allowing you a nifty view of all the area around you, and the L Button centers the camera behind you.

Super Mario Sunshine is not your standard platform game. In addition to the new jetpack idea, Nintendo has thrown in a new underground travel innovation. They've also added a new graffiti system that fits nicely with the game. And finally, everyone's favorite dinosaur makes his return to the world of Mario.

Yes, Yoshi's back, but that's not saying much. It's fun to finally ride him around in 3D, but overall, he's mostly useless. They've changed his powers, too, removing the ability to shoot eggs in exchange for the ability to turn enemies into solid platforms. Thankfully, Yoshi can still use his tongue, though. With that tongue you'll be eating enemies and fruits. Different fruits can even change Yoshi's color and powers.

The game is seen as `clean up the environment' from commercials and previews, and from the beginning, you might actually think that's the case. An hour into the game, the entire `clean up that graffiti' act is practically gone, and you're back to good old Mario platforming fun. There are enough levels and challenges to leave even the average gamer coming back for more.

Super Mario Sunshine's biggest achievement is its lack of gameplay flaws and its stunning graphics. Most adventure/platform games have glaring gameplay problems, but Super Mario Sunshine has none. Aside from some poor audio, there is nothing wrong with Mario Sunshine, and there is no reason that you shouldn't own this game.

Game Stats:

Players: One / Genre: Adventure B . Presentation (Menus, Manuals, and Finishing Touches) A + . Graphics C . Audio A + . Game Play and Story A + . Camera and Control B + . Value (Replay and Cost) A . Final Grade

Nowhere near as good as Luigi's Mansion, the game's puzzles are so repetitive and frustrating much of the game's fun is taken away. The camera angles are nearly impossible and Mario's moves are hard to learn. Spraying off graffiti, hanging on hooks that are nearly impossible to grab onto, balancing on tightropes, talking to Delfino residents and some of them punching you all the way across the town, a bunch of new, useless moves and even the music is pretty annoying after a while. Granted, the game is not entirely bad, it never gets boring just very, very frustrating. Maybe it's just me but I think Nintendo didn't put as much effort and thought into this game as they have with so many others.

Overall rating: 4/10

SMS is definitely a gorgeous game to look at and a perfect game to get you in a summertime mood. The perfect blue skies, glorious sunshine and beautiful water effects make you just want to pass through the screen and into the Isle of Delfino in the game itself. Mario vacations in this sunny resort only to find it's covered in pollution when he arrives. So now it's up to him to clean it up across the various levels and worlds.

It's one of those games that you can just keep on playing over the years and even put aside for a while before going back to it. It doesn't really have the same charm in the winter months however. The music, the graphics, the humor are all cute and colorful. It makes for perfect escapism.

However, the designers have simply tried to cram in too many controls on the Gamecube pad and, as a result, it's a very hard game to control. Many levels and missions require precision manoeuvring and can often take several minutes of painstaking balance and ascension only for it all to be undone, as Mario plummets several hundred feet, by a tiny little flaw in your button-bashing. It will seriously drive you C-R-A-Z-Y.

Had it not been for this, I would probably have stuck with SMS to the end, but I had to just be done with it once and for all, otherwise I would have chucked my Gamecube at the wall.

Graphics A Sound A Gameplay C Lasting Appeal B

This game was sort of a let-down. I had fun at first, but after awhile I noticed that there were two types of levels:

1) Those that are extremely easy (though it might take awhile to figure out what you need to do). 2) Those that are extremely tedious. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're hard, it just means that you need to do them over and over and over again until you get lucky enough that Mario doesn't slip, slide, or fall the wrong way. Almost all of the obstacle course levels are like this.

It's one of those games that derives almost all of its difficulty from the fact that you're trying to control a 3-D environment with a 2-D interface. Most gamers would call that poor design.

Probably the most annoying thing about the gameplay is the backward-loop high jump. It never happens when you're counting on it, and it often does happen when you really don't want it to. After you've spent 10 minutes climbing a wall, and you fall all the way down to the bottom again simply because Mario decided he didn't want to do a backward high-jump this time, you just feel like turning it off. I did many times. I only came back because I figured it would get better. It never did.

I found myself saying after just about every level: "I'm glad I'll never have to do that level again."

Except for the gameplay, this game is excellent. Good graphics, somewhat good story, and it's a big game -- there's a lot to do.