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[Piston Hyundai]

There's a gang of shit you could talk about Super Mario Sunshine. There's half as many levels as Super Mario 64 (but with the same amount of stars so you have a good fifth of the game's shines dedicated to Blue Coin nonsense). On top of that, a lot of the normal shine goals are middling to just outright bad. You have the sand bird, the Chucksters, the watermelon rolling, the leaf piloting, the pachinko, the lame crate smashing minigame (that you do twice), the disappointingly simple final stage, and tedious stuff like getting Yoshi to the one island by Delfino Plaza for fruit or whatever. There's also an abnormal focus on story, with a lot of unskippable cutscenes that don't add particularly much to the game.

Even with all that, I wouldn't necessarily call it a bad game, but you're out of your fucking mind if you think it can go pound-for-pound with any of the other 3D Mario games. It's one of the early examples of Mario games that doesn't come close to the high bar normally set by the series, which is what makes it so disappointing. It's like the backlash to Yoshi's New Island: when a Mario game isn't simply outstanding, it just hurts more because it's so easy to expect that from this series.

 

[Kriken]

It's a decent game, but a mediocre Mario game, some of the criticisms do get exaggerated but it does deserve said criticisms

 

[jwillenn]

I disliked it enough to get rid of it. The Secret Warp levels were great though.

 

[Htown]

Absolutely not. It's a great game.

Unfortunately, being just a great game still makes you look bad, when the games on either side of your release are Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy.

 

[Giever]

Honestly, as unpolished and flawed as it is, I prefer Sunshine to both of the Galaxy games, I think.

Those games are great, but Sunshine is more in line with what I'm looking for still in a 3D Mario. If I were to actually rank the 3D Mario games (excluding Super Mario 3D World, because it's so different) it'd go like this, I think:

1) Super Mario 64
2) Super Mario Sunshine
3) Super Mario Galaxy 2
4) Super Mario Galaxy

 

[Xav]

Super Mario Sunshine is one of the very rare times that a Nintendo game felt rushed and unpolished.

Solid game but average by Mario's (insanely high) standards.

 

[AlexBasch]

One of the least good Mario's. Can't even say that the game is bad at all, tbh.

Unfortunately, being just a great game still makes you look bad, when the games on either side of your release are Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy.

This so much.

Heck, I rate SMW in the "great" category, because to me, it didn't match up to SMB3. Doesn't mean it's a "bad game".

 

[DICKS AHOY]

I'd be up for a Wind Waker HD-style remaster that bumped the game back up to 60fps and balanced out the blue coins situation, but the lack of analog triggers means it probably won't happen.

 

[kirby_fox]

I'm gonna say this isn't a popular opinion but, I enjoyed going back to it more than I enjoyed Mario Galaxy.

See, in Sunshine it felt like SM64 with how you could run around and explore areas. I loved the feeling of being able to go wherever I wanted in the level no matter what star I picked. Galaxy lost that, it was very straight forward. I couldn't explore as much as I wanted to.

But in the end FLUDD didn't add all that much to the game, nor did it really take too much away. There were just parts that could have been better.

 

[Lijik]

Its a really disappointing game and its made more disappointing by the handful of high points being really brilliant. You can tell the game was rushed

It doesnt help that imo the low points of Sunshine stand among some of the absolute worst shit that the 2001-2005 era of platformers had to offer. If you ever told me a 3d mario would have missions just as bad as any random D-tier platformer like I dont know Malice or some shit i wouldnt have believed you until I played Sunshine

See, in Sunshine it felt like SM64 with how you could run around and explore areas. I loved the feeling of being able to go wherever I wanted in the level no matter what star I picked. Galaxy lost that, it was very straight forward. I couldn't explore as much as I wanted to.

Honestly it doesnt even do that aspect particularly well. Most of the layouts are bland, and the game actively prevents you from trying to sequence break missions which removes a big part of why openended SM64/Banjo style level design is fun.

 

[DICKS AHOY]

Its a really disappointing game and its made more disappointing by the handful of high points being really brilliant. You can tell the game was rushed

It doesnt help that imo the low points of Sunshine stand among some of the absolute worst shit that the 2001-2005 era of platformers had to offer. If you ever told me a 3d mario would have missions just as bad as any random D-tier platformer like I dont know Malice or some shit i wouldnt have believed you until I played Sunshine

That final mini-level you have to complete to reach Bowser was atrocious.

Like, I know they probably felt bummed having to throw out an entire world like it was originally meant to be, but reusing the assets they had left with a very awkward boat steering segment was awful design. Even weirder since the boss fight that follows it is incredibly easy.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

For me the best 3D mario after mario 64.No hate from me.

 

[soco]

I preferred it to mario 64. Galaxy was much more varied and polished, but strangely I got bored with it much more quickly than I did sunshine.

 

[Max_Po]

I remeber I bought the Mario Sunshine bundle here in Canada. The game lacked charm and sole ...platforming was there.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Worst mario after mario 2

Mario 2 got so much hate but I loved it.

 

[Vitacat]

Yes. It's a terrible Mario game, and not a particularly good game in general. IMO.

 

[Foffy]

At the time it did, because it was radically different than what most expected or wanted from a Mario game.

In retrospect, it's actually a stellar title, as is usually the case of Mario games.

 

[Generalpsyduck]

My third favorite mainline mario game. I love it. It spices up the mario formula

 

[Olengie]

I like it. I don't love it but I thought it was decent

 

[batman2million]

i loved it! i have so many great memories tied to that game!

 

[Enforced]

I like it except the watermelon level and the blue coins. I enjoyed the game overall. Dat soundtrack though. However, I don't think the game doesn't deserve a hate.

 

[vocab]

Sunshine for me marks the change of tone for Mario, the tone that you see in New Super Mario Bros to an extent, just annoying music, and lifeless throwbacks. I really didn't like the overall music and aesthetic of the game in general. The music, while has this tropical feel, just ends up aggravating me. The game is quite challenging for a 3d Mario which is fine, but some of the challenge is really based on trial and error. Pushing that watermelon to the contest, or riding that sand bird without flipping. Hell even the first boss fight of the game in the first level took way longer than it should simply because the limitation of the Fludd makes for a lot of moments that just suck.

The mid way point feels as tedious as some of the later levels in Mario 64, but somehow out does them in terms of poorer level design. The fludd works sometimes, and that's the keyword, sometimes. Implement any form of trial that involves the fludd, and it's another learning curve because you have to compensate for this ball and chain mechanic that never gives you the freedom you want from a mario game.

Didn't like the hub and the whole Piantas race of people

The game just kept getting worse and worse, and never really had its moment for me.

 

[FreeMufasa]

Best 3D Mario game. Also has the best and most fluid controls in any 3D game to date. I'm surprised this ain't talked about much. You feel 100% in control of Marlo's movements

 

[120v]

it's a sequel to one of the most innovative and groundbreaking games of all time, so it's sort of set up for failure to begin with.

and the following sequel (Galaxy) was incidentally one of the best games of all time...

so it's kind of sandwiched in there as a historical footnote, even though the game itself isn't half bad. and it doesn't help that it was on one of nintendo's least successful consoles

 

[jb1234]

It hasn't held up well. The camera controls alone are rage inducing in the modern age. It also front loads the best levels which makes the second half of the game a slog. Still have a great fondness for the FLUDDless levels, though.

 

[NimbusD]

I mean, it could have used a bit more variety in the design and had a bit more expansive 'world', but the mechanics were spot on. Camera was a bit troublesome in spots, but so was Mario 64. You deal with it.

 

[tiredheadcrab]

I actually did enjoy it. I mean it was frustrating to get some of the shines and blue coins were the Devils bane. But I enjoyed the island setting, the music, sometimes the platforming can be fun. I do hope we see Isle delfino again someday. But I'd take another super Mario Galaxy 3 first.

 

[Roo]

It's definitely the weakest mainline Mario game, so yeah.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Didn't even know it was a generally disliked game, I loved it.

 

[DonMigs85]

It's probably still the best 3D platformer on GameCube, and I liked the huge, open levels. It just has the weirdest storyline and voice acting of any Mario game to date.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

It's probably the worst 3D Mario game and certainly has flaws. But some people act like it's an irredeemable turd with no value. It's still a good game.

 

[Crayolan]

Personally I love it but it has quite a few issues, mostly having to do with the blue coins. It controls like a dream though and has by far the best hub world in any Mario game.

 

[thrillho88]

Taken on its own I think it's a wonderful game with loads of style and charm. I loved it to death when it came out.
As a follow-up to arguably one of the best and/or most important video games ever made. Maybe not. It didn't make the leaps its predecessor did.
But that's ok.

 

[Elixist]

still a good to great game. but as a followup to 64 there was definetely some disappointment.

 

[Smashman45]

Hate? Nah. Though I think, it deserves a good deal of the criticism it gets, like aspects involving some frustrating missions (pachinko, Corona Mountain, etc), lack of level theme variety, blue coins, etc. It was still a very enjoyable game, but I didn't feel the need to 100% it.

The weakest 3D Mario, but not bad.

 

[Gamerloid]

I think every 3D Mario was better than the pervious one (except in the case of 3D World). So I say 64 is the worst.

 

[Theanine3D]

It doesn't deserve the hate IMO. It's a fantastic game that could have been even better if it hadn't been rushed, but what we got was still splendid.

The FLUDD mechanics were a ton of fun, so much so that I've always wished the game had spawned its own spinoff series, separate from other 3D Marios. The mechanics were just too good to remain permanently exclusive to this one single dead, forgotten (by Nintendo) GameCube game. They should be brought back in a new game.

Seriously, I spent countless afternoons just playing around in the water around Delfino Plaza, surfing mindlessly for fun with FLUDD, or shooting water at concrete so I could slip and slide around the plaza. No other 3D Mario game has done anything similar to that for me, not even 64.

 

[TemplaerDude]

I'd like to go and play it now. Teenager TemplaerDude loved it (for the most part) but I doubt cynical, vaguely older and jaded TemplaerDude would be a fan.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

I think every 3D Mario was better than the pervious one (except in the case of 3D World). So I say 64 is the worst.

 

[ghibli99]

I replayed it a few years ago, and it's the only one I have yet to 100%. Some of the Yoshi and secret/retro world stuff just made me want to snap my controller in half, and that's saying a lot after successfully getting through the flying Mario stuff in 64. It's still a good game, and I would still rather play it than many other non-Mario 3D platformers, but it has a number of flaws that make it my least favorite of the 3D Mario games.

 

[LUFTRAUSER]

I, uh... what? I've never heard anyone say this game was bad. I loved it when I was a kid.

 

[Imbarkus]

That little half-twitch non-move that he does when you press what used to be the punch button is perfectly emblematic of what's wrong with the game in general.

 

[Ninja Dom]

Decent game. I liked it a lot. Difficult too. I liked the island and holiday setting.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

No!!!

Fixed.

 

[CaviarMeths]

What's up with Gaf and calling almost universally praised games "hated"? First Dark Souls II and now Super Mario Sunshine this week.

 

[balohna]

I don't think too many people here think the game is bad. I've heard nothing but praise for it here. It's a very good but flawed game.

There was some Wind Waker-like skepticism around the time it came out though. The island paradise theme, FLUDD mechanic and the kiddy marketing (in the US) turned some people off from what I remember.

Kind of crazy how much pre-release flack SMS, Wind Waker and Metroid Prime got. And then they were all great.

 

[Dalthien]

I love Sunshine. Is it my favourite Mario platformer? No. But it's still a wonderful game filled with joy and creativity.

For me, it's the best platformer from the PS2/GC/XBX generation.

 

[mariosbrother]

Yes, I like the album, okay?

It's a great album, a great song, and a great user name.

And I rather enjoyed my time with Super Mario Sunshine. It felt refreshing at the time. I'll have to give it another go sometime.

 

[antitrop]

The worst mainline Mario game is still better than most games.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Sunshine is a great game, but I would have preferred running and jumping through those beautiful environments without FLUDD.