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[bridegur]

I rented SMS recently and I can't believe how much fun I'm having with it for the second time. This game is beautiful (Bianco Hills especially) and no other platformer controls as well. It's so much fun to play a game that isn't drab and brown.

On top of that, the waterpack-less worlds are absolute genius. Why hasn't Nintendo put a multiplayer game full of levels like that out? They seem to be keen on releasing games with Mario doing a bunch of other dull things, why not something original and fun? It would top even Super Monkey Ball for multiplayer.

I was starting to think that SMS wasn't that great, but I'm glad to know that it's still incredibly fun after a couple of years. Hopefully the wait for the next Mario game won't be long.

 

[Alex]

SMS completely rocks. It, Maximo 2 and Klonoa 2 did it quite well this gen for me as far as platformers go.

 

[jman2050]

It grows on you. I suppose that was the problem I had with it. Whereas with SM64, I was like 'OMGWTF' the moment I moved Mario for the first time, it took a while for the fun to sink in with SMS. A fun, fun game though once you get past the fact that SM64 is much better. Too bad a lot of people aren't willing to go that far...

 

[radrelic]

SMS was fun for me the moment I picked up the controller and ran around the environment.

Great game but it's not something I'd play again a second time.

 

[kablooey]

SMS was great, and gets way more flack than it deserves. The main thing that held it back was the annoying-as-fuck blue coin collecting, and as a result, lack of replay value. Otherwise, it's tons of fun.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

only problem was the blue coins. until about 70 - 80 stars the game is fun as hell. blue coin trek was annoying and downright hard to find any of the remaining ones that aren't quite obvious. I have a thing with games that if I have looked there, its marked in my mind as "not there" then if I missed it I find it really difficult to think were an item might be.

 

[bridegur]

Diving from high places is so much fun. Nintendo is one of the few companies that would worry about the character straightening out before hitting the water.

 

[Sapiens]

Game was great..at first. I found that it ran out of steam half way through and I had no urge to finish it...like a lot of the GC games I've owned.

The pack-less sections, I agree, were the best thing about this game. Amazing. Cool. Fun. I wish there was a way to just play through these. Not a huge fan of the collecting but I felt like I was merely tolerating the main game so I could get more small tastes of the pack-less parts. A fine reward for my troubles at least.

edit: FLUDD: Annoyed me that I had to collect power ups to change it's function. Once I was able to use a new power, I should have instant access to it all times. Small gripe.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Every time I try starting a file of Mario Sunshine, I usually get so bored from watching the [unskippable] opening movie sequence, that I just turn the game off.

But those hidden worlds. They are so, so worth the effort.

 

[Azure Dream]

I'm probably one of three people that didn't really care for many of the pack-less levels. It just seemed like many of them relied on pushing you off, or making you slide nigh-uncontrollably once the object reached a certain tilt. A little too cheap for my taste.

 

[Borys]

Great game.

Best levels: Ricco Harbor (like Rusty Bucket Bay!), Noki Bay and of course the secret levels.

Worst levels: Bianco Hills and Sirena Beach (the Hotel, yuck!).

FLUDD was a stupid, stupid design but the whole water idea was pretty cool.

Oh, and it SUCKED that there were no ICE/ LAVA worlds.
Bowser's "dungeon" was a joke.

 

[golduck342]

only problem was the blue coins. until about 70 - 80 stars the game is fun as hell. blue coin trek was annoying and downright hard to find any of the remaining ones that aren't quite obvious. I have a thing with games that if I have looked there, its marked in my mind as "not there" then if I missed it I find it really difficult to think were an item might be.

Exactly my problem with it. It was a great game, but I was pissed of that I couldn't get 120 shines... so I was less inclined to replay it. There was one other secret star on some stage that I couldn't find either.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Exactly my problem with it. It was a great game, but I was pissed of that I couldn't get 120 shines... so I was less inclined to replay it. There was one other secret star on some stage that I couldn't find either.

Me and flatmate ended up getting about 105 stars legitimately and then got a blue coin faq, that proved to be to tedious as well though and we quit at about 114 stars. The fact that some coins are only available on some shines really hurt the chance of finding them as well.

 

[RonaldoSan]

The controls were just awesome. I loved the waterpack. When you got the hang of it the game was so fun just running around trying to climb stuff.

 

[Alex]

The level design was absolutely fucking superb. Typical and void alike, hell, I even loved the Hotel. I personally vastly prefered it to Mario 64. It felt more like a bigger, brighter more action packed proper extension to the classic titles rather than the adventurey leap 64 took, IMO.


It had it's problems, not enough varitey, blue coins (which I didn't even bother with) and an incredibly weak last boss, but nothing is perfect and those are the breaks. My BIGGEST complaint thought would simply be that it's too easy, but sadly enough, you kinda expect that in mostbig Nintendo releases. I really would like to see new Marios and Zeldas ship with difficulty sliders if they keep intending on focusing on the "everyone" audience.

 

[Sapiens]

I can assume we're all Mario 64 120/150(ds) star vets?

I couldn't stop 64 'till I cleared it completely. That urge did not exist for Sunshine.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

I only have 80 in ds... which sucks cause I want the last minigame. I'll go back to it once I start travelling. I started buying up games about the time I got 80 so I won't rule it out.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I replayed SMS last year and had a lot of fun with it, too. A combination of not expecting The Greatest Thing Ever after 6 years of waiting, and having played some SM64 in between and noticing how Mario's movement and wall jumping has improved since then.

 

[mCACGj]

I can assume we're all Mario 64 120/150(ds) star vets?

I couldn't stop 64 'till I cleared it completely. That urge did not exist for Sunshine.

Same with me, the blue coin search was way too tedious and there were tons of really hard shines to get. But that didn't stop me from having a total blast playing it.

I think SMS has the best water effects in any game yet, but overall I was unimpressed with the graphics except for some effects and areas. Anyway, definately top 10 on my favorite games this gen.

 

[Kid Chameleon]

I kinda enjoyed it until the part where you had to get to the top of some building that contained loads of moving platforms and running water - no matter where you placed the camera the walls always got in the way.

 

[jman2050]

I can assume we're all Mario 64 120/150(ds) star vets?

I couldn't stop 64 'till I cleared it completely. That urge did not exist for Sunshine.

Do you know how many times I've cleared room in my SM64 save files and got all 120 stars again just for the heck of it? Too many freaking times to count.

 

[SantaC]

now if just Nintendo could get their heads out of the ass and reveal mario 128

 

[Alex]

I thought the visuals were grreeeaattt. Huge levels, very clean, vibrant with lots going on. The art direction was all around superb. I'd probably rank it along with Zelda as two of the best overall looking games of the gen.

 

[Sapiens]

I thought the visuals were grreeeaattt. Huge levels, very clean, vibrant with lots going on. The art direction was all around superb. I'd probably rank it along with Zelda as two of the best overall looking games of the gen.

Yeah, but how the hell did the in game visuals manage to outclass the cinematic ones? Who approved those things?

The reflections in the water were sweet! Even mario's reflection in his own puddles were cool.

Damn, wish I still had it. Anyone else have the hub world theme song in their head right now?

 

[cvxfreak]

I loved Mario Sunshine. It was simply so much fun to play. I like it on par with the N64 game because they're different enough in my view. Nintendo could easily have made a game out of the 3D obstacle courses and sell three million copies of it. I hope Mario 128 is even better.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Damn, wish I still had it. Anyone else have the hub world theme song in their head right now?

Yeah. But then, it is one of only... maybe two really memorable songs in the game.

Yeah, but how the hell did the in game visuals manage to outclass the cinematic ones? Who approved those things?

And the voice acting! @_@ Also I did not much like the new blob townspeople character designs much... certainly the gameplay was the best thing.

 

[jarrod]

EAD's best game this gen imo, it got a really undeserved backlash around release. Pains me that a truely subpar core effort like TWW gets by so easy when this gem was just trashed by most.

 

[Kai Dracon]

Sunshine = Superb title horribly abused by fanboy backash. Best -playing- platformer this gen. I adore Delfino Plaza as probably the greatest hub-type area in a game yet. The only hub I've seen yet in a game that didn't become a boring chore halfway through the game.

 

[Sapiens]

EAD's best game this gen imo, it got a really undeserved backlash around release. Pains me that a truely subpar core effort like TWW gets by so easy when this gem was just trashed by most.

TWW was great until we all had to go huntin' for the bits o' the tri-force. I would have rather had a shorter game experience.

 

[mattx5]

I loved the game, not nearly as much as SM64, but still quite a bit. The platforming was excellent as was most of the level design. The art design was FANTASTIC, especially in that one world, I believe it was called Noki Bay or something similar? The pink water was gorgeous.

I spent a lot of time just wandering around the hub, swimming, diving from high places, etc. Unfortunately, I found that the game ran out of steam a bit near the end, and the last level was a bit anticlimactic (Ugh, I hated pushing that boat around in the lava). Other than that though, some great memories!

Anybody remember the huge debacle over the hidden door in the bottom of that 'glass bottle' level? I remember trying for hours and hours trying to uncover its secret, too bad nothing ever came of it.

Were any other cool little things like that discovered later on?

 

[ParkPace]

My main problem with the game was that there were specific shines you needed to get in order to beat the game (first 6-7 of every stage or something, if I remember correctly). I liked how it was done in Mario 64, where you only needed a certain number of stars and were left free to acquire that number in whichever configuration you desired.

Mario Sunshine shine collecting also seemed a bit inconsistent too. Some of the shines required so much work to get and others were pathetically easy, so easy that it felt like a waste of time to even do. The latter reason is what eventually drove me away from the game before I had the chance to complete it. I'm sure Mario 64 was the exact same way (haven't played it in years) so this probably isn't a problem for most Mario fans.

I loved the look of the water in SMS. My favorite levels were the Amusement Park level and the Dock level with that huge monkeybar-esque thing in the harbor. What a fun level to screw around on.

 

[therock07]

I never heard one person say Mario Sunshine sucks. But being on "Gaycube" nobody gave it chance like everything else. I loved it, not enough to beat it agian but it was good game back then. Almost everyone I know that played Mario64 almost got 120 stars I couldnt get jack shit in Sunshine

 

[mattx5]

One thing that I missed in SMS was the variety of the worlds. Even Mario 64 was lacking a bit in this regard, even though it had the standard ice/fire worlds. I really hope the next Mario game is able to top Super Mario World in terms of sheer variety.

Thinking back, SMW had a mindblowing mix of levels, ranging from outdoors, to underground, to the castle/ghost house variety, to underwater, to the sky, to the forest, to fire/volcano theme, to ice, etc. etc. Simply mindblowing.

 

[Polari]

Super Mario Sunshine is one of my favourite games this generation. It's pure fun, and although there are some flaws (the horrendous camera) it doesn't detract from it as an incredibly addictive, must-play game. I love the beach theme too, and although I have heard complaints about the game's graphics in a technical sense, artistically it is jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Massively underrated.

 

[goodcow]

I love SMS, but one thing I never understand is all the flak about Sonic Adventure 1 and 2's camera systems when the ones in Mario 64 and SMS both suck ass. The SA ones I find manageable, the Mario ones I find annoying.

 

[jarrod]

Mario Sunshine's camera is only as bad/faulty/annoying as you are. I always had the perfect angle myself (except behind the ferris wheel, where it glitched).

 

[jman2050]

I love SMS, but one thing I never understand is all the flak about Sonic Adventure 1 and 2's camera systems when the ones in Mario 64 and SMS both suck ass. The SA ones I find manageable, the Mario ones I find annoying.

Because sonic games move and happen about 10x faster than any Mario game. Thus a good camera is important, whereas the shortcomings in 64's and SMS's cameras aren't as noticable. Because it's a more deliberate platformer, changing the camera view manually is a lot more fogiving.

 

[Wellington]

Ditto on the blue coin talk. If only Nintendo had given itself more time to include 2-3 more levels it would not be a major issue.

One thing I really love about SMS, and in fact I mentioned it to my brother and sister today while watching them play Jak and Daxter, is the momentum based control. It is by far the finest and tightest control of any platform character ever. Nintendo is seriously wasting that engine if they don't put that to use in another GC game.

But yeah, this game is extremely love/hate with the usual suspects falling in their respective camps. The first half of the game was just so awesome, but man it really trailed off. I really doubt Mario 128 even exists, let alone if it will actually make it out on GC, which is a damned shame.

 

[Amir0x]

I love Super Mario Sunshine. One of my favorite games this gen. I never really understood the hate, as I even thought the water pack accessory worked out generally very well. It was fun doing insane acrobatic jumps aided by FLUD. I love that stuff.

 

[goodcow]

Because sonic games move and happen about 10x faster than any Mario game. Thus a good camera is important, whereas the shortcomings in 64's and SMS's cameras aren't as noticable. Because it's a more deliberate platformer, changing the camera view manually is a lot more fogiving.

I find it the opposite. Because Sonic is so fast, I find the camera more forgiving, and because of the rush, I can adjust on the fly quickly, or, since it usually does the same things wrong all the time, I know by default how to correct myself.

Mario, on the other hand, being slow and with a crappy camera just annoys me, as I have to keep stopping to fiddle with it.

 

[mrkgoo]

I only have 80 in ds... which sucks cause I want the last minigame. I'll go back to it once I start travelling. I started buying up games about the time I got 80 so I won't rule it out.

the last mini game is compeltely worthless. It's

Spoiler

simply another coin slots game that , on the surface is identical to teh other one, which is easily the least fun game. I believe it's 'easier' to win, but who the Hell cares. It's my biggest gripe about Mario64 DS.

.

Anyway, I loved SMS at first, then hated it, then I got a blue coin FAQ after finishing it proper, and went back and got the rest of the shines. Only two i'm missing is from the pinball mingame, and the water slide (where you have to get yoshi all the way out to that island). I don't think I will ever get those, seeing hte amount of time I spent on those two, and still never succeeding. Is it just me, or did I play the packless levels with the pack?

 

[Wario64]

Super Mario Sunshine seemed like a fantastic game initially. but for some reason, i was starting to get bored somewhere towards the end. the water-packless levels are awesome, which most people will agree. weren't those packless levels suppose to be in mario64? i read that somewhere but wasn't sure if that was true. if it was, probably explains why they were pretty fun levels

 

[Johnas]

Is it just me, or did I play the packless levels with the pack?

In a few of them, FLUDD is left on.

 

[Go Go Ackman!]

Super Mario Sunshine is one of my favourite games this generation. It's pure fun, and although there are some flaws (the horrendous camera) it doesn't detract from it as an incredibly addictive, must-play game. I love the beach theme too, and although I have heard complaints about the game's graphics in a technical sense, artistically it is jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Massively underrated.

I agree 110%. Amazing game.

Mayor of Mushroom Kingdom (or whatever) going "YAAAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH" beats shitty western voice acting any day.

 

[demon]

Ahh, all this Mario Sunshine love makes me happy. Definitely an underappreciated game this gen. Unfortunately flawed, but it has some of the best design and gameplay mechanics of any 3D platformer ever.

Mario Sunshine's camera is only as bad/faulty/annoying as you are. I always had the perfect angle myself (except behind the ferris wheel, where it glitched).

I'm sorry but this is bs. There were moments when the camera was simply horrid and out of your control (like the pinball minigame or whatever that was), and in general it required more manual control and attention than it should have.

 

[jett]

SMS, despite lacking a bit in level design, is the platformer of the generation. I recently bought Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal, since so many people in this forum hyped it up...only to find it looks and feels pretty much like the other two. Money down the drain, w00t...just made me appreciate SMS even more.

 

[Brandon F]

I really liked R&C3 More of the same for sure, but the new dual-stick control scheme and focused level design put it a notch above part 2 for me.

Not a fan of Sunshine myself. Gamespot was near dead-on with it's 8.0 score, if not slightly too lenient. The control WAS superlative, and the graphics top-notch, but everything else ummm sucked? A mish-mash of pretty ok levels and OMG CRAP ruined the experience for me. That and some pretty insipid goals(collecting fruit? Fighting the same mini-bosses a dozen times, Blue coins)

Great concept, just not good enough to keep me playing. That lava raft ride near the end ensured I would never finish the game properly. 60 or so shines was about all I could take, and I care not to revisit again. (Thanks for reminding me of the horrible unskippable plot intro...shiver) And those delfino people need to stay on their damned island and NEVER corrupt my Mario again.

I would cry if the Mario franchise is doomed to continue such incohesiveness as this installment shows. It is functionally sound as a game, but the franchise deserves better, it has seen better.

I would rank both Sly1 and Maximo 2 ahead of this.

 

[Go Go Ackman!]

Dude STFU. The level designs were amazing, except for the shitty village. The amusement park, the harbor... what the fuck are you people talking about?

 

[dark10x]

Game was great..at first. I found that it ran out of steam half way through and I had no urge to finish it

That's how I felt. The game could be really great at times, but some goals just weren't well designed. I also felt that the later stages (the last 3 areas or so) were very dull and poorly designed.

The amusement park, the harbor... what the fuck are you people talking about?

As Brandon said below me...

Eh...it was all downhill starting with the hotel.

From the hotel onward, the quality of the level design dropped like a rock. Everything prior to the hotel was awesome (for the most part), but from that point onward, the game became a chore.

 

[Brandon F]

Eh...it was all downhill starting with the hotel. The first few levels were pretty good, but the fact that I can't even recall much of the lategame speaks volumes. (Ok, it was 3 years ago, but I remember the stuff I liked...and I recall the hotel being poop and almost nothing beyond)

Oh wait there was that cliffside level where a simple mistake meant climbing all the way back up...I now remember wanting to throw my controller multiple times!