tiggerkiddo
Member
Super Mario Sunshine was the second 3D platformer in the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Set in bright and sunny…and colorful Delfino, Super Mario Sunshine appeared to be a nice departure from its predecessor.
Now I never really gave this game a shot...and I don't know why. I wish I could tell you but I just didn't but on the advice of a friend, I finally gave the bloody game a shot after all these years...imagine that! And it seems it was well worth it!
What made this game different from 64 was a device Mario had on his back called FLUDD (The acronym stands for something but you can google it yourself!). FLUDD is basically a really really fancy water pump that allows Mario to float around in the air, spray off paint and do a host of other stuff…later add ons allow Mario to speed around or rocket high into the air.
Speaking of cleaning off paint, that brings me to the story of Sunshine. While Mario, Toadstool and friends are on vacation in Delfino, a watery Mario lookalike attacks the island with a paint brush and somehow the locals decide Mario is to blame…because yea he totally looks like the swell chap who painted the town with rainbows…yea exactly. Kangaroo Court in action! However Mario is let go and tasked with the job of cleanup and what a job that is! Later on we discover who is this watery imposter and the truth is…well kinda sucky but that would be spoiling the fun!
Anyway, Island Delfino is broken up into a bunch of tropicaly areas. Don’t expect the variety in levels like you would from 64…that is one downside to it but to be honest, the places you do discover are pretty sweet anyway! First there is Bianco Hills a less tropical area and more of a Holland like level with windmills and large grassy hills. Next up you have Ricco Harbor, a coastal town with a very busy busy harbor area. After that is Gelato Beach, a large beach with a large building on the hills and even a large hill that overlooks the bay. Following that you have Pinna Park, an amusement park level complete with dangerous ferris wheels, Yoshi carousels, swinging ships and even a roller coaster that would put Millenium Force to shame! Sirena Beach is another beach level but the focus is actually the ghost ridden hotel, full of ghosts trying to escape the heat. Noki Bay is a sort of mysterious level that takes place on some steep cliffs…it’s not really apparent if it’s even a part of Delfino considering how different and mysterious it is! And finally you have Pinata Village, a village in a jungle like area with an mysterious and dark underground with giant mushrooms and the ever popular death!
Okay so we got the areas covered. Each one of them is home to 10 specific levels/missions you can do to earn Shine Sprites…aka the equivalent of Stars in 64. They start off pretty easy but get tough in a hurry. Many of the toughest one involve Imposter Mario swiping FLUDD and making Mario walk through a literal death course of platforming, complete with a remix of old school Mario music! But some other levels include competing in a watermelon festival, fighting off a giant Mecha Bowser on a roller coaster with pop bottle rockets, cleaning a giant eel’s teeth and even having fun with a not so water friendly Yoshi! Your skill will be tested, many of the latter levels are tougher, much tougher than 64 could ever dish out but who said everything has to be easy?
So what about the music? Well well my friends, the music is what you would expect, very energetic and cheerful for a colorful local like Delfino. The music works in every spot you expect, from the ragtime music of Pinna Park (Paying tribute to Coney Island perhaps?), to the mysterious and mystical music of Noki Bay and then even to the somewhat serene and creepy music of Sirena Beach. And then you have the Boss music and all of the other various tunes and you have what makes to be an excellent soundtrack, perhaps one of the best in the franchise!
Now Sunshine is a bit of a decisive game…some really hate the FLUDD mechanics and just prefer the non FLUDD parts. Some hate that the game sticks to many tropical locales and some love it. As for me, I think both parts are fantastic, the main draw of the game for me is FLUDD and I love using it but the non FLUDD levels are just as fun…if a bit nerve wracking at times. The game isn’t super varied in the level selection but each one is so full of character and personality that it makes up for it. I love the music so much, there is hardly a track I tire of…okay well maybe Ragtime got annoying after being stuck on the red coin mission for the longest but still! The game is certainly much harder than the 64 one but hey, a challenge is nice. Now do I love this over Super Mario 64, the only other 3D Mario game I love (Yes, I’m not a fan of the Galaxy games one bit) ? That’s a toughie…I haven’t replayed the 64 version in years now that I think about it in years so…I guess that might be next on my agenda! But seriously people, if you haven’t played it, get to it…it’s fantastic!
Now I never really gave this game a shot...and I don't know why. I wish I could tell you but I just didn't but on the advice of a friend, I finally gave the bloody game a shot after all these years...imagine that! And it seems it was well worth it!
What made this game different from 64 was a device Mario had on his back called FLUDD (The acronym stands for something but you can google it yourself!). FLUDD is basically a really really fancy water pump that allows Mario to float around in the air, spray off paint and do a host of other stuff…later add ons allow Mario to speed around or rocket high into the air.
Speaking of cleaning off paint, that brings me to the story of Sunshine. While Mario, Toadstool and friends are on vacation in Delfino, a watery Mario lookalike attacks the island with a paint brush and somehow the locals decide Mario is to blame…because yea he totally looks like the swell chap who painted the town with rainbows…yea exactly. Kangaroo Court in action! However Mario is let go and tasked with the job of cleanup and what a job that is! Later on we discover who is this watery imposter and the truth is…well kinda sucky but that would be spoiling the fun!
Anyway, Island Delfino is broken up into a bunch of tropicaly areas. Don’t expect the variety in levels like you would from 64…that is one downside to it but to be honest, the places you do discover are pretty sweet anyway! First there is Bianco Hills a less tropical area and more of a Holland like level with windmills and large grassy hills. Next up you have Ricco Harbor, a coastal town with a very busy busy harbor area. After that is Gelato Beach, a large beach with a large building on the hills and even a large hill that overlooks the bay. Following that you have Pinna Park, an amusement park level complete with dangerous ferris wheels, Yoshi carousels, swinging ships and even a roller coaster that would put Millenium Force to shame! Sirena Beach is another beach level but the focus is actually the ghost ridden hotel, full of ghosts trying to escape the heat. Noki Bay is a sort of mysterious level that takes place on some steep cliffs…it’s not really apparent if it’s even a part of Delfino considering how different and mysterious it is! And finally you have Pinata Village, a village in a jungle like area with an mysterious and dark underground with giant mushrooms and the ever popular death!
Okay so we got the areas covered. Each one of them is home to 10 specific levels/missions you can do to earn Shine Sprites…aka the equivalent of Stars in 64. They start off pretty easy but get tough in a hurry. Many of the toughest one involve Imposter Mario swiping FLUDD and making Mario walk through a literal death course of platforming, complete with a remix of old school Mario music! But some other levels include competing in a watermelon festival, fighting off a giant Mecha Bowser on a roller coaster with pop bottle rockets, cleaning a giant eel’s teeth and even having fun with a not so water friendly Yoshi! Your skill will be tested, many of the latter levels are tougher, much tougher than 64 could ever dish out but who said everything has to be easy?
So what about the music? Well well my friends, the music is what you would expect, very energetic and cheerful for a colorful local like Delfino. The music works in every spot you expect, from the ragtime music of Pinna Park (Paying tribute to Coney Island perhaps?), to the mysterious and mystical music of Noki Bay and then even to the somewhat serene and creepy music of Sirena Beach. And then you have the Boss music and all of the other various tunes and you have what makes to be an excellent soundtrack, perhaps one of the best in the franchise!
Now Sunshine is a bit of a decisive game…some really hate the FLUDD mechanics and just prefer the non FLUDD parts. Some hate that the game sticks to many tropical locales and some love it. As for me, I think both parts are fantastic, the main draw of the game for me is FLUDD and I love using it but the non FLUDD levels are just as fun…if a bit nerve wracking at times. The game isn’t super varied in the level selection but each one is so full of character and personality that it makes up for it. I love the music so much, there is hardly a track I tire of…okay well maybe Ragtime got annoying after being stuck on the red coin mission for the longest but still! The game is certainly much harder than the 64 one but hey, a challenge is nice. Now do I love this over Super Mario 64, the only other 3D Mario game I love (Yes, I’m not a fan of the Galaxy games one bit) ? That’s a toughie…I haven’t replayed the 64 version in years now that I think about it in years so…I guess that might be next on my agenda! But seriously people, if you haven’t played it, get to it…it’s fantastic!
