We store cookies, you can get more info from our privacy policy.
GC

North America

Super Mario Sunshine

by Michael Cole - July 26, 2002, 6:36 pm EDT

Luigi plays Mario. Lucky Luigi!

First off, I should probably tell you where I am in the game. Due to some annoying circumstances, I have only been able to get five hours of Super Mario Sunshine as of yet, and have recovered 15 Shines.

The first thing I noticed when I pushed the Power button was the voice acting—it sucks. It isn’t horrible like in Bomberman Generations or anything, but Peach’s inflection is all off and the Water Pack is just annoying (Mushroom King/Chancellor is fine though). Other than that, the sound is great. The original tunes are catchy, and the remixed classics give the game a true Mario feel. I have yet to hear any classic songs from games other than SMB1, and I’m hoping that will change later in the game. The surround sound seems well-done, but I can’t judge too well on my ancient system.

The second aspect I noted were the graphics: obviously the last thing Miyamoto’s team focused on. The game’s visuals have been tweaked in many subtle ways since E3, and though I can’t really point them out very well, the game just looks better than the demo. I’ve only noticed one instance of pop-up, and it was one building polygon far into the distance...visibility is amazing. I can’t wait to try this game out on my huge HDTV next month.

But you’re probably reading this to see what I think of the gameplay itself. Super Mario Sunshine is definitely designed for those who have already played Super Mario 64. The classic “Nintendo training” is almost non-existent, and players will be using their N64 knowledge right off the bat. That means hard Shines early in the game—no wonder Famitsu complained about the latter half’s difficulty! This assumption is a valid one, since anyone over seven should have played at least a little Mario 64, and lets Super Mario Sunshine provide challenges Nintendo didn’t dare put into the former. I know fellow staffers have been itching for a difficult platformer; I never thought the answer would be a Mario game! I worry about the hordes of six-year-olds who will no doubt pick up this game, as Super Mario Sunshine may be too much for them.

What sorts of new and challenging aspects does Super Mario Sunshine present? I won’t tell much, but I will refer you to the last Mario level on the PGC E3 DVD for an example. Levels like these (and some of the more standard missions) require the player to really focus and tend to taunt the player. But like all good difficult games, the player gets a huge sense of accomplishment when they Shine Get. Players will probably curse from time to time (I know I did!), but it is always their own fault for messing up. But they’ll keep trying, because this game is fun melted into Cube form. One mailbag question asked if this game would be as epic as Super Mario 64, and I said that it won’t be as amazing, just because Mario 64 was the first 3D Mario game. Well you know what? I’m finding Super Mario Sunshine to actually be more epic, just because it is more polished and evolved than its predecessor on almost every level. And there’s lots more for me to discover still.

Better graphics, more catchy Mario music and gameplay as pure as Miyamoto’s heart. What more could you ask for? There’s a reason Mario games sell so well, and I hope SMS surpasses SM64’s numbers: it certainly deserves the honor.

Share + Bookmark





GC

Game Profile

Super Mario Sunshine Box Art

Genre Action
Developer Nintendo
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Super Mario Sunshine
Release Aug 25, 2002
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone
jpn: Super Mario Sunshine
Release Jul 19, 2002
PublisherNintendo
RatingAll Ages
eu: Super Mario Sunshine
Release Oct 04, 2002
PublisherNintendo
Rating3+

Related Content

Got a news tip? Send it in!
Advertisement
Advertisement