I LOVED this game when it came out. I was a sophomore in high school, so it's not like I was totally ignorant to what a good game was.
That said, I played through it again about two years ago, and man, it was not a great experience. A fun platformer, but not a really good Mario game. To me, Sunshine features some of the worst levels in the series, such as the Pachinko board, the poison river bonus area, the Pianta chuck bonus area, and Sirena Beach's interior, to name a handful.
The camera is also quite horrid for a Nintendo game, especially a Mario game. I was constantly battling it just like it was being controlled by Bowser. Yes, it's free to control by the player, but it also sometimes moves on its own. At the same time, when you're doing platforming feats that require you to be very careful, the last thing you need to contend with is controlling the camera while doing that. Oh, and that level where you climb the backside of the Ferris wheel in Pinna Park? Ugh a chug-chug!
Still, I can't deny it's still a fun game. I hope you enjoy it despite the flaws I had with it, Addison!
