After playing Super Mario 64 I was hooked and needed more Mario immediately. What better way to achieve that then to keep moving right along. Thanks to the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection, I was able to jump right into Super Mario Sunshine.
I have a lot of nostalgia attached to this game. I never owned it or a Gamecube for myself, but my cousins did and we’d play every time they were in town. This is probably the game I have the most exposure to going into this collection. For that reason, it is probably the one I was most excited to finally have on Switch as well.
Super Mario Sunshine was everything I wanted it to be. I know it gets a lot of bad press for a multitude of reasons, but I thoroughly enjoyed this game. For me, the setting of Isle Delfino kept the game more grounded and able to carry a story. In Super Mario 64, I loved exploring new and different worlds, but here I feel like it definitely improved the overall feel of the game. It is worth mentioning that although I never encountered any glitches, this game is notorious for them. I’ve seen quite a few online, but luckily never had any happen to me.
When you first get F.LU.D.D. your whole world opens up a lot more. Suddenly Mario can float, reach heights he never could before and hover great distances. The game truly feels bigger both in size and height. There are some levels that have you go quite high, much higher than any level in 64. That amount of depth really made Isle Delfino feel huge and unique.
There’s definitely more of a story here, too. Naturally, saving Peach is enough for me but here you are actually charged for crimes you have not committed and are forced to clean up the island. Shadow Mario is the main villain here and he’s been framing Mario from the start. I was completely sold on clearing Mario’s name and wanted to clean up the island for the poor Piantas. I never needed Mario games to have a story, but it was much more refreshing to have more of a solid goal in mind. I think it also helped spark some sympathy for the island’s inhabitants and even Mario himself. He was meant to be on vacation, and now he’s got to sort out this huge mess.
This game also let me handle Mario like a dream. I’m not sure why but he was much easier for me to flip and spin than in 64, and I was loving every second of it. I think my favorite levels were the ones where they would take F.L.U.D.D. from you and you’d have to return to your trusty Mario skills without any crutch. As much as I adore F.L.U.D.D. and what it opens up for level design, it can feel like a cheat at times. It was wonderful that Nintendo made sure to let you have Mario on his own for some levels.
I also absolutely loved having Yoshi in this game. I enjoyed riding him around and discovering all the secrets tied to him. This game had plenty of secrets which I enjoyed hunting down but I’ll admit I needed google for some of them. How would I have ever figured out to stand somewhere specific and spray the moon with water?
The music and overall atmosphere of the game was much more coherent as well. It all plays into those vacation and beach vibes and you’re always somewhere sunny and bright. It compliments the game perfectly and once again solidifies my opinion of how this game felt much more grounded. I was not at all upset that I didn’t have the variation of worlds because it all took place here in the Isle of Delfino and it all came together for me.
All in all I think Super Mario Sunshine was a wonderful addition to the franchise and I think all franchises can benefit from a change in pace like this. I know it’s definitely the most different and divisive of entries, but I think it holds up. For now, I think Super Mario Sunshine is my favorite in the franchise, but I have quite a few more games to play before that’s set in stone. Just like with 64, I got all 120 Shine Sprites. I love completing these games.
