Another fine addtition to a legendary series.
User Rating: 9.2 | Super Mario Sunshine GC
Mario Sunshine is probably one of the best platformers of this generation. It is also a very worthy addition to the Mario series. While it definitely is not a huge advance over the last "true" Mario game, Super Mario 64, it more than carries on the legacy put forth by the games that precede it. The plot of the game is quite fun. When it begins, Mario and company are flying to the picturesque Isle Delfino to take a well-deserved vacation. However, after a shaky landing and a battle with a dangerous sludge-monster, it becomes clear that something is wrong on the island. Worse still, Mario is accused of being the one responsible for the mess that the locals are in, and he quickly winds up in jail, and is then put in charge of cleaning up. Fortunately, he gets the help of the F.L.U.D.D., or Flash Liquid Ultra Dousing Device. With it, he is able to clean up the island and rescue Shine Sprites, the guardian/mascot figures of the island and it's inhabitants. I won't go into any spoilers, but it can be said that the plot does progress a bit from there. The gameplay itself is very reminiscent of Mario games past. Platforming is in full force here. Just moving Mario around the overworld is a joy. The ease of movement in this game is almost ridiculous. Once you get the hang of doing back flips and wall jumps, you can have a blast by simply running around and seeing how many places you can reach. The way Mario controls and moves is almost exactly like the way he did in Super Mario 64, and most of the moves from that game have returned in this one. However, there has now been the addition of the F.L.U.D.D., and with it, a bunch of new moves. Among these are the ability to spray enemies with water, the ability to fly for a period of time by using the water spray as a jetpack, the ability to reach super speed, and the ability to rocket into the air. The way that these new moves integrate with the gameplay of this game is a bit similar to the way that the ability to fly was integrated into the gameplay of Super Mario Bros. 3 with the Raccoon tail, after the original Super Mario Bros. That is to say, it greatly expands the game, while keeping the feel of it's predecessors. Progressing through the game is also done in a way quite similar to Super Mario 64. It's worth noting that the opening screen for every level is almost exactly the same as the one from Mario 64. Basically, you move forward by collecting the Shine Sprites from every stage. Attaining them is done by either simply finding them, or by completing some sort of task for someone. After collecting enough of them, a new area of the game is opened up, until you collect enough to actually finish. Of course, the game is not truly finished until you've managed to collect every single one of them, which can take a very long time. The game's best feature after it's gameplay is undoubtedly it's graphics. Mario Sunshine takes place in an environment that hasn't really been seen before in a Mario game. That said, it manages to render this new scenario quite beautify. The graphics are quite colorful, effects like water and the sunshine work quite nicely, and the characters animate very well. You can even notice a jet plane flying through the sky now and then when you're outdoors. I can't quite put in to words just how good this game looks, but let me say that it is simply wonderful. The only possible issue is the silhouette of Mario that appears when he is behind an object that the camera cannot see through. There might have been a better way to handle such a situation, but as it is, the shadow is merely an "okay" way of keeping track of where Mario is. The sound in this game is quite impressive. There is a wide variety of music in this game, from classic Mario tunes to new songs that play in different parts of the game. In addition to that, there is quite a bit of voice acting in this game, more than there has been in any game before. Now, characters in the rendered cutscenes all have voices, and they all are done quite well. It is also worth noting that new voices have been given to a few characters that were not known to speak in previous games. And, it would not be totally worth doing this review without mentioning the return of Mario's dinosaur buddy, Yoshi. He truly was missed as a playable character in the last Mario platformer, so his appearance in this game is greatly appreciated. And he does manage to add quite a bit to this game. His tongue functions in three dimensions by homing on to enemies instead of having to be aimed. Also, he has the ability to spray fruit juice, just as Mario is able to spray water with the F.L.U.D.D. So sing praises, for Yoshi has returned. So, in conclusion, if you have a GameCube, if you like platformers, or if you simply love great games, then this is for you. It's probably one of the best games on the GameCube, and is certainly a worthy successor to the previous games in the Mario series. I'd say that this game definitely gets my highest recommendation. Do pick it up.
