By: Andrew Hawlitzky & Christian Roethling
While 3D Super Mario games are normally met with universal acclaim, 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine is a bit more divisive amongst fans of the franchise. With so much to discuss, what do The Brock Press’ two most opinionated Nintendo fans think about the controversial GameCube title?
Andrew Hawlitzky:
Super Mario Sunshine—the black sheep of the franchise—is an underrated and underappreciated masterpiece.
Since the game’s release on GameCube in 2002, Sunshine has ignited controversy among Mario fans. Many criticise Sunshine’s lack of polish and divergent take on Mario platforming from its predecessor, Super Mario 64.
Along with a sporty new t-shirt-wearing design, Mario also dons the FLUDD: a water jetpack and water sprayer that redefines how the player moves and their relationship with the environment. The FLUDD provides Mario with the ability to hover in the air for some time, attack enemies with water and wield several additional upgrades the player can access by progressing in the game.
The largest criticism of the FLUDD is that it makes platforming too easy and takes away from the simplicity of Mario’s previous platforming abilities in Super Mario 64.
However, the level design in Sunshine is specifically meant to integrate the FLUDD’s hovering abilities as well as several other actions. The vast majority of levels could not be completed without extensive use of the FLUDD. Upgrades to the FLUDD such as the rocket nozzle also give the player access to levels in previously inaccessible parts of the hub world.
The hub world and general setting of Sunshine have simply never been matched in any succeeding game in the Mario franchise. Isle Delfino is a wondrous island paradise with such diverse scenery that—despite any aggravating enemies or “jankyness”—makes the player feel like they’re on a tropical vacation.
Delfino Plaza is the most fleshed-out hub world in the entire Mario franchise. The music is iconic, idyllic and profusely contributes to the esthetic of the game. More than any other part of the game, Delfino Square makes the player feel like they’re in a real island town and by the time they are finished the game, the player will know the town inside-out.
Hub worlds from succeeding Mario games feel small and lifeless by comparison.
The Comet Observatory from Super Mario Galaxy had very little personality or purpose other than providing access to the surrounding galaxies. The Mario Faceship from Galaxy 2 had a slightly more diverse landscape though it was significantly smaller by comparison. While many people applaud the Galaxy games for their beautiful esthetic incorporating the first orchestral Mario soundtrack, Sunshine’s esthetic is far more defined and integrated into world design than Galaxy’s ever was. Each world in Sunshine stays consistent with the tropical island vacation theme while taking the theme in a unique direction such as Gelato Beach, Hotel Delfino, Pinna Park and others. Whereas Galaxy takes the space theme in a loosely defined web of directions that feel very disconnected from one another.
Super Mario Odyssey had a similar problem to Galaxy as far as maintaining a consistent esthetic between worlds and sometimes even subverted its own design, such as with the realistic humans present in New Donk City. Odyssey had no hub world to speak of, other than the eponymous Odyssey which the player could not even enter.
Odyssey, in many ways, perfected what Sunshine had started: new platforming abilities made possible through a wearable companion, story-focussed gameplay and non-linear level progression.
The latter two game features are by far the most divergent from the franchise. What defined the 2D era of Mario was the simplistic, “get from A-to-B” gameplay and next to no story elements. Something similar has been the focus of most 3D Mario games including the majority of Galaxy. Sunshine is by far the most plot-heavy mainline Mario game, filled with twists and voice-acted cutscenes that really throw the player for a loop. Both Sunshine and Odyssey took the attainment of collectibles in a more puzzle-solving direction that utilises platforming with FLUDD, or in Odyssey’s case, Cappy.
The most biting criticism of Sunshine is that the game is unfinished and buggy. I will not deny that there are many examples of entire stages notorious for their difficulty and lack of polish (the Pachinko Game, Sand Bird, Lily Pad Ride, Mario Toss, all of Corona Mountain, etc.)
I will admit there comes a point where a game is simply too glitchy to even enjoy. With that said, I do not think Sunshine has even gotten close to that level of unplayability. The majority of the game integrates Mario’s new moveset flawlessly.
Graphically, the game is vibrant and still holds up to modern standing. The levels which demonstrate exceeding difficulty and an overall lack of polish are isolated to a few short stages that do not take full advantage of Mario’s highlighted platforming.
Overall, while the game would have benefitted from a little more Nintendo polish, it is undeniable from the gorgeous esthetic and uniqueness of the FLUDD’s platforming abilities that Super Mario Sunshine did what few other Mario games ever attempted to do.
Christian Roethling:
Just as Mario donned his sunglasses for his adventures on Isle Delfino, my colleague here seems to have his nostalgia goggles on tight.
Listen, there’s a lot of good within Super Mario Sunshine. The game’s identity is strong and memorable, and it made a lot of advancements within Mario’s movement capabilities through the implementation of the FLUDD jetpack.
But a good concept only makes up half of a great product. If it’s missing proper execution, then the product has still failed to deliver a well-rounded experience.
When I think of 3D Super Mario games, I immediately think of the immense polish and care behind these titles. The first 3D Mario title, 1996’s Super Mario 64, is lauded for its incredible movement options that give a high level of control and accuracy to the player. Recent iterations like 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey build upon 64’s foundations with an increased level of polish, meaning Mario is pure joy to control.
Super Mario Sunshine, on the other hand, has a gameplay experience defined by frustration. The game can mostly be described through the word “janky.” While FLUDD brings many new options that should have been a joy to fiddle around with, the overall experience feels sloppy and unfinished.
It’s not unusual in Sunshine to be killed by glitches, or be launched into the sky by a Pianta at a slightly incorrect angle and fall to your doom. With other 3D Mario titles, each death is an opportunity to grow in your approach and enhance your skills. With Super Mario Sunshine, a lot of the death feels unfair, meaning the game is frustrating rather than rewarding.
As the game was given new life through the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection on the Nintendo Switch in 2020, a new generation of gamers learned just how frustrating and unfairly punishing Sunshine can be.
It’s no secret that Sunshine’s development was fairly rushed, and this shows in the final product. The game took about a year-and-a-half to develop, a clear difference from its predecessor’s three-year development period. As a result, players will have to sit through the same mini-bosses multiple times, leading these moments to feel copy-and-pasted rather than unique or special.
Further defining the experience are levels like the Pachinko machine or the lily pad level, both of which are infamous for being gruelling and unfair. These aren’t like the intentionally-difficult final levels in Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Super Mario Odyssey, where the level is meant to be a final challenge for masterful players; rather, Sunshine’s levels are difficult simply due to their jankiness and lack of polish.
It’s not hard to see why so many people are nostalgic for Sunshine. Its clear island locale and memorable gameplay additions make it a prime target for nostalgic young adults who still see it through their youthful eyes. As a child, it can be harder to detect the flaws in a product you love, but as you grow older, you begin to develop a more critical lens. As someone who didn’t grow up with Sunshine, I’m not left with joyful childhood memories of exploring Isle Delfino for the first time, I’m left remembering the unfair deaths and nonstop jank that plagued the experience.
Super Mario Sunshine is a fantastic Mario concept, but it is not a fantastic Mario game. In a series so heavily defined by polish and care, there’s no justifying this rushed, sloppy product. Despite its slew of fantastic ideas, Super Mario Sunshine is easily the worst 3D Super Mario game.
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Super Mario Sunshine remains a major point of contention for franchise fans, and it doesn’t appear that will change anytime soon.
To read about The Game Boys’ opinions on the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie, click here.