Intro
The story of Mario is quite a simple one. Advertising. Anything with the classic red hat and black mustache simple pulls in the money for Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto's creation ran rampant in literally every decade since its existence. Mario was branded on everything from cereal to toothpaste, and from video games to squirt guns. Unrightfully branded as "kiddie karts", the legacy of Mario appeals to all generations and each release is successful in its own way.
While most of the Mario series have no deep story (save Paper Mario -cough-), most gamers were tired of saving that spoiled Princess from the clutches of big naughty Toads and Turtles. I mean honestly, how many times did you grit your teeth when the classic line came up: "Sorry Mario, but the Princess is in another castle."? Yipes!
Nevertheless, Mario Sunshine rivals the story of old and just makes you laugh a bit at the vain attempt to capture story-dom. Since Mario and Peach have had quite a bumpy last twenty years, it was time for them to take a vacation in a tropical 24/7 sunny/perfect resort. Unfortunately, there is a mysterious evil-twin-like Mario reeking havoc on the sunny island. This evil Italian clone (shhh.. it's a secret!) is polluting the pristine condition of the island. To restore the "SHINE" and to clear his good name, Mario sets off to clean the island up and put this "impostor" in his place...
Right. So the story isn't going to win any Grammy's (or is it Emmy's... I can never remember), but the games clockworks was still created by Miyamoto, and in my opinion, everything he touches is gold. From the opening scenes, we are treated to some gorgeous visuals and classic Nintendo style. Many people felt that Super Smash Bros. Melee gave the "feeling-of-old", but once this little disk starts spinning you just can't help but feel good.
I've got sunshine, in a bag...
For those of you who enjoyed Mario 64, much of the same feeling seeps through in Mario Sunshine. All of the classic moves are here. Jumping, double and triple jumping and the classic butt-stomp are all just a button press away. The biggest noticeable change has to be the unique combat system. The days of punching and pulling a Mike Tyson are over for Mario. While this may come as a shock to many, I was on edge to see what Miyamoto would pull out of his back of tricks. If you have seen any coverage of the game, you notice an odd looking backpack-thing. This is in fact a water-cannon device that is not only used as a weapon but your primary means of exploration. By simply squeezing the right trigger, you can propel a blast of water that whacks your enemy. Standing still using the digital pad allows you to be a bit more precise (a la DK64). What I found so intriguing and what makes a Mario game a Mario game, are the alternative effects. Since the main goal of the game is to clean up the "sludge" and cover the slime producing holes; the water cannon (named FLUDD) is your primary means to clean the town. However, randomly spraying water will dynamically change the environment. Spraying an open field and seemingly a dead end; will produce a budding plant that turns into a tree. Foliage grows, and you can use these plants and trees as a means to explore and find new levels as well as new heights. By pointing the nozzle downward you can propel skyward. Your water is limited, however, but can easily be refilled by simply finding a water source and jumping in... You'll quickly discover that this tool is the bread-and-butter of Sunshine Mario, and is incredibly fun to experiment with. Even after 30+ hours of play, I still find new uses for it. As much fun as the H20-blow is don't forget about Mario's rolly belly. He can slip and slide with the best of them, and many new areas can only be found by doing so...
As with all previous Mario games, I expected to hop around and platform in 3D. I also expected to gather coins, find secret levels and meet old characters. All of my expectations were, for the most part, met and in some aspects, exceeded. Things like collecting coins are still here, and the "SHINE" is the Mario 64 equivalent of a "STAR". You can acquire "shine" by collecting coins, defeating bosses or finding them hidden deep within the levels. When it comes down to it, Mario Sunshine is the first real platformer for the next generation. It is a genre that is totally hit or miss, and Sunshine hits the mark full blast. While I compared Sunshine with 64 a good bit, the differences weren't too grand. In fact, the overall feeling I got with 64 was similar to Sunshine. Now, this isn't a bad thing; but I was expecting a bit more of a dramatic change...
One of my concerns about Sunshine Mario was going to be the overall physics and gameplay. I was surprised to never once find myself stuck in a corner, being pummeled to death because of bad camera angles. This is by far the greatest achievement the game has made. In the 3D world, cameras can really plague a good game making it simply unplayable. Most will find the camera angles to be natural, unique and ever changing. The "64" line of games (Mario and Donkey Kong) had serious issues with camera control, but that is a thing of the past. Even with ever-changing angles, I felt totally in control. Speaking of control, the physics are top notch and Mario is quite responsive to the Gamecubes superior controller. Since you are basically limited in your choice of weaponry/tools, getting to know the water cannon is mandatory. You'll soon warm up to the controls, and controlling Mario has never been easier. This isn't to say the game itself is easy, because it's not. Sure the first level or two are designed to break you in (and satisfy young gamers), the game quickly unfolds making it more of an adventure like Zelda; rather than strictly a platformer. This should appease a wide range of players, and I have to admit "solving" new levels were extremely rewarding and very satisfying.
To keep the traditional aspects of Mario touching a new generation of gamers, Nintendo treats us with familiar faces and familiar experiences. The whole gang is back, and expect a few "cameos" scattered throughout the game. Even the touted "Yoshi" is back but to me becomes more of a "Jar-Jar Binks" rather than a trusty companion. His only real "talent" is to remove special graffiti that only the juice he spits can remove it. I would have opted for a bottle of Orange Glow, but the whole Yoshi experience is just that... an experience. But after an hour or so of play, you will quickly decide that the game feels like cold sheets on a warm night. The experience is refreshing, exciting and sports classic fun. It's good to see that gameplay can still make a game successful. And after spending a good deal of time with the import, I did notice a few changes that were for the better. The most noticeable was the "Engrish" translations. Overall the translation was good, and we never get any sense of "All your shine are belong to us" experiences... I also noticed they took out the "Shine Get" and simply replaced it with "Shine". Sometimes the dialogue is a bit lost in the translation, but most of it will go unnoticed.
My second biggest concern was the longevity of the game. Again, I have to admit that I went into the game a bit too confident. Big gamer like myself? Hah! This little plumber doesn't stand a chance against me! I was quickly put in my place, and felt waves of angst flow from the screen to my face. At times the game was ungodly difficult and challenging, but yet perfectly balanced. High kudos for the balancing act, because nothing can make a game plummet for it to be too hard. Retrospectively, if it were too easy we would have another Luigi's Mansion on our hands. Well, completing Mario was quite rewarding and the second time through only took me a mere 18-hours. The first time I wanted to experience it for all it had, and it took me double that. Do I still find the game fun? Are you kidding? The games replay is unbelievable. There are so many secrets and new possibilities that really make the game limitless. Little things like the water cannon make it so enjoyable. Climbing on a leaf in the water and then shooting backwards, transforms the leaf into a makeshift powerboat. Holding onto wires and shooting will propel you like a jet plane. I think most gamers will find Sunshine Mario to be hands-down better than 64 in every way imaginable. While the game isn't perfect, I felt that Nintendo published nearly a flawless victory. If there were a bit of criticism in my voice, it would have to be the jaw-dropping "wow" effect. I never was floored by any level. In every Mario game there is thatone level or room that just makes you rub your eyes. While the entire game is beautiful, I almost expected what I saw...
Not just another pretty face...
Most would agree that the graphics are impressive. The polygon count for the modeling is off the charts, and the animations are smoother than a baby's bottom. Probably the most impressive faction of the visuals is the actual depth of the environments. The levels seem to pan forever, and each individual level is sometimes daunting. One also comes to expect dynamics to play a huge role in next-gen games, and Nintendo doesn't let us down. Little details just ooze at the seams. Walking through sludge will produce black footprints, water trickles down walls and leaves scatter when hit. All of these factors add up to make the visual experience a true success.
Not only is the gamer treated to brilliant graphics, the framerate is rock solid. One also comes to expect classic Nintendo color schemes and big boss levels. I've always been in love with the cheerful color coordination of the Mario series, and it comes through like a champ. The same goes with the bosses, which are huge and take a bit of skill to defeat. But when it's said and done, the graphics might not meet some of the detail of some XBOX titles, yet no XBOX title has yet to be as immense as Sunshine Mario either. One could say that Halo is the Mario of Microsoft; but honestly it can't be compared. Halo is a game that set the standard for the FPS genre, and Mario is simply a legacy.
If the graphics were Mario, then Luigi would have to be the audio. And again, we are lucky enough to have the entire score revamped and set to classic Mario tunes. The soundtrack is unique, yet vaguely familiar. The same goes with the voice overs (yet Mario is enigmatically a mute) which are outstanding. Sound effects are also top notch. Sure Nintendo can't produce Dolby Digital 5.1, but what it can produce is some old-school flavor that will keep your foot tapping.
66 Says:
While the majority of the gaming public will critique the game bit for bit, I have to say that I was truly amazed at the overall completeness of the game. I also have to state that I felt rewarded from each aspect of Sunshine Mario. While I don't think it is the XBOX killer Nintendo was hoping for, it does make Gamecube owners finally feel complete. My only question was why an August release date? This should have been a flagship title and saved Luigi's Mansion for a fall 2002 release. Still, the wait was a good one, but I fear the worse for snobby critiques. Expect the net to be flooded of doom-and-gloomers, and expect scores of reviews ranging in the 70-80% range. It seems that when a game is hyped as much as this one was, that it is set up to higher standards than other games. Just like when Vice City is released, expect that to receive the same treatment.
Overall, you just have to like the game... Heck, I totally love the game. It warrants a full-price purchase and should leave every Nintendo fan grinning from ear to ear. While it may not fully meet the anticipated hype, it does meet my expectations and I feel completely sublime.
