But when the technical issues don’t interfere, these levels can go toe-to-toe with many of the Mario franchise’s best. Strange lighting and textures make it genuinely difficult to properly judge a jump sometimes. Because of its cel-shaded look, uncooperative camera and Mario’s seemingly wet shoes, these levels can drag. These levels-which foreshadow the coming of Mario’s next 3D adventure, Super Mario Galaxy-represent Sunshine’s gameplay at its best and at its worst. Occasionally, Sunshine plucks Mario out of the sprawling tropical environments to throw him into a no-frills platforming-only section without the help of F.L.U.D.D., the iconic, nasal-voiced jetpack/hose that Mario uses to clean up Delfino. But in sections that do require some precision, things get messy quick-especially if the camera isn’t behaving itself, which is frustratingly common. That’s usually not a problem, since a majority of Sunshine’s levels emphasize speed and exploration more than they do platforming. Unlike other Mario games, though, he feels slippery he doesn’t turn on a dime the way he does in the confoundingly tight Super Mario 64, or any of his other previous (or future) outings. Most of the levels see Mario catapulted into massive platforming playgrounds, with plenty of space to mess around with the king of digital locomotion.
But honestly, a lot of Sunshine’s biggest problems feel more innately tied to its structure and core mechanics than its limitations as a game that was released two decades ago. It’s hard to weigh what’s good for its time against what’s legitimately good when revisiting a game that’s had 20 years to age not only into legend, but also out of contemporary design ethos.
It’s as charming as the day is long thanks to its lovingly well-defined world and setting, but underneath that pleasant Pacific pastiche lies an often frustrating, generally mediocre game-albeit one with something to say. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the dolphin-shaped Isle Delfino, at least not without a little kicking and screaming.
Indeed, my first playthrough wasn’t exactly the relaxing island getaway I’d hoped for. Yes, Mario’s beach vacation has a dedicated fanbase, but it’s routinely ranked near the bottom of “mainline” Mario games (however you may define that.). Since coming out 20 years ago, Super Mario Sunshine has developed a strange reputation as the dark horse of 3D Mario games.
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