Aesthetics:  
Despite many people’s interpretation of Super Mario Sunshine’s graphics, the fact is that the visuals are some of the most impressive on the system. The game is extremely bright and vibrant, capturing the Tropical theme of the game. In fact, as you recover Shines and make the Island sunnier, you have the option of sporting some sunglasses to dim the brightness and look stylin’ at the same time. Each level is huge, a lot larger than those of Super Mario 64 and most platformer games of today, and the impressive draw distance let’s you see the entirety of each level with no pop-up or fog effects, just a clear view across the world. There are a few rough and blurry textures here and there, but they don’t hinder the overall awe and splendor of the scope of the graphics. Each level is also littered with dozens of NPCs

The real jewel is the game’s water effects, which are the most impressive and accurate in a game yet. The water looks natural and is multi-layered to produce the proper liquid reflections and refractions. The water looks as if it were taken straight from the Caribbean and dumped straight into the game rather than being coded by a few programmers halfway across the world. Even the goop effects are spectacular, as the goop can be put just about anywhere by anything, even Mario himself. It looks and acts just like wet paint would (except for the harsh acrylic smell)

The only quirk about the game’s graphics is the FMV scenes that Nintendo put in. The cut-scenes are present but only so there can be a major addition to the game’s level structure, as most scenes could have easily been done in-game. But even the cut-scenes look rough and blurry, and often the FMVs come up suddenly and abrupt the exciting and hectic feeling of the game.

Control:  
The only real similarity between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine are the controls. Most of the moves from Mario’s Nintendo 64 adventure return here, so those who have played Super Mario 64 (which, I think, is just about every gamer) will be able to pick up and play this game with little to no difficulty adjusting. The controls are as tight as ever, allowing you to traverse the huge and complex levels with ease. Each move can be pulled off easily, and using the FLUDD in conjunction with normal moves becomes second nature after collecting only a few Shines.

The only downside to the controls is the camera, which is now completely controlled by the player via the C-Stick. It’s hard to learn how to control the camera properly, but after collecting around seven Shine Sprites or so, the camera becomes second nature. However, the camera does manage to get stuck behind walls and obstacles and sometimes hinders sight and movement. Nintendo did opt to make the R-Button a control that would center the camera behind Mario, and this usually seems to solve the problem.

Sound:
Super Mario Sunshine sports the musical stylings of Koji Kondo, and they indeed capture the tropical mood of the game. But for the die-hard fans of the original music, some familiar tunes have been remixed and rearranged for Mario’s GameCube vacation. Some songs are catchy and upbeat while others are mellow and relaxing depending on a level’s location and time of day.

The sound effects in Super Mario Sunshine are also clear and humorously appropriate. The sounds Toad makes are reminiscent of the annoyingly high and scratchy voice of Toad in the old Super Mario Bros. cartoons. Mario himself has a plethora of comical yells, quips, and exclamations every time he hops, jumps, dives, gets hurts, exerts himself or carries anything too heavy. Some of the main characters even have full spoken dialogue, though sometimes the voice acting can be corny and horrid (especially the voice of the last boss). Overall, the sounds are nice and fit the game quite well.

OVERALL:
Super Mario Sunshine’s crisp controls, vibrant and colorful visuals, and difficult addicting gameplay makes this game the best GameCube adventure yet, and it should be in yours and everyone’s GameCube by the end of the month. Mario has indeed returned, and it’s time to celebrate!

 

The Lowdown on  Super Mario Sunshine Aesthetics: Very Good Control: Awesome Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Sound: Awesome Innovation: 5/6 Lasting Appeal: 6/6 Rating Explanation Overall: Awesome! "Top of the Genre"