After completing Mario 64 I was extremely excited to get into Mario Sunshine! It has been so many years since I have played the game, plus how much fun Mario 64 was to play, I was expecting sunshine to be fantastic. So far I haven’t felt that same level of love for it though.

Now it’s tough to pin down exactly why that is. Is it the fact that I was older when I first played it so those nostalgic feelings aren’t as strong? Is it the storyline in the game leaves a lot to be desired? Or, my guess at least, is that the game just isn’t as good as 64 was.

Before I get all negative let me state that I am enjoying Super Mario Sunshine. The game is fun to play and does bring back those feelings of nostalgia, just not to the same level as Super Mario 64 did. The camera angles also seem to be frustrating more often than I found them to be in Mario 64. I Still have a lot of the game to play so it might just be a matter of getting used to it. 

There are some positives to the game that can’t be ignored either. The Water backpack being one of the biggest additions for the game and I have to say it worked out really well. It’s a lot of fun floating around with water jets as well as cleaning up the paint that has been left everywhere. In some ways I would say it’s almost therapeutic helping the town return to its shining glory. 

 FIghting a Squid | Timewasters, youtube

Something that I noticed is that every level you enter basically showcases where you need to go as you enter it. Zooming in and then back out of the specific location or enemy that you need to deal with. I will say that this is a massive bonus that Mario 64 did not have. Although there were only a few times it would have been helpful, those times would have been enjoyed much more. That being said, having some more “mystery” in each level would have also been enjoyable. Perhaps not showcasing every level but just on the ones that will be particularly difficult to find on your own (ie a new part of the map is accessible).

After everything I think that my main underlying issue with the game is that it was designed with a younger audience in mind than Mario 64 was. Simplifying the gameplay and making the whole game more “round and cutesy” accomplished appealing to a larger audience. 

The game did add a new element that we hadn’t seen in previous iterations of Mario. The water jet backpack. While the backpack did make the game very unique it also created some awkward camera angles while trying to deal with spaying things at a distance. I know that a lot of people would argue that the addition of the backpack is what makes the game one of the top mario games of all time but I would have to argue that’s not the case. Although the backpack was revolutionary in expanding Mario’s abilities it is simply an add-on. 

The more I play the harder I find it to continue playing. I’m sure I’ll finish the game eventually but for now it’s going to end up on the back burner for sure. 

Edit: I realized the other day that I gave been subconsciously avoiding the switch entirely because of this game now. Again it is not a bad game but it is something that I’m not finding very enticing. I am currently unsure if I’ll even finish it at any point. 

Personally I would not but it on its own but as part of the pack it was nice to dive into for a little bit.