• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Super Mario Sunshine....Gaf opinion!

IMO, the game controls as well as or better than Mario 64, and when it comes to movement mechanics it's Mario at his best ever. The tropical vibe is also really nice and Delfino Plaza is the best hub world in a Mario game, (slightly) changing as the game goes on and packed with secrets and events.

The main problem I think people have with the game is the mission design. Some of the mission objectives are just really obtuse and weirdly difficult, and some of the bonus levels just plain suck. The game is also on the more difficult side for Mario games, for better and worse. In addition a lot of shines are hidden behind blue coins, extra collectibles hidden around every level, but trying to collect all the blue coins is not fun and they make getting 100% in this game more annoying than any other 3D Mario.

I still love the game though.
 
It's basically Mario cleanin up after a big Splatoon match/mess. I kid, but it's a very good game in it's own way imo.
Wai....whoaaaah. You just blew my mind. What if the paint used by shadow Mario is the same paint provided in Splatoon?! We need to get to the bottom of this!
 
People seem to be allergic to any sort of change in the "status quo", so it doesn't surprise me that Sunshine would be seen as the black sheep of the franchise even though it's up there with Mario 64 and the Galaxy games. If any "3D Mario" deserved the hate that Sunshine gets, it's 3D Land/World.
 
It's the Sonic 06 of Mario games.

see, this is the type of hyperbole SMS tends to get from its haters. I just don't understand

that statement is one of the most ridiculous things I have read in my more than 10 years on GAF.

SMS is light years away in terms of quality and fun factor compared to Sonic 06
 
LOVED the hub world

gallery_324_163_262026.png


So nice and relaxing
 
I like Sunshine still. Have played through it like 4 or 5 times over the years I think? Good stuff outside of 1 or 2 overly hard/tricky Shines. Outside of 3D Land its the only 3D Mario I've played so I dun got much to compare it to, but on its own its totally cool by me!
 
I only really have one memory of it..

being excited to play it, because M64 was one of my favorite games ever
getting my gamecube
playing sunshine

what the fuck is this spraying shit, and why doesn't it work properly?
fuck this, not gonna spend any more time with broken mechanics

and then I quit and have been sour on it ever since. Probably put 2 hours into it, max :( still wanna try it again some day.

Don't your first impression was pretty accurate
 
I like it. One of the great Mario games. I wish they would re-release it as I just like playing around with Fludd on the water.
 
see, this is the type of hyperbole SMS tends to get from its haters. I just don't understand

that statement is one of the most ridiculous things I have read in my more than 10 years on GAF.

SMS is light years away in terms of quality and fun factor compared to Sonic 06
Yeah, it's more like the Sonic Heroes of the series or something. A good game but weak compared the high points of the series.
 
Good, but not great. The weakest of the 3D Mario games, but still very much worth playing through. It has genuine moments of magic, but also ones of pure frustration. I think Nintendo's doing right by taking the idea of a tool-based core gimmick in Odyssey (the hat) like they did with FLUDD in Sunshine.
 
After enjoying Sunshine (not quite as much as Mario 64) the Galaxy games, despite their better framerate and tighter control, seemed fairly bland and one-dimensional without the variety of things to keep in mind simultaneously while you were playing.
 
Graphics are good
Some of the level design is terrible
Repetitive missions for each area
Boss battles were bad
Yoshi's gimmick was bad
Shadow Mario was shoved down our throats
Blue Coins were tedious
I did like Fludd and Mario's movement
Other than that it's an ok game
 
I got to play Super Mario Sunshine away from its hey day, cause my Gamecube was a system I bought later on. I found it to be pretty random but I think it would be a good game to play to prep you for Mario Odyssey as that was my first impression seeing it, of course Odyssey looks to be on a much grander scale.
 
IMO, the game controls as well as or better than Mario 64, and when it comes to movement mechanics it's Mario at his best ever. The tropical vibe is also really nice and Delfino Plaza is the best hub world in a Mario game, (slightly) changing as the game goes on and packed with secrets and events.

The main problem I think people have with the game is the mission design. Some of the mission objectives are just really obtuse and weirdly difficult, and some of the bonus levels just plain suck. The game is also on the more difficult side for Mario games, for better and worse. In addition a lot of shines are hidden behind blue coins, extra collectibles hidden around every level, but trying to collect all the blue coins is not fun and they make getting 100% in this game more annoying than any other 3D Mario.

I still love the game though.

Yup, I'd rather play Sunshine than 64 any day of the week and it is certainly not "shit."
 
Very underrated, even if i can understand why (it's the least "Mario" feeling Mario game to date).

I feel like the Hover Nozzle in particular opened up worlds of platforming that made the game a parkour dream. Once you figured out how to Hover well, you had the feeling of the world being a massive, smooth playground, unlike Mario 64 which was smaller and littered with so many invisible walls or simply unscalable objects.

It was almost like Breath of the Wild in that regard. If you saw it in a stage, you could probably go there.

Had some cool boss setpieces like Mecha Bowser, the Manta Storm, and Eely Mouth too.
 
My opinion is that Sunshine is the best 3D Mario, and the best exclusive on GameCube. Also, it really needs an HD Switch port (although I would also take some high GC VC emulation). :)
 
Best hub world. Delfino Plaza never gets old — running across shingled rooftops, spinning off tightropes, belly-sliding through the sprinklers, bouncing off Toadsworth's head.

Best world-building. Everything is exquisitely interconnected. You can see Ricco Harbor from Bianca Hills, Pinna Park from Serena Beach, etc. Feels like a vacation. Super-detailed!

Possibly the best controls. Mario feels amazing to control here. The FLUDD-less levels are proof positive of this. Although FLUDD brilliantly expands his moveset.

The Turbo Nozzle and Rocket Nozzle are FUN — especially jetting around the ocean with the former, and ground-pounding at the apex of the latter.

At the time, it felt disappointing not having a snow world, etc, but in retrospect the strong theming made this game wonderfully memorable. It added so much to the Mario universe, and is still referenced endlessly in spinoffs like Mario Kart 8.

I'd love an HD remaster or VC release!
 
It's a pretty bad game.
It controls decently when you don't fight with the camera.
The best parts of the game are when you're actually forbidden to use the gimmick of the game.
Otherwise, it takes everything bad from Mario 64 and makes it 10 times worse.
It got awful pacing and padding to go with it.
And it's so fucking boring to play, it's not even funny.
Most new designs are crap, seriously despite their insistence that Giant Pirana plant is not going to be a thing.
the last boss is disappointing (but it's a Mario game so that's par for the course I guess).
It's like Wind Waker, it's a crappy rushed game that people like because it doesn't look bad and they have nostalgia for a simpler time.
There's not a single world in Sunshine that is better than any level in Mario 64, Galaxy 1&2 or 3DLand/3DWorld.
It's so bad that I'm actually wary of Odyssey taking cues from Sunshine over much better games.
It's one of the worst Nintendo published games on the GC along with Wind Waker.
GC wasn't a good era for Mario/Zelda, good thing we got Metroid back though.

Oh and they managed to make Yoshi shit, which as we all know is inexcusable.
 
It's a pretty bad game.
It controls decently when you don't fight with the camera.
The best parts of the game are when you're actually forbidden to use the gimmick of the game.
Otherwise, it takes everything bad from Mario 64 and makes it 10 times worse.
It got awful pacing and padding to go with it.
And it's so fucking boring to play, it's not even funny.
Most new designs are crap, seriously despite their insistence that Giant Pirana plant is not going to be a thing.
the last boss is disappointing (but it's a Mario game so that's par for the course I guess).
It's like Wind Waker, it's a crappy rushed game that people like because it doesn't look bad and they have nostalgia for a simpler time.
There's not a single world in Sunshine that is better than any level in Mario 64, Galaxy 1&2 or 3DLand/3DWorld.
It's so bad that I'm actually wary of Odyssey taking cues from Sunshine over much better games.
It's one of the worst Nintendo published games on the GC along with Wind Waker.
GC wasn't a good era for Mario/Zelda, good thing we got Metroid back though.

Oh and they managed to make Yoshi shit, which as we all know is inexcusable.

Ah yes, people need to wake up and realize they like shitty games for all the wrong reasons!
 
Ah yes, people need to wake up and realize they like games for all the wrong reasons!

If you like shitty games with awful pacing and lots of useless padding please be my guest.
There's very little the game does correctly and every single other Mario platformers are more successful at what they're trying to do.
You can like shitty games it's ok.
I like Sonic Heroes, doesn't mean I can't recognize it's quite a bit shit.

e: and don't confuse my comments for hate.
It's not hate I have for the game, it's apathy.
 
Sunshine isn't the tightest game — there are some pacing and padding issues, as others noted — but I really enjoy just exploring its world, performing Mario's moves, soaking in the atmosphere, etc. There's more than one way to enjoy a game.

For example, I'd say 3D World is a more well-paced game, but I barely remember anything about it compared to Sunshine — and I say that having not played Mario Sunshine in like a decade.
 
Final boss feels like an insult - it's the most stupid thing Nintendo has ever done in terms of game design. It made me so angry, and I never picked it up again after finishing it.
 
If you like shitty games with awful pacing and lots of useless padding please be my guest.
There's very little the game does correctly and every single other Mario platformers are more successful at what they're trying to do.
You can like shitty games it's ok.
I like Sonic Heroes, doesn't mean I can't recognize it's quite a bit shit.

This is some hyperbole.
 
i will go an say its better than galaxy and my favorite 3d mario game. Everyone who hates it, git gud yknow what im sayin.
 
I had fun with it. Managed to get 120 shines through sheer dumb luck. There are some questionable parts though.
 
A Mario game where your platforming is interrupted by a need to squirt water on dirty surfaces, or zap dirt Monsters with a camera that's way too zoomed in. And of course running out of water means a trip to a water source to refill it, so another interruption.

I didnt enjoy my time with it and never bothered to finish it. A shame because the tropical theme is so nice.
 
I adored this game back in the day, was one of the games me and my younger brother would play together all the time.

Not really on the same level of 64 or the Galaxy games, but it has a special place in my heart nonetheless - even more than those games do actually.

Remember revisiting it a few years ago and struggling to get into it as much, gave up near the start. Definitely a flawed game, but I love it regardless.
 
Very underrated, even if i can understand why (it's the least "Mario" feeling Mario game to date).

I feel like the Hover Nozzle in particular opened up worlds of platforming that made the game a parkour dream. Once you figured out how to Hover well, you had the feeling of the world being a massive, smooth playground, unlike Mario 64 which was smaller and littered with so many invisible walls or simply unscalable objects.

It was almost like Breath of the Wild in that regard. If you saw it in a stage, you could probably go there.

Had some cool boss setpieces like Mecha Bowser, the Manta Storm, and Eely Mouth too.


The Manta Storm is more than likely a The Shining reference
 
If you like shitty games with awful pacing and lots of useless padding please be my guest.
There's very little the game does correctly and every single other Mario platformers are more successful at what they're trying to do.
You can like shitty games it's ok.
I like Sonic Heroes, doesn't mean I can't recognize it's quite a bit shit.

e: and don't confuse my comments for hate.
It's not hate I have for the game, it's apathy.

Apathy, lmao. Also what is shitty is your backhanded way of telling people the games they like shitty.
 
I think it was great how nintendo was willing to experiment with their major franchises on the GC. In one way or another, Mario, Zelda, Metroid, DK, and Starfox all had major changes from their last entry. Predictably, a lot of people weren't happy, but I think they all turned out pretty well, especially the first three. Sunshine is probably my least favorite 3D Mario, but it's still a great game, and one of the best 3d platformers out there. And most importantly, it's got mechanics that are different from any other game. I'd much rather have Sunshine than a by-the-numbers sequel to 64, even if taken out of context it was a "better" game.
 
Top Bottom