When it released in 2002, critics almost unanimously praised Super Mario Sunshine for its fantastic level design, beautiful visuals, and wealth of new moves thanks to Mario's FLUDD device. However, it's far more polarizing than the games directly preceding and following it (64 and Galaxy). Regardless of your feelings on this entry in the series, Nintendo has made it clear that they consider it part of the franchise's legacy. You'll see Sunshine-based stages in Mario Kart and Smash Bros, and characters like Toadsworth and the Piantas have stuck around to this day.
What is it that caused this particular game to be such a divisive entry in the franchise's long history? Watch this week's Replay to see myself, Andrew Reiner, Tim Turi, and Phil Kollar revisit the plumber's only Gamecube platformer.
To check out all of our Replay episodes, visit our hub page.
You guys to should replay Boogerman!!!
I heard that this game got a lot of crap, but it was actually a really solid and admirable addition to the Mario franchise, so go home all you haters out there.
The thing that I disliked the most was how Yoshi dissolves in water...that didn't make any sense to me, but the fruit concept was creative enough to make me forgive that. I guess it adds a little more difficulty to the platforming, but it could also have gotten frustrated to less experienced players too =/
Also, turbo nozzle is amazing and so much fun to use =D
I'd really like to see Gauntlet Legends for N64. I have watched every episode of Replay, I look forward to it every week. Keep up the great work.
You guys should review Shadow of the Colossus next!
Ooh! or Metroid Prime!
awesome pick this week guys
loved this game
This one was pretty good.
lololololol
Good choice I'm still waiting for pikimin 2
My vote goes to Kirby's Adventure on the NES. I have fond memories of that game and I haven't seen any kirby games yet.
I really liked this game, but not as a "Mario" game. It had the characters, but not the "feel" of a Mario game. Not sure how to put it into the words. If you don't hold it up to the standards of other Mario games, or see it for what it is, a different direction for the series, it's a good game, especially for the Gamecube.
I actually wish I had had a Gamecube so that I could have played Sunshine, despite all the negativity towards the game. After watching this video, I thought that the game looked pretty impressive in action. The same cannot be said for the Replay Roulette though; that looked terrible, lol.
Nice Replay guys :)
I liked this game better than Galaxy. For some reason I could actually get into this one, I have yet to beat Galaxy.
One of my favorite Mario games.
The platforming was a bit sticky, but I played this game to death eight years ago and still loved it. I still have yet to pass over the 100 shines mark; some of those challenges are just freaking hard...
I'd pop this into my Wii, but my little brother stuck the disc under a table leg. As a result, I can't get five seconds past the main menu.
The little bit at the end was priceless and provided all the satisfaction of discovering the 'bonus track' after the last song on the CD. (Does anybody else remember listening to CDs? Those were the days...)
nice reaplay :)
From the Super Nintendo until the current generation, I didn't play console games, missing the 64 and the Gamecube entirely. So, when I got a hold of MARIO SUNSHINE, I was coming to it from the somewhat unique perspective of having played GALAXY but not 64.
I really enjoy SUNSHINE quite a bit, having only two real complaints: (1), I'm sometimes unsure of what I'm supposed to do. GALAXY does a much better job of "directing" or "guiding" the player towards the goal through the level design. The general impression I get is that SUNSHINE itself does a better job than 64 did; anyone have any thoughts on that?
And, (2), there are few things as frustrating as making an arduous climb up several stories of platforms and to then be knocked off the platform, dropping all the way to the water at the bottom, and having to go through the whole level all over again. I would rather have died and had to start over than have to start over without dying. That probably sounds strange, as you're still doing the same amount of platforming, but I just find the latter much more frustrating, and this game marked the first time I've ever had to rage-quit a Mario game.
Still, I'd personally like to see the nozzle-pack return for a few levels. It's certainly more fun that that mashugana Spring Mario power-up.
I still loved it.