Mario games
are usually the first thing to arrive when a new Nintendo console is unleashed,
but Super Mario Sunshine was a fair while coming. Graphics alone,
it's been time well spent.
You arrive on Isle Delfino for your dream holiday with Princess Peach,
unsure that she's seen you in a promotional video for the same, and even the
inhabitants have some recollection too.
Upon touchdown you find the airstrip covered in an icky goo, to which you attempt
to clean up with your super-powered water shooter, but as soon as you're seen
using it to great effect and revealing the first Shine Sprite, a source of power
on the island that hasn't been seen much lately, you're dragged up before the
beak, accused as the graffiti artist and sentenced to clean up this town,
reveal all the Shine Sprites and you'll have to stop whoever's making this mess.
Of course, you know there's going to be more to the game than that, as coins
must be collected in order to progress - not to mention the mini-tasks that
can get you special blue ones - and that your princess companion
is just bound to be taken hostage at some point.
What has surprised me is not only how easy it is to get into the game, but
also how enjoyable it can be. I figured it would be just that too much on the
cutesy side in order to be a worthy contender, since my two favourite games
recently have been
Hitman 2
and
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,
but this one provides an inviting atmosphere that you can't fail to have some
fun with.
Graphically, the damn thing's an absolute stunner. Crisp, clear and colourful,
with the only downer being the times when your camera angle is turned the wrong
way and needs adjusting. Other than that, even when attempting the same jump
several times on the run in an attempt to get it right, it can be quite a
liberating experience to be able to try it from any angle you choose and
realise you're able to be in relatively full control at the same time.
I did notice one glitch when trying to kick a durian fruit from here to the
middle of next week and it would appear to stay on the original stall, but it's
a very minor point so I won't mark it down for that.
The sound in a Gamecube won't go above Pro Logic II, but the twee music sits
well with the theme and the special effects are effective enough with a "Yippee!"
from Mario, or the squelchy sounds as you shoot your load over the brown stuff
in a bid to clear it up.
As I write, I'm not far into this particular game but I can see it being one
that I'll return to often.
Where
Hitman 2
is my Xbox favourite of 2002 and
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
my PS2 fave of the year, even though Super Mario Sunshine isn't the
most original thing I'll play for a while - especially given the touches you
can see left over from previous Mario outings, it's going to take some doing
to find a game so engaging, inspirational (e.g. after rescuing the princess you
have to go *through* the graffiti that the bad guy Mario creates in order to
chase after him through the Bianco Hills), so much fun and - most of all - a game
that really takes your mind off all the things that the world throws at you.
GRAPHICS SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC PLAYABILITY ENJOYMENT
As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B
37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Jan 2011: Intel Quad Core Dell XPS 8100, i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80Ghz, 8Gb RAM, nVidia GeForce GTS 240, Windows 7
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Of course, you know there's going to be more to the game than that, as coins
must be collected in order to progress - not to mention the mini-tasks that
can get you special blue ones - and that your princess companion
is just bound to be taken hostage at some point.
Graphically, the damn thing's an absolute stunner. Crisp, clear and colourful,
with the only downer being the times when your camera angle is turned the wrong
way and needs adjusting. Other than that, even when attempting the same jump
several times on the run in an attempt to get it right, it can be quite a
liberating experience to be able to try it from any angle you choose and
realise you're able to be in relatively full control at the same time.
As I write, I'm not far into this particular game but I can see it being one
that I'll return to often.
