hi everybody, i'm new on the board and it looks cool so i thought i'd check it out. just like to introduce myself...im matthew viser, 13 year old honour student (not to brag), and i live with my older brother, cuz my parents died when i was young. he has taught me his old fashioned vintage ways, whether it be old music, movies, or video games. i grew up with a definite appreciation of the mario series, especially the nes series.
I still remember super mario sunshine coming out, and the stuff my brother told me about it...about how it didn't come out right away because they wanted to understand the gamecube's capabilities a bit better, and even first time i played it, i liked it. But after a clear view of it, my perception completely changed. bottom line: love it or hate it, you cannot deny that it is probably the laziest mario game ever made (platform anyway).
First, the whole fludd thing is kind of off the wall. The storyline is...different, and it's a matter of opinion I guess. To me it wasn't interestingly different like they've done in the past, but aside, having a water gun was...different. It was cool having powerups to go with them, but for the amount that I actually got to use the turbo and rocket nozel, I don't even think it was worth it. No cool caps, suits, or powerups...just nozzels...way to go above and beyond!
My first real big complaint about the game is the level design. There were no lava-filled tunnels, creepy caves, slippery ice levels, confusing forests, perplexing castles, or trips through the clouds. Just a beach, a harbour, another beach, a park, another park, and well...everything's pretty similar. And why so few levels? At least Super Mario 64 had 15, but this one only has 7! Maybe it's just me, but I think that maybe they'd try to outdo themselves with their next game. And I hate how they pull the vacation card to cheat us out of distinctive levels. Super Mario World was vacation based, and their level designs were just awesome! But wait...what about how you get to these levels. Well on the airstrip you fight a big piranha plant made of paint...then to get to level 1 you fight him again...you fight him in level 1 again! to get to level 2! AND to get to level 3! Why do you have to fight the same generic boss 5 times??? Do you think that's enough? I guess it's not saying much, because you fight that stupid piranha plant in the first level twice and the blooper in the second level twice. Were they really that short on ideas? And what's with the red coin collecting...I remember in 64 when you had to collect them once per level, and in secret areas...but in Sunshine...four??? Yeah! Four times per level! Is that really necessary? Four times? Wow! And the blue coins to buy shines was a real kicker too...instead of secret areas and fun events, you just collect blue coins. I guess they wanted to match 64's 120 stars, so they had to achieve that somehow. Same with that shadow mario! You have to catch him once per level. I feel no originality here! The secret levels were kinda boring too. I did not find many of them very memorable.
The characters are kind of bland too. Bowser Jr. just needs to die and never be in another game, because he's incredibly annoying...and not in a good way. Bring back the koopa kids! Please! At least they had a personality. The enemies are kind of bland too, and it seems funny that everyone in this game gets hurt from being sprayed with water. Are they made of sugar? It was nice seeing yoshi again too, but for the amount that you get to ride him, I'd say it's not even worth it unless you're hanging around the hub just messing around. I also find an inconsistency in the challenge. Beating Petey Piranha is a sinch...it even gives you an arrow where to hit him. Is it not that obvious already? But when you get to that chuckster part, it just becomes ridiculously hard...and it's not a fun challenge either. I also find it kind of funny to beat Bowser at the end you...have...to...get ready for it...destroy his hot tub. (sigh)
One redeeming factor about this game would have to be the cave parts of the game. When your fludd gets stolen, the game really picks up. Going through those obstacle caves with the tune of the original theme is some of the most platforming I've ever played. Sadly, it's a short part of the game. My last point...why isn't Luigi in the game? I was shown all the turmoil about Luigi being in 64, and some people started making rumours about Sunshine, but I think they just gave up.
In conclusion, the game had a few redeeming factors, but it was lazy. The levels were extremely uninventive, and there were far too few of them. The objectives to get Shines were lacking in creativity, and collecting red and blue coins again and again is just a lazy challenge. The characters were not the most likeable, and the premise of using a watergun was a little too crazy. But it's okay to like this game. I used to like it too, and I know lots of people do, and that's fine! But you can't deny that it was a lazy game.
One last point...I love a good debate. Thanks for your time!
