Introduction
“Its-a me, Mario!” is probably a phrase that was ingrained into your head when you first saw the plat-forming spectacle that was Mario 64. Super Mario Sunshine is the official sequel to the game that defined the 3-D plat-forming adventure genre. I’m happy to say that it sticks to the original formula, but also adds new depth with the introduction of a tool other than a plunger (why Nintendo? why?). Sunshine is prettier, and in my opinion, better than its predecessor. It may not impress anything new on the gamer except for F.L.U.D.D. (Mario’s water gun backpack), but it sure impresses.

Gameplay
Right from the title you can tell the trend of the graphics in this game. The visuals are bright and colorful, Delfino being a tropical island and all. In addition, the graphics are stunning. From the reflective water that looks like REAL water, to the mud/paint (which is very difficult to render and code for movement and cleaning it up, as Miyamoto, himself, claims) that clings to your shoes and turns you into a smeared, colorful mess. I probably can’t count how many times I looked over at a distant object, saw the “heat effect” blurring it and just sat there and drooled. Sunshine’s visuals not only look great, but tend to give the eyes a nice pleasant “vacation” from some of the grittier and darker games of today, and even the extremely cute “lets get on the bandwagon of adventure games” game that have come in the wake of Sunshine.

Fun
So what have I been chattering on about for last couple of paragraphs? I’ve been saying that despite the cheering look, the persona of Mario that some people seem to despise, and the fact that it doesn’t really “invent” anything like it’s prequel, Mario Sunshine is a great game. Nintendo is on a roll, and hits home with this title and I suggest that you go buy this game, or if you don’t have a GameCube, buy the new bundle pack with Sunshine included, you won’t regret it.

Story
The setting for Sunshine is “sunny” Delfino Island (and if you look at the shape, it’s in the shape of a Dolphin, perhaps alluding to the very secretive “Project Dolphin”, a.k.a. the GameCube). Mario, Peach, and the toads decide that after vanquishing Bowser, racing around the Mushroom Kingdom, and playing board games, they need a vacation. Unfortunately upon their arrival, they find a fiend disguised as Mario has been marking up the local town with a magical paintbrush. Of course Mario is promptly put in jail by the local authorities, meets his pal F.L.U.D.D. and is sent out to clear up his dirty work. So, another peaceful week turned to chaos by another baddie out to get poor Mario.

Graphics
As with the graphics, the music in the game is all positive and peppy. No, not annoyingly positive or peppy, catchy-tune positive and peppy. Remember the old Mario theme song? (you know you hum to privately to yourself frequently, admit it) It’s been revamped, in a way you would never expect. Nintendo got a choir to pipe out the tune, accompanied with orchestral instruments, and it’s really catchy. Too bad you only get to hear it on the special traditional platforming stages. All of Mario’s “ya-hoo!”s and “hoo-hoo!”s are back as he hops around slides into enemies, so don’t worry about that(unless of course you hate the plumber’s voice from Mario 64).

Sound
Mario returns with the same moves he had in Mario 64, and a few extra things up his sleeves. For one, F.L.U.D.D., his water-gun backpack adds a new level to his normal moves. You can hover in mid air for a short period, use it as a jetpack to shoot into the air, or use jet-propulsion to scream across the water or land. The hovering ability does make you more dependent on it’s safety of always being there to save you from ill-judged jumps, but with well-placed traditional plat-forming levels which snatch your beloved buddy away, the game keeps your normal “skills” in shape. Another trait found in the previous game reappears: the difficulty level. The game safely eases you into the game play, even for a new player, but it doesn’t stay easy for long, especially the plat-form stages which can get frustrating if you just can’t get it right. Fortunately, Sunshine let’s you pretty much choose your path as long as you get enough Shines (the new collectable that replaces the Stars from Mario 64) to complete the game (which is like 60 stars out of the possible 120). And don’t expect to beat this game quickly either, unless you plan on skimming by with JUST enough Shines. Even then, it has its fair amount of gameplay to satisfy any gamer.