The variety that isn't there when it comes to presentation sure appears when it comes to gameplay, though, as a lot of the levels feature unique gimmicks and mechanics like riding a rollercoaster on Pinna Park, surfing through a racetrack on Ricco Harbor or being chucked around in Pianta Village you even have other things to spice up the platforming within the levels like Yoshi, different nozzles that change FLUDD's abilities, or sections where he's straight up taken away for you to show how well you can control Mario without his help. Speaking of that, there's a rather nice detail that you can see in the screens below if you look into the distance, and it's that in every level you're able to see other locations that you'll visit later or have already visited! That ferris wheel in the second and third screen is from the amusement park level, while that town you see into the distance in the first screen is actually the one Mario is walking on in the last one: Of course, least varied doesn't mean there's no variety at all, since every single level represents a different location you might encounter in a place like this (the main town, a port, a beach, an hotel, an amusement park, etc.), each with different activities and things to do - it feels cohesive rather than tiring. is the main antagonist which again, is just a good fit for the game. Hell, the stakes are so low that Bowser isn't even a thing for 99% of the game - the much less threatening yet infinitely more adorable Bowser Jr. There's no doubts that this is the least aesthetically varied Mario game out there, but I guess it also makes it kinda stand out on its own? You're not out there exploring the world or the universe, you're just stuck in a tropical resort because the locals think you're a criminal and force you to clean the whole city the lower stakes of the story in general works wonders for the relaxed vibe they're going for. This is the only 3D Mario game to have the entire game set in the same location, and while I was initially hesitant to that idea, I quickly started to just vibe with the summer vacation theme, the quirky attitudes of the Piantas and the always-cheerful tropical-style music.
Let's begin by talking about something the game does very well - setting the tone. Given that Odyssey is pretty much my favorite platformer ever, that immediate sense of familiarity definitely helped me click with Sunshine very early on which I guess is an odd thing to say considering it precedes the former by about 15 years, but with Sunshine's recent re-release I figured it must've been the case for other people as well. that's it? It actually shocked me how unlike 64 this game was, instead striking a much closer resemblance to Super Mario Odyssey than any of the other 3D Mario games. Sure, in terms of structure it's not a huge departure - one hub with a lot of secrets to uncover, a limited selection of levels that changes depending on the Shine you choose and. The first surprise Sunshine had to offer was actually a great one for me: it isn't really similar to Mario 64 at all. And well, as you can probably gauge from the title, the game more than surpassed my expectations. However, during these past month or so I've been a bit on a Mario craze, so shortly after having revisited both of the Galaxy games once again I figured it was about time to at least give Sunshine a shot, and just drop it if I wasn't feeling it. While platformers have been one of my favorite genres in gaming since forever (and Mario games are arguably the best of the best), between my incorrect idea of it playing similarly to Mario 64 (which I'm personally not a big fan of ) and that it's widely considered an inferior game by everyone, I didn't ever seriously try to play Super Mario Sunshine.