Well, Dear Reader, here’s where we come to the crux of the Mario dilemma. Between these changes to the gameplay and story, and the obvious graphical upgrade that the GameCube had over the Nintendo 64, it would seem on paper that Super Mario Sunshine was the perfect sequel to Super Mario 64. And in perhaps the biggest change to the gameplay, instead of having only your abilities to run and jump as Mario, you are given a jetpack/water-pump apparatus that lets you extend your jumps, hover in the air, and even blast off into the stratosphere for intense super jumps. Instead of fighting Bowser from the beginning of the game, you are initially after a Shadowy Mario Imposter who, through many twists and turns in the story, is revealed to have a connection to our favorite lizard king. Instead of the rolling green hills of the Mushroom Kingdom, you were exploring the sandy beaches of the tropical Isle Delfino. You ran, jumped, and yahoo-ed as Mario traversed a number of unique, cartoonish worlds, all connected by a hub-world, in order to collect 120 stars (“shine sprites” in this game) so that you could save Princess Peach from the evil Bowser.Īnd while it had these similarities, there were enough changes that Sunshine didn’t feel like a lazy re-skin of 64. Because it was a 3D platforming game in which the player runs around various different levels and worlds collecting stars and coins, Sunshine was largely seen as the sequel to the juggernaut that was Super Mario 64. When Sunshine first came out in the summer of 2002, everyone and their Mama Luigi went nuts over it. Something that has always struck me as odd about this game is the mixed reaction from fans and critics it has received years after its initial release. So, in the meantime, let’s take a look at Super Mario Sunshine, shall we? So for those of you expecting a typical Canon-style piece on Odyssey, give it a few months and we’ll be on it like moths to a flame. What the Canon aims to do, if you’ll pardon the pun, is take a look back at games that have had enough time to let the dust of initial excitement settle around them so that we can truly appreciate the game for what it has to offer, and not just for the hype that surrounded it upon release. And while I wanted to indulge in a long Canon piece gushing about what a great, nostalgic time I had playing through the many and varied levels of Odyssey, the simple fact of the matter is that not enough time has passed for me to feel that I can fairly analyze it. I, like many of you, have spent the greater part of my last two weeks on this planet indulging in the unabashed explosion of fun that is Super Mario Odyssey, and it had me jonesing to write a piece about Nintendo’s Mustachioed Golden Boy. We’re looking at Super Mario Sunshine this week, is my point. Well alright, not Doctor Mario, the puzzle game, although that game is a great deal of fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love delving into emotional turmoil and existential dread as much as the next guy, but after a month of poring over different bits of the Silent Hill lore and revisiting some of the more tragic characters that the interactive medium has to offer, I’m in the market for something a bit more bright and cheerful.Īnd folks, when you’re in need of a quick and powerful injection of pure, unadulterated, joyous fun, the Doctor is in. Well folks, now that we’re a week out of our Ooky Spooky Canon Toonies month, I could sure as hell use a pick-me-up. Ladies and gentlemen, shy guys and shy gals, hello and welcome to Now Loading…The Video Game Canon! The only weekly Internet column that takes a look at games from the past to determine whether they should be remembered in the future. Read the series’ full mission statement here. The following is part of Now Loading, a series that renders verdicts on whether or not your favorite video games deserve a place in the canon of works that have contributed to video-game storytelling in landmark ways.
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