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Super Mario Sunshine

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Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine box art for the GameCube
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Designer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Platform(s)Nintendo GameCube
ReleaseJapan July 19, 2002
United States of America August 25, 2002
European Union October 4, 2002
Genre(s)Platform game
Mode(s)Single player

Super Mario Sunshine is a 3D platformer console title in the Mario series. It was released in Japan on July 19, 2002, ten months after the release of the GameCube. It is the first game on the Nintendo GameCube to exclusively feature Mario, though he appeared in Luigi's Mansion and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Super Mario Sunshine was one of the first GameCube games to become a Player's Choice title. Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka produced the music for the game. It will be succeeded by Super Mario Galaxy.

Story

Mario sets out for the prestigious tropical retreat Isle Delfino, for a well-deserved vacation with Princess Peach, Toadsworth, and other many colored Toads. Upon arrival, Mario finds that the once-pristine island has been vandalized with graffiti and toxic goop. As a result of this pollution, sun-shaped "creatures" called Shine Sprites, the island's sources of power, have dispersed and the island is covered in a perpetual shadow. Even worse, the culprit seen spreading the graffiti is disguised as Mario (he is later referred to as "Shadow Mario"); thus, Mario is promptly arrested as soon as he steps off the plane.

Mario is put on trial, found guilty, and is ordered to clean up the mess and return the Shine Sprites. To help with the cleaning, Mario finds FLUDD, a powerful water cannon toted like a backpack. ("FLUDD" stands for "Flash Liquidizing Ultra Dousing Device".) Mario sets out on his adventure, promising to clear his name and locate the real criminal while restoring tranquility and order to Isle Delfino.

Gameplay

Super Mario Sunshine is the first game where Mario extensively uses an accessory (FLUDD) to complete his mission. The pair work together as team, not unlike the teamwork in the Nintendo 64 title Banjo-Kazooie, which featured a partnership between the characters Banjo and Kazooie. When Mario first acquires FLUDD, he can spray and hover in the air using its nozzles. Two other nozzles can be unlocked later in the game to extend FLUDD's functionality - the Rocket Nozzle which propels Mario high into the air, and the Turbo Nozzle which lets Mario sprint superfast on land and water, as well as break down wooden doors.

The game contains a number of independent levels, which can be reached from Delfino Plaza (the hub or overworld). Gameplay is based around collecting Shine Sprites by completing various tasks in the levels and overworld.

At first, each level features one task which may be completed to acquire a Shine Sprite. The player is then returned to Delfino Plaza and a new task is unlocked on the level they just played. Each level consists of up to eight of these tasks, which may be played again at will once they are completed. Once the player has collected enough Shines in total, a new level is available at Delfino Plaza, either by the acquisition of a new ability or some plot-related event. Shines (as they are called in the Japanese version) are also available by collecting blue coins. Ten of these coins may be traded for one Shine in the overworld.

Gameplay proceeds in this fashion until all of the Shadow Mario–related missions are completed, which unlocks the level containing the final boss. As the total number of Shines available at any given point is greater than the number of Shines needed to unlock the next level, the player may choose which tasks he/she wishes to attempt.

In homage to Super Mario World, Mario can also ride Yoshi in this game. Yoshi can be used to eat certain insects and birds to produce yellow or blue coins or Shine Sprites. Yoshi can also eat fruit and squirt the juice of that fruit. This juice can be used to dissolve orange Generators acting as obstacles as well as to briefly transform enemies into platforms for Mario to step on. The color of the Yoshi and the effect of its juice depend on the type of fruit last eaten. Yoshi will disappear if he touches a deep body of water or if Mario dismounts him while in water. While Mario is riding Yoshi, a woodblock will accompany the background music as in Super Mario World.

Setting

The game takes place on the beautiful tropical resort of Isle Delfino which is mainly inhabited by the Piantas. Not based on any particular area of the world, the names of the island and the different areas of the island seem to be Italian in origin and the architecture is Mediterranean in style, though with their grass skirts, the Piantas would seem to have a somewhat Hawaiian appearance. Isle Delfino is in the shape of a dolphin, as an homage to the GameCube's original project name, Dolphin. Further, "delfino" is Italian for "dolphin".

Mario begins the game after his plane lands on the airstrip. He aquires FLUDD and obtains the first Shine Sprite. A cutscene occurs in which he stands trial and is imprisoned. The player resumes control when Mario is instructed to go about cleaning the island. Mario is not monitored closely, and thus is free to roam about Isle Delfino.

Levels

There are 7 standard levels in Super Mario Sunshine, as well as the lead up to the final boss, Corona Mountain. The name of each level contains an Italian word (in brackets), continuing with the theme first appearing in the island's name.

Bianco Hills

The first level of Super Mario Sunshine, Bianco (white) Hills contains a small windmill village and a giant windmill surrounded by a lake. Mario battles Petey Pirahna and his re-incarnation atop the windmill and also meets Shadow Mario for the first time within a level.

Ricco Harbor

Ricco (rich) Harbor is a bay sitting on the side of a cliff that has been plagued by dirty water and octopuses. Mario must battle a giant Glooper Blooper twice, as well as surf atop some colourful bloopers and climb along some narrow pathways to a cage hanging from the sky in order to find the Shine Sprites.

Gelato Beach

Gelato (ice-cream) beach, Mario's next destination, is a pristine beach located next to some steep hills. Mario seeks to get rid of the giant caterpillar wiggler, as well as race Il Piantissimo and dive in a coral reef for red coins. Mario then joins in the local celebration of the watermelon festival, and hopes to bring home the largest melon to win the prize.

Pinna Park

Next up, Mario travels to a whacky amusement park called Pinna (Meaning fin or flipper. Also, Mario Pinna was an Italian Biplane fighter in WW2) Park, where he is set to help fix the ferris wheel and ride the roller coaster, give a bit of life back to some wilted flowers and ride pirate ships, all while avoiding electrically charged Koopas and Monty Moles shooting Bullet Bills from beach cannons.

Sirena Beach

Sirena (mermaid) Beach is the location of a hotel and casino that needs Mario's help. Besides being surrounded by electric manta rays, the hotel and casino itself is home to a myriad of Boos (some larger than others) and many secrets that will have Mario accommodated for days.

Noki Bay

Noki (a type of pasta) Bay is a beautiful bay that is overshadowed by a sheer cliff-face. Mario is set to help the locals clean up the water, as well as discover some secrets on the face of the cliff and have a swimming rematch with Il Piantissimo.

Pianta Village

Pianta (Plant) village is Mario's final destination before Corona Mountain. Mario's must rescue the mayor of the town without the aid of FLUDD and help to discipline some unruly chain chomps. A climbing rematch with Il Piantissimo is also in store. After saving the town, Mario is free to join in the Fluff Festival, but he better make sure he doesn't hang on to the fluff for too long!

Corona Mountain

Corona (crown) Mountain is the lead up to the final battle, Corona Mountain sees Mario travelling by foot and boat above a river of deadly magma. He then blasts up into the clouds above to meet Bowser and Bowser Jr. hot-tubbing together.

Secret levels

Every main level in the game has one or two secret levels. These are not part of the main level and are often found inside an alcove. These secret levels begin with a short cutscene of Mario traveling through a portal and Shadow Mario stealing his FLUDD, thus leaving Mario only to rely on his acrobatic skills (this cutscene also happens in Pianta Village Episode 3: Goopy Inferno, but it is not a secret level). These levels have a remix of the Super Mario Bros. theme featuring synthesized a cappella and snapping fingers.

Secret levels are staged on platforms floating in an apparently infinite void. Falling into the void will cause Mario to lose a life (at which point the "miss" jingle from Super Mario Bros. plays). These levels feature many different kinds of platforms and obstacles, including:

  • Red and blue (sometimes yellow that constantly rotate) platforms that flip constantly. Because the blocks of one color all flip at the same time, Mario must time his jumps carefully from the blocks of one color to those of the other.
  • Long square-faced wooden blocks with colored knobs that also rotate, forcing Mario to constantly move against the rotation while crossing it or risk falling off.
  • Large glass cubes that turn as they move across platforms. They may push Mario off of the stage or sandwich him in between them and another glass cube, squashing him and causing him to lose a life. Mario may, however, also ride on top of them to gain access to certain parts of the level.
  • Blocks made of sand that crumble as soon as Mario steps on them (but regenerate shortly after).
  • Blocks that disappear and reappear at fixed intervals.
  • Moving blocks that Mario can use to reach other places.
  • Rotating star-shaped platforms.
  • Yoshi egg-patterned blocks that each move in a particular pattern.
  • Square-shaped watermelons that Mario can ground pound on to destroy.
  • Brick blocks that Mario can destroy by hitting them from underneath, paying homage to the original Super Mario Bros.
  • Ice blocks that Mario can destroy by spraying them with water (this can naturally only be done when Mario has access to use FLUDD).

Once completed, if one of these levels is revisited, Mario will have access to the FLUDD. A red switch will also be found that when pressed, causes eight red coins to appear throughout the level and starts a timer. Collecting all eight red coins within the time limit will cause a new Shine Sprite to appear. If the timer runs out, Mario will lose a life and will have to restart the level.

A second type of secret level also exists. These levels feature a cloudy background and different music which makes use of steel drums, and each focus on an unusual method of gameplay (one resembles a pachinko game; another involves guiding a leaf down a stream of toxic water like a raft). Mario begins these levels with the FLUDD, and returning to these levels after they have been completed will not reveal a red switch (most of them involve collecting red coins to begin with, but without a time limit).

It should also be noted that, when Mario loses a life on a secret level, he will restart at the starting point of the level as opposed to losing a life anywhere else, whereas he would be returned to Delfino Plaza (except when he loses all his lives, in which case he would invariably be returned to the plaza). It is also notable one of the backgrounds used in two secret levels which features Super Mario Bros. style sprites jumping across a blue background is re-used as a battle stage in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, called Tilt-a-Kart.

Bosses

Some of the major enemies in the game are:

  • Goop spewing Piranha Plants: These appear in large pools of goo. When Mario sprays certain pools of goop these giant pirahna plants will occasionally arise from it and if he is to completely clean of the pool of goo, Mario has to defeat these beings by squirting water into their open mouths.
  • Petey Piranha (known as "Boss Pakkun" in Japan), a stocky, possibly mutant variety of the Piranha Plant species that spews goop out of its mouth and flaps it's arm-like leaves to fly. It makes trouble in two of Bianco Hills's episodes. He returns in a great number of games, including Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Mario Power Tennis, Super Princess Peach, and New Super Mario Bros.
  • Gooper Blooper, a giant squid that spurts globs of goop and uses its long tentacles as means of attack. It is encountered twice in Ricco Harbor and once in Noki Bay. It also appears as the fifth boss in Super Princess Peach. He also appears in Mario Power Tennis.
  • Wiggler (also known as Hana in Japan) a giant caterpillar encountered in Episodes 2 and 3 of Gelato Beach (the player fights it in Episode Three.) It sleeps at the top of the Sand Bird's tower in Episode 2 until it is awaken by Mario, on which occasion it goes into a fit of rage and rampages across the beach, threatening to trample anything in its path.
  • Mecha Bowser, a colossal mechanical clone of Bowser who is weak against water rockets. Fought in Pinna Park. After Mario defeats it, Shadow Mario reveals himself as Bowser Jr. Like Gooper Blooper, he appears in Mario Power Tennis.
  • Monty Mole a mole in a turret with 3 cannons. He appears in Episode 2 of Pinna park (blasting Bullet Bills from the cannons) and Episode 1 of Noki Bay (blasting goo-covered spike balls). In both appearances, he also throws timer bob-ombs.
  • Phantamanta, a phantom manta ray that appears in Sirena Beach. It has to be sprayed with FLUDD to defeat it. When it is sprayed, it divides. The manta rays are two-dimensional, so they travel along the ground and sometimes their silhouettes are seen on trees and the roofs of huts.
  • King Boo, a large crown-wearing Boo with an equally large tongue. It is found in an episode of Sirena Beach in which it uses a giant roulette wheel an arena and reveals that it has a wide variety of tricks.
  • Eely-Mouth, an enormous eel with bad gingivitis. Not necessarily a 'bad guy' but is destructive nonetheless. His teeth must be cleaned to make him leave.
  • Bowser Jr., Bowser's son. Due to his father's lies, he thinks that Princess Peach is his mother and blames Mario for stealing her. He then diguises himself as Shadow Mario and spreads havoc on Isle Delfino to try to land the real Mario in jail. (In the ending, it is revealed that Bowser Jr. wasn't fooled, but he played along so that he could battle Mario.)
  • Bowser, Mario's typical archenemy and the final boss of the game, he is encountered at the top of Corona Mountain, where he makes use of his notorious fire breath and shakes the hot tub so that its boiling contents spill over the sides. He is also assisted by his son, Bowser Jr., who fires Bullet Bills out of a cannon mounted on a boat floating in the tub.

Enemies

See article: Mario series enemies

Lots of old faces appear in Super Mario Sunshine, including Koopas, Boos, and Bullet Bills; however, they all seem to have a new look, appearing slightly dazed or sporting insane grins or polka-dot underwear. This is presumably due to the fact that they are on Isle Delfino and are thus different species than those found in the Mushroom Kingdom. Some gamers, however, believe that this change from the creatures normal appearance is due to the fact that they were created by Shadow Mario. The creatures with polka-dot underwear are called "Puffy Widgets". They appear to be variations of Goombas.

Piantas

Piantas come in male and female forms and a variety of bright colors. They wear leaf skirts (regardless of their gender) and have little palm trees on their heads instead of hair (to protect them from the sun). Their appearance is comparable to the Pokémon Bellossom. Their ancestoral home on Isle Delfino is Pianta Village, but they have spread to almost every area of the island. Delfino Plaza features a 'Grand Pianta' statue, presumably some type of monument. Judging from the phrase spoken by an older male pianta in Pianta Village (Episode 8), they tend to have a long lifespan.

In addition to Super Mario Sunshine, Piantas have appeared in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. In that game, there was sort of a "Pianta mafia" led by Don Pianta in the city of Rogueport. The Piantas in the game wore suit jackets along with the obligatory skirts and spoke with stereotypical Italian-American accents.

Piantas have also appeared as audience members in other games such as Mario Power Tennis, Super Mario Strikers, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Mario Kart DS, but finally made a playable appearance in Mario Superstar Baseball - although only male Piantas are playable (the playable Nokis are female).

Reception

Super Mario Sunshine was generally well received by game reviewers. IGN gave the game 9.4/10, praising the addition of the water backpack for improving the gameplay. [1] Gamespy also gave the game 9.4/10, praising the "wide variety of moves and the beautifully constructed environments". [2] GameSpot gave the game 8.0/10, criticizing the various additions including the water backpack and Yoshi as mere gimmicks. They also found fault in the camera system and cited that the game seemed somewhat unpolished and rushed.[3] GameCritics.com criticised the game for featuring "little of the gameplay innovation that the Mario series is so famous for" in addition to the "lack of variety in the environmental design".[4]

Voice cast

References

  1. ^ Mirabella III, Fran. (2002) "Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)". Retrieved May 3, 2006.
  2. ^ Guzman, Hector. (2002) "Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)". Retrieved May 3, 2006.
  3. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff. (2002) "Super Mario Sunshine". Retrieved November 18, 2005.
  4. ^ Bracken, Mike. (2002) "Super Mario Sunshine Review". Retrieved June 25, 2006.

See also

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