Since 1993 Nintendo has been a part of our lives and has represented almost half of our whole childhood. We all remember the grandfather of gaming consoles that shall be known as the mighty NES, and since 1989, Nintendo continues to dominate the gaming world (in spite of a few setbacks). Their franchise mascot has been keeping himself busy for a little over three decades, and with multiple titles, crossovers, and spin-offs to his name and brand, Mario doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down anytime soon. In fact, a few of his classics are getting remakes for the New 3DS; such as Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and the Gamecube launch title Luigi’s Mansion. Tonight we’ll be reviewing a classic NGC title that might be getting a remake for the 3DS as well, known as Super Mario Sunshine!

If you’re a 90’s kid the nostalgia is real with this game! There are so many of us that remember playing Super Mario 64 on the N64 when it first came out, so what makes this game so good you ask? Well for one, it brought back a lot of Mario’s acrobatic moves such as his signature Triple Jump, Ground Pound, and Wall Jump. The new digs is his new water-squirting buddy called F.L.U.D.D. who operates as a new mechanic for the game. F.L.U.D.D. helps Mario fight off the bad guys as well as allows him to reach new heights with FLUDD’s various nozzle’s; such as the Rocket and the Turbo nozzle’s. Instead of Power Stars Mario has to collect Shine Sprites, as they are the source of Isle Delfino’s power and overall morale of its people.

The plot follows Mario along with Princess Peach, Toadsworth, and a few Toads as they all venture to Isle Delfino to enjoy a relaxing vacation from their usual ventures at the Mushroom Kingdom. Upon arriving they are shocked to discover that the once peaceful island, has been covered in graffiti. After encountering F.L.U.D.D. and defeating a giant slime-covered piranha plant, Mario is suddenly arrested by the island locals (the Piantas) and is thrown in jail due to matching the description of their culprit. After the court ruling Mario is set on an adventure to clean up the entire island, find the one who framed him, and protect Princess Peach – all at the same time!

Playing this game was a lot of fun when it came out, not to mention the graphics and music were pretty freakin’ cool! They brought back a lot of the magic that made Super Mario 64 famous; such as the 8 Red Coins and Blue Coins (that earn you Shine Sprites if you find ten of them), boss battles, and Mario’s signature moves. We remember all the numerous hours we logged into this game combing every nook and cranny for all 120 Shine Sprites, and though at times it was a grind, some of us were determined.

We give this Gamecube classic a 9.9 / 10 Stars!

Hopefully if a remake is in the works, let’s give Luigi a shot like we did in Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2! 🙂