Part of what makes Mario Sunshine’s level designs shine is the setting. Mario Sunshine hugely innovated on Mario’s traversal mechanics, a trend that the franchise would continue across each of its main entires ever since. Mario Sunshine’s levels are completely designed around the FLUDD as well, with sprawling levels that encourage you to use the new water abilities in inventive ways. In a way, it’s the precursor to Super Mario Odyssey’s Cappy, which also alters how you approach the game.

The FLUDD completely changes the way you think about platforming in a Mario game, making you take into account its extended traversal options and paint-clearing abilities. Mario can even get himself covered in paint, needing to wash it off by getting in water.

Of course, you need to spray water to wash away paint, but another nozzle lets Mario use water to hover, and later unlocks let him rocket into the air and move at high speeds. The core of Mario Sunshine’s gameplay is a sentient water backpack called FLUDD, which lets Mario spray out water for a variety of effects. What other Mario game has a premise that absurd?Īs it turns out, the absurdity of those opening moments seeps into every aspect of Mario Sunshine, making it something wildly different from the rest of the franchise. Unfortunately, Mario is accused of committing this crime, and literally within the first hour of the game he’s arrested, goes to court, and given community service to clean the entire island. Right off the bat, however, an evil Mario doppelganger appears and starts spreading a horrible paint-like substance over the island. Mario Sunshine opens with the iconic plumber and Princess Peach arriving at the tropical getaway of Isle Delfino for a much-needed vacation. Super Mario Sunshineis an utterly surreal experience, and it’s the messiest and best 3D Mario game all at the same time. After the overwhelming success of Super Mario 64, Nintendo could have easily sat back and made a safe sequel, but instead, it decided to release one of its weirdest and most imaginative games ever. Mario is the king of platformers, and each entry in the franchise always brings something wildly new and inventive to the genre.

Mario sunshine all the islands