bit-tech Shopping: Nintendo Super Mario: Sunshine (GC)

Rating: 8

Time with product: 4 Years

Strengths: fair graphics, cool add-ons when you advance into the game.

Weaknesses: all the goo!!! I mean ,come on, whenever you get stuck in the goo that is in the water, you have to swim under- water to restrane yourself from getting killed.

Summary: This game is very unique story about Mario, who goes on a trip to Isle Delfino, a beautiful island resort with many beaches and places. In this wonderful action-filled game, Mario can run, swim, slide and wall-jump. At the beginning of the game, Mario will obtain a water-pack named Fludd. From then on, Mario nearly always has to rely on Fludd to get around and defeat enemies. He can also solve puzzles, run really fast with the Turbo,(you can get that later in the game and Rocket (you also can get that later in the game. Oh, and you can ride Yoshi in this game as well. Most people would say other Mario games are better, but Sunshine is great for all ages and is also quite pleasing.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Years

Strengths: Good Graphics and Gameplay

Weaknesses: Some the the challenges are difficult and can get frustrating

Summary: Nintendo Super Mario: Sunshine is a fun task based collection game with Mario (of course) as the main character trying to save the day. The game offers a variety of different boards and gadgets, but its still your basic Mario platforming game. Kids will love this game and it should provide a long time of enjoyment as I find certain tasks in the game quite a challenge. If you're a Mario fan, pick this up, especially now that it can be found for less than $20.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3 Years

Strengths: Mario on the Gamecube! Lots of levels.

Weaknesses: More annoyance than previous Marios. Easier to get stuck. Feels less like traditional Mario.

Summary: Super Mario Sunshine is an excellent extension of the Mario games. If you like Mario games, you know pretty much what to expect, outside the island vacation theme.Graphics are great, with lots of use of vibrant color. Even though this was an early Gamecube title, the towns and environments are still engaging and wonderful to behold.Unlike Mario 64, there's less freedom of what to do. Where you go and what you do is a little more scripted, and it's easier to get stuck on a level or set of levels that you just don't like or find unpleasant, and have nothing else to do.There is a great sense of height, and flying around and spraying things is almost worth the price of admission itself. The mechanics of the game, controlling the water sprayer to both clean things and fly around, makes playing it fun, and gives it that 'just one more time' feeling.The bonus stages are often the most inventive levels, as well as the most challenging and frustrating.No Gamecube should be without it. Great for all ages.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Years

Strengths: Lots of extras to hunt for, great water effects,

Weaknesses: Repetitive dialogue from the NPCs, poor camera control

Summary: This is overall a solid next step for the Mario franchise. The setting is a bit different, but it adds an aura (or at least a thin veneer) of freshness to the game. The introduction of a new game mechanic called FLUDD (a super-soaker-like water cannon backpack/hoverpack) adds a great deal of mobility to Mario and a corresponding increase in the number of insane jumps and other acrobatics required to accomplish certain tasks. As you progress through the game you unlock new 'nozzles' for FLUDD, increasing even further your options and allowing access to previously unreachable play areas. As usual in a Mario game, there are bunches of extras to collect (in this game they are called Shine Sprites). You only need to collect a small fraction to actually complete the game, but what fun is that! As expected for the first game for the platform the cameras leave a lot to be desired (The Hobbit shares a lot of the same camera difficulties inherent in the first batch of games created for the platform). I noticed the same thing on Mario 64. This isn't a fatal flaw, but it is annoying at times. The levels are inventive, 'busy', and visually pleasing. Ditto for the boss fights (although chasing Shadow Mario around gets tiresome after about the first two minutes). As with the other Mario games, its replay value lies mostly in trying for the 100% complete (i.e. collecting all of the Shine Sprites).

Rating: 8

Time with product: 14 Days

Strengths: Mario - the most well known video game character of all time - no blood & guts - parent approved!

Weaknesses:

Summary: Hi-Picked this game out for my 10 year old - no blood or gore - We enjoy it's rich colorful environments with a favorite character Mario- O.K. I play it too - my 6 year old also enjoys it - mostly watching us play-