Super Mario Sunshine is my drunk friend. He's irresponsible, a bit unsightly and frankly weird at times, but man is he fun to hang out with (when he's not putting me in a giant fuckin Pachinko machine!!)
I recognise that Super Mario Sunshine is flawed in a lot of ways. It's unusually buggy for a 1st-party Nintendo game, it's very clearly rushed, with the game noticeably dipping in quality in the 2nd half and some of the levels like the aforementioned Pachinko machine and almost all of Sirena Beach are just outright not fun. But the moment-to-moment gameplay in Sunshine, especially in levels like Ricco Harbour and Noki Bay just have the juice, man.
Super Mario Sunshine's levels, much unlike Super Mario Odyssey's are built to accommodate for Mario's amazing sense of control. They're like jungle gyms or climbing frames, with so many different levels and layers and alternative routes, even if Mario has more movement options in Odyssey - I think he's simply more fun to control in Sunshine because it feels like the game's worlds are built around that. It's so stupidly fun to spray water on the floor and dive on to it for enough momentum to belly slide all over Delfino Plaza (which - might I add, is maybe the best hub world in a videogame ever?) It's all the little things Mario can do in this game and all the ways that the world around you allows for it that makes this game so fun in such a simple, kinetic sense.
On top of core gameplay that's really fun (except for when a silly level dissuades it) Mario Sunshine also has another intangible that really makes me love it. This might sound like a weird thing to praise a 3D Mario game for - but it's the...Worldbuilding? If you wanna call it that. Delfino Isle, the setting of Super Mario Sunshine feels more grounded and realised than any other 3D Mario, probably because those games always have you warping around to other places. You can see Pinna Park, one of the game's levels from Delfino Plaza. You can see Ricco Harbour (I think it's Ricco Harbour?) from...Another level that I can't remember (it's been a while, alright?) and the culture of Delfino Isle is demonstrated by the Piantas, incredibly charming recurring NPCs who again lend the setting with a sense of consistency. After a while, Delfino Isle starts to feel like a home, a place that you know and are comfortable with, and the Plaza is constantly sliding so many nifty little secrets and hidden corners your way that coming back is always exciting.
Sunshine is bogged down by a lot of silly gimmicks like all 3D Mario games are, but when it's at it's best, I truly believe it's better than all of them. I know that may be controversial but hey, check out a speedrun of this game and maybe you'll see what I mean. Speedruns of this game fucking go, dude.
I recognise that Super Mario Sunshine is flawed in a lot of ways. It's unusually buggy for a 1st-party Nintendo game, it's very clearly rushed, with the game noticeably dipping in quality in the 2nd half and some of the levels like the aforementioned Pachinko machine and almost all of Sirena Beach are just outright not fun. But the moment-to-moment gameplay in Sunshine, especially in levels like Ricco Harbour and Noki Bay just have the juice, man.
Super Mario Sunshine's levels, much unlike Super Mario Odyssey's are built to accommodate for Mario's amazing sense of control. They're like jungle gyms or climbing frames, with so many different levels and layers and alternative routes, even if Mario has more movement options in Odyssey - I think he's simply more fun to control in Sunshine because it feels like the game's worlds are built around that. It's so stupidly fun to spray water on the floor and dive on to it for enough momentum to belly slide all over Delfino Plaza (which - might I add, is maybe the best hub world in a videogame ever?) It's all the little things Mario can do in this game and all the ways that the world around you allows for it that makes this game so fun in such a simple, kinetic sense.
On top of core gameplay that's really fun (except for when a silly level dissuades it) Mario Sunshine also has another intangible that really makes me love it. This might sound like a weird thing to praise a 3D Mario game for - but it's the...Worldbuilding? If you wanna call it that. Delfino Isle, the setting of Super Mario Sunshine feels more grounded and realised than any other 3D Mario, probably because those games always have you warping around to other places. You can see Pinna Park, one of the game's levels from Delfino Plaza. You can see Ricco Harbour (I think it's Ricco Harbour?) from...Another level that I can't remember (it's been a while, alright?) and the culture of Delfino Isle is demonstrated by the Piantas, incredibly charming recurring NPCs who again lend the setting with a sense of consistency. After a while, Delfino Isle starts to feel like a home, a place that you know and are comfortable with, and the Plaza is constantly sliding so many nifty little secrets and hidden corners your way that coming back is always exciting.
Sunshine is bogged down by a lot of silly gimmicks like all 3D Mario games are, but when it's at it's best, I truly believe it's better than all of them. I know that may be controversial but hey, check out a speedrun of this game and maybe you'll see what I mean. Speedruns of this game fucking go, dude.