If I'm being honest, my first reaction upon getting this game on day one was a bit disappointing. Super Mario 64 set the bar very high for any 3D Mario games that followed and Sunshine didn't quite feel like one at first, perhaps due to its tropical location and the newly introduced Fludd gadget gameplay mechanic that is essential in this game. With that being said, the more time I put in this game, the better it felt in terms of platforming and overall design. I personally enjoyed the side platforming levels that featured blocks and other types of platforms versus the traditional platforming found within each level which is an indication that the overall design of this game is not as good as I was hoping.

Graphics were top-notch for the time, with a very colorful tropical setting and very impressive effects such as water and 'heat' effects. Overall, Sunshine is a solid platforming Mario game that most definitely doesn't impress me as much as other entries but gets the job done.