Returning to Isle Delfino: A Retrospective of Super Mario Sunshine

With the UK experiencing record temperatures over the summer, I’ve been playing through the most tropical adventure of Nintendo’s famous plumber. I am, of course, talking about Super Mario Sunshine. Released way back in 2002 on the GameCube, Sunshine received widespread critical acclaim. However, nearly 25 years on, I ask: was such reception justified? And does Super Mario Sunshine hold up today? 

 Well, despite its acclaim, Super Mario Sunshine is an oddity amongst the Mario franchise. Since the release of Super Mario Bros. in 1985, a Mario game traditionally employs a straightforward narrative: rescue Princess Peach from the tyrannical Bowser. In 1996, when the Mario franchise made the jump to 3D graphics with Super Mario 64, this tried-and-tested narrative remained.  

 Sunshine, however, opted for a different approach. Admittedly, its narrative still centres around rescuing Peach, yet Bowser is but a background character here. Instead, his son Bowser Jr is responsible, and also frames Mario for a series of crimes. Furthermore, Sunshine is significantly divorced from the vague green hills and blue skies of Mario’s prior adventures, with the coastal town of Delfino Plaza serving as the hub world. Radical decisions, to be sure, but they’re not without promise.  

 To my mind, Sunshine is the first Mario game to feature a tangible plot, not only due to the detailed conflict between Mario and Bowser Jr. but also through lengthy, voice-acted cut-scenes. Through the innovative setting of Delfino Plaza, Sunshine also anticipates the more outlandish settings of Mario’s adventures to follow: whether it be the cosmic worlds of Super Mario Galaxy or New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey. 

Through the innovative setting of Delfino Plaza, Sunshine also anticipates the more outlandish settings of Mario’s adventures to follow: whether it be the cosmic worlds of Super Mario Galaxy or New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.

 Its foundational importance aside, what of Super Mario Sunshine’s gameplay? While its colourful design is unusual by modern standards, the GameCube controller is one of the greatest Nintendo has ever produced, and its design is perfectly suited to the 3D dynamism of Mario established in Super Mario 64. That being said, Mario’s almost slippery movement here is limited when compared to the security that one feels when controlling Mario in, say, 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy.  

 Furthermore, an often criticised aspect of Sunshine’s gameplay is the inverted camera, which is unique among all 3D Mario games. While the camera was improved when Nintendo ported Sunshine to the Nintendo Switch in 2020, playing the game on its original hardware is certainly frustrating, particularly in the context of modern gaming conventions. 

 The level design of Sunshine is also a mixed bag. Firstly, while Sunshine’s levels are much more expansive, their quantity here is nearly halved from Super Mario 64. However, what struck me about Sunshine is its difficulty. To an extent, this can be attributed to its unpredictable physics, as there are certain missions that probably should have been tested more thoroughly. (I need only mention the dreaded pachinko game for certain Nintendo fans to experience severe trauma.) However, there are several missions of a deliberately cryptic and challenging nature. Yet, frustrating as said missions can be, that’s no bad thing. Newer Mario games in particular can be criticised for their lack of difficulty; Galaxy, for example, is often a straightforward experience. On the other hand, Sunshine – for better or worse – refuses to handhold, and as such can be much more rewarding. 

 At the beginning of this article, I asked whether Super Mario Sunshine deserved its initial acclaim and whether such acclaim is justified today. Well, after playing the game rigorously over the summer, I admit that my answers to those questions are more complex than I expected. To me, the most significant aspect of Sunshine is its influence; the game spawned now-iconic aspects of the franchise, such as Bowser Jr and Petey Piranha, while inspiring, say, Mario Kart DS’s Delfino Square.  

The most significant aspect of Sunshine is its influence; the game spawned now-iconic aspects of the franchise, such as Bowser Jr and Petey Piranha, while inspiring, say, Mario Kart DS’s Delfino Square.

Furthermore, the bombastic setting and plot of Sunshine are almost certainly at the heart of Mario’s adventures to follow. But, to actually play Sunshine in 2026 brings with it certain frustrations, particularly regarding its primitive camera, and occasionally janky level design. Yet despite its myriad flaws, Sunshine is still a Mario game, and therefore it goes without saying that there’s still much fun to be had.