![]() Super Mario 3D All-Stars is available now.An archive named TitleE3.arc contains all of the assets for the title screen and level select screen from E3. But it feels revelatory to notice that Odyssey's biggest flaw - the disparity between the level designs - is exactly opposite to Sunshine's greatest strength. Super Mario Odyssey might seem like a better game because it has tighter controls, an enhanced moveset, and more polish than Super Mario Sunshine. Replaying Super Mario Sunshine as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, however, has made me appreciate the fact that it may just be the best-executed world and atmosphere of any 3D Mario. The globe-trotting nature of the Odyssey adventure does lend itself to this approach of having the player visit various disparate areas around the world. New Donk City and the Luncheon Kingdom don’t feel like the same Mario game, whereas you could never forget that Ricco Harbor and Gelato Beach are from Super Mario Sunshine because they complement each other so well. Levels like New Donk City and the Mushroom Kingdom are on par with Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine at certain moments, but they feel sort of clobbered together within the game as a whole. The Ruined Kingdom is the best example of Odyssey's problem with having consistent visual theme. These styles might've been memorable enough to hold their own in standalone Mario games, but as one-offs within Odyssey, they feel out of place alongside the more normal-looking Kingdoms in Super Mario Odyssey. This is most noticeable in the Luncheon Kingdom, which adopts a low poly art style for its world, and the Ruined Kingdom that features a realistic castle and has Mario fight a dragon. While Odyssey is a better 3D platformer than Sunshine, most Kingdoms in the newer game have unique graphical styles that don’t mesh well with each other, so it winds up feeling thematically inconsistent. Released for Nintendo Switch in 2017, Odyssey sees Mario visiting Kingdoms around the world to stop the wedding of Bowser and Peach. It’s a shame that Super Mario Odyssey couldn't replicate the same kind of consistency. Because of Isle Delfino, Super Mario Sunshine is one of the most fun Mario games ever despite being one of the most challenging. It's just too bad that subsequent titles forgot about that sense of cohesion. Super Mario Sunshine maintains this tropical feel throughout, and it helped establish a consistent atmosphere and visual style that has served as a basis for each Mario since. Sunshine's gameplay definitely feels less polished than other modern Mario games, but the game's commitment to its tropical setting makes it really stand out from others, like Odyssey, where the environments feel disconnected. ![]() This leads to a sense of ludonarrative resonance not typically found in Mario games that almost always focus more on gameplay than plot or worldbuilding. You can even see some areas in the distance on other stages, adding to the cohesion. Some less common settings, like a harbor and amusement park, are also thrown in for good measure seemingly just because they work so well within the setting. Every aspect of the game goes back to that same core theme of a tropical adventure. Instead of a grim castle inexplicably full of lava, we get an area set within a volcano. ![]() Instead of a desert level, we get Gelato Beach. While Sunshine features eight worlds like most Mario games, they all fall under this tropical resort theme. This image showcases the Pinata as well as how you can see Pinna Park from Serena Beach.
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