The familiar frustration is certainly starting to set in again with this title, but it’s still fun to play. I think what I don’t like about Sunshine as opposed to what I remember about Mario 64 is that Sunshine lacks the exploration of 64. I know Mario 64 was goal based in getting stars, but in Sunshine it seems like that’s all you really do. There’s just not much level exploration to speak of, and I’m still not a big fan of the locales. They just don’t feel like classic Mario to me.
Sunshine really feels like it needs more polish. The camera system, for example, is enough to drive anyone insane. I’ve spent more time wrestling with the camera than doing anything else, I’d say. Also, some of the challenges seem like they’re thrown in there just for the sake of filling out each level’s shine requirement. In any case, aside from a few frustrating shines, it’s a game that lends itself fairly well to quick plays due to the goal based challenges, and it’s still fun enough to try.
