Squirt Gun
Taking it back to 2002
Super Mario Sunshine
After wrapping up Into the Aether’s gargantuan podcast running through the library of the GameCube, I was surprised by the somewhat muted response they had to Super Mario Sunshine. So I decided to revisit the title myself as part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection released a couple years back on the Switch. After playing a few hours of the game, I understand why this wouldn’t be topping anyone’s Mario or GameCube list.
The game starts off in such an odd way. Mario, Peach, and some Toads are taking a vacation to Isle Delfino. Upon landing, they immediately discover someone has been terrorizing the island residents by covering their land with a paint-like goop. Mario is framed by a mystery character for the crime and sentenced to clean up the mess with the assistance of FLUDD, the other character gracing the game’s cover. This opening includes voice-acting from every character aside from Mario, who is put in a Saiyan-like food trace after seeing an image of seafood. There is also a court room sequence that seemingly takes place in an endless despairing void.
I’ve dabbled in almost every 3D Mario game at this point, and this opening feels completely separate from what I’ve played before. To some degree, I can understand why. This was only the 2nd 3D entry at the time, and the developers don’t seem to have everything locked down in terms of setting up the action. In comparison to the other two games included in this collection it feels like the weird middle-child that it is. It lacks the simplicity and right-into-the-action nature of Super Mario 64, but can’t quite attain the gravitas that Super Mario Galaxy was able to achieve on the low-powered Wii. It comes across as just sort of silly.
But the real question is, how does it play? Well...also sort of off. I don’t know if it’s the Switch port, but controlling Mario doesn’t feel as natural as it usually does. I’ve read some reports that this is just how Sunshine handles, but my memories from being 10-years-old don’t hold up well enough for me to confirm or deny this (if you have any experience let me know). Initially, I thought it was due to the inclusion of FLUDD as a primary method of gameplay. Having the talking nozzle be mandatory for the majority of the game totally changes how Mario controls and how you navigate levels. This is something they haven’t done in any other Mario entry. Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey is the closest proxy, but I would argue that Cappy is often used to extend Mario’s existing abilities (i.e giving him an additional platform to jump off of) or completely changing how you engage with the level for a short-burst, focused on one particular challenge. FLUDD changes the foundational method of movement in the game and makes this feel less like a Mario title.
I’m going to keep giving this one a try in the hopes that I get used to the controls - maybe this is all an issue of comfortability with the new skillset. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say it has been an uphill battle so far.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
I used to be a fiend for Sony’s lineup of mascot games in the PlayStation 2 era. Jak, Sly, Ratchet and all of their sidekicks got me through many childhood weekends. Apart from some spinoffs, and fourth entries that didn’t quite have the push the original trilogies did, Sony left these crews behind with the PS2. That is, except for Ratchet and Clank. Somehow the duo persisted rather strongly in the PS3 generation with 4 main entries in their Future saga, and a couple of spinoff games to round it out. They even made an appearance on the PS4 with a remake of the original to coincide with their very own movie. The team has remained in the zeitgeist in a rather surprising way. Sony apparently sees something in them, so in order to show off the PlayStation 5’s graphical fidelity and quick load times the company leaned on these guys once again with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Although I’ve usually enjoyed each entry, the Ratchet & Clank series was always my least favorite of the three mascot franchises. The gameplay never felt quite as diverse as the others. The Jak series had a certain edge to it, Sly made stealth actually fun, but Ratchet was serving up shooting gameplay that I felt I could get elsewhere, albeit with a pretty humorous shine to it. Rift Apart continues that trend, but my perception of it has changed some. There’s an amount of wonder and adventure that isn’t as common now as it was when Sony was leading with three mascot teams. In a sea of dour first-party titles, Ratchet & Clank’s sense of humor now feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely aimed more towards the adolescent crowd, but there’s a certain charm to it if you come to it in the right headspace. In terms of gameplay not much has changed. Minute-to-minute it can sometimes feel stuck in the past, but for me at least it’s been kind of comforting. Running through stages and trying every gun varietal the game has to offer has been a nice treat. Not one I can take a lot of at one time but good for small doses.
That sense of wonder is especially present in the look of the game. It makes total sense that an animated film was made of this franchise, the character and world designs were made for it. Rift Apart feels like I’ve been placed in the middle of a movie. The weaponry also benefits from the added visual flair. Sometimes I find myself choosing a particular weapon just to see the specific shade of red one of the beams has again. All of this combined perfectly captures a Disney/Dreamworks-esque energy.
I’m sure that my opinion so far has been colored by my nostalgia for the era of gaming that Ratchet & Clank is grounded in. I get the impression that the calories in this game are a bit empty, and there’s the possibility that this is a little too simple or kiddie for some. But truthfully I’m almost looking for something to complain about. So I’ll say this: I’m smiling and giggling more often than not when the controller is in my hand, and that goes a long way nowadays.