Of All Mario’s beloved mainline adventures, the most divisive is perhaps Super Mario Sunshine. Definitely the black sheep of the family, it did away with certain fundamental elements of the series and gave players tools they’d never had before. Always a bold move, but often a mixed bag in terms of results.
In this 2002 GameCube adventure, Mario explores the tropical paradise of Isle Delfino in pursuit of the dastardly Shadow Mario, who has framed our hero for befouling the island. He sets out to clear his name –and all the icky mess-- with his new companion FLUDD (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device) in tow. It beats the usual tired just rescue Princess Peach yet again format, but let’s take a look at the pros and cons of FLUDD’s inclusion in the game.
10 BETTER: It Fit Perfectly With The Setting Of The Game
As the title of the game suggests, Super Mario Sunshine boasts a bright, sun-kissed vibe throughout. Its setting is the glorious Isle Delfino, the perfect place to encounter a fantastic sentient water gun backpack (courtesy of Professor E. Gadd).
Odd as this mechanic may be, it’s clear that FLUDD was always central to the game and the setting chosen for it. It would be hard to justify this style of gameplay had the title been set in a more traditional Mushroom Kingdom locale.
9 WORSE: It Restricted The Variety Of The Worlds In The Game As A Result
The FLUDD being Sunshine’s defining characteristic proved to be a bit of a double-edged sword. While the wanton water-spraying mechanics were tailor-fit for the exotic island setting, the designers really couldn’t stray very far from it.
As fans of the platformer genre know, these games tend to offer a range of varied (if rather clichéd) worlds. Snow levels, lava levels, water levels… the usual selection. While Isle Delfino’s Bianco Hills, Ricco Harbor, Sirena Beach and so on were distinct from each other, the commitment to the exotic and sunny setting –and to FLUDD— meant that they weren’t as visually different as Super Mario worlds tend to be.
8 BETTER: It Was Something Completely New For The Mario Formula
Super Mario fans would probably be the first to admit that the franchise hasn’t exactly been the most adventurous over the years. As with the Pokémon series, the developers know that they’re onto something very special here, and they’re reluctant to experiment (as the New Super Mario Bros. series makes clear).
Like Super Mario Odyssey’s Cappy, though, Fludd was a bold move, one that completely changed the way that Mario approached levels and individual platforming challenges. Major franchises don’t always dare to do this, so curveballs should be applauded.
7 WORSE: The ‘Gimmick’ Was Overused A Bit
Sometimes, when a series introduces a new mechanic, the developers are keen not to rustle fans’ feathers with it (and we all know how easily-rustled long-time fans’ feathers can be). It’s kept on the down-low, to be used in certain areas or kept optional entirely.
With FLUDD, Nintendo took the opposite approach. The darn thing is absolutely baked into the game’s DNA, like Luigi’s Poltergust devices in the Luigi’s Mansion games. Mario could do precious little without it, meaning that those who didn’t care for the new mechanic were out of luck.
6 BETTER: The Non-FLUDD Sections Felt Like A Breath Of Fresh Air (And Were Very Challenging)
When we say that Sunshine takes an all-FLUDD, all the time approach, we don’t mean all the time. There are certain challenging platforming sections in which Shadow Mario steals the water cannon straight from his goodly counterpart’s back, leaving our hero to complete the brief trial the old-fashioned way.
Now, some will tell you that Super Mario games are too easy, and that may be true where the main story’s concerned. There’s been some fiendish optional content hidden throughout the series, though (just look at some of Odyssey’s post-game moons), and these no-FLUDD sections are among them. Without the safety net of the backpack’s Hover Nozzle and such, players realize how much they’d been relying on it. A refreshing change of pace.
5 WORSE: It Was An Annoying Character In Its Own Right
That’s right, friends. Many players’ worse fears were confirmed very early in the game, when FLUDD opened its nozzle and began to speak. With its slow, electronic voice, would it be the Navi of Sunshine? Well, that depends who you ask.
While FLUDD isn’t as talkative as Navi, it certainly loves to give the player shockingly obvious advice. It’s always tough to know how far to take the advice-giving with characters such as these, and while this sentient backpack isn’t nearly as irksome as some similar ones, it definitely could have used a mute button at times. At least it has the decency to talk only through speech bubbles much of the time.
4 BETTER: It Allowed For Several New Gameplay Mechanics
As we’ve mentioned, FLUDD is absolutely central to almost all the challenges Mario faces in this GameCube classic. While this proved an issue for those who simply wanted another pure run-and-jump 3D Mario platformer, there’s no denying that the gameplay was more varied as a result.
Level design could be more vertical, thanks to the Rocket Nozzle (which launched Mario skywards). Platforming segments could be more elaborate, as players had the Hover Nozzle to correct themselves without becoming too frustrated (usually). Boss battles could be tackled in entirely different ways, thanks to the simply water cannon functionality of FLUDD. It may have been a little experimental and risky, but the game was much more open as a result.
3 WORSE: It Was A Bit Of A Missed Opportunity, With Only Four Different Nozzles
Following on from that last point, Sunshine may not have gone down well with some fans, but it tried something new and was a more interesting game as a result. We can’t help but wonder, though, how much more could have been done with the concept.
In the finished game, FLUDD has a total of only four different nozzles (some unlocked over the course of play). The Squirt Nozzle merely shoots water, the Hover Nozzle allows Mario to stay in the air for longer periods and correct his course, the Turbo Nozzle lets him dash across water and land alike for quick bursts, and the Rocket Nozzle launches him straight into the air. If any developer could have squeezed a few more possibilities from FLUDD, it would’ve been the platforming geniuses at Nintendo, but just the four it was in the end.
2 BETTER: It Made It Feel Like A ‘Bigger’ Game
The impact of Super Mario 64 cannot be overstated. Mario’s first brave triple jump into the world of 3D was a smash hit, still renowned as one of the best games in series history. The challenge facing Super Mario Sunshine, then, was how to outdo it.
The addition of FLUDD meant that the action took place on a grander scale, with Mario having a greater impact on his environment. The huge, goopy polluted areas our hero has to clean up just wouldn’t have been possible before, making his actions feel far more impactful. Several Shine Sprites are substantial ‘levels’ in themselves, full of dramatic setpieces. The FLUDD played a crucial part in all of this.
1 WORSE: Battles Designed Around It Could Be A Bit Underwhelming
While FLUDD and its functionality is the foundation for Sunshine’s gameplay, it could also make for some boss battles that were less than creative. Several times throughout the game, the player has to combat Bowser Jr. (as ‘Shadow Mario’) by simply chasing him and spraying him repeatedly with water. These sections could really drag on.
The final boss battle sees Mario putting his Rocket Nozzle to work, launching himself into the air and slamming down on certain weak points to send Bowser and his devious son crashing to the ground. With the stunning creativity, these games often show, these encounters fall a little short. In these cases, more conventional platforming trials may have been better.