Let’s set the table. Super Mario Sunshine is a polarizing game that often divides fans. Super Mario Odyssey is a beloved Switch game that is much easier than previous entries in the series. In many ways, Mario Odyssey is a huge step in the right direction for the series, but even so, the fans of the franchise do still believe the Gamecube classic did a few things better.
Of course, the best way to help settle up this score is by way of comparison, which is precisely what brings us here today. Join us as we dive right in to check out what Odyssey did better than Sunshine, as well as what it didn’t manage to improve.
10 Was: The Hub World
Isle Delfino is an interesting world design, especially since it does such a wonderful job of incorporating water into literally every aspect of every level. The hub world of Delfino Plaza especially sticks out and is often cited as being the best hub world in the Super Mario series.
This is because it feels like an actual bustling town, and there are plenty of side missions available to players.
9 Wasn’t: The Camera Angles
The worst part about Sunshine and one of the prime reasons some of the levels are so difficult is the camera. While you can move the camera around, it tends to always move itself back to the worst possible angle. Sometimes, you won’t even be able to see Mario himself.
This makes the secret levels an absolute nightmare and spoils otherwise fun parts of the game.
8 Was: F.L.U.D.D.
The Gamecube brought with it a generation of innovative concepts. Luigi got a haunted mansion and a vacuum weapon while Mario got a tropical paradise and a water jet. F.L.U.D.D is a talking water nozzle that gives Mario the ability to clean up evil goop and subdue shadow figures.
It even comes with upgrades like a rocket nozzle and turbo nozzle to help you zoom around the map.
7 Wasn’t: Secret Levels
The secret levels in Sunshine were universally hated by players. In most levels, Shadow Mario would steal F.L.U.D.D, leaving Mario to work with a janky move set. Oftentimes a combination of unrefined controls combined with a horrible camera angle would destroy players’ chances at winning.
It also didn’t help that many of the levels had a bad design in general.
6 Was: The Bosses
One thing that players hold fond memories of is the bosses from the game. The very first level has you fighting Petey Pirhana, who needs to be gorged with water to defeat. Later on, you take on a ridiculously hard manta ray and a sleepy Wiggler that rampages around a beach resort.
Many of the bosses are now fan-favorite enemies, and some have their own plushies.
5 Wasn’t: The Stagnant Levels
There where several levels in the game, like Ricco Harbor, that mostly fell flat. Even the amusement park themed level had lackluster shine sprites. This left many players without fond memories of the game. A game’s job is to be fun and Sunshine can just feel tedious to get through.
Odyssey, in comparison, has vibrant areas full of creative enemies and moons.
4 Was: Mario Villified
Gamers everywhere know that Mario has a dark side, especially when you look at how he treats his brother. In Isle Delfino, though, we see Mario actually treated like a villain. This is an incredibly fresh and interesting take on the character, to say the very least of it!
While the things he was charged with are bogus, it’s still nice to see that the plumber can’t hide from justice.
3 Wasn’t: The Game’s Length
Gamers who replay through the game have noticed it’s really short. Most of the levels can be unlocked around the time you have twenty shine sprites. There are also only seven main areas, with Corona Mountain being entirely dedicated to the final fight with Bowser and Bowser Jr.
While there are 120 stars, many are just found in the eight red coin missions tagged on to the end of each level.
2 Was: The Islanders
The species that you can find wandering around the game are creative. Both the Pinatas and the Nokis are wonderful creatures and follow great design choices. Players love the fact that you get to directly interact with them and learn small bits about how their daily lives operate.
While this hyper-focus doesn’t leave room for any other species, it does a great job of building lore.
1 Wasn’t: The Episode Approach
The episodic approach to stars was thrown out with Odyssey, and it’s actually a good thing. Having to constantly re-enter levels after each star has always been a wee bit annoying. In Odyssey, you can collect moons without worrying about being interrupted every time you complete a segment of the area.
This helps make the game feel more streamlined and doesn’t break up your gameplay with frustratingly pointless breaks.
NEXT: Nintendo: The 10 Best Super Mario 64 Courses, Ranked
