My Month with Super Mario Sunshine, Part 4

Considering my initially negative reaction to Super Mario Sunshine, I think it's pretty amazing that I lived up to my promise and played it throughout the month of April.

Even more amazing: I'm still playing it, and I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. I doubt I'll write about it after today, though--outside of an eventual "Great Gaymathon" review, I mean--so I thought I'd wrap things up with a post about the five aspects of this GameCube title that I've come to love the most. Here they are:

1. The secret stages--Everyone seems to say these FLUDD-less levels are by far the best in the game. I don't entirely agree with that (because I think a number of the "regular" ones are stellar, too), but I definitely agree they're pretty great. Sure, they make my palms sweat as much as any other game I've ever played, but that just adds to the ecstasy I feel when I finally conquer one.

2. "The Sand Bird is Born"--Speaking of sweaty palms, when I first encountered this Gelato Beach stage, I was pretty sure I'd never beat it. That was OK with me, though, as the idea of playing it over and over and over again brought me more joy than you can imagine. What can I say? There's something magical about a level that takes place on the back (and side) of a soaring bird made of blocks of sand. 

3. "The Wilted Sunflowers"--I wasn't sure if I should include this stage or the "Wiggler Ahoy" one from Gelato Beach when I started writing this post a few days ago. Because I already covered Gelato Beach in the bullet point above, I decided to go with this one, which is part of Pinna Park. Plus, it involves toppling egg-shelled turtles in order to revive wilted sunflowers. That said, I consider both of them to be surprisingly (and pleasantly) unique takes on the "boss battle" formula. 

4. Noki Bay--As much as I love Gelato Beach and Pinna Park, I'm pretty sure Noki Bay is the first world in Super Mario Sunshine that quite literally caused my jaw to drop. To say it's gorgeous is like saying Peach's voice (particularly in this game) is grating. By the way, if the designers and programmers at Nintendo could pull this kind of thing off all the way back in the early 2000s, I'm pretty sure they'll be able pull off some similarly amazing things with the Wii U in the coming years.

5. Yoshi--Yes, Yoshi's inclusion in Super Mario Sunshine is, for the most part, pointless. (Or so I've been told--I'm not sure I'm far enough into the game to say that myself with any assurance.) Still, I'm glad someone pushed for him to be included, as I find riding the little fella around Delfino Plaza to be a joy unto itself.

I know some of you are big fans of Super Mario Sunshine. If that aptly describes you, what are some of your favorite aspects of this summery three-dimensional platformer?

See also: previous 'Bye-Bye, Backlog' posts

My Month with Super Mario Sunshine, Part 3

If you follow me on Twitter, you likely already know that I've had at least a slight change of heart when it comes to Super Mario Sunshine.

Oh, the wonky camera still makes me want to throw my WaveBird controller against the nearest wall with alarming regularity, as do the game's annoyingly vague directives, but I've also come to accept (if not embrace) those quirks in an effort to experience as much of this GameCube title as possible before the month is up.

Anyway, getting back to my newly softened view of Super Mario Sunshine and what prompted it, may I present Exhibit A:



Honestly, as soon as I was plopped onto the roller-coaster car that first appears around the 2:30 mark in the video above I was pretty sure I was going to love this level. Well, not only did I love it, but it almost single- handedly revitalized my interest in the entire adventure. I mean, if I can encounter such a wonderful stage at this early-ish point in the game, what other surprises await further down the road?

Also helping, of course, is that I'm doing my best to be patient and to take my time as I work my way through Super Mario Sunshine's many challenges.

Does that mean I'm going to finish this sucker before April turns into May? I kind of doubt it, but at the moment I'm planning to continue playing it past that point regardless--which I consider to be quite an accomplishment considering my initial impressions (read them here and here).

My Month with Super Mario Sunshine, Part 2

So, my second week with Super Mario Sunshine is over. How did I do this time around--you know, compared with the disaster that was my first week with Mario's most major GameCube outing?

To tell you the truth, I didn't do much better in week two than I did in week one. In part, that's because all sorts of things once again conspired to keep me from gaming as much as I would have liked. (I'll spare you the details.) It has to be said, though, that it's also due to me just not enjoying this game--for all of the reasons I mentioned in my last Super Mario Sunshine write-up and then some.

Still, I gave it a go and collected a handful of additional Shine Sprites. I only nabbed two of them, though, after turning to videos on YouTube. Before that, I had no idea how I was supposed to accomplish the goals mentioned at the start of each respective stage.

That, in a nutshell, is my biggest problem with this title at the moment. All too often I have no idea where I'm supposed to go or what I'm supposed to do in a given level in order to snatch its precious Shine Sprite.

Before you call me an idiot: I never had this problem with Super Mario 64 or either of the Super Mario Galaxy games. Maybe I'm just trying to run through things too quickly? Or maybe I should better pay attention to the things that are being said to me by the odd-looking residents of Isle Delfino?

Regardless, I'm not quite to the point of giving up on Super Mario Sunshine, although I'll admit to being awfully close to that breaking point. I'd say that if things don't improve appreciably within the next few days, I'm going to move on to something else. Life is too short, in my opinion, to waste time on games that make you want to stomp on your controller until it's a pile of plastic dust.

Speaking of games that produce violent reactions: when I wasn't attempting to play Super Mario Sunshine last week, I attempted to play one of the latest games to hit the 3DS eShop, Game Freak's HarmoKnight.

As flawed as I've found the latter title to be so far (I'll explain in further detail in a "somewhat gay" review of it that'll be published tomorrow), I've enjoyed it more than I've enjoyed Super Mario Sunshine--although even HarmoKnight has made me consider throwing my 3DS against the nearest wall on more than one occasion.

My Month with Super Mario Sunshine, Part 1

At long last, I've started playing through Super Mario Sunshine--a game that was released all the way back in 2002 but which I didn't acquire until a few years ago.

So far, I've only played this tropical-themed, GameCube-based platformer for about three hours. I had hoped to spend a bit more time with it than that in the last week or so, of course, but that's all I was able to devote to it due to an overly busy work schedule and an annoying bout of tendinitis (at least that's what I think it is) in my right arm.

What do I think of Super Mario Sunshine after capturing my first seven "Shine Sprites"? Here are the game's pros and cons as I current see them.

Positives:

FLUDD--Although Mario's water-squirting accessory is far from perfect in my mind, I'm still enjoying tinkering with it. I especially enjoy making use of its hovering capabilities.

Isle Delfino--To be honest, before I began I wasn't sure if I was going to like Super Mario Sunshine's resort-like setting. Those apprehensions flew out the window as soon as I set foot into the title's first real stage ("Road to the Big Windmill"), which is so bright and cheerful that only avowed curmudgeons are likely to find it off-putting. That said, it'll be interesting to see if the atmosphere retains its freshness throughout this adventure or if it becomes a bit stale and repetitive over time.

Non-FLUDD stages--I've lost track of how many people have told me over the years that this game's "secret stages," which don't allow players to use Mario's FLUDD contraption, are its highlight. Given all of that hype, you'd think that I may have found them underwhelming. I haven't. In fact, the break they offer from the Isle Delfino levels has been refreshing so far, as has the "old school" challenge they offer.

Negatives:

A little help, please?--Although I've only played through a couple of Super Mario Sunshine's many stages so far, I've already found myself lost on more than a few occasions. One of those occasions ("Petey Piranha Strikes Back") was due to the title not properly showing me what I was supposed to do (or, rather, where I was supposed to find ol' Petey), while another ("Red Coins of Windmill Village") was due to me being unable to discern the location of an unearthed Shine Sprite. Granted, I'm usually against games doing too much to hold a player's hand, but in this case I think a bit more could be done to let someone know

Playing blind--As much as I've been annoyed by the above-mentioned situation so far, it's nothing compared to his one, which centers on Super Mario Sunshine's often-wonky camera. Especially frustrating for me has been attempting to jump from the ground or a roof or a wall onto one of the game's many tightropes, although attempting to race along the tops of said walls and roofs can be just as trying.

Given all of the above, what's my current consensus of this GameCube "classic"? Sadly, I have to say that I'm finding it more annoying and less enjoyable than I imagined I would before I booted it up for the first time.

That's mainly because of all of the problems I'm having with its camera, though, so hopefully I'll come to terms with that aspect of the game in time. (If not, don't be surprised if this series of posts ends with me sharing that I've put my trusty WaveBird controller through our TV or one of our walls.)

Now that I've had my say, what do all of you think of this game--and my impressions of it so far?

See also: previous 'Bye-Bye, Backlog' posts

My Month with Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, Part 3

Hold on to your hats, folks, as what I'm about to say may just may blow them of your pretty little heads. I ... have ... finished one of my "Bye-Bye, Backlog" games!

I finished it--Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, that is--yesterday, in fact.

And when I say I finished it, I don't just mean that I beat the final boss; I also mean that I rescued all 100 of my slime-napped friends.

As for how long it took me to accomplish this feat: putting the game's antagonist, Don Clawleone, in his place, once and for all, pushed my playthrough past the 20-hour mark.

This post nearly wasn't so celebratory, by the way. That's because I was this close to giving up on Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime early in the week--after I became hopelessly stuck on a specific late-in-the-game tank battle.

I sped around that bump in the road after re-tooling my tank and re-configuring my crew, though, and then gleefully raced through the rest of this wonderfully captivating game.



Or maybe I should say "through the fight with the final boss," as the game never really seems to end. (A handful of side quests and a "Tank Masters Tournament" can be completed after the credits roll, plus every stage and tank battle can be re-played to your heart's content.)

Unsurprisingly, I'm still playing the game, even though there are no more slimes to rescue and no more tanks to beat to smithereens (well, other than those that are part of the Tank Masters Tournament). That's how much it has wormed it's way into my heart.

I'm going to continue enjoying Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime--and Fire Emblem: Awakening (which I have to sheepishly admit I've yet to start)--through the end of this coming week, and after that I'll switch to my next "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection, which at the moment I'm thinking either will be Half-Minute Hero (PSP) or Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube).

In the meantime, feel free to share your heartfelt opinions of Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime in the comments section below.

See also: Previous 'Bye-Bye Backlog' posts

My Month with Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, Part 1

I thought I'd take a more straightforward approach to this month's "Bye-Bye, Backlog" follow-up posts. For instance, here are a few stats related to my playthrough of Square Enix's Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, which was released for the DS in late 2006:

* So far, I've played the game for just about three and a half hours.
* In that time, I've saved 24 of my kidnapped (slimenapped?) buddies.
* I've only opened up two locations: Forewood Forest and Tootinschleiman's Tomb.
* Unfortunately, I can't remember how many of the game's tank-on-tank battles I've experienced up to this point, although I want to say I've completed four or five.

Other than that, what do I like and what do I hate about Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime right now? Actually, I can't say I hate any part of it. On the contrary, I like pretty much every aspect of this adorable overhead action-puzzler.

My favorite aspect has to be the core gameplay, which mainly involves slamming into enemies (with the titular Rocket's "Elasto Blast" move), popping them into the air and then catching them on your back (or should I say head?). That captured baddies can be stacked--three high--and tossed at their cohorts is the icing on this pixelated cake.

That only makes up a portion of Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime's gameplay, though; with the other part consisting of the above-mentioned tank-on-tank battles. Surprisingly (to me, at least), I'm not enjoying these sequences as much as I'm enjoying the overworld (for lack of a better word) ones. Too often they feel like a chaotic mess, with me flinging bullets and rocks and whatnot at the enemy tank without much rhyme or reason. Maybe I'm just missing some heretofore strategic element of these encounters?

Other than that one stumbling block, though, I'm having a lot of fun with this game and I'm very much looking forward to unlocking additional locations and rescuing more of my slime buddies. As such, expect me to put another few hours into the game this week and look for me to publish a second "My Month with Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime" next Monday (if not before).

See also: Previous posts related to the 'Bye-Bye, Backlog' project

My Month with Chulip, Parts 2 and 3

I know my previous post about my month-long playthrough of this quirky PS2 game was called "'Bye-Bye, Backlog' diary entry #1: Chulip (PS2)" and, as such, as this one should be titled "'Bye-Bye, Backlog' diary entry #2 and 3: Chulip (PS2)," but I decided late last week that header was a bit too unwieldy and as a result changed it to the one you see above. Anyway, I'm sorry if that confused any of you.

I'm also sorry I didn't publish this post last week as I promised I would at the start of this project. I would have, I swear, but the fact is my lone PS2 memory card decided to give up the ghost shortly after I began playing Chulip earlier this month. Thankfully, I was able to replace it on Tuesday, and I restarted my playthrough the very same day.

Since then, I've spent about 10 hours with this overwhelmingly odd game. The question is: am I still enjoying it? I'd say so, yes, although I'd also say I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would after I wrapped up my first hour-long experience with it.

Before I get to why that is, I'd like to mention a few of things that keep me coming back to Chulip despite the fact that I'm feeling a little let down by it at the moment.

* First, I love Chulip's weird-to-the-point-of-being-unsettling character designs. Although I usually prefer games that feature a more uniform art style, I think this one's mix-and-match aesthetic is a perfect fit for its overall "feel" (which, for me, is the video game equivalent of a David Lynch film).

* Speaking of unsettling, does any other word better describe the looping, lo-fi voice snippets that accompany every conversation the game's pint-sized protagonist has with his many (strange-looking) neighbors? I certainly can't think of one. (Don't take that to be a complaint, by the way. I actually find the voice snippets to be pretty funny--albeit a bit creepy, too.)