Those secret levels in Mario Sunshine

[FloatOn]

I'm talking about the ones where they rudely take the water pack away from you.

These levels might be the best designed bits of 3d platforming I've ever encountered.

They are also punishing and incredibly frustrating since the margin for error is so low.

Once you do manage to best one it's so satisfying. I do feel that Sunshine would have done well to keep them as optional levels though.

How do you feel about them? Love them? Hate them? Let me know why.

 

[ireadybreakfast]

Best part of the game!

 

[Gambit]

They are by far the best part of Mario Sunshine and, I think, the blueprint for how Mario Galaxy's levels were done later.

Love them.

 

[DynamicG]

Some of my favorite parts and I feel that they, to some degree, inspired or informed the format of Galaxy.

 

[Orioto]

I don't remember them super well but i know i hated them and Mario Galaxy was basically a "they finally got it" moment

 

[DGenerator]

Weird how some of the best parts of the game (minus the chuckstlefucks) involve doing anything but using FLUDD.

 

[Shadow Walker]

Best part of the game and some of my favorite mario levels ever.

 

[Mr.kookalamanza]

I'd love them except I really miss the long jump from Mario 64.
the spin jump just isn't quite the same.

 

[onpoint]

Absolutely loved them. A great test of your abilities and a good change of pace.

 

[Gunny T Highway]

To me the only Secret Level that is a bit unfair and wonky is the Chuckster one. Sometimes even if you are a tiny bit off center they will throw you completely the wrong direction. The rest though are great platform challenges.

 

[XaosWolf]

I enjoy most of them but I enjoy them even more when youo through them again for the red coins and you have FLUDD.

And following these we got Super Mario Galaxy which is all about platforms floating in a void. =D

 

[Unknownlight]

If those courses existed in Odyssey, they would've been placed on the Dark Side of the Moon. Instead they're part of the mandatory path in Sunshine. Interesting seeing how Nintendo's design philosophy has changed over the years.

 

[NotLiquid]

I used to be a Sunshine Poser and regurgitate the same "these levels are the only good part about the game" argument because yeah they're really good

Over the years I've come to accept that it's a small brain take because even the non-secret levels in Sunshine are really good

But yes those levels are really good

 

[Deleted member 20852]

They are fun. Would be more fun with a long jump though.

 

[My Blue Heaven]

"Rudely take the water pack away from you"? lol, i know this is a jest but it has very 'let me speak to your manager' energy.

 

[Tiny Chihuahueño]

Hated them because Mario's controls were not reliable without the jetpack in that game. I specifically remember one stage where you had to stand in some floating rolls, and Mario would fall to his death for no good reason if you happened to stand slightly off center, but nowwhere close to the edge. I remember how many times I died because of that and still pisses me off.

 

[Citizen Rizer]

They're fantastic. Mario is like a Ferrari in that game. If you don't know what you're doing, you'll be flying all over the place, but once you're comfortable with the controls it's so smooth and fun.

 

[Proteus]

If Mario Sunshine was just those levels it would be a superior game.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

I'll go against the grain of this thread and say, nah, didn't like 'em that much. Sunshine's non-FLUDD platforming doesn't feel precise enough to warrant the difficulty of these levels. Plus, "disconnected, boring-looking platforms in a weird Mario-themed void" is not exactly exciting theming.

 

[Homura]

They're one of the reasons why Sunshine is the 2nd best 3D Mario game.

 

[Thera]

I would buy a game being just that. Loved it.

I'd love them except I really miss the long jump from Mario 64.

Click to shrink...

When you play them in order with the collection, it really feels like a downgrade.

 

[mute]

Having them fresh in my memory now reminds me that they are the best thing ever.

 

[ChrizzSTARR]

I hated them so much. When I bought the 3D Anniversary collection, I was expecting to find that it was me just being a bad player as kid.

Nope, still just as frustrating as I remembered. I never got a sense of satisfaction, just a sense of relief that they were finally over.

However, going back WITH the FLUDD to find the 8 red coins was honestly the peak of Mario platforming, even better than Galaxy in my opinion.

 

[Bulebule]

I used to hate them a lot when I first played the game but now I kind of like them quite a bit.. except the one in Noki Bay where you perform a tightrope jump to arrow wall and then jump to side to safety. That's such an one-time jump in an entire game. Also the rotating wooden gears can be little frustrating due to how easily you can slide off them.

 

[Tochtli79]

I used to be a Sunshine Poser and regurgitate the same "these levels are the only good part about the game" argument because yeah they're really good

Over the years I've come to accept that it's a small brain take because even the non-secret levels in Sunshine are really good

But yes those levels are really good

Click to shrink...

This for real.

They weren't as frustrating as I remembered when replaying them on Switch. Maybe it has something to do with having more practice, dunno. I generally found Sunshine isn't as frustrating as it gets called.

 

[Canucked]

I liked them too but the one in the hotel lobby made me stop replaying the game. The camera is just a bit too far and that last jump always gets me. No need for that stress. bye sunshine.

 

[night814]

If those courses existed in Odyssey, they would've been placed on the Dark Side of the Moon. Instead they're part of the mandatory path in Sunshine. Interesting seeing how Nintendo's design philosophy has changed over the years.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I said it in the OT about the stages too; they should have been actual secret in each level and not apart of the needed 7 shines in each stage. They should have showed you one of them in bianco hills and then left it up to you to seek them out.

This for real.

They weren't as frustrating as I remembered when replaying them on Switch. Maybe it has something to do with having more practice, dunno. I generally found Sunshine isn't as frustrating as it gets called.

Click to shrink...

They are tough but forgiving since each has at least one 1up shroom

 

[NeonZ]

If those courses existed in Odyssey, they would've been placed on the Dark Side of the Moon. Instead they're part of the mandatory path in Sunshine. Interesting seeing how Nintendo's design philosophy has changed over the years.

Click to shrink...

Well, Sunshine has more obligatory stars than 64 (you need to complete 7 shines per level in order to get to the final one). They had to stretch the game due to it having so few stages compared to its predecessor.

 

[mopinks]

most of them are pretty good

some of them are much less good

 

[FooF]

I love them but my depth perception sure doesn't

 

[CopyOfACopy]

the best part about finishing them was that you never had to do it again

 

[Deleted member 26156]

Some of them are fun, some of them are a pain. Getting a game over in them is painful though and has made me put down the game multiple times now.

 

[Stoze]

They're hit and miss in terms of design imo - the one that's just a line of sand blocks leading to a sand pyramid is bland, chuckster one is ass, and the one(s) that's just a string of rotating logs and gears isn't very interesting. The ones that are longer and throw in more variation and escalating elements are pretty good though. Outside of the design I still don't think they're that good because they highlight the poor camera controls, funky object and player collision, and samey platforms and flat lighting on objects that hurts depth perception - especially without the FLUDD.

While I do miss the challenge those levels brought, Mario 3D World and Galaxy 2 are basically entire games packed with much better versions of these obstacle course style levels.

 

[Edge]

These levels might be the best designed bits of 3d platforming I've ever encountered.

Click to shrink...

So you never played Galaxy?
Oh boy, that will blow your mind then.

 

[steviestar3]

The timed red coin challenges on those stages where you can use FLUDD are the best missions in the game. They are literally the only platforming sections in Sunshine that require you to skillfully use Mario's full moveset (FLUDD included). It shows how great Sunshine could have been if they didn't drop the ball on level and mission design as hard as they did.

 

[tellNoel]

I used to suck at them as a kid, but thank goodness they're actually a breeze as an adult. Who knew!?

Funny enough, the most difficult level of that nature is the one you have to access using Yoshi and it requires you to use FLUDD to propel downstream on a giant leaf collecting red coins and you cant touch the water or hit the sides... PULL MY HAIR OUT

 

[Stopdoor]

I'm pretty sure the best part of Sunshine is getting high, and unfortunately only like one of these levels has any real vertical ascension, so I'm gonna have to disagree with you OP. But they're pretty alright. I don't even think the chuckster one is that big a deal, like yeah it probably tanks speedruns but if you have patience it's pretty trivial.

 

[mopinks]

I don't even think the chuckster one is that big a deal, like yeah it probably tanks speedruns but if you have patience it's pretty trivial.

Click to shrink...

its greatest crime is not being any fun at all

 

[CaptainK]

I enjoyed messing around in the open worlds with the Fludd, just making my own fun with no real purpose. But a tightly-designed platforming level is sooo good and so satisfying. I think the Galaxies and 3D World do this better, but Sunshine got it started.

 

[KayMote]

I mean... how many of those are there? Around 9-10 - I would say only about 2-3 of them are legitimately challenging, because of being well-designed. The rest is either relatively easy and not really interesting (the first sand secret from Gelato beach for example), only difficult because of the camera (Rico Harbour) or frustrating because of its inherent bullshit mechanics (Chucksters).

 

[Stooge]

I always assumed they were levels from Super Mario 64-2 that never materialized being recycled.

 

[Sagitario]

Super Mario Sunshine walked so Super Mario Galaxy could run.

I really enjoyed them (both with FLUDD and without it), really tight platforming.

 

[smurfx]

Best part of the game!

Click to shrink...

yup i remember playing through them and thinking it would be great to have an entire game like this.

 

[Zeroth]

They're fantastic. Mario is like a Ferrari in that game. If you don't know what you're doing, you'll be flying all over the place, but once you're comfortable with the controls it's so smooth and fun.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, this right there. Mario's movements were so fluid and fast, that's one of the things I was disappointed with in regards to Galaxy, although maybe it's needed for the type of game it tries to be.

 

[Neutra]

I liked them too but the one in the hotel lobby made me stop replaying the game.

Click to shrink...

man fuck this level. can't believe i could get so mad at a Mario game. give me my long jump! :(

 

[oreomunsta]

I'm not a big fan of them

For any level that involves Mario riding on a spinning or rotating cube, the challenge is almost trivialized when you just walk across the surface of the object instead of worrying about timing your jumps

 

[Sadsic]

everything that rotates is not fun to platform on, they are literally easier to just walk on than to actually jump, and like half of the challenges are various rotating things lol

 

[Sir Sonic]

they're so fun and also very stressful.
I think not having any sort of mid-jump to change your trajectory or the ability to long jump, make them a kind of unique levels that no other 3D Mario games have.

 

[Tryptobphan]

I dislike Sunshine, but these special levels were easily the best parts of the game since they actually had challenge and were fun. If you died, you didn't have to reclimb an entire level just to get back to where you were unlike the bigger open world levels. Great stuff, clearly inspirations for the great levels that would be in Galaxy games.

 

[Richietto]

Say what you want about Sunshines scenario design but the level design is on point, especially the fluddless challenges.