35. Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario decides to take a break from the hectic life of a hero and travel to Delfino Island for some much needed relaxation. The game itself also feels like a destination different from the usual Mario adventures. Levels, usually seperated by elements (fire/ice/desert ect.) or Geographical locations (caves/lakes/castles etc.) are now all contained on the single island, so you always feel a sense of sameness when traversing the different areas. There's much more to collect now too, with the blue coins populating the levels (and hidden quite deviously I may add) along with Shine Sprites. And besides Mario, Yoshi, and the Mushroom Kingdom royalty... there's very little here that reminds you of anything you've seen before in the Mario games... which is both refreshing and yet somewhat disappointing. All this leads to a final battle with Bowser who appears out of nowhere... and is really big. I still scratch my head whenever I think of that final boss battle...
Despite all this, this game falls at number 35 because of its wonderful platforming elements and sense of fun and adventure that is the core of all Mario games. FLUDD is a great asset to Mario's already legendary platforming skills, and the two work together for some incredibly fun gameplay (Although I must say... I actually loved the FLUDD-less obstacle courses the most...). Level design is top notch, music is wonderful, and the game is a lot of fun under the sun. While Sunshine is a vacation from the other Mario games, it still shines bright. Shine get!
