Sunshine wasn't good enough for a Mario game. Specifically, it wasn't as good as Mario 64, which is hidden at... what is it again, number 4 overall on gamerankings with 19 reviews (one less than the arbitrary minimum)? That should tell you something.

It's a bit like saying Twilight Pricess was a bad game because it wasn't as good as Ocarina of Time. Except Twilight Princess is actually better than Ocarina in many ways, it just isn't as revolutionary, and thus a bit of a let down. People may bitch a lot about these games, about how they wanted them even better. But don't you for a second think they're not great games all the same. They just have gigantic shoes to fill.

Besides, all we've seen from Mario Galaxy tells us it is highly likely it will be the best pure 3D platformer ever.  Period. Maybe that's not deserving of a perfect 10 anymore for a lot of people anymore. But that's just sad.

Here is how I view the Mario games:

1. Super Mario Bros.: 10/10
2. Super Mario Bros. 2: 10/10
3. Super Mario Bros. 2 U.S.A.: 6/10
4. Super Mario Bros. 3: 10/10
5. Super Mario Land: 10/10
6. Super Mario Land 2: 10/10
7. Super Mario World: 10/10
8. Super Mario 64: 10/10
9. Super Mario Sunshine: 10/10
10. New Super Mario Bros.: 10/10
11. Super Mario Galaxy: 10/10?

Super Mario Bros. 2 U.S.A. is the worst one of them all. Super Mario Sunshine, I think, is the greatest Mario game ever! Hopefull, Super Mario Galaxy will top it. I hate Super Mario Bros. 2 U.S.A. It's a fake. It's just a big, fat fake!

Actually, you are wrong, there have been two Mario games since Super Mario 64, which are Super Mario Sunshine, and New Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Sunshine got better reviews than New Super Mario Bros. According to Game Rankings, there are only three 3D platformers better than Super Mario Sunshine; Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Rayman 2: The Great Escape (Dreamcast), and Super Mario 64. Why do people keep bashing Super Mario Sunshine. It's good, and it's by far, more of a Mario game, than Super Mario Bros. 2 U.S.A. ever was!

 You are now my enemy. I hate you with every little koopa braincell oozing out of my nostrils. I madly want to fling icing at you and then take away the cake. That's how bad it is. Uhh, well. Sorry bout that. I'll clean up.

1. Super Mario Bros.: 10/10 (perfect because anyone could play it)
2. Super Mario Bros. 2: 9/10 (not enough of an improvement over SMB)
3. Super Mario Bros. 2 U.S.A.: 8/10 (this game is great, even though it is not a 100% Mario game)
4. Super Mario Bros. 3: 10/10 (still the best 2d Mario)
5. Super Mario Land: 7/10 (this game just didn't offer enough and the control was too weak for me)
6. Super Mario Land 2: 9/10 (much better than SML)
7. Super Mario World: 10/10 (almost as good as SMB3)
extra. Super Mario All-Stars 10/10 (the best deal in videogame history)
8. Super Mario 64: 10/10 (I found this game very hard because of the poor camera angles)
9. Super Mario Sunshine: 8/10 (this game just isn't as exciting as most Marios)
10. New Super Mario Bros.: 9/10 (too short and easy)
11. Super Mario Galaxy: 10/10? (maybe the best Mario ever)

I'm aware that mario2 usa was a fake, but I personally think it was a great game. Very strange game indeed, but I loved it when I was a kid. Still do when I go back and play it. I know I'm probably alone on this, but i liked it more than mario3.

mario 2 usa i think was a pretty good game, i remember liking it decently as a kid. but i could never get into it all that much. mario sunshine is grossly underrated based on the opinions i'm seeing on here. if you look at it objectively and not in comparison to other mario games then it is amazing. compared to other mario games it is not quite as good, but that in no way means it's bad or anything less than very good. i think most people just expected another revolution in gaming like with mario 64, but those kind of games are very rare. Mario bros 1 was revolutionary, as was mario bros 3 and mario 64. galaxy might do it again. and while the two snes mario games were amazing like sunshine they just added and improved things rather than taking a revolutionary step, but it doesn't mean they are bad.

the water pack was a cool new twist in how you had to manipulate yourself mid air and use bursts of water to change your jumps and whatnot. it added new platforming techniques. but because you always had to have the water pack except for those little bonus stages it was also missing a lot of the mario feel from all the previous games. it was a nice departure from the classic mario but at the same time they didn't include enough from what we know and love in mario games. anyway, i'd rate them like this:

super mario bros. 10/10
super mario bros. 2 usa 7/10
super mario bros. 3 10/10
super mario world 10/10
super mario world 2 9/10
super mario 64 10/10
super mario sunshine 9/10

i haven't played the lost levels (but soon will once i get it on the VC) so i didn't rate that. from what i've read and seen for mario galaxy i think its gonna be for 3D marios what smb3 was for 2D. i cannot wait to get my hands on galaxy.

 Congratulations on your new job at gamespot

if fkusumot looks anything like the guy on his avatar, i completely understand his response (aka on drugs, alcohol and all that)