Mario's foray into the new generation is not a revolution, but rather an evolution. Mario makes his solo appearance in a huge adventure game which borrows a lot from his previous adventure (and revolutionary game) Super Mario 64. Mario is packed with new moves, levels and FLUDD, a water gun/backpack which he must use to save the princess and the beautiful island of Delfino.
From the get go you start by getting FLUDD. With it you basically go around from stage to stage. FLUDD is used by Mario to not only navigate the levels but also to defeat enemies and bosses. Some moves from Super Mario 64 make a return and Mario gets some new moves as well. The stages are unbelievably huge. The stages are also open to let the player complete it in more ways than a single way. FLUDD is actually a very neat idea. By incorporating it into the game, it opens up many new ways for one to complete tasks. There are some interesting new enemies as well, some of which require basic world knowledge to beat (i.e., water and electricity don't mix). There also some classic type Mario stages in which you lose FLUDD and most complete the level without it. But the game does fall short in some key areas. The first being the camera, which is fine most of the time but sometimes it just doesn't show the best point of view. The huge stages also have a problem, it feels tedious going through them if you fail at a mission. The game is very challenging (probably the hardest Mario game ever) which is good, but it will definitely turn off most players. And this is probably the first Mario game that isn't easy to pick up and play. Luckily, the game is very long… at least 20 hours to beat and probably 30+ to get all 120 Shines.
The game looks very good. Instead of having super detailed everything, Nintendo create huge levels which is better for gameplay. There are some great character and level designs and some great special effects. The water effects are probably the best in any game. There are some nice, tropical scenes. The game runs fairly smoothly but there is some major slowdown at times. And the few FMVs are very poor.
The game sounds fairly nice. Good use of special effects and surround. There is voice acting which isn't bad. The music is fitting but the tropical theme isn't really my favorite.
There is a story to this game but it's pretty bad. Mario and Peach go to vacation to isle Delfino. But Delfino has been vandalized and everyone thinks it's Mario who did it. And then Peach gets kidnapped (who didn't see that one?). So now Mario must clean up the place and get back the shine spirits which are the essence of the island.
Final words: A great game for more advanced players, which sadly lacks the easy pick up and play that Mario is known for.
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