Another Mario review, and this one might just be the most underrated game in the series…

Yes, this gem of a game for the GameCube – Super Mario Sunshine. In my opinion, it’s very overlooked and underrated by even the most hardcore of  Mario gamers. (Though the game did sell 5.5 million copies…) It is bright and colorful, but best of all, it has that classic Mario platforming style – with a twist. Instead of just running and jumping around various levels, you have to use  your water pack (FLUDD) to reach new heights, obtain certain objects and overcome obstacles. Along the way, you must clean up Isle Delfino where a mysterious Mario-like entity has vandalized every inch of the once-beautiful tourist trap. It’s been compared to Super Mario 64, and often these comparisons rule in favor of the genre-defining N64 classic. Not to say Mario 64 is bad, bu it’s really too bad that a game this good is overlooked. Come on, it’s a freaking Mario game! One of my favorites, without a doubt. I give this game a 9/10 because even though it is wonderful and every self-respecting Nintendo geek should get the chance to play it, Super Mario Galaxy remains the better game. (I still love you Sunshine!)

And as a bonus, here’s a recent review of the game done by MN12BIRD:

I’ve blogged about MN12BIRD of YouTube before – he posts video reviews about anything from video games to old radios. The last time I mentioned him was a post about his review of Star Fox 64. Now he’s reviewing the Game Boy Color, a system near and dear to my heart. I’m going to take advantage of this post and reminsce about our beloved Game Boy Color:

The first game I got for it was Pokemon Gold. I still have the game and works fine except for the fact that it no longer saves (though my copy of Pokemon Crystal fills the hole in my heart with its working battery.) I remember not knowing how to get out of the starting house! It’s a good thing I had a grandfather who suggested trying to walk out the door. It worked! Gold was the primary game in the cartridge slot of my GBC, I rarely went anywhere without my copy if I had the GBC with me – it was almost permanently stuck in the slot – and that wasn’t a bad thing. Usually regarded as the best entry in the Pokemon series (alongside the two other Gen II games), Pokemon Gold featured color graphics, more Pokemon and a long story stretching across two regions, Johto and Kanto. Never since have you been able to travel to an old region from a previous Pokemon game. It’s too bad, and many wish that Nintendo remakes the GSC games. I hope so too.

Like any other Nintendo addict, you can not have just one game. My second game was Super Mario Bros. DX, a remake of the NES classic (though I didn’t realize it at the time.) Adding more features like Game Boy Printer functionality and the real version of Super Mario Bros. 2, SMB DX was a great experience through and through. Among the new features is a calendar. Since for some reason SMB DX has a better battery than Gold, I can still access saved dates like “get Nintendogs: Lab Edition when it comes out!”, proving that I played it for years.

I had the so-called “Atomic Purple” version of the Game Boy Color, the one where you can see the insides of. That was just so cool! All things must pass, so I eventually traded in my beloved GBC for a transparent Game Boy Advance (I just couldn’t give it up completely). I only wish Nintendo would continue making transparent systems – how cool would it be to look through your DS, GameCube or Wii? For some reason, I don’t have my original GBA either. Which sucks. I must’ve traded it in to save up for a DS Phat.

I know for a fact that I’m not the only one with memories of playing the GBC (or any Nintendo system for that matter), so why not share yours in the comments section?

I’ve already posted about the YouTube user MN12BIRD who does very interesting reviews on games, systems and even old radios, cars and computers. His latest is a review of Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo 64, which was released on July 1, 1997 in the U.S. and later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on April 2, 2007 for 1000 Wii Points.

MN12BIRD has been a member of YouTube since 2007 and has uploaded over 100 videos, most of them relating to videogames. From reviews of the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo GameCube to gameplay footage of Star Fox 2 and Super Mario 64. Anyways, I’ve been watching his videos for quite some time and I find them to be both enjoyable and informative. I highly recommend you watch at least one of his videos. Here’s his latest: