Finally, the wait is over. After 6 long years, we have a new Mario platformer. So, was it worth the wait? I definitely think so. I've only been able to put in about 3 hours so far, and have received about 12 shines, but every one of those minutes was spent having a really good time.

The opening cut scene works really well. Mario, Peach, and an older Toad fly into the island, only to be faced with a little messy problem. After helping out a little bit, Mario is charged as a criminal, sentenced to cleanup, and the adventure begins. From there, you're on your own to explore the hub.

My first impressions once I really started playing were "Wow...this is really great. Easy control, fun jumps and slides, and great color!" I'm still in that mind set, although the game isn't failing to impress me every time I jump into a new level, or find a new thing to do. From the different jumps, wall kicks, and water pack options, everything seems pretty fluid.

That's not to say the game is a walk in the park. I've found myself already in some difficult positions. None of them, however, have been unenjoyable. Playing around to figure out how to do things, or beat a certain boss have a definite fun appeal to them. Some of the situations are difficult purely because I don't know a lick of Japanese, but the game is really not made just for kids, as some people might think.

Frame rates seem to be consistent for the most part. I haven't experienced any slowdown yet, and there has been times where there has been plenty of moving objects on the screen at one time. All of the animations are great, including the classic idle animation, where eventually Mario falls asleep after waiting for you taking too long to take a pizza out of your oven. Other subtle animations such as birds flying around your head when you're higher up in the skies, look fantastic.

Speaking of high up in the sky, one of my main downers about Mario 64 was not being able to see far enough in some levels to figure out where I was going next. The 8 red coins are back in Sunshine, so it's nice to be able to work your way up to a high point, survey the area, and figure out how to access all the red coins you might have missed. The draw distance makes it very easy to enjoy the surroundings.

One of the best parts of Super Mario Sunshine has to be the music. New tunes, to remixed classics, the soundtrack rocks. Sound effects sound great as well. Jumps, kicks, splorches, growls, and beyond, it all sounds great on my speakers. All of the cut scenes are in English voices, so it's very easy to follow along with the story, and laugh at the dialog. It's not the best voice acting in the world, but it does the job well.

All in all, I can't wait to play the rest of Sunshine. The game is really drawing me in, beckoning me to keep playing and collecting more shines. I have no doubts that anyone with a modded Gamecube should order a copy of this game right now. It's Mario, that's reason enough to import it. Add on the fact that it's a solid game, with tons of fun and surprises, and you've got every reason on earth to get this game as soon as possible!