Super Mario Sunshine Comments by Tom Bramwell

"If you're popular (which I wasn't), you have kids hanging out with you who don't really care about you, just care about status."

You weren't popular but you somehow know that popular people's friends don't care about them but status? Oh please. You shouldn't act like you know about something you never took part in.

It was an example for a metaphore....and I pointed it out...yup...
Were you popular....let me know how it was, hmm.
/listens carfully and takes notes/
:P

Aye Killerbee 24 runs in at 18hrs. Apparently Keifer Sutherland has suggested they film the new series without the adverts since he saw the British version and said it was a lot better without ads.


Afaik, the US version will run without ads, and will be sponsored instead, as the public seemed to agree with Keifer there.

I would have got SMS today, but seeing as my birthday is next week, it seems better to wait, making my birthday that it more special. But I have Blade and Blade II on DVD to keep me going (£16.99 for Blade II with Blade for free from game.uk.com, offer since expired)

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Augh!! /runs to rescue pile of Marie Claires from bin/

Azule-haha.

Very poor metaphor.

TerminalTerror - Blockbuster are doing a deal were you get Blade for something like £7 on DVD if you buy Blade 2.

BTW. I picked up a Dreamcast in Tesco last night for £25 - it looks like they are clearing out the stock.

Otto, it took me 3 days to fix this room once, mind you I spent about 6 hours perfecting the distribution of plugs to multi-plug adapters (2x 5 bar 1x6 bar all full), the hiding of network cabling to other PCs, rooms and even my PS2, and finally wire ties for all my PC cables that were too long for their given task.

Then of course there is sorting out the 70 or so DVDs (not quite on the level of Gestalts uber collection) into Alphabetical order in the freshly built Ikea floor stander, then the 200 or so CDs into the other same sized Ikea shelving unit only to find you had more CDs than you first suspected so you need to move letters S to Z onto another set of shelves. Then realising you have no where to put books and gadgets and so you end up with something as untidy as before, but in a different layout.

Oh yes, got 7 shines now. Glad I bought that mem card 251 from game yesterday, I only had 6 blocks left on the 59.

TerminalTerror - Blockbuster are doing a deal were you get Blade for something like £7 on DVD if you buy Blade 2.

BTW. I picked up a Dreamcast in Tesco last night for £25 - it looks like they are clearing out the stock.


Thanks, but unless they are selling Blade 3 for £10 (unlikely) then game's offer was better.

Might look into that dreamcast offer, thanks for the info

Just got my first shine - im really enjoying the game, i thought i had grown out of mario but i couldn't help wanting to explore every nook and cranny of the game worlds, graphics are lovely. screenshots really dont do it justice.

Well I was so pleased with myself for getting to IKEA and buying all the bits & pieces I needed by 11am that I treated myself to SMS and a memory 251 card from the shop next door. Suffice it to say that not one Billy bookshelf has been built since. LOL. I just stuck it on to take a quick look at it and the next couple of hours just sort of vanished somewhere. Spouse not happy. Two shines down but lots of exploring done - it's bloody ace. I love the way there's lots to do above & beyond just following the main plot. Don't like the camera controls but that's about the only grumble - so far.

Had it since 3pm, its now.. erm.. 7, and i only have 11 shines, is this game difficult or am i losing my touch?

platform levels are a big fidgety, adding the ghosts which come and knock you off is just adding insult to injury.. great game, the water effects are lovely even if the cut-scenes are FMV renditions of in-game graphics (notice the compression artifacts)

It is hard isn't it?

Only got 7 shines so far but enjoying it a lot. It's tricky but (so far) never frustrating - there's always something else to go and do.

To be honest I never liked the old Mario games (I don't care wahat anyone else says - Marios 1,2 and 3 stink).

I've already beaten the game.

Mario games are always good and this one was no different. This just wasn't a very big jump in the series-- at all. It's obvious that this was originally a N64 game. And I kinda wish they would have left out the water-pack all together-- it becomes kind of annoying later in the game. The new Zelda OwnZ the new Mario, though. Can't wait for that one.

well thats me wrapped up for the day, first day and i've got a grand total of 17 shines. got my mits on Yoshi but im not to sure what the point of having him is yet. I find the puzzles really frustrating, you know.. where you defeat a boss and it takes you to a bonus level which you must complete before losing all your lives, without the back-pack mario is rather limited in moves compared to Mario64 and i find it all a bit stressfull, the worlds a joy to explore however - its fun just noseying around for blue coins.

the blurring effect is annoying, hurts my eyes as im normally always focused on an area in the distance rather than mario himself and therefore always looking at blurry objects. its neat in a way as far away objects "could" be coins.. u need to get in close to see, but my eyes!!! :(

I got it on Wednesday, and enjoying every bit of it. 84 shines down.... those blue coins are horribly well hidden!

Mario Sunshine is probably yhe best platformer I've played in ages, and definitely the best one for the GameCube. For the next 2-3 years, if not longer. :)

But, eh... I'm curious. My SMS case is purple (Versus the normal black coloring) and I didn't get a Nintendo VIP registration card with it, either. Anyone had the same problem?

I got this yesterday from Amazon and I haven't even played it yet.My six year old step-son has taken over and can't stop playing it.

Damn

Purple Case and I got a VIP card in it.

Do you only get VIP cards in actual Nintendo developed games, my Star Wars doesn't have one and monkey ball is on loan so didn't look.

I did however register all the ones I had on the website, I can now "buy" loads of piss poor screensavers and stuff.

I was hoping for something like the japanese dreamcast rewards system, you got so many points for a game and you could buy more games when you got enough.

platform levels are a big fidgety, adding the ghosts which come and knock you off is just adding insult to injury..

Yeh, what the FooK is up with those?? How the hell am I supposed to kill the bastards? I've been trying to do the third port-level for AGES now, and they keep knocking me down into the water as I get close to the big yellow cage-thingy. Any tips?`Maybe I'll just go look at Gamefaqs...

Listen for the sound cues, when you hear it attack press jump and you should dodge it.

Gamesbitch, are you ever going to register?

Oh really... Ok... Oh darn, now I gotta go try that. Cue no sleep for me. :)

Now I have to try and get the shine after that the one where you have no pack and have to jump on all those turning planks of wood. If anyone found that level easy I take my hat off to you, its driving me up the wall.

Yeah.... I turned the GC off in anger after losing 5 of my 13 lives... in two minutes. I got to the last section of it once, though... AAARGHH! And I already want to go back abnd try again. :)

I'd prefer the platform sections to have checkpoints after you've picked up a certain amount of extra lives.

I do think the camera is better than SM64 because it generally sticks in the place you want when you've moved it - not drifted around once you'd set it like in SM64.

Well I got about an hours play of this as I had the kids over, but it's sweet.

Camera is a bit of a pain in the arse to be honest, I much prefer the Jak and Daxter method whereby it takes care of itself.

The FLUDD gadget is going to be fun.

I much prefer the Jak and Daxter method whereby it takes care of itself.

I've not played SMS (ngh! must... borrow... Gamecube...) but I agree the Jak & Daxter camera is about the best I've seen in a platformer - it usually picks the best viewing angle and if you need to move it (e.g. to jump across those bridges with the missing planks) you can - and it stays there whilst you complete the manoeuvre. The only annoyance being when you're close to a wall and it sometimes won't look 'outwards'.

had a quick go in Virgin Megastore at the weekend, but the controller was a bit knackered :/
seems very much akin to M64 but with a bit more oomph. which is no bad thing.

What are the weekend impressions of it so far then ??

My gut feeling binky?

Not as good as Jak and Daxter.

But let me give it more time and get back to you on that one!

I'm glad that SMS has got that sense of delight which you often seem to find in Nintendo games. Fludd is fun, as is bouncing needlessly off people's heads and I don't find the camera as annoying as I feared.

I remember reading on gamerankings someone bemoaning the lack of 'memorable' stars. So far (15 shines) I'm not disappointed. The Mecha-bowser set piece was spectacular and the fludd-less platform levels have a charm all of their own (though I'm stuck on the sandbird level - and I don't mind!).

To be critical, I could happily lose the fruit-gathering sections (that's not fun, people) and found on the fairground red coin level a creeping sensation of "Why bother?" So more jumping on people's heads then...

I'll say it here. I don't know if it's appropriate or if anyone gives a shit, but I'll say it anyway.

My fiancee of 2 years has called off our engagement. There's no ill-will, we've just grown apart. I'm going to move down from Scotland back down to Wales as soon as I can.

Heh, I got no one to whinge to me when I get an Xbox now.

:/ erk. hope ur ok, and its good that there's no bad feelings :o

whilst we are diverting. Did Anyone catch PRINCE in Hammersmith this weekend? He was totally awesome!!!

SuperStu, no idea what to say really - just hope everything turns out OK.

Which part of Wales?

Ben Kenobi said..'Now I have to try and get the shine after that the one where you have no pack and have to jump on all those turning planks of wood. If anyone found that level easy I take my hat off to you, its driving me up the wall.'

Remove your headgear now.

Thing with these turning blocks puzzles is that you can just run round them - only jump to get from one block to the next. I found that level easy but it messed with my head. All those blocks rotating at weird angles.. I think that's what H.P.Lovecraft envisaged when he wrote about non-euclidean space.

Which part of Wales?

Caerphilly, about 7 miles outside Cardiff. Home of fucking huge castles and cheese.

I know Caerphilly - its where my parents currently live. Nice views, cheap beer and easy access to Cardiff.

Hang on in there Stu you'll be alright son. We've all been there, it aint easy.

im upto 20 shines now - and i've decided that the cell-shaded cutscenes just look tacky and this is by far the most annoying mario title, still a great game.

IMHO Jak and Daxter is better, but SMS is better than Mario64 as it has slightly more of a plot and less puzzles which is how i like em

Hey Stu, hope you can cope with it and that you're ok. Always a sad thing, even if both agree that one has simply grown apart.

And hey, noone can stop you now when it comes to owning all next-gen consoles! :-)

edit: just saw you said that already - sorry ;)

Sorry to hear about that Stu, I hope everything works out. Will Wales welcome you back though? ;)

Wales had better be ready, there's a fat miserable bastard on his way back there :)

It occured to me this morning. There are minimal police patrol cars up here, there isn't a speed camera within 100 miles of here and there's hardly anyone on the roads.

I seriously need to bring the cruising speed of 90 down a bit for the speed camera-infested city life again.

Shite.

"I seriously need to bring the cruising speed of 90 down a bit for the speed camera-infested city life again."

Good thing then that Burnout2 is in the pipeline, huh? It will certainly work as a compensation.

They have even gone so far as to have speed cameras mobile now, they perch themselves in vans in hot spots and film from there, it is really sneaky and does nothing to actually deter speeding, it is just an excuse to make some money.

Scotland's roads are fantastic as I recall.

The roads here are quite good. You can do the 50 miles from the outskirts of Edinburgh to the outskirts of Glasgow in less than 30 minutes without any problems at all. If it's at night that is, during the day it's a slowly moving car park of a road.

On the subject of Caerphilly and speed cameras, there is a dual carriageway that goes past the aircraft engine refurb factory in Caerphilly which they have stuck a 30mph limit and speed cameras on. They supposedly caught over a 1000 people speeding the first week they put the cameras up.

"keep your chin up... or if you look like the rest of us game/pie addicts.. chins!"

"there's a fat miserable bastard on his way back there"

Lol, two people admitting they are slightly overweight in one single thread. Anyone else, maybe? ;)

I thought the GC was ment to remember you like the 60hz good-ness and stop asking you after a while :P oh well i can't complain. as for splitting up.. i split up with my fiancé for 2 years a few months back, was difficult but by total fluke i've gone and met a really incredible girl who im seeing now :) just hold ur head up high and remember it happens to everybody at some point, better to end it while your still on good terms rather than stretch what you had and end up at each others throats.

ssuelid, I bet there wasn't any prior warning either, I hate the way they do that, it's just to get a bit of extra cash. It does piss me off.

@Unceelou, 6ft and about 13 stone...slightly overweight, yes :)

Good thing then that Burnout2 is in the pipeline, huh? It will certainly work as a compensation.

Indeed! Have you read about Acclaim's latest marketing stunt? Crazy stuff...

Anyway, sorry to hear the news, Stu. I won't bore you with all the generic "make someone feel better" shite ;-), but I hope you feel a bit more cheery soon.

"6ft and about 13 stone"

Er, can you translate this into something we beyond the channel are able to understand?

if i recall, for 6 foot anything between 11-13 stone is healthy, so i wouldn't worry yourself to much.

182.93 height and 85.729ish weight :) Check here for conversion rates. I haven't checked my weight for ages although I think it has gone down of late.