Mario Sunshine [for Japan anyway] is the official title for the next installment of the superb and highly praised Mario series. Like in the Nintendo 64 incarnation of the Mario series you are able to jump all over the place, 'U-turn' jumps, wall jumps, and some other tricks Mario has up his sleeve are all available to you and at your disposal. In the video shown at Nintendo's annual SpaceWorld show they displayed a non-interactive demo of in-game footage. In that footage it showed Mario with an odd contraption on his back while he was traversing a very unusual and different environment to the Mario series. Mario was walking through an urban setting that would be more suited to a Sonic adventure game. The contraption on his back looked to not require Mario to hold it with his hands when not in use, so that means it leaves you to do things from punching potential enemies to picking up objects. The contraption has a spout that goes somewhat over Mario's head and faces outward from him, most likely for spraying some kind of substance out, my guess is water.

The music played during the video sounded like more of an upbeat, or remixed version of the traditional Mario theme song, which personally I quite love. It also sounded slightly tropical, the setting that was shown with the music was a city near the beach, like a tropic kind of environment. That may explain the reason the music sounded slightly 'tropical' or perhaps that will be the new theme for Mario, at this point I can not be fully sure.

The graphics were stunningly good, running at a constant sixty frames per second with no noticeable slowdown and with no noticeable 'jaggies'. Even when being chased by a giant two-legged creature, or running past a group of perhaps-friendly blue colored locals, or even when Mario did his great-looking jumps from side-to-side-to-roof of a close building. The environment that Mario was struggling through was so vast, detailed and just great looking that it could amaze Sony fanboys. Mario is detailed as expected, and it really shows Mr. Miyamoto and the rest of the guys at Nintendo's detail to attention. During one of Mario's idle animations, one when he wipes the sweat from his brow, it shows the sweat from his forehead be flung outwards to the ground as Mario breathes deeply. If you look at Mario's face when his emotions change you will be in for a treat nice, Mario has facial animations that can precisely tell you how Mario is feeling from one point in the game to the other. The shadows from buildings, trees and other inanimate objects are rock solid, they are sharp, crisp and very clear to look at, with the real-time lighting effects and reflections this game is set to impress.

The gameplay looks to continue the legacy of the Mario series quite well. It has all the fun of the previous Mario games and has new added features that will set the bar higher than ever before for the Mario series, a vast, new, and exciting environment means great fun all around. There is not much more I can add to this, its another Mario game, expect the best and get greater. The odd contraption that Mario seems to carry everywhere only adds to ability of Mr. Miyamoto to take what gamers expect and want, and turn it into what we desire and dream.