Published Aug 19, 2026, 6:35 AM EDT
James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.
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In a series where each new release tends to be universally beloved by the fan base as a whole, Super Mario Sunshine really was spectacularly divisive when it released back in the early 2000s. The game came with what was perceived as a rushed development cycle, and that resulted in a lack of polish and random difficulty spikes that really flummoxed a lot of the people who played it at the time.
That said, the game absolutely had some great ideas and features that are worth mentioning and remembering, from the very interesting movement tools Mario was given to the genuinely lovely setting of Isle Delfino. So, returning to the formula it laid out wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, as long it was executed with the diligence and time that Nintendo is well-known for.
Super Mario Eclipse Is Seriously Impressive
Over on GameBanana, you should be able to find the download page for Super Mario Eclipse, a fan-game that revisits Delfino and overhauls Sunshine in the process. In sharing what fans can expect from the download, the developer shared the following:
"Super Mario Eclipse--the much-anticipated revisit to Delfino--is finally here after a 4 year wait. Likely to be one of the most ambitious Mario fan projects of all time, a journey of pure wonder awaits. 120 returning shines from the game you know and love have been altered for a unique open-world play experience, with enhanced story elements that keep you engaged along the way!"
It really is difficult to overstate just how ambitious this project is, with a ton of new features, quality-of-life changes and general improvements, all of which should make the game considerably better than anything we got back in 2003. The full list of included features is as follows:
- 120 brand-new shines
- 4 playable characters
- New movement mechanics
- Improved game engine
- New and remixed boss fights
- Original soundtrack
- New story with hand-animated cutscenes
- MASSIVE reward for 100% completion
The download is fully feature complete, and the 1.1 version is available as a totally free download from the website above. Just make sure you have a legitimate copy of the game at home to make sure everything stays legally sound.
On the video game front, it's not yet clear what Nintendo has planned for Super Mario moving forward. We can likely expect the next major release to come along next year, with a reveal in the first half of 2027, if they stick to the usual formula for those kinds of things.
Released August 26, 2002
ESRB E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief
Developer(s) Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s) Nintendo
English (US) ·