Nintendo's plumber returns

There isn't a more recognizable character in videogames than Mario, Nintendo's diet-challenged mustachioed plumber.

Mario first appeared in 1981 in the now legendary "Donkey Kong" as a man trying, a la "King Kong," to rescue his sweetie from a marauding ape. Over the years since his debut, Nintendo has generated $7 billion in revenue from sales of Mario games.

Now comes "Super Mario Sunshine" for GameCube. It's not all new, since you'll see a distinct resemblance to 1996's Super Mario 64.

But that doesn't mean it isn't a lot of fun to play, even for cynical adults.

The issue facing our hero this time around is toxic sludge, which is making a mess of the island he's visiting on vacation with Princess Peach and Toad. There are also huge M's painted all over paradise, and of course our hero gets the blame.

To solve the caper and clear his name, he has to clean up the island and nab the real culprit. Aiding in the efforts are all of Mario's familiar moves, including his double jump and his enemy-squishing stomp. This time, he can also bounce between walls when jumping isn't good enough.

And he's got a great new toy -- the FLUDD.

FLUDD stands for Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device. The gizmo looks like a jet pack, and can be used like one, too. With one nozzle, it's a hose to wash that graffiti away. With two nozzles working, Mario can use it to fly. Refilling the tank is as easy as jumping in the nearest body of water and pushing a button. And there are optional nozzles Mario picks up in his travels which perform additional tasks.

In the fine tradition of action titles, Mario must defeat a tasty selection of level-ending bosses, including Petey Piranha and the daunting Wiggler. And he has some new abilities, including rope-walking and a spin move that can sling off sludge with ease.

For a game designed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto (Time magazine calls him the Steven Spielberg of videogames), there's not a lot of innovation.

Instead, "Super Mario Sunshine" is evolutionary, expanding on previous Mario epics by providing him with some new tricks, bigger, more interactive levels and sharper graphics.

Those graphics get an A-. They follow in Nintendo's tradition of bright, colorful cartoon images that are suited for children.

They aren't the most detailed, but they are always top quality.

Control gets a B. Keeping Mario on the move is easy, but using his water cannon on enemies while running is perhaps too much for tiny tots to handle.

Sound gets a B. It's the kind of calliope music Nintendo loves for this type of game, with good, if minimal, sound effects. Nothing special, nothing offensive.

"Super Mario Sunshine" gets a B. It's yet another example of why Nintendo has always been the company that caters to youngsters, sometimes to the detriment of its adult audience. But GameCube owners can't go wrong with this game, especially if there are children in the house.