A fan-made sequel to Super Mario Sunshine is giving players the Mario experience Nintendo never delivered. Super Mario Eclipse expands on the 2002 GameCube original, which remains divisive among the fanbase despite its devoted following.
Sunshine occupies an odd space in the Mario canon. Its water-spraying mechanic through F.L.U.D.D. (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device) made it feel fundamentally different from the series' standard platforming formula. While Super Mario 64 established the 3D blueprint Nintendo refined across decades, Sunshine veered into experimental territory with its tropical setting and gimmick-heavy gameplay. The reception split between those who embraced its identity and traditionalists who wanted Mario to stick to jumping and power-ups.
Nintendo moved on quickly. Super Mario Galaxy ditched the water gun entirely, returning to more conventional 3D platforming. F.L.U.D.D. never appeared again, and Sunshine faded into cult status rather than legacy franchise pillar.
Super Mario Eclipse taps into that nostalgia gap. Fan projects like this one thrive in the indie spaces where official sequels never materialize. The modding and fan game communities have become incubators for concepts big publishers won't greenlight. Players get to revisit and reimagine abandoned mechanics from games like Sunshine while Nintendo focuses on safer bets like the Super Mario Bros. Movie franchise and traditional platformers.
The existence of Eclipse highlights a broader pattern. Nintendo shelves experimental entries once they underperform commercially, rarely revisiting them unless a new trend makes them relevant again. Metroid Prime resurrected that franchise. F-Zero vanished for years. Sunshine sits somewhere in between.
For Sunshine loyalists, fan projects represent the only way to experience new content featuring F.L.U.D.D. and