Super Mario Sunshine 4K Is The Only Way To Play

The 3D era of Super Mario through the late 1990s and early 2000s really did feel like a magical moment in time for video gamers everywhere. As well as having some all-time great releases in their own right, Nintendo really nailed the vibe of what a release in the franchise felt like it was meant to be.

That said, there were some games that arrived at that time which proved more divisive with the player base, when compared with universally loved entries like Super Mario 64. Super Mario Sunshine was absolutely one of those, but it’s still a really fun experience in its own right, and it has just returned with a whole new coat of paint.

Over on YouTube, the channel Henriko Magnifico Showcase has become known for showing off old games with improved visual or gameplay elements. The user recently shared a video of Super Mario Sunshine running with their own 4K custom texture pack, and it does look a whole lot better than even fond memories would permit.

In sharing details about what is included in the texture pack, the description for the video reads as follows:

“I’m happy to announce that the latest update to my texture pack, Super Mario Sunshine 4K is now available! This is a massive visual overhaul to Super Mario Sunshine and includes over 500 new faithfully recreated 4K textures, updated user interface and 4K text for all messages in the game. With full support for all the region versions of the game. Enjoy!”

It’s important to note that the project is not a fan game or a ROM hack, and it really is just a modded improvement to the original visuals, which requires an emulated version of the base game, which you should also own to keep everything above board. The free download for the pack is available on the creator’s website, and it should be quite easy to get working once you have your hands on the original game files.

Nintendo have been very quiet on their plans for the Mario franchise moving forward, but there are plenty of rumors circulating that work is currently ongoing on a new 3D entry in the series. We’ll just have to wait and see what they’re cooking up on that front, but in this era of remakes and remasters, don’t rule out getting an official project from Nintendo like the one above, at some point.