Shigeru Miyamoto regrets making Super Mario Sunshine so difficult

The Super Mario series of games can mostly be enjoyed by just about anyone of any skill level. Sure, there might be some challenges along the way that’ll test people and they might need some help from friends and family, but by and large, they’re smooth sailing to the end (outside of the bonus levels, of course!). That said, there is one game that Mario fans point to as being quite a bit more challenging than the others, and Mario’s father feels the same way.

Super Mario Sunshine isn’t a bad game by any means, but it is certainly the most divisive entry in the franchise. This comes from a varied set of mechanics that are considerably more complex than your standard Mario title, as well as some physics and movement quirks that inadvertently up the challenge.

In a newly-translated interview from Nintendo Dream, we learn that Shigeru Miyamoto regrets the difficulty spike in Super Mario Sunshine. This is because he always wants Mario games to be experiences anyone can play and enjoy, and Sunshine took away from that.

I want Mario to be a game that all audiences can enjoy. Something that Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad, even little children can easily pick up and play, and right away understand what’s fun about it. However, I think Mario Sunshine turned out to be difficult for the average user. It’s something I very much regret. I want someone who hasn’t played a game in 10+ years to play our game, but I think such a person wouldn’t know what’s going on in Mario Sunshine.

[Shigeru Miyamoto]