10 Awesome Moments That Defined The Nintendo GameCube

Super Mario Sunshine – a critical and commercial success - got a great many things right, improving on countless concepts introduced in previous instalments – such as the hub world – evolving the formula significantly in the process. Peach’s Castle in Super Mario 64 was functional, but lacked personality. Sure, there were secrets to discover, and multiple unique areas to explore – but in retrospect – it comes across almost lifeless, completely sterile.

Comparatively, Delfino Plaza is colourful, vibrant, and packed with secrets and characters. Besides that, the player is able to have a direct impact on the environment, cleaning graffiti off the streets, which gives them an increased sense of personal agency in the game. As a result, the hub world becomes remarkably familiar, the story generally unfolding around the market, the lighthouse and the shine gate, slowly acquainting players with each individual section.

Delfino Plaza is built into the intrinsic fabric of the experience, making it impossible to imagine the game without it. It’s not just a simple, practical hub world, linking the various stages together into a cohesive whole – rather, it’s a fundamental component of the game, not easily replaced.