Sunshine’s Heat Fuels a Fresh Take on Movement in Baby Steps

Indie designer Bennett Foddy describes how Super Mario Sunshine’s tropical heat, water mechanics, and playful experimentation shaped his approach to movement in Baby Steps, praising Sunshine’s atmosphere, its joyful Easter eggs, and the idea that games can be bold and open-ended. He argues Sunshine helped redefine 3D platformers even as its reception polarized fans, and suggests future games should embrace risk and new ways to move rather than imitate Sunshine again.