When it comes to video games, some people have made it a goal to complete what they play fully, which means finishing every mission, earning every achievement, and even acquiring all collectibles.
I was once someone who aimed to do that with every game I played, and there were instances where I found satisfaction in doing it. However, a particular GameCube title showed me that going for a 100% isn't always worth it, and it's much better to simply enjoy the journey towards the end rather than finishing everything that can be done until reaching it.
The game I am talking about is Super Mario Sunshine, and it certainly taught me that lesson the hard way. To understand how, you'll need to know what needs to be done to achieve the 100% status. The entire premise of the game involves Mario being convicted of a crime he didn't commit in Isle Delfino and being forced to clean up the whole area to appease its inhabitants, the Piantas.
While doing so, he is tasked with collecting Shine Sprites, which are items needed to ensure the isle sustains its sunshine and power. To beat the game, you only need to collect 50 of them. However, to achieve the 100% completion status, it requires obtaining all 120.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, as the majority of Mario games are expected to be collectathons. However, what makes it an issue is that to collect all 120 Shine Sprites, one must also obtain all 240 Blue Coins.
This makes the game feel like a marathon, as the Blue Coins, like the Shine Sprites, are spread throughout the small island and its different areas. The process of finding them isn't easy either, as they're usually hidden in places nobody would expect, or locked behind specific episodes in a level, meaning a lot of replaying the same mission over and over again.
It makes the hunt for them feel like a chore rather than something to enjoy, and that feeling carries over to finding the Shine Sprites as a result. What makes it worse is that the Piantas feel hostile to you the entire time you're doing so, and given that you have to talk to them to get some of these collectibles, it can make for an awful time when trying to 100% the game.
The only thing that would compel someone to go through all that is to see what reward awaits for collecting everything, which I did. After spending countless hours, I was able to grab them all and then beat the game to see what I would be given for my efforts. To my surprise, what Super Mario Sunshine provided for fully completing it was a postcard-like picture of Mario, Peach, and the inhabitants of Ilse Delfino with the words "Have a relaxing vacation!", and a special symbol for the save file.
It felt like an insult to everything I did, as all you get for going through the torture of collecting all Blue Coins and Shine Sprites is simply bragging rights. It would have been much better to collect the bare minimum needed to beat the game and focus more on enjoying the beauty that is Isle Deflino. The isle, despite its frustrating inhabitants, has many areas that are wonderful to gawk at and appreciate, which is why I'm sad I wasn't able to enjoy them because of trying to achieve the 100% status.
Frustrating as the ending may be, Super Mario Sunshine at least effectively taught me that you don't have to fully complete a game to enjoy it, as sometimes you're better off just taking in what's being offered at face value. It is a lesson that I appreciate, and one that people should learn from so that they, too, can simply focus on enjoying what they're playing and making the most of their time, instead of worrying about what it takes to get that 100% completion.