I don't know how this is simultaneously the best Mario game and the worst Mario game, but it really is.

So first of all, it's a Nintendo game, so the charm and style are on point. I've always loved that they made a whole game dedicated to the summer theme and it's explored very thoroughly here. From a bustling harbor with boats and cranes to a summer theme park, the game gets a surprising amount of mileage out of what's basically one theme that it sticks to throughout the entire game.

The only problem is that the gameplay is janky as hell. Mario will go flying for no reason at all when you've barely touched the control stick and some of the platforming challenges without F.L.U.D.D. are brutal.

There's also just a lot of glitches. Clipping through things for no reason, janky collision, it's kind of just - to be blunt - not polished very well, which is very surprising considering this is a Nintendo game, let alone a Mario game.

I still love this weird game, warts and all, but it's pretty hard not to notice all it's flaws. I think it might be a game I have to return to every year or two now that I know I can beat it in two days.