The 'Shroom:Issue VII/From the Mushroom Vaults

From the Mushroom Vaults: Shine Get, Got, Grabbed by

Hello, kiddies, and welcome to another episode of Desperate Gamers.

This month, I'll be showing all you gamers tearing your hair out how to get some major-league shortcut on Mario Kart DS and grab 15 Secret Shines from 'Sunshine. Get ready, get set, SHINE!

You are my Shine Sprite, My only Shine Sprite…
You are my Shine Sprite when times are gray…

For the next few months, there'll be a section devoted to 15 new Secret Shines. Don't worry, after this issue there'll be THREE (three, 3, count 'em, three: uno, dos, tres) sections. So dig in and discover the shiny secrets you've been missing so long.

Project Shine: Delfino
Yup, July we are covering Delfino Plaza's Shines. Let's move!

#1
To the left of the starting point, there is a pair of double doors. Blast 'em down with the Turbo Nozzle (you'll have to get a good bit through the game to unlock that).

#2
In the large tower next to the main river, there's a lone Pianta. Talk to him, give him a coin, and he'll throw you to a secret Shine.

#3
On the tower with the entrance to Gelato Beach, use the Rocket Nozzle to get above the city. Hover above the little cap with a star, and at the nozzle's highest point, ground-pound into the cap to get a Shine.

#4
Paddle to the small off-shore island with a stranded Pianta and scan the sky for a yellow bird. Squirt it to let loose a Shine. Squirting endangered island species to get bonuses. C'mon, how fun is that?

#5
On the tower with a goop-covered bell, simply use the Rocket Nozzle to blast the bell. Squeaky clean, garden fresh and crispy! Wait, that was the blue cooler ad…

#6
This one is the same as the previous one… except for the fact that it's different. Ha ha. Head over to the tower opposite the first one and pressure-wash the other bell. Huttah! Shiny Shine in the tower! Wait. IN the tower?! To get to it, you'll have to go to the building opposite and pound the manhole. Once underground, scoot to the building and climb the tower.

#7
This has to be the most obvious Shine. Simply spray the huge Shine on the arch over the town center. Yay! Shine!

#8/9
At the town center, barge in the black door and play a game of Crate Stomp with the pudgy Pianta. You can do it twice for two Shines. There's an awesome glitch here… but you can find it on Youtube yourself…

#10
In the northeast corner of the town center there's a double door with double Pianta guards. Blast through it with the Turbo Nozzle for a secret level. Can you guess how you get the Shine? Right! You beat the level, genius!

#11
Under the archway leading to the canal is a hole. You must use a rocket

nozzle on a passing boat to blast up it, or you can wait until the village

becomes flooded. It's a red coin hunt, and one a tough one. Good luck. Har har.

#12
This is a complicated secret level to get to (what else is new?). Take a Yoshi to the manhole on the platform preceding the platform which has the cannon that blasts Mario to Pinna Park (you with me so far?). Take the manhole to the island with the Pianta that's hungry for bananas. Wait for a boat to come by, a boat NOT heading into the canal, and take it to a high platform in the middle of nowhere. Jump on it and wait for another boat to a make a go-around to you. Take it to the island. Have Yoshi spray the buttery goo off the pipe and hop in. Now guess what? After that complicated procedure, you can take a nice, complicated red-coin hunt to soothe your nerves. Chamomile tea, dear?

#13
Over at the tower that transports Mario to Gelato Beach, spray the sand around it. If you're lucky, you'll find a Shine. Now you know how those guys at the beach with metal detectors feel.

#14
On the little island by the fruit stands, jump on and swim to the left. A yellow bird will fly by. Enter Mario-Cam and spray it. The Shine will oh-so-conveniently appear on the cliffs by the lighthouse. Grab Yoshi, use Yoshi. Get Shine, use Shine.

#15
To get an extra Shine Sprite on a fairly easy sub-world, get the rocket FLUDD attachment and head towards the red cannon at Delfino Plaza. Swim along the right side near the rocks and pass the sideways hanging palm trees. Just past it, charge your rocket and jump just before the meter fills up. You will be able to enter a pipe on a tiny cliff. The mission is to collect eight Red Coins on one supply of water -- fill up before going there. There are two obvious Red Coins sitting around. To get the other Coins, shoot the red bird that flies around, extinguish the man on fire, jump on the two Flowerheads, shoot one Purple Flowerhead from a distance and jump on him, look around the high grass for an opening where a Red Coin lies just below (look near or around the edges of this area).

Thyme Time to Fly!
Use these little shortcuts to your advantage in Time Trials, Wi-Fi, or really hard Vs. matches. I'm not listing little shortcuts that you can use by just using mushrooms on rough ground; these are not so obvious cuts in the road.

Delfino Square: After the narrow alleyways, go left, heading toward the pier. Use a mushroom to blast over the water and onto the dock. If you choose to skip this one, there's a narrow, mud-filled alleyway just before the dock. Use a mushroom in it to gain an edge. Or use Green Shells to blast open crates. Some contain special items!

Desert Hills: Use a mushroom to cut to the left of the brick pyramid near the start of the race.

Bowser Castle: On the turntable, go along with the turning wheel, passing the first exit. There's a small tunnel shortcut.

Donut Plains 1: After the bridge, use a mushroom to race through the small gap in the block fence.

Choco Island 2: At the starting line, just go straight, using a mushroom on the rough spot. There's a small gap in the block wall.

Sky Garden: Use mushrooms on the two little ramps (the wooden ones with red arrows on them).

Yoshi Circuit: Use a mushroom under Yoshi's armpit.

Challenge of the Month
These are now discontinued. Does anyone even read these?!

And that, my good friend, is that. See you next time. Adios. Adieu.