Super Mario Sunshine

This article is about the Nintendo GameCube game. For other uses, see Super Mario Sunshine (disambiguation).

Super Mario Sunshine
For alternate art, see the related gallery.
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Nintendo GameCube Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics (Nintendo Switch 2)
Release dates	Original release: July 19, 2002 August 26, 2002 August 26, 2002 October 4, 2002 October 11, 2002 December 14, 2002 2002 Player's Choice: July 4, 2003 September 25, 2003 September 27, 2003 October 10, 2003 October 17, 2003 Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics: August 13, 2026
Languages	English Japanese French (Europe) German Italian Spanish (Europe)
Genres	Platformer, action-adventure
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone CERO: - All ages[?] PEGI: - Three years and older[?] ELSPA: - Three years and older[?] SELL: - All ages[?] USK: - All ages[?] ClassInd: - General audience[?] GRAC: - All ages[?] ACB: - General[?]
Mode	Single player
Format	Nintendo GameCube: Optical disc Nintendo Switch 2: Digital download
Input	Nintendo GameCube: Nintendo GameCube Controller Nintendo Switch 2: Joy-Con 2 Joy-Con Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Nintendo GameCube Controller Nintendo GameCube Controller (NSO)
Serial codes	DOL-GMSJ-JPN DOL-GMSE-USA DOL-GMSP-EUR

Super Mario Sunshine is a 3D action-adventure platform game for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the ninth entry in the Super Mario series and the second 3D platformer, following Super Mario 64 (1996). The game's principal mechanic centers around FLUDD, a rechargeable water-based tool that can be used to spray enemies and goop, hover or launch through the air, and dash to high speeds. Super Mario Sunshine introduced many recurring characters and bosses to the Super Mario franchise, including the aforementioned FLUDD, Toadsworth, Bowser Jr., Petey Piranha, Gooper Blooper, Piantas, Nokis, and Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr.'s alter ego. It is the second game in the Super Mario franchise to feature extensive voice acting, the first being Hotel Mario, making it the first and thus far the only 3D Super Mario game with said extensive voice acting. It also features an Italian aesthetic, with many of the locations in the game (including Isle Delfino itself, the game's overarching setting) having Italian names and sometimes referencing Italian culture.

This is the first home console Super Mario game to be localized into Italian.

A port of Super Mario Sunshine is included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch, featuring the original game with upscaled graphics and in widescreen, released on September 18, 2020. Super Mario Sunshine was also released on the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics service for the Nintendo Switch 2 on August 13, 2026.

The game is playable in six languages: Japanese, English, European French, German, Italian, and European Spanish. The game has voice acting in English only, though all dialogue is accompanied by subtitles.

Story

From the instruction booklet

Close your eyes and imagine...soothing sunshine accompanied by the sound of waves gently breaking on the shore. High above, seagulls turn lazy circles in a clear blue sky. This is Isle Delfino. Far from the hustle and bustle of the Mushroom Kingdom, this island resort glitters like a gem in the waters of a southern sea.

Mario, Peach, and an entourage of Toads have come to Isle Delfino to relax and unwind. At least, that's their plan... but when they arrive, they find things have gone horribly wrong... According to the island inhabitants, the person responsible for the mess has a round nose, a thick moustache, and a cap... What? But... that sounds like Mario!? The islanders are saying that Mario's mess has polluted the island and caused their energy source, the Shine Sprites, to vanish. Now the falsely accused Mario has promised to clean up the island, but... how? Never fear! FLUDD, the latest invention from Gadd Science, Inc., can help Mario tidy up the island, take on baddies, and lend a nozzle in all kinds of sticky situations.

Can Mario clean the island, capture the villain, and clear his good name? It's time for another Mario adventure to get started!

The game starts off in the Toad Express, where Mario, Princess Peach, a few Toads, and Toadsworth are flying out to Isle Delfino for a vacation. While watching a video advertisement showing its numerous attractions, Peach notices a Mario-shaped shadow figure jumping around in the background. Mario and Toadsworth do not notice this, as they dream about the food and having a good time.

Mario faces the Proto Piranha.

They make a rough landing on Delfino Airstrip, as a large amount of strange, moving goop in the shape of Mario's head is blocking the runway and has formed a pit. Mario goes on a brief search for something to assist him and soon finds a unique water pump invented by Professor E. Gadd named FLUDD, the Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device. The machine scans Mario and identifies him as its customer. After user instruction, Mario uses FLUDD to clean the goop and defeat a Proto Piranha after which the runway returns to its normal condition, and a Shine Sprite appears, which Mario collects.

Mario on trial.

After collecting the Shine Sprite, however, a pair of Pianta Police officers arrest Mario. In court, the prosecution reveals that the island is covered with similar goop, and the graffiti has forced all the Shine Sprites to flee. Eyewitness accounts indicate that Mario is the guilty party, and despite Princess Peach's attempted objection, Mario is found guilty and is ordered not to leave until the entire island is cleaned.

After defeating another Proto Piranha, the Grand Pianta Statue comes out of the ground with the mysterious character resembling Mario on top. This Shadow Mario attempts to kidnap Princess Peach, but Mario foils his plan and Shadow Mario escapes into the Rainbow M he paints on the base of the statue. This allows Mario to access Bianco Hills and recover more Shine Sprites. Later, similar incidents of various landmarks disappearing in goop happen around Delfino Plaza, and cleaning the goop reveals that these places also have portals to different areas of Isle Delfino.

Shadow Mario's real identity, Bowser Jr.

Once Mario recovers ten Shine Sprites, Shadow Mario kidnaps Princess Peach again and flees to Pinna Park. Mario chases Shadow Mario there and takes down his weapon, Mecha-Bowser. Shadow Mario comes out of Mecha-Bowser's head and reveals himself to be Bowser Jr., Bowser's son. He says that Bowser told him Peach is his mother who got kidnapped by a bad guy named Mario. He also reveals the graffiti to be the work of his magic brush, which he claims was given to him by "a strange old man in a white coat". Bowser Jr. then takes Peach to Corona Mountain by flying in Mecha-Bowser's head. Unable to rescue Princess Peach, Mario returns to cleaning up and recovering Shine Sprites. He also finds Yoshi and new nozzles for FLUDD to use, and unlocks more areas of Isle Delfino to explore. In Episode 7 of these areas, Mario must chase down Shadow Mario to obtain a Shine Sprite from him. When these episodes are cleared, Delfino Plaza is suddenly flooded after a surge of water came gushing out of the cave behind the Shine Gate. This flood also wound up destroying the barrier obstructing the cave entrance, allowing Mario access into Corona Mountain. Working his way to the top of the volcano, Mario finds Bowser and Bowser Jr. relaxing in a huge hot tub of sludge with Peach with them. Mario then battles Bowser and Bowser Jr. by using the Rocket Nozzle and then ground pounding from high up onto the five platforms protruding from the tub while avoiding Bowser and Bowser Jr.'s attacks. The force of the ground pound on the last platform flips the tub end-over-end and everyone plummets down out of Corona Mountain, while a large Shine Sprite hidden in the pool flies out.

The ending screen for collecting all 120 Shine Sprites

Bowser, Bowser Jr., Mario, and Peach fall from the sky. Mario and Peach land on an island next to Delfino Plaza, however, FLUDD has been heavily damaged during the battle and shuts down. The large Shine Sprite seen in the hot tub then returns to the Shine Gate, and the residents of Isle Delfino celebrate as its light is fully restored. Far from the island, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are floating away on Bowser's upside down bath tub. Bowser Jr. reveals he already knew Peach was not his mother, but still wants to fight Mario again, earning praise from Bowser. Later on, FLUDD is repaired, and, with his name cleared, Mario and his friends are able to enjoy their vacation at last. After the credits, a picture of Il Piantissimo discovering the magic brush in Gelato Beach is shown, along with "The End" displayed in the lower right hand corner. However, defeating Bowser after collecting all 120 of the Shine Sprites replaces this picture with a group picture of friendly characters in the game posing in Casino Delfino, with text reading "Have a relaxing vacation!" on the bottom.

Gameplay

Mario and Yoshi earning a Shine Sprite in Pianta Village.

Super Mario Sunshine is a 3D platformer where players control Mario in an open environment in a similar manner to its predecessor, Super Mario 64. As with all 3D platformers, players can adjust the camera to their liking. Due to closer objects obstructing features on the level, when certain characters and items are obscured by minor objects such as walls or trees, their silhouettes are marked by a big '?'. This does not apply to Mario and his FLUDD, to differentiate him from the features.

Super Mario Sunshine is the first game where Mario extensively uses an accessory to complete his mission. FLUDD (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device) features spray and hovering capabilities when it is first acquired; other nozzles can be unlocked to extend FLUDD's functionality, such as the "Rocket Nozzle" which propels Mario high into the air, and the "Turbo Nozzle" that lets Mario sprint on land and water, as well as break down wooden doors.

The game contains a number of independent levels which can be reached from Delfino Plaza. Gameplay is based around collecting Shine Sprites by completing various tasks in the levels and over world, very similar to Super Mario 64, but with Shine Sprites instead of Power Stars. However, unlike in Super Mario 64 where the player could usually get most Power Stars no matter which mission was chosen, this game usually lets Mario obtain only the Shine Sprite pertaining to the episode that the player selects from the screen prior to the level.

There are 120 Shine Sprites and 240 blue coins in the game. A Raccoon will exchange a Shine Sprite for ten blue coins in the boathouse at Delfino Plaza. There are two Shine Sprites at the Airstrip, seventeen in the plaza (including one for collecting 100 coins and one in Corona Mountain), and 11 in each of the seven other areas (eight from main episodes, two hidden, and one for getting 100 coins). There are 30 blue coins in each of the seven areas, making 210, there are 19 in the plaza, one in the Airstrip, and ten in Corona Mountain, making 240 altogether.

The boathouse.

At first, each of the seven areas features one task which may be completed to acquire a Shine Sprite. The player is then returned to Delfino Plaza and a new task is unlocked in the area they just played. Each area consists of up to eight of these tasks, as well as two hidden tasks, which may be played again at will once they are completed. Once the player has collected enough Shines in total, a new level is available at Delfino Plaza, either by the acquisition of a new ability or some plot-related event, such as Shadow Mario appearing in the Plaza.

Gameplay proceeds in this fashion until all of Shadow Mario's related missions are completed (the seventh mission of each level), which unlocks Corona Mountain, containing the final boss. As the total number of Shine Sprites available to obtain at any given point is greater than the number of Shine Sprites needed to unlock the next area, players may choose which tasks they want to attempt.

Mario can also ride Yoshis in this game, making Super Mario Sunshine the first 3D Super Mario game to incorporate this functionality, being followed by Super Mario Galaxy 2. Yoshis can be used to eat enemies, as well as certain insects and Birds that can produce gold, blue, or red coins, and even Shine Sprites in a few cases. Yoshis can also eat fruit and squirt the juice of the color of that fruit, just like FLUDD sprays water. This juice can be used to dissolve certain kinds of pulsating goop acting as obstacles, as well as to briefly transform enemies into platforms for Mario to step on. The color of the Yoshi, as well as the effect of its juice, depends on the type of fruit last eaten. However, Mario cannot take Yoshi with him when he accesses a new area, meaning that Yoshi is only usable in certain areas and certain missions, and if Yoshi runs out of juice or touches deep water he will vanish, requiring Mario to find the egg and hatch it again.

Controls

With the exception of the iteration included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch systems, the game can only be played with the Nintendo GameCube Controller. For the control scheme of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars iteration, see Super Mario 3D All-Stars § Super Mario Sunshine.

Action(s)	Input(s)
Mario controls
Move
Sidestep	+
Jump, swim
Double jump	when making contact with the ground while moving (do twice)
Triple jump	when making contact with the ground while running (do thrice)
Spin jump	Rotate +
Side somersault	◀ → (▶ + )
Broad jump	→ →
Wall kick	against a wall
Ground pound	in midair
Talk, read, engage object, dive underwater
Slide, throw item	+
Hang from rope, let go of rope	while on rope
Climb onto rope	while hanging from rope
Super Whirl Jump	→ while hanging from rope
Climb	or while on climbable object
Flip grate	while on grate
Use FLUDD, refill FLUDD
Switch nozzle
Direct spray (Squirt Nozzle only), hover (Hover Nozzle only)	Firmly press →
Spray while moving (Squirt Nozzle only)	Lightly press while moving
Sidle squirt (Squirt Nozzle only)	+ +
Sprinkler squirt (Squirt Nozzle only)	Rotate +
Back somersault (Squirt Nozzle only)	+
Launch horizontally (Turbo Nozzle only), launch vertically (Rocket Nozzle only)	Hold
Move camera
Enter over-the-shoulder view
Enter first-person view
Yoshi controls
Move
Jump
Flutter jump	Hold in midair
Ground pound	in midair
Eat
Spray juice
Direct juice	Firmly press →
Spray juice while moving	Lightly press while moving
Dismount Yoshi
Menu controls
Navigate menu
Confirm command
Cancel command
Access guidebook
Display pause menu

Locations

Setting

Isle Delfino (center left) as presented during the opening cutscene. Note it is on a red latitudinal line that is typically indicative of an equator and that it is surrounded by other archipelagoes shaped like animals.

Super Mario Sunshine takes place on Isle Delfino, a tropical archipelago shaped like a dolphin. It is removed from the usual setting of the Mushroom Kingdom. This is similar to Super Mario World, another game set on a distinct, isolated landmass. It is a bustling island that features shops, a fishing industry, a tourist community, and a theme park. The most numerous locals on the island are mountain people called Piantas and sea people called Nokis. During the opening cutscene it is shown that Isle Delfino is surrounded by other archipelagos shaped like animals. Examples include: a crab (southwest), a sea turtle (southeast), a jellyfish (northeast), and a mola (northwest). This cutscene implies Isle Delfino is located along the Earth's equator, but an official atlas released to promote Super Mario Odyssey – a subsequent title directly influenced by Sunshine and its predecessor – places it in the southern hemisphere, northwest of the Mushroom Kingdom.

A core concept for Super Mario Sunshine was to create a game where Mario is equipped with a water pump, an idea conceived by producer Shigeru Miyamoto. The tropical island setting was decided on early in development because the staff thought it would compliment this concept. Isle Delfino's dolphin shape was potentially influenced by the codename for the Nintendo GameCube – "Project Dolphin". The overall look of the island is inspired by tropical environments, such as those of Hawaii or southeastern Asia. The buildings, architecture, and location names derive from Italy and other coastal European nations. Amalfi has been cited as a particularly likely source of inspiration. The layout of the towns on Isle Delfino are based on resort communities. Courses are not interconnected and can only be accessed through Delfino Plaza, the game's hub world. However, despite being unreachable, courses can be previewed in all corners of the island. For example, Ricco Harbor is viewable from the starting position of Bianco Hills, and Pinna Park is also visible off near the horizon. This creates the impression of a fully realized, interconnected world. Individual courses feature various landmarks to reduce the likelihood of the player getting lost, a design choice derived from urban planning. A fixed focal point viewable from all courses is Corona Mountain. It is an active volcano that is homologous to the eye of the dolphin. The volcano is the last course unlocked and is the setting of the final boss fight with Bowser. Having it as a central fixture in all courses serves as foreshadow for the climatic showdown. Isle Delfino was conceived by director Yoshiaki Koizumi, who wanted to craft a setting that was more believable and natural than the world present in Super Mario 64. The design of the individual courses derive from the principles of hakoniwa, or "box gardens". The purpose behind hakoniwa is to create intricate, miniature landscapes in a closed space.

Courses

There are at least nine dedicated levels in Super Mario Sunshine: eight courses that are gradually unlocked as the player collects Shine Sprites and one interconnecting hub world. If the secret courses were to also be considered levels, then there as many as twenty-seven levels in the game. Each of the first seven main levels have eleven Shine Sprites to collect within a set of levels referred to as "episodes":

• The first six episodes, as well as the eighth one, are standard missions of varying types, typically involving traversing through a level, defeating a boss, collecting Red Coins, or accessing an otherworldly subarea called a secret course, of which each level has one to two.
• The seventh episode involves chasing Shadow Mario. Each of these episodes need to be completed in order to unlock Corona Mountain.
• Two of the episodes are secret Shine Sprites. Every secret course in the game has a secret shine that involves collecting Red Coins while having F.L.U.D.D. available. Levels that do not have two secret courses instead have their second secret Shine Sprite located elsewhere.
• The eleventh Shine Sprite is obtained by collecting 100 coins, which can be done in any episode.
• Additionally, every level has 30 blue coins to find and collect. These can be traded in for Shine Sprites at the Raccoon's shop.

Delfino Plaza, Delfino Airstrip, and Corona Mountain are slightly different than the main levels. Delfino Plaza acts as the central hub world for the game, containing 40 Shine Sprites to collect, 24 of which are obtained by trading in blue coins. Delfino Airstrip is the setting of the game's prologue and is available to visit via ferry after entering Corona Mountain. It has two dedicated episodes and is listed as its own course within the game, but it shares the 100 coin bonus Shine with Delfino Plaza. Corona Mountain is the game's final level and only contains one singular episode, which is counted towards Delfino Plaza's count in-game. These three stages respectively contain 19, one, and ten blue coins, collectively making the 30 seen in other levels.

The table below provides overviews for the ten courses listed in the game and their corresponding episodes. and denote the number of obtainable Shine Sprites and blue coins within each course, respectively. The descriptions come from the in-game guidebook.

Courses
01. Bianco Hills ×11 ×30	Episodes
	Road to the Big Windmill	Down with Petey Piranha!
	The Hillside Cave Secret	Red Coins of Windmill Village
	Petey Piranha Strikes Back	The Secret of the Dirty Lake
	Shadow Mario on the Loose	The Red Coins of the Lake
	Red Coins of the Hillside Cave	Red Coins of the Dirty Lake
This lush community of villas is located at the foot of Corona Mountain. Its famous windmills spin peacefully in the gentle sea breezes. Unlock criterion: complete "Event 2: Shadow Mario Chase"
02. Ricco Harbor ×11 ×30	Episodes
	Gooper Blooper Breaks Out	Blooper Surfing Safari
	The Caged Shine Sprite	The Secret of Ricco Tower
	Gooper Blooper Returns	Red Coins on the Water
	Shadow Mario Revisited	Yoshi's Fruit Adventure