The Secret of Ricco Tower

"This may be too hard for you to wrap your noodle around... ...but I can tell there's something suspicious about this tower."

- Pianta

The Secret of Ricco Tower is the fourth episode of Ricco Harbor in Super Mario Sunshine. The episode's objective is to enter Ricco Tower and clear the secret course. After completing the episode once, the player can return to this episode to collect the Secret Shine Red Coins in Ricco Tower.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the secret course appears as its own galaxy named the Twisty Trials Galaxy.

Layout
Ricco Tower is accessed by reaching the high narrow platforms surrounding it, which can be achieved in numerous ways. The quickest method involves reaching the lower port and wall jumping on the platform's supports to reach the top. The player can also use the Rocket Nozzle from one of the plaza roofs to launch themselves to the high platforms. The player can also reach the tower by making their way to the rooftops of the plaza and hovering over there. Upon entering the Ricco Tower, Shadow Mario will appear to take FLUDD away, as he does with all secret levels upon the player's first visit.

The player will start the secret course facing four long, rotating platforms. To cross them, the player needs to stay on the most level surface of the platform while jumping from one platform to the next. After the four rotating platforms is a stationary platform with two tall walls on either side, the player can reach a 1-Up Mushroom above by Wall Jumping. Afterward are three horizontally moving and rotating gear-shaped platforms the player has to jump between to cross to the next segment. The next set of platforms are several long, rotating platforms like those at the start of the stage. However, these ones are angled and turn in different direction, and the second to last platform is much larger than the rest. After the final platform is the stage's Shine Sprite.

The background of the secret area features images of Mario's jumping sprite from Super Mario Bros. This background is reused in the secret area of The Hotel Lobby's Secret.