Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Sunshine is a Mario platformer first released on July 19, 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube. It follows Super Mario 64, and is the second 3D Mario platformer. It was the first main Mario series title not to be a launch title for its respective console. The 120 total Shine Sprites in this game is the same number of total Power Stars in Super Mario 64. This game also introduced many recurring characters and bosses in the Mario series, including Toadsworth, Bowser Jr., Petey Piranha, Gooper Blooper, Piantas, Nokis, Shadow Mario, and F.L.U.D.D.. Sunshine is the second game in the Mario series to have extensive voice acting, the first being Hotel Mario, making Sunshine the first 3D game to have said voice acting.

Story
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. A TV screen on the Toad Express is showing an advertisement of Isle Delfino. Mario is only interested in the food there, while Toadsworth is only interested in the rest he will get when they land on the island. Peach, however, sees a Mario-shaped shadow figure jumping around in the background. She doesn't know what it could be.

They make a rough landing on Delfino Airstrip, as a large amount of Graffiti in the shape of Mario's head is blocking the runway. Toad and Yellow Toad are shocked at the Graffiti, noticing that it's moving, and Toadsworth warns them not to touch it. Peach sees Shadow Mario on top of a water tank, but before she can show Mario and Toadsworth, he disappears. Toadsworth tells Mario to go and find some assistance because of his concern about the well being of Peach in the stifling heat. Mario agrees and goes on a brief search for something to assist him.

Mario finds the goop if he goes south of the plane. If he continues on, he soon finds a unique water pump invented by Professor E. Gadd named F.L.U.D.D.. The machine scans Mario and clips of Mario battling Iggy Koopa in Super Mario World and Bowser in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 64 are shown in the lower-left corner of its data display. F.L.U.D.D. introduces itself and hopes to be of assistance. Mario agrees and straps F.L.U.D.D. to his back, and a brief instruction video on how to use F.L.U.D.D. is shown.

After user instruction, Mario takes F.L.U.D.D. over to the huge mess of Goop on the runway and, when spraying the large blob in the middle of the caricature, a Polluted Piranha Plant exposes itself as it rises from the goop. Mario easily defeats it by squirting its mouth with water when it is open. As the giant enemy fades into nothing, the runway returns to its normal condition, and the first Shine Sprite appears, which Mario collects, unaware of what it is. Peach congratulates Mario, and Toadsworth meets F.L.U.D.D., thinking it's some sort of pump.

Suddenly, the Isle Delfino Police arrive and arrest Mario. In Delfino Court, the Pianta Judge and Pianta Attorney announce that Goop is polluting Isle Delfino and that most of the Shine Sprites have left the Shine Gate, causing a dark haze to fall upon Delfino Plaza. There are posters of the suspect (Shadow Mario) posted all around the Plaza, and the person on the poster looks very much like Mario. After a brief, unfair court session along with an unsuccessful attempt by Peach and Toadsworth to object, Mario is found guilty and is sent to jail by the choice of the two Piantas, having being mistaken for the strange vandal on the poster who resembles him in shape and uses the Magic Paintbrush to vandalize the island, which is also a creation of Professor E. Gadd.

Later, in Mario's jail cell, F.L.U.D.D. explains about the Shine Sprites, one of them was what Mario got at the airstrip earlier. Since that the Graffiti incident has insued, most of the Shine Sprites have fled, resulting in the light loss. F.L.U.D.D. adds that Mario is being treated as a criminal and hopes to resolve the situation tomorrow. The next morning, Mario is ordered to clean all the Goop and recover all the Shine Sprites, Isle Delfino's main source of energy.

Later, after traveling to Delfino Plaza and defeating another Piranha Plant in the Generator in the middle of Bianco Square, the Grand Pianta Statue comes out of the ground with Shadow Mario on top. Shadow Mario jumps down and snatches Peach. Mario then chases Shadow Mario down and sprays him until he drops Princess Peach, after which Shadow Mario runs to the Grand Pianta Statue, paints a Rainbow M on the front, and escapes into Bianco Hills. Mario follows, and although he is unsucssesful in catching the villain, he is able to recover more Shine Sprites, eventually unlocking Ricco Harbor and Gelato Beach after obtaining three and five Shine Sprites, respectively.

Once Mario recovers his tenth Shine Sprite, Shadow Mario kidnaps Peach again and flees to Pinna Park. Mario uses a cannon that a Pianta had fixed to blast himself to the park. There, he finds Shadow Mario and chases him to a pool in the back of the park, where Mecha Bowser appears. Mecha Bowser is then destroyed by Mario as he rides on the park's roller coaster and shoots the robotic Bowser four times with missiles using F.L.U.D.D. Shadow Mario comes out of Mecha Bowser's head and reveals himself to be Bowser Jr., Bowser's youngest child. He claims that Peach is his mother and that Mario separated her from him as was said by his father, Bowser. Bowser Jr. takes Peach to Corona Mountain (by flying in Mecha Bowser's head) where his father, Bowser, awaits them.

Unable to rescue Peach, Mario returns to cleaning up and recovering Shine Sprites, eventually unlocking Noki Bay upon obtaining 20 Shine Sprites. After completing Episode 4 in Pinna Park, Shadow Mario is seen in Delfino Plaza running with a Yoshi egg. After Mario defeats him, he gives a fruit to the egg and a Yoshi hatches. Yoshi eggs then start to appear all over the island. Mario uses this Yoshi to eat a huge pineapple lodged in a Warp Pipe leading to Sirena Beach. Mario would chase down the crook in the Plaza twice more, once for the Turbo Nozzle after collecting 25 Shine Sprites, and the second for the Rocket Nozzle after recovering 30 Shine Sprites. The Rocket Nozzle allows Mario to launch to the top of the Shine Gate, where a Warp Pipe to Pianta Village is located.

When Mario completes Episode 7 of every level, a major event occurs: Mario returns to find Delfino Plaza 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. Inside he finds Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. relaxing in a huge hot tub. Bowser Jr. asks Peach to relax in the green Goop he and Bowser were swimming in, but she thinks she should not, observing a Shine Sprite at the bottom of the tub. Mario appears to find Bowser much bigger than he normally is for no apparent reason. 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, avoiding Bowser's fire breath and occasional attempts to rock the tub and splash Goop on him, as well as avoiding Missile Bills from Bowser Jr. Mario destroys four of the platforms in this manner, and then Ground Pounds the final platform. The force of the Ground Pound flips the tub end-over-end and everyone plummets down out of Corona Mountain.

Mario and Peach fall from the sky onto an island just west of Delfino Plaza. Peach floats down gently with her parasol to see Mario stuck headfirst in the sand. He quickly gets himself free. However, their reunion is cut short when they see F.L.U.D.D. malfunctioning from the trauma of the battle and fall. Mario rushes up to F.L.U.D.D. as it turns to look at him. Before it shut down, it said, "Mario...was..I...of...assis...tance?". Mario hangs his head in sadness, but Peach cheers him by telling him to see something. The Shine Sprite from the hot tub returns to the Shine Gate and a celebration began amongst the elated Piantas and Nokis begins.

Bowser and his son end up on a raft well off the coast of Isle Delfino, watching the celebration. Bowser tells his son that there is something he has to tell him about Peach, but he says he knew all along that Peach was not really his mother, and in fact wants to fight Mario again. Bowser, who sees much of him in his son, praises Bowser Jr. Together, they plan on hatching a new evil plot, but for now, they decide to rest a while.

Later on, as Mario and Peach enjoy a sunset at Sirena Beach, Toad calls them and, due to seeing that F.L.U.D.D. was repaired by the Toads, Mario gets happy again. Reunited with Mario and Peach, F.L.U.D.D. happily exclaims "The vacation starts now!", and Mario finally enjoys his vacation. Pictures of their vacation are shown during the credits, showing Mario, Peach, F.L.U.D.D., Toadsworth, and the Toads exploring the isle.

After the credits, a picture of Il Piantissimo discovering the Magic Paintbrush in the sands of 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 all of the non-enemy characters in the game posing in Hotel Delfino, with the the phrase "Have a relaxing vacation!" on the bottom.

Gameplay
Super Mario Sunshine is the first game where Mario extensively uses an accessory to complete his mission. F.L.U.D.D. (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device) features spray and hovering capabilities when it is first acquired; other nozzles can be unlocked to extend F.L.U.D.D'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 the player selects from the screen prior to the level.

There are 120 Shine Sprites in the game, and 240 Blue Coins. 10 Blue Coins can be traded in for a Shine Sprite at the Boathouse in Delfino Plaza. There are two Shine Sprites at the airstrip, seventeen in the plaza (including one for collecting 100 coins and the one in Corona Mountain), and eleven in each of the seven other areas (eight from main episodes, two hidden, and one for getting 100 coins). There are thirty Blue Coins in each of the seven areas, making 210, there are nineteen in the plaza, one in the Airstrip, and ten in Corona Mountain, making 240 altogether.

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 7th 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. 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 F.L.U.D.D 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 can't 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 water he will vanish, requiring Mario to find the egg and hatch it again.

Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka produced the music for this game.

Controls

 * Move
 * Jump
 * Slide, Pick up Fruit, Talk to characters.
 * Switch Nozzle.
 * Zoom in.
 * Ground Pound (in air)
 * Use FLUDD.
 * Menu Guide.

Bosses

 * Polluted Piranha Plant, huge Piranha Plants made out of sludge. Defeated by simply squirting water into their open mouths. They appear in Delfino Airstrip and Bianco Hills once, and three times in Delfino Plaza.
 * Petey Piranha, who controls the Piranha Plants of Bianco Hills and appears in two of its episodes.
 * Gooper Blooper, who controls the Bloopers of Ricco Harbor and appears in two of the harbor's episodes and one of Noki Bay's.
 * Wiggler, who resides on Gelato Beach as the boss of the third mission, angry at Mario for disturbing his nap.
 * Mecha Bowser, a giant mechanical version of Bowser, controlled by Bowser Jr. Appears only in the first episode of Pinna Park. (Mario must fight this boss while riding a roller coaster).
 * Monty Mole, who shows up in two levels, both times arming a large, triple-gun cannon that fires Bullet Bills, Missile Bills, and Bob-ombs.
 * Phantamanta, the silhouette of a giant manta ray appearing in Sirena Beach that splits into smaller manta rays when sprayed by F.L.U.D.D.
 * King Boo, who commands Sirena Beach's Boos and only appears in Sirena Beach's Episode Five.
 * Eely-Mouth, who has taken up residence under Noki Bay and is unwittingly poisoning the water with purple sludge.
 * Shadow Mario/Bowser Jr., who, although causing the whole island's issues, never actually is the boss of a level, besides every level's one Shadow Mario chasing mission.
 * Bowser, the final boss of the game, is found sitting in a hot tub full of green sludge floating in the skies of Corona Mountain. Bowser Jr. and Princess Peach are found with him.

Locations

 * Delfino Airstrip
 * Delfino Plaza
 * Corona Mountain

Secret Levels
Every area in the game has one or two secret levels. These are never part of the regular area and are usually inside an alcove (barred off after defeating the level). These secret levels start with a short cutscene of Mario falling through a white area and Shadow Mario stealing F.L.U.D.D, thus leaving Mario only to rely on his acrobatic skills. These levels can also be revisited, but F.L.U.D.D will be accessible to aid in movement. When revisiting, there is also a red or pink switch that, when pressed, makes eight Red Coins appear throughout the level and sets off a timer. The red coins must be collected before the timer runs out or Mario loses a life and has to restart the level. Collecting them results in one of the two hidden Shine Sprites in that area appearing.

These levels feature a remix of the classic "Mario Bros." music (Super Mario Bros. for the NES) in a rhythmic, upbeat, a cappella style accompanied by snapping fingers. Secret levels are staged in an apparently infinite void in which Mario may fall and lose a life. There any many types of multi-colored platforms and obstacles in these secret levels, such as:


 * Red and blue platforms that flip constantly. The player must Jump on these from red platforms to blue platforms because they flip in a set sequence.
 * Long, square-faced wooden blocks with colored knobs that rotate, so the player must run along the long dimension or risk being flipped off. This level was slightly modified and reused in Super Mario Galaxy 2
 * Cubes made of glass with white edges that have colored corners that frequently sit at the edge of a platform (or shortly off it). These will carry Mario on the top and move to otherwise-unreachable platforms as they rotate and turn.
 * Blocks made of sand that crumble as Mario steps on them (but regenerate shortly). These are often arranged into a long path that crumbles if not crossed swiftly or a sand castle that has to be navigated through that is continually breaking apart.
 * Blocks that disappear at regular intervals, regardless if the player steps on one of them. They are very tricky and are tough to move across without falling.
 * Moving Yoshi Egg patterned blocks that move in a set path and must be jumped across in order.
 * Orange blocks with no special characteristic other than moving in every direction. They are arranged in large groups.
 * Some platforms have nails sticking out of them. If Mario Ground Pounds on them three times they will be completely in the ground and the player could get a few coins, a 1-Up Mushroom, but usually nothing. They are usually on large platforms that are not moving.

It is also noteworthy that, when losing a life on the secret levels, Mario will restart at the starting point of the level as opposed to returning to Delfino Plaza like he does after dying anywhere else. The exception to this rule is when Mario loses all lives, when he would invariably be returned to the plaza).

There is also a second, rare type of secret levels. In these secret levels, Mario always has access to F.L.U.D.D. They also have a different background music. One appears in Episode 4 of Gelato Beach, one in Episode 3 of Noki Bay. Secret levels are also available in Delfino Plaza. They are:


 * Super Slide
 * Red Coin Field
 * Pachinko Game
 * Lily Pad Ride
 * Turbo Track

Items

 * Shine Sprites - When certain totals are achieved, the story progresses.
 * F.L.U.D.D. - Helps Mario throughout the game with various abilities.
 * Nozzles- Allows Mario to Hover for a short time, blast up in the air, or make him go extremely fast.
 * Red Coins - Some levels require all eight Red Coins of the level to be found in order to get the Shine Sprite.
 * Blue Coins - Can be traded for Shine Sprites at the Blue Coin Shop.
 * 1-Up Mushrooms - Give Mario an extra life.
 * Fruit - Food for Yoshis, which refills their Juice Meter.
 * Water Bottles - Fill F.L.U.D.D's water tank.
 * Mario's Cap - Stops Mario from losing lives.
 * Gold Coins - Mario can collect 50 to get a life, or 100 to get a Shine Sprite.
 * Water Barrel - Mario can throw it to clean a large area, as it releases a large burst of water.
 * Trampoline - Allow Mario to reach higher areas.
 * Water Rockets - Missiles that attach to F.L.U.D.D that can be launched with water.
 * Barrel - Objects that Mario can carry and throw at enemies.

Reception
Super Mario Sunshine received widespread critical acclaim and was a commercial success, having sold over 5.5 million copies as of June 2006.

Beta Elements
In Super Mario Sunshine, Delfino Plaza is the main plaza of the game. However, in trailers before release, it showed that there was going to be a different plaza (or a possible early Delfino Plaza), with a giant Strollin' Stu-like creature called Hinokuri walking around the place and many more different things.

The beta also reveals that Humans were intended to be citizens of the plaza. F.L.U.D.D. was going to be skinnier. Gooper Blooper was going to be dark blue and fought on top of the bridges of Ricco Harbor instead of in the market and helicopter area.

This glitch can only be done in the Ricco Harbor while playing through the Blooper Surfing Safari level. First, Mario must pick a Blooper from the floating platform. As he navigates himself to the tunnel with the pollution, Mario must enter the tunnel, but only before the screen changes to the Blooper race course inside the tunnel. Just as he enters, the player must pause the game and select, "Exit area." He will then enter the tunnel, but instead of entering the Blooper race course, the game will reset itself.

To make this glitch occur, Mario must go to Sirena Beach and enter the hotel. Next, he must hop on a Yoshi and enter the attic. If Mario runs into a Sleepy Boo, he flies off the Yoshi, as usual, but if he tries to jump on the Yoshi again, he falls off the Yoshi again. Mario cannot jump on the Yoshi again unless he goes downstairs to get the Yoshi again or if Mario takes damage and then jumps on Yoshi.

Bowser

 * "Bwa ha ha! The water's great! Eh, Junior?"
 * "Mario! How dare you disturb my family vacation?!"
 * "Jr., I've got something...difficult...to tell you about Princess Peach..."
 * "That's my boy! Well put, son!"
 * "The royal Koopa line is strong as ever!"
 * "But for now...let's just rest awhile."

Sunglasses Vendor

 * "I love the sunshine, but OOOH! Is it ever bright!"
 * "Here, little man. Try a pair of my special sun shades. They're cool!"
 * "Yeah heh heh... You're styling now!"
 * "Come back and talk to me when you don't need them anymore."
 * "Hey! Sun shades alone just won't cut it for you. Nope!"
 * "You also need one of my custom tropical shirts. Here you go!"
 * "My, oh my! I haven't seen anyone look that good in my gear in ages!"
 * "Come see me again when you want to return them, OK?"
 * "You had enough? Come by anytime it's too bright for you, OK, little man?"

Executive Producer

 * Satoru Iwata

Producers

 * Shigeru Miyamoto
 * Takashi Tezuka

Directors

 * Yoshiaki Koizumi
 * Kenta Usui

Appearances in other media
Super Mario Sunshine has been adapted into numerous comic books. It was the subject of a story arc spanning volumes 28, 29, 30, and 31 of Super Mario-Kun.

Like Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island before it, Super Mario Sunshine was made into a manga of the same name as part of the 4-Koma Gag Battle series. The game was also made into a manga published by Futabasha Publishers Ltd. as part of the 4-Koma Manga Kingdom series.

References to Other Games

 * Mario Bros.: The second (and last) time F.L.U.D.D. scans Mario during his malfunction after the fight with Bowser, a black-and-white screenshot from this game is shown with the text "GAME OVER" just before his video crashes.
 * Super Mario Bros.: Before the game starts, an 8-bit coin sound effect is played while the copyright information is displayed. Also, remixes of the main Super Mario Bros. theme, as well as the underground stage theme, are featured in the game. There's also a stage in Sirena Beach where a giant 8-bit Mario can be seen in the background. Also, at the beginning of the game, it is possible to see three "memories" of Mario in the lower left-hand corner. The first of the three is a NES video of Mario approaching a False Bowser on the iconic bridge (although it could just as easily have been a FDS recording of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels).
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: When the player opens the Z-button guide in Delfino Plaza, the map of Delfino Plaza has the sprite of Mario's head showing his current location.
 * Super Mario World: When F.L.U.D.D. scans Mario, the second video shows the SNES boss fight with Iggy Koopa. Also, the ability to climb on gates and punch enemies from the inside of it originated from this game, as well as riding on Yoshi, as well as the added drums in the background music when Yoshi is being ridden on.
 * Luigi's Mansion: During the third episode of Sirena Beach, one of the employees in the hotel claims that the ghosts are annoying and wishes that "Someone would come and suck them away with a vacuum or something" and then asks Mario "Why are you looking at me like that?".
 * Super Mario 64: The number of Shine Sprites in Super Mario Sunshine is the same number of Power Stars in Super Mario 64. Also, the way Mario enters Noki Bay is very similar to the way Mario enters the Tower of the Wing Cap in Super Mario 64. Also when F.L.U.D.D. scans Mario, the last video is the memorable N64 boss fight with Mario swinging Bowser by the tail. The stage is Bowser in the Dark World. Also, most of Mario's animations, as well as a few voice clips are reused, while others are new.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: If the game is hacked to remove Il Piantissimo's mask, he has the same face of the Running Man / Postman of Termina, only with a darker skin tone.
 * Yoshi's Story: The idea of eating fruits to keep Yoshis healthy is similar in this game.

References in Later Games

 * Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour: Many of the enemies' names from this game appear on the scoreboards in Tournament mode, such as Phantamanta, Poink, Cataquack, and Plungelo. The Blooper Bay course also bears a minor resemblance to Gelato Beach. Lastly, this game marks the first time Petey Piranha, Bowser Jr, and Shadow Mario appear as playable characters.
 * Mario Golf: Advance Tour: Same as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, except for course and playable characters. The item Shine Sprites were included in this game. Also, some of Mushroom Tourney bears a minor resemblance to Bianco Hills.
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Shine Sprites and Piantas made an appearance in this game, but they had an entirely different purpose. Also, Doopliss's parrot will say the phrase, "Shine Get!", which is the phrase that appears after Mario gets a Shine Sprite in the Japanese version of Super Mario Sunshine.
 * Super Mario 64 DS: A new beach stage called the Sunshine Isles plays a version of Isle Delfino music in the background. The player's head can get stuck in the snow similar to getting Mario's head stuck in the sand diving into sand from a tall platform or his head stuck in the sand in the ending.
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Shine Sprites were included in this game. The stage Peach Beach also contains Cataquacks, and Piantas and Nokis also appeared. King Boo and Petey Piranha are also an unlockable pair of characters, and Bowser Jr. is a default playable character.
 * Mario Superstar Baseball: One of Mario's team names is the Mario Sunshines, referencing this game
 * Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: The Shine Sprites make an appearance in this game. The Mario Bros. have to hit them to get some light for a limited time in dark areas where the Baby Bros. go. Also Petey Piranha appears as a boss in the game.
 * Mario Kart DS: A new stage was named Delfino Square in reference to Delfino Plaza. Also, there is a battle mode where the player has to collect the most Shine Sprites in the time given (similar to the Coin Battle from Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7).
 * New Super Mario Bros.: The minigame Trampoline Time has the same music as the secret levels in Super Mario Sunshine.
 * Super Paper Mario: There's a Sammer Guy who calls himself "Sunshine Flood".
 * Super Mario Galaxy: Fire Shooters and Water Shooters, which appear in various galaxies, appear very similar to F.L.U.D.D.'s nozzle. Also, Cataquacks make a few appearances as helpful enemies to get Power Stars.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Mario could use FLUDD in this game to spray his opponents. Also, Isle Delfino appears as a selectable stage. Petey Piranha is the first boss in the Adventure Mode. Several stickers and trophies are of characters who debuted in this game.
 * Mario Power Tennis: The court Delfino Plaza comes from this game and the Gooper Blooper Court takes place in Ricco Harbor. Also Mecha Bowser, Bowser Jr. and Petey Piranha reappear in this game.
 * Mario Kart Wii: The stages Peach Beach, Coconut Mall and Delfino Square, which were references to Super Mario Sunshine, appear in this game. Piantas and Nokis can also be seen watching the racers.
 * Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: A Shine Sprite appears in this game as one of the ranks for Mario and Luigi.
 * Super Mario Galaxy 2: The Starshine Beach Galaxy is based on the motifs of Sunshine, such as the Grand Pianta Statue, and makes several references to the game. In addition, the Twisty Trials Galaxy is based almost-exactly on the Secret of Ricco Tower level. Also, Yoshi appeared in this game, only he can not triple jump, spin jump, ground pound, or spit juice, but he can side somersault, unlike in Super Mario Sunshine. His main color is green and is accessed by jumping or spinning the egg, instead of giving it a specific fruit.
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star: One of the questions in "Snifit or Whiffit" is "Bowser is Bowser Jr.'s Dad, and Princess Peach is his mother", which might be a reference to this game. Also, Gooper Blooper appears as the World 3 boss. Lastly, Petey Piranha's belly button is once again his weakness.

Trivia

 * Super Mario Sunshine is the only 3D Mario game in which neither Peach's Castle is shown nor does the game begin with Peach sending Mario a letter.
 * Super Mario Sunshine is also the only 3D Mario game that does not include Goombas or Koopa Troopas as enemies. However, Strollin' Stus act very similar to Goombas and two subspecies of Koopa appear in the game (Electro-Koopas and Snooze-A-Koopas).
 * This is the first game in which Mario has a short-sleeved shirt instead of the usual long-sleeved one. The second time is in WarioWare: Smooth Moves.
 * Peach's dress in this game is actually an early design for her current dress as seen in all games from Mario Party 4 onwards.