Il Piantissimo
- “And now, we shall race to that flag!”
- —Il Piantissimo, Super Mario Sunshine
Il Piantissimo is a human disguised as a Pianta that the player must race in Super Mario Sunshine, similar to Koopa the Quick races in Super Mario 64. He can be raced in the 5th levels of Gelato Beach and Noki Bay, and in the second level of Pianta Village. Il Piantissimo's name could be a portmanteau of the words "Pianta", whom he is dressed as, and "Pianissimo", which is Italian for "very soft", usually used in musical notations.
Piantissimo is very overconfident, and finds himself much superior to others. According to various locals at Pianta Village, he is considered a rogue, a creep, and not related to the Piantas. This could show that due to his attitude, he is left alone and barely challenged, fueling his ego as there is no one to compete against him.
When Mario races against Il Piantissimo, the two must head to a flag that represents the finish line. If Mario wins, he gets a Shine Sprite, then completing the mission. However, Mario will lose a life if Il Piantissimo finishes first. Also, if the player replays a completed Il Piantissimo episode, Il Piantissimo will be more difficult to beat, as he will finish the course with the player's previous time. However, Il Piantissimo cannot use any tactics involving F.L.U.D.D.
If the game is beaten without all 120 Shine Sprites collected, the ending screen will show Il Piantissimo finding Bowser Jr.'s Magic Paintbrush.
Gallery
Gelato Beach
Noki Bay
- Il Piantissimo's Crazy Climb.PNG
Pianta Village
Appearances
| Title | Description | Original Release Date | System/Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Sunshine | NPC | 2002 | NGC |
| Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour | Name appears on score board | 2003 | NGC |
| Mario Golf: Advance Tour | Name appears on score board | 2004 | GBA |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | モンテマン Monteman |
"Monteman", Monte being the Japanese name for Pianta. |
| German | Palmathon |
Palmathon; Portmanteau of Palma (German for Pianta) and "Marathon". |
| Italian | Palmassimo |
Portmanteau of Palmense (Pianta) and massimo (greatest); "Massimo" is also an Italian name |
| Spanish | Forestón |
Augmentative of Foresto, the NOE Spanish name of Piantas; paralleling how Il Piantissimo means "The Very Pianta" in Italian. |
Trivia
- With his mask removed, Il Piantissimo's face resembles those of the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Running Man or the postman from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
- Mario, Shadow Mario and Il Piantissimo all use the same animations.
