Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine box art for the GameCube
Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto
Platform(s)	Nintendo GameCube
Release	26 August 2002
Genre(s)	Platform game
Mode(s)	Single player

"Pollution and Paradise don't mix."—Tagline

Super Mario Sunshine is the latest platformer console title in the Mario series. It was released in the U.S. on 26 August 2002, nine months after the release of the GameCube. It is the first game on the Nintendo GameCube to exclusively feature Mario, though he appeared in Luigi's Mansion and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Super Mario Sunshine is one of the first GameCube games to become a Player's Choice title.

Story

Template:Spoiler When Mario sets out for the prestigious tropical retreat Isle Delfino, he expects a well-deserved first-class vacation. However, upon arrival, Mario finds that the once-pristine island has been vandalized with graffiti. As a result of this pollution, the island's source of power, the Shine Sprites, have dispersed and the island is covered in a perpetual shadow. Even worse, the culprit seen spreading the graffiti is disguised as Mario; thus, Mario is promptly arrested as soon as his plane lands.

Mario is put on trial, found guilty, and is ordered to clean up the mess and return the Shine Sprites. To help with the cleaning, Mario is given FLUDD, a powerful water cannon toted like a backpack. Mario sets out on his adventure vowing to clear his name and locate the real criminal while restoring tranquility and order to Isle Delfino. The Mario look-alike is referred to as Shadow Mario and it is later revealed that Shadow Mario is in fact Bowser Junior, one of Bowser's children.

Characters

Although you can only play as Mario, the other main and minor characters are:

• Princess Peach
• Toadsworth
• Yoshi (playable)
• Toad
• Toadsworth
• Noki
• Pianta
• Bowser Jr.
• Petey Piranha
• King Boo
• Blooper
• Electrokoopa
• Bowser

Gameplay

Super Mario Sunshine is the first game where Mario extensively uses an accessory to complete his mission. FLUDD 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 (the hub or overworld). Gameplay is based around collecting Shines by completing various tasks in the levels and overworld.

At first, each level features one task which may be completed to acquire a Shine. The player is then returned to Delfino Plaza and a new task is unlocked on the level they just played. Each level consists of up to ten of these 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. Shines are also available by collecting blue coins. Ten of these coins may be traded for one Shine in the overworld.

Gameplay proceeds in this fashion until all of the Shadow Mario–related missions are completed, which unlocks the level containing the final boss. As the total number of Shines available at any given point is greater than the number of Shines needed to unlock the next level, the player may choose which tasks they want to attempt.

In homage to Super Mario World, Mario can also ride Yoshi in this game. Yoshi can be used to eat certain insects and birds to produce yellow or blue coins or Shine Sprites. Yoshi can also eat fruit and squirt the juice of that fruit. This juice can be used to dissolve certain kinds of 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 depend on the type of fruit last eaten.

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

Locations

1. Delfino Airstrip is the small local airport where Princess Peach and Mario land in their airplane to start their vacation on Isle Delfino. The story also begins here, as this is where players are introduced to the concept of cleaning up the game's areas, as well as the introduction to the plot.

1. Delfino Plaza is the main city on Isle Delfino, and appears to function as the capital city of the island, as this is where Mario is put on trial for his crimes. The city is of debatable national origin, as everyone there speaks English but all of the street signs are clearly in Italian. This town is where Mario can access all other areas of the game and it is where the story is advanced also. Princess Peach is kidnapped from Delfino Plaza, and all of her Toad assistants remain here as well. Later in the story, the city is horribly flooded as a result of malfeasance on the part of Bowser. It is shown again in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as where the trophies are handed out, and where the parades take place.

File:SuperMarioSunshineGCNScreenshot.jpg

Mario hovers while spraying away goop in Bianco Hills

1. Bianco Hills is a small village northwest of Delfino Plaza and seems to function as a suburb. The small village is famed for its windmills and also contains a lake and a large central windmill. The town is besieged by various evils during Mario's adventures there, including two devastating attacks by Piranha Plants and Petey Pirahna. The village is nicknamed "Windmill Suburb".

1. Ricco Harbor is an industrial area just off to the west of Delfino Plaza, and is a major shipping port. At any given time, several ships are in the harbor, shipping off various goods to the other parts of the island and, as would seem to be logical, to other parts of the world. A farmer's market is also found here. The harbor is attacked by giant squid named Glooper Blooper on several occasions.

1. Gelato Beach is a peaceful, eternally sunny beach in the middle of a large bay. Along with Pinna Park, it is the only course in the game which does not require the cleaning up of goo, but rather the completing of challenges including taking down Cataquacks, stopping an angry Wiggler, and competing in a watermelon contest. In the middle of the beach, there is an enormous tower devoted to capturing sunlight and using it to warm the egg of a giant sandbird.

1. Pinna Park is actually on a separate island, but is very close to Isle Delfino and is separated from it by a small strait. There are actually two parts to Pinna Island—its small beach and the amusement park which takes up the rest of the island while it's beach has large, talking sunflowers. The park must close when it is attacked by a cannon-wielding Monty Mole,, and it is completely disrupted when a gigantic mechanized Bowser robot attacks, and Snooze-A-Koopas weakening the sunflowers. Due to the pollution on the rest of the island, the park is suffering from a lack of visitors.

1. Sirena Beach is another beach located on the far side of the bay from Delfino Plaza. A world-class hotel and a spectacular beach are here. According to the game, it is a favorite retreat for couples. The hotel is somewhat disrupted when attacked by a large, manta ray–like ghosts and King Boo and his ghosts.

File:Noki.jpg

A blue shelled Noki.

1. Noki Bay is on the far side of the island and is home to the Nokis, one of two races that live Isle Delfino. The first time Mario visits, the water is found to be horribly polluted and is dangerous to touch. Despite battling Monty Mole and Gooper Blooper again, the source of the pollution is found to be a gigantic underwater eel named Eely Mouth with gingivitis. According to the game, the gigantic waterfall is the main tourist attraction in the bay. Nokis are small, humanoid creatures with shells on their backs, like hermit crabs. They are seen in many areas that have beaches. Nokis are very intelligent and seem to like Mario and respect him. The Noki seem to either ignore the Shadow Mario incident or are completely oblivious to it altogether. Noki will also be a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball.

1. Pianta Village is the ancestral home of the Piantas, the other of the two races who live on Isle Delfino. The most prominent feature of the world is that the entire village is built on a massive tree that extends its branches over a canyon that seems to be endlessly deep.

1. Corona Mountain is a large volcano in the middle of the island and it is where Mario's final battle takes place. Unlike most other areas, Corona Mountain is composed of one level—that is, one trip through will complete the game.

External link

• Official website