Super Mario Sunshine^[a] is a 2002platform game developed and published byNintendo for theGameCube. It is the second3D game in theSuper Mario series, followingSuper Mario 64 (1996). The game was directed byYoshiaki Koizumi and Kenta Usui, produced by series creatorsShigeru Miyamoto andTakashi Tezuka, written by Makoto Wada, and scored byKoji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka.

Super Mario Sunshine
North American box art
Developer(s)	Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Yoshiaki Koizumi Kenta Usui
Producer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto Takashi Tezuka
Designer(s)	Futoshi Shirai
Programmer(s)	Koichi Hayashida
Writer(s)	Makoto Wada
Composer(s)	Koji Kondo Shinobu Tanaka
Series	Super Mario
Platform(s)	GameCube
Release	JP: July 18, 2002 NA: August 26, 2002 EU: October 4, 2002 AU: October 11, 2002
Genre(s)	Platform,action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

The game takes place on the tropical Isle Delfino, whereMario,Toadsworth,Princess Peach, and fiveToads are taking a vacation. A villain resembling Mario, known as Shadow Mario, vandalizes the island with graffiti and causes Mario to be wrongfully convicted for the mess. Mario is ordered to clean up Isle Delfino, using a device called the Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device (F.L.U.D.D.), while saving Princess Peach from Shadow Mario.

Super Mario Sunshine received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the game's graphics, gameplay, story, soundtrack, and the addition of F.L.U.D.D. as a mechanic. However, some criticized the game's camera, F.L.U.D.D.'s gimmicky nature, the difficulty of some of the missions, and the decision to use full voice acting for some characters. The game sold over five million copies worldwide by 2006, making it one of thebest-selling GameCube games. The game was re-released as a part of thePlayer's Choice brand in 2003. It was re-released alongsideSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Galaxy in theSuper Mario 3D All-Stars collection for theNintendo Switch in 2020. The game is set to be re-released forNintendo Switch 2 as part of theNintendo Classics service onNintendo Switch Online

Super Mario Sunshine shares many gameplay elements with its predecessor,Super Mario 64, while introducing several new features. Players control Mario as he collects 120 Shine Sprites^[1] to bring light back to Isle Delfino and prove his innocence afterBowser Jr. disguises himself as Mario, steals the Shine Sprites, and covers the island in toxic slime. Players start off in the hub world of Delfino Plaza and access various worlds via portals which become available as the game progresses. Like Stars inSuper Mario 64, players obtain Shine Sprites by clearing selected missions with specific objectives.^[2][3] Unlike its predecessor, these missions have a more strictly linear order and most mission Shine Sprites cannot be collected until previous missions are completed. There are also various hidden areas and challenges across Isle Delfino where more Shine Sprites can be obtained. Throughout the game, players can find Blue Coins hidden across Isle Delfino, which can be exchanged for Shine Sprites in the boathouse at Delfino Plaza.^[4]

In this game, Mario is joined by a robotic backpack named F.L.U.D.D. (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device), which uses the power of water to clean goop and help Mario reach new places. Mario starts with two default nozzles for F.L.U.D.D., Squirt and Hover, which he can switch between. The Squirt nozzle lets Mario spray a stream of water, which he can use to clean sludge, attack enemies, and activate certain mechanisms. The Hover nozzle lets Mario hover in the air for a short period of time, allowing him to cross large gaps while simultaneously spraying things directly below him. As the game progresses, Mario unlocks two additional nozzles for F.L.U.D.D. which can be substituted with the Hover nozzle: the Rocket nozzle, which shoots Mario high up into the air; and the Turbo nozzle, which moves Mario at high speeds, allowing him to run across water and break into certain areas. Each of F.L.U.D.D.'s nozzles use water from its reserves, which can be refilled via water sources such as rivers or fountains. There are also various secret courses where F.L.U.D.D. is taken away from Mario, forcing him to rely on his natural platforming abilities.^[5] UnlikeSuper Mario 64, Mario cannot long jump; he can instead perform a spin jump by twirling the analog stick and jumping, allowing him to jump higher and farther. Mario can also perform dives at any time, giving him the ability to slide quickly across wet surfaces.

Super Mario Sunshine is the first 3DSuper Mario game with the ability to rideYoshi.^[6] At certain points, Mario can come across an egg which hatches into a Yoshi after being given a specific type of fruit. Yoshi can be ridden upon and attack by spitting juice, which can clear certain obstacles that water cannot. Yoshi can also use his tongue to eat enemies or other pieces of fruit which change his color, depending on the type of fruit. Yoshi will disappear if he runs out of juice or falls into deep water; juice can be replenished by eating more fruit.^[6]

Mario visits the tropical Isle Delfino for a vacation withPrincess Peach, her stewardToadsworth, and several otherToads. At Delfino Airstrip, they discover a mass of paint-like goop. After acquiring the Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device (F.L.U.D.D.), a water cannon created byProfessor E. Gadd, Mario defeats a slime-coveredPiranha Plant that emerges from the goop. However, Mario is arrested on suspicion of vandalizing the island with graffiti, which has caused the source of the island's power, Shine Sprites, to disappear and the island to be covered in shadow. Mario is assigned community service to clean up the island and track down the real criminal.

The culprit is revealed to be Shadow Mario, a shadowy bluedoppelgänger of Mario who created the graffiti using a special paintbrush also developed by Gadd. He attempts to kidnap Princess Peach, but is thwarted by Mario. After the player collects ten Shine Sprites, Shadow Mario successfully kidnaps Peach and takes her to Pinna Island. Upon arriving at Pinna Park, a theme park on the island, Mario encounters and destroys Mecha Bowser, a giant Bowser robot controlled by Shadow Mario. Afterwards, Shadow Mario reveals that his true identity isBowser Jr. Bowser's son,^[7] and that he framed Mario because his father,Bowser, told him Peach is his mother, whom Mario was trying to kidnap. Mecha Bowser's head then transforms into a hot air balloon and Bowser Jr. takes Peach to Corona Mountain. With no way to enter the volcano, Mario continues his mission collecting Shine Sprites.

After the player defeats Bowser Jr. in his Shadow Mario disguise in the seven main levels, Delfino Plaza floods and the entrance to Corona Mountain is opened. Mario travels through the lava-filled caverns and finds Bowser, Bowser Jr. and Princess Peach in a giant hot tub in the sky. Mario defeats Bowser and Bowser Jr. by destroying the hot tub, causing everyone to fall from the sky. Bowser and Bowser Jr. land on a platform in the ocean, while Mario and Peach land on a small island. However, F.L.U.D.D. is damaged by the fall and powers down. Mario and Peach watch as the Shine Gate's power is restored while a group of locals celebrate. Meanwhile, Bowser admits to his son that Peach is not his mother, to which Bowser Jr. replies that he already knows, and that when he is older he wants to fight Mario again. F.L.U.D.D. is repaired, and Mario, Peach, and their friends enjoy the rest of their vacation.^[8]

A sequel toSuper Mario 64 had been in development for several years; the canceled gamesSuper Mario 64 2/Super Mario 128 were some ideas Nintendo had for a direct sequel.^[9]Super Mario Sunshine was first shown atNintendo Space World 2001.^[10] The game was later shown again atE3 2002.^[11] It was developed byNintendo EAD.

The game was the first lead directing role for Nintendo designerYoshiaki Koizumi following a ten-year-long apprenticeship working on various other games.^[12] Super Mario creatorsShigeru Miyamoto andTakashi Tezuka served as producers. It was the first Nintendo first-party game afterSatoru Iwata became president of Nintendo, succeedingHiroshi Yamauchi. Developing a Mario game for the GameCube was the last request Yamauchi gave the team before resigning. In an interview about the development ofSuper Mario Sunshine with Koizumi, Kenta Usui, and Tezuka, it was mentioned that the game's development began after showingSuper Mario 128 and following the critical and commercial success ofThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, when Koizumi conceived the idea of gameplay involving a water pump.^[13] However, at first Koizumi, Miyamoto and Tezuka thought that the world was too daringly out of character with Mario. There were ten candidates for possible water nozzles, and F.L.U.D.D. was chosen because of fitting in the game's setting, though it was not one of the favorites.^[13] They also stated that several Yoshi features were omitted, such as Yoshi vomiting water fed to him.^[13] It was the first in the Mario series to include Peach’s panneria-like overskirt and ponytail and Toad’s different colored spots, and vests with yellow outlines.

Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka composed the score toSuper Mario Sunshine.^[14] Kondo composed the main motif for Isle Delfino, Bianco Hills, Ricco Harbor, and Gelato Beach, as well as the ending credits, while additional music was composed by Tanaka.^[15] The soundtrack features various arrangements of classicMario tunes, including the underground music and the main stage music from the originalSuper Mario Bros.^[16]

Super Mario Sunshine features many of the usual voice actors for the variousMario characters.Charles Martinet voicesMario,Jen Taylor voicesPrincess Peach andToad, Kit Harris voices F.L.U.D.D. and the female Nokis, Scott Burns voicesBowser in the character's first speaking role in a video game,^[17]Toadsworth, the male Nokis, the male Piantas,^[18] and Dolores Rogers voicesBowser Jr. and the female Piantas.^[19] Unlike most games of the series, the cutscenes inSuper Mario Sunshine feature full English voice acting.

Super Mario Sunshine was released in Japan on July 18, 2002.^[20] It was later released in the United States on August 26 of that year. A GameCube bundle containing the game along with a GameCube console was released in North America on October 14, 2002.^[21] The game was re-released alongsideSuper Mario 64 (1996) andSuper Mario Galaxy (2007) in theSuper Mario 3D All-Stars collection onNintendo Switch on September 18, 2020.^[22]

Super Mario Sunshine was critically acclaimed by game critics and fans.^[38] Particular praise went towards the graphics, music, story, gameplay and the addition of F.L.U.D.D.IGN praised the addition of the water backpack for improving gameplay,^[34] andGameSpy commented on the "wide variety of moves and the beautifully constructed environments".^[32] The game received a perfect score fromNintendo Power, who commended the "superb graphics, excellent music, clever layouts, funny cinema scenes and ingenious puzzles".^[36]

Super Mario Sunshine wonGameSpot's annual "Best Platformer on GameCube" award.^[39]GamePro gave it a perfect score, stating that the game was "a masterpiece of superior game design, infinite gameplay variety, creativity, and life."^[3] The American-based publicationGame Informer said that the game is arguably "the bestMario game to date."^[30]Computer and Video Games also mentioned the game is "better thanSuper Mario 64."^[26] The game placed 46th inOfficial Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time.^[40]AllGame gave a lower review, stating that "During the six-year span betweenSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine, platform games have become more epic, more interactive, and prettier. Yet the core element of collecting items in a world divided into sub-sections has been left unchanged. So it comes with a modicum of disappointment thatSuper Mario Sunshine doesn't shake up the genre with a number of new and fresh ideas other than the usual enhancements expected from a sequel."^[25]

Some reviewers were critical towards certain aspects of the game. Thecamera system and high difficulty were the most criticized aspects of the game. The decision to use full voice acting for some characters in the game, as well as F.L.U.D.D., received mixed responses.GameSpot'sJeff Gerstmann criticized the various additions, including F.L.U.D.D. and Yoshi, calling them "mere gimmicks". He also complained about thecamera system.^[31] Gerstmann said that the game seemed somewhat unpolished and rushed, a sentiment shared by Matt Wales ofComputer and Video Games.^[41]GameSpot named it 2002's most disappointing GameCube game.^[39] During the6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedSuper Mario Sunshine for "Console Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year".^[42]

In Japan, more than 400,000 copies ofSuper Mario Sunshine were sold within four days.^[43] In the United States, more than 350,000 copies were sold within its first ten days of release, surpassing launch sales of thePlayStation 2'sGrand Theft Auto III, theXbox'sHalo, and theNintendo 64'sSuper Mario 64, and boosting hardware sales of the GameCube.^[44] In Europe, 175,000 units were sold within a week of its release.^[45] In Japan, 624,240 units had been sold by October 2002.^[46] In 2002,Super Mario Sunshine was the tenth best-selling game in the United States according to theNPD Group.^[47] It was re-released in 2003 as part of thePlayer's Choice line, a selection of games with high sales sold for a reduced price.^[48] By July 2006, 2.5 million copies were sold for $85 million, in the United States alone.Next Generation ranked it as the ninth highest-selling game launched for thePlayStation 2,Xbox, orGameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country.^[49] By June 2006, over 5.5 million copies had been sold worldwide.^[50] However,Satoru Iwata confirmed at E3 2003 that the game's sales, along with those ofMetroid Prime, had failed to live up to the company's expectations.^[12]

Super Mario Sunshine introduced several elements that were carried over into subsequentMario games. Many of the bosses appear inMario spin-offs that followed on the GameCube, such as Bowser Jr, and the unlockable Petey Piranha and King Boo inMario Kart: Double Dash!! and the four unlockable characters inMario Golf: Toadstool Tour.^[51]

Super Mario Sunshine introduced the Shine Sprites, which appeared inMario games such asMario Kart DS andPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. It is also the debut ofBowser Jr., a character in games such asNew Super Mario Bros.,Mario Kart Wii,New Super Mario Bros. Wii,New Super Mario Bros. U,Super Mario Galaxy, andSuper Mario Galaxy 2,^[52][53] and in laterMario spin-off and sports games.^[54] It introduces recurring characters Petey Piranha, Gooper Blooper, and Toadsworth.^[55] TheSuper Smash Bros. series has numerous references to original elements ofSuper Mario Sunshine; most notably, F.L.U.D.D. has been featured as a part of Mario's moveset sinceSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.^[56][57] In a 2002 interview, Miyamoto said he regretted thatSuper Mario Sunshine "turned out to be difficult for the average user", explaining he felt that anyone in the family should be able to play a Nintendo game, and that in retrospect he would have wanted to allow players to skip the secret courses.^[58]

• Official website(in Japanese)