Super Mario Sunshine[a] is a 2002 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube.

The game was directed by Yoshiaki Koizumi and Kenta Usui, produced by series creators Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, written by Makoto Wada, and scored by Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka.

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.

Players control Mario as he collects 120 Shine Sprites[1] to bring light back to Isle Delfino and prove his innocence after Bowser Jr. disguises himself as Mario, steals the Shine Sprites, and covers the island in toxic slime.

Like Stars in Super Mario 64, players obtain Shine Sprites by clearing selected missions with specific objectives.

(Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device), which uses the power of water to clean goop and help Mario reach new places.

The Squirt nozzle lets Mario spray a stream of water, which he can use to clean sludge, attack enemies, and activate certain mechanisms.

Mario can also perform dives at any time, giving him the ability to slide quickly across wet surfaces.

[6] Mario visits the tropical Isle Delfino for a vacation with Princess Peach, her steward Toadsworth, and several other Toads.

), a water cannon created by Professor E. Gadd, Mario defeats a slime-covered Piranha Plant that emerges from the goop.

After the player collects ten Shine Sprites, Shadow Mario successfully kidnaps Peach and takes her to Pinna Island.

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 and Peach watch as the Shine Gate's power is restored while a group of locals celebrate.

In an interview about the development of Super Mario Sunshine with Koizumi, Kenta Usui, and Tezuka, it was mentioned that the game's development began after showing Super Mario 128 and following the critical and commercial success of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, when Koizumi conceived the idea of gameplay involving a water pump.

[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 to Super Mario Sunshine.

[19] Unlike most games of the series, the cutscenes in Super Mario Sunshine feature full English voice acting.

IGN praised the addition of the water backpack for improving gameplay,[34] and GameSpy commented on the "wide variety of moves and the beautifully constructed environments".

[32] The game received a perfect score from Nintendo Power, who commended the "superb graphics, excellent music, clever layouts, funny cinema scenes and ingenious puzzles".

[36] Super Mario Sunshine won GameSpot's annual "Best Platformer on GameCube" award.

So it comes with a modicum of disappointment that Super 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.

[43] In the United States, more than 350,000 copies were sold within its first ten days of release, surpassing launch sales of the PlayStation 2's Grand Theft Auto III, the Xbox's Halo, and the Nintendo 64's Super Mario 64, and boosting hardware sales of the GameCube.

[46] In 2002, Super Mario Sunshine was the tenth best-selling game in the United States according to the NPD Group.

[47] It was re-released in 2003 as part of the Player's Choice line, a selection of games with high sales sold for a reduced price.

Next Generation ranked it as the ninth highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country.

[58] In 2024, Miyamoto said he regretted the difficulty of Mario Sunshine and felt that anyone in the family should be able to play a Nintendo game.