Super Mario Sunshine : l'épisode tropical au J.E.T.

Super Mario Sunshine: The tropical episode with FLUDD

1346 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

GameSuper Mario SunshineIsle Delfino

The GameCube's only single-player 3D Mario — and the only one where you clean up. Released on 19 July 2002 in Japan and developed by Nintendo EAD under Miyamoto's production, Sunshine sends the plumber off to scrub an Isle Delfino soiled by an impostor. This piece breaks down the F.L.U.D.D. gameplay, the hunt for Shine Sprites and Blue Coins, Yoshi's return, the reception and the re-releases.

Super Mario Sunshine is Mario's only single-player 3D platform adventure on the Nintendo GameCube. Released in 2002, this entry sends the plumber on holiday to the sun-drenched archipelago of Isle Delfino, where an impostor has smothered paradise in sticky paint and pinned the blame on Mario. To clear his name, Mario straps on F.L.U.D.D., a water backpack that completely upends the way he moves and cleans.

Praised at launch but still argued over by fans, Sunshine is also the game that introduced Bowser Jr., set up Delfino's tropical world and turned the simple jump into a ballet of water jets. Here is a full look back at an entry as offbeat as it is endearing.

Contents

Origins: the GameCube's 3D Mario

Super Mario Sunshine was developed by Nintendo EAD under the guidance of producer Shigeru Miyamoto, backed by Takashi Tezuka, with Yoshiaki Koizumi and Kenta Usui directing. The music is by Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka. It is the first major 3D platform adventure since Super Mario 64, and the only one built specifically for the GameCube.

The game launched first in Japan on 19 July 2002, then in North America on 26 August 2002 and in Europe on 4 October 2002. Unlike the Peach's Castle of Super Mario 64, Sunshine leaves the Mushroom Kingdom behind for a brand-new, sun-soaked setting with strong Mediterranean and Italian influences.

Isle Delfino and a story about paint

The action unfolds on Isle Delfino, a tropical archipelago shaped like a dolphin (delfino means “dolphin” in Italian) that sits outside the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario, Peach and Toadsworth land there for a holiday, only to find the island fouled with sticky paint and a mysterious vandal wearing Mario's face.

Wrongly accused, Mario is arrested and sentenced to clean up the whole island. The culprit is Shadow Mario (Antimario in the French version), a bluish look-alike who wields a magic paintbrush. As the adventure goes on, we learn that he is really Bowser Jr., making his very first appearance here: convinced by his father that Peach is his mother and that Mario stole her away, he ends up kidnapping the princess and carrying her off to Corona Mountain.

F.L.U.D.D.: gameplay built on water jets

Sunshine's big new idea is F.L.U.D.D. (J.E.T. in the French version), a talking robotic backpack invented by Professor E. Gadd. Its name is all about the jet of water it fires, and the device serves at once to scrub away paint, spray enemies and get around.

F.L.U.D.D. comes with several interchangeable nozzles: the Squirt Nozzle for spraying, the Hover Nozzle to float for a few seconds, the Turbo Nozzle to tear along at top speed and the Rocket Nozzle to launch skywards. This one-of-a-kind mechanic gives a rare freedom of movement, but it also means keeping an eye on your water supply, something players still argue about.

Mario spraying a puddle of purple goop with the water jet of the F.L.U.D.D. strapped to his back
The whole game lives in that one move: aim, spray, clean.

Shine Sprites, Blue Coins and Yoshi

The goal is to gather the Shine Sprites (Soleils in the French version) to give Isle Delfino its light back. The game holds 120 in all, earned by finishing missions across the various levels or by exploring Delfino Plaza, the central town that acts as the hub.

On top of that come 240 Blue Coins, a secret currency you trade for extra Shine Sprites, which rewards painstaking exploration. Sunshine also marks the return of Yoshi in 3D: the dinosaur can be ridden, swallows enemies and spits a coloured fruit juice able to dissolve certain stains and platforms.

Mario riding an orange Yoshi on Isle Delfino
Yoshi, his fruit juice and the Blue Coins all feed the hunt for Shine Sprites.

Reception, legacy and re-releases

At launch, Super Mario Sunshine was warmly received by critics, with an average score of 92/100 on Metacritic, and it sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide. Its sunny visuals, its soundtrack and its F.L.U.D.D.-driven gameplay were praised, even if a handful of secret levels, tougher and stripped of F.L.U.D.D., remain notorious for their difficulty.

The entry left a lasting legacy: the arrival of Bowser Jr., now a series regular, the Isle Delfino setting reused notably in Mario Kart, and the image of a one-off tropical Mario. The game was re-released in the collection Super Mario 3D All-Stars on Nintendo Switch in 2020, then announced for the Nintendo Classics service (GameCube – Switch 2) on 13 August 2026.

Quick facts

First release 19 July 2002 (Japan)
Original platform Nintendo GameCube
Developer / Producer Nintendo EAD / Shigeru Miyamoto
Key gadget F.L.U.D.D. (J.E.T. in French), water backpack
Setting Isle Delfino
Goal Collect 120 Shine Sprites
Notable feature First appearance of Bowser Jr.

🍄 Want to keep the adventure going? Discover our Mario toys in the shop.

FAQ

  • Which console did Super Mario Sunshine come out on?
    Super Mario Sunshine came out on the Nintendo GameCube in 2002: on 19 July in Japan, 26 August in North America and 4 October in Europe. It is the only single-player 3D platform adventure starring Mario designed for that console.
  • What is F.L.U.D.D. in Super Mario Sunshine?
    F.L.U.D.D. (J.E.T. in the French version) is a talking water backpack invented by Professor E. Gadd. It is used to clean off paint, spray enemies, hover, dash at speed and launch yourself high into the air thanks to its different nozzles.
  • Where does Super Mario Sunshine take place?
    The adventure takes place on Isle Delfino, a dolphin-shaped tropical archipelago located outside the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario had come there on holiday before being accused of dirtying the island.
  • Who is the villain of Super Mario Sunshine?
    The culprit is Shadow Mario, a bluish look-alike armed with a magic paintbrush. He turns out to be Bowser Jr., who makes his very first appearance here and ends up carrying Princess Peach off to Corona Mountain.
  • How many Shine Sprites do you have to collect in the game?
    There are 120 Shine Sprites to collect in all to give Isle Delfino its light back, rounded out by 240 secret Blue Coins that you trade for extra Shine Sprites.
↑ Back to top
Back to blog