Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Sunshine is a 2002 platformer developed by Nintendo EAD for the GameCube, sending Mario to the tropical Isle Delfino to clean up a graffiti-like pollution and clear his name using a water-spraying backpack called FLUDD.

The FLUDD device added new movement and puzzle options, letting Mario hover to cross gaps, blast away goop and enemies, and use rocket and turbo nozzles to launch upward or dash across water, while sunny open levels encouraged exploration to collect Shine Sprites. Challenging secret platforming segments stripped away FLUDD entirely for pure, precise jumping tests, and the tropical setting gave the game a cohesive sense of place with fully voiced cutscenes.

A distinctive and sometimes divisive entry, Sunshine remains a fondly remembered 3D Mario adventure that experimented boldly with the formula. It was later included in a collection of classic 3D Mario titles for modern Nintendo hardware, giving players a convenient way to revisit it, though that release was available only for a limited time.