Super Mario Sunshine
Gamecube Cameos

Dolphin References

The working name for the GameCube was "Dolphin". This name has been referenced in many games, and Super Mario Sunshine perhaps more than any other.

Delfino Island

The game is set on the tropical Isle Delfino. Delfino is Italian for "dolphin" and the island is shaped like a dolphin.

Dolphin fountain

Delfino Plaza features many dolphin statues and fountains.

Dolphin graffiti

On the Noki Bay stage, you have to clear up graffiti in the shape of a dolphin.

Submitted by Fryguy64

Mario Clips During FLUDD's Scan

When you first find FLUDD on the runway, it scans Mario and you get to see a series of computer readouts. Look carefully at the bottom-left corner and you will see three short video clips of Mario's previous adventures:

Mario video clips during FLUDD's scan
  1. Mario fighting Bowser in Super Mario Bros.
  2. Mario fighting Iggy in Super Mario World
  3. Mario fighting Bowser in Super Mario 64

In the bottom-right corner you can see a mirrored list of all of the main series Mario games.

Submitted by Deezer, Kirbychu

Secret Areas

Each level has "Secret" areas; stand-alone platforming challenges where FLUDD is taken away from you. The music in these areas is an acapella remix of the Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme.

Pixel Mario background in a Secret Area

The Secret areas usually have strange backgrounds. On some levels, the background features giant pixellated Marios from Super Mario Bros.

Submitted by Fryguy64

Professor E. Gadd

Throughout Super Mario Sunshine, references are made to "Gadd Sciences" and a "strange old man in a white coat" who invented a number of the game's gadgets.

Professor E. Gadd's face logo on the FLUDD upgrade crates

This refers to Professor E. Gadd, the eccentric inventor and ghost hunter from Luigi's Mansion. Each of his gadgets is marked with a logo shaped like his face.

Submitted by Fryguy64

Luigi's Mansion Reference

In the haunted Sirena Beach hotel, head into the air duct maze and talk to the Pianta scrubbing the floors.

A Pianta talks about someone sucking up ghosts with a vacuum
All these ghosts are causing such trouble… They're everywhere! Why can't someone come along and suck 'em up with a vacuum? What? Why are you looking at me like that?

This is a reference to Luigi's Mansion, where Luigi had to clear out a haunted mansion armed with a flashlight and a vacuum cleaner.

Submitted by Fryguy64

GameCube Controller Courtyard

The Sirena Beach Hotel courtyard is shaped like a GameCube controller

On the Sirena Beach stage, the hotel courtyard is in the shape of a GameCube Controller.

Submitted by Fryguy64

SMB3 Head Sprite

When you are exploring the sewers of Delfino Plaza, press Z to open the map and check the information on Delfino Plaza. You can see a map of the underground sewer system, and Mario's location is represented by Small Mario's head from Super Mario Bros. 3.

Submitted by YoungLink

Unused Content: Il Piantissimo's Face

Il Piantissimo, the strange man dressed as a Pianta, wears a mask at all times.

Through hacking, we can see that under the Pianta mask he has the face of the Marathon Man from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Submitted by kingmario

Unused Content: Animal Crossing Gyroid

A sprite of a Gyroid from Animal Crossing has been found hidden in a texture map. The sprite has yet to be found in-game.

Submitted by Koopaul