- For more details on Blue Coins in Delfino Plaza, see Super Mario Sunshine/Delfino Plaza blue coins.
"Tourists get off the ferries here, in Isle Delfino's largest city. Attractions include the Shine Gate and the Grand Pianta statue."
Trial and sentencing
You land in jail and are taken to court on Isle Delfino to face charges of polluting the once fair Isle Delfino with graffiti and goop similar to what was on the runway. The damage has made the Shine Sprites, guardians of the isle and its source of power, flee. The normally sunny isle is now covered by a gloomy shadow and the natives are in danger of losing their way of life. You are found guilty based on an eye witness sketch and are told you must clean all the graffiti and pollution before you are allowed to leave. Afterwards, FLUDD summarizes the dire situation the isle is in and it looks like, guilty or not, you're going to have to help them out. The next morning the police release you in Delfino Plaza to begin your work.
You are now free to roam the area and almost immediately you'll see a D.E.B.S. Alert at the bottom of the screen telling you that some people have gone missing in Bianco Square. If you need to know where you are then press 
and select Delfino Plaza to get a detailed map.
Head down the street in the direction the police point you, between the beach on the left and the fruit sellers on the right. You'll notice Toadsworth and Peach when you reach the corner, but it's a good idea to talk to the toads and Piantas on the way. FLUDD may also tell you about special moves near places you can use them.
When you talk to Peach she's glad you're alright but is already complaining and wants to go home! You'll then be shown another huge pile of goop in Bianco Square to the right, so get over there.
Raising the Grand Pianta
This puddle of goop is larger than the one on the airstrip and more dangerous because it spawns Goo Bubbles that attack you when you get close. Start cleaning the goop you'll free a toad and a Pianta that were trapped in it; now we know what happened to the people the D.E.B.S. message said disappeared. Spray the large pile of goop awaken another Piranha Plant and spray water into its mouth three times to defeat it as before. You can refill FLUDD in the fountain nearby, and if you run low on health due to the Goo Bubbles then find the stash of Gold coins just off the beach.
When the Piranha Plant is gone the Grand Pianta statue rises up out of the ground, so it looks like you've saved one of Delfino Isle's most important landmarks. But on top of the statue is Shadow Mario, the shadow that Peach noticed earlier, and it's not just Peach who sees him this time. Shadow Mario grabs Peach and runs off with her.
Finding Bianco Hills
Chase Shadow Mario around town and keep spraying water at him. (Press and hold 
lightly to spray and run at the same time.) You'll see sparks every time you hit him with the water.
Start by running over to where Peach and Toadsworth were standing, then back toward where the police released you, up the ledge on the left, and circle back to the square to complete the loop. Don't worry if you lose him for a while as he'll kindly stop and wait for you to catch up, plus he stops every so often to paint more graffiti on the ground. Getting up the ledge may be tricky for beginners, so if you have trouble check the Controls page for the different kinds of jumps you can use. When you've sprayed Shadow Mario enough he'll fall over and drop Peach, so just run over to them. Peach is now safe but you need to chase Shadow Mario a bit more.
He'll head back to Bianco Square, paint a mysterious "M" on the platform of the Grand Pianta statue, and disappear into it. Spray the "M" with water and it will glow and become a portal for you to jump into. This is now the portal to Bianco Hills, your first adventure area. At this point you have a few options:
- You can jump straight into the portal and start completing episodes in Bianco Hills.
- Take some time to explore Delfino Plaza, talk to some locals and get your bearings.
- Hunt down some blue coins or secret shines located around Delfino Plaza.
Finding Ricco Harbor
After finding your third Shine, you will be able to unlock a new area; Ricco Harbor. To do this, head west from the Bianco Hills portal until you reach a pier covered in black goop. This is another Gate Keeper, so spray the big blob to reveal him and sort him out in the normal way. Once you've defeated him, the boathouse appears with a rainbow coloured portal on it. Spray the portal to activate it, and you can now enter Ricco Harbor. You can also go inside the boathouse and speak to the creature that looks like a large raccoon or a small bear to trade the Blue coins you've collected for Shines. (The creature is probably meant to be a Tanuki. It's also probably a reference to some power-ups in other Mario games.)
Finding Gelato Beach
After getting five Shines, you'll be shown a big puddle of goop where the lighthouse used to be. To find it, head to the market and follow the beach until you get to the goo-covered platform. Spray the goo to reveal yet another Gate Keeper. Defeat him in the usual way to restore the lighthouse, then be a good man and clean off poor little toad before spraying the new portal to activate it. This can now be used at any time to enter Gelato Beach.
Finding Pinna Park
After getting ten Shines, a sub appears at the docks on the west side of Delphino Plaza. Also, Princess Peach has been kidnapped yet again and it appears she was taken to the sub. If you go to the red cannon by the ocean at this point you'll be able to unlock the Pinna Park area. To find it, from the portal in Bianco Square go ahead and left, past the palm tree and between the two buildings up the little hill. At the top of the hill use the hover nozzle to get over the river the the lower path ahead. Now go forward and through the big archway on your left to find the cannon. After the cut-scene where Shadow Mario takes Peach away in the sub, you can now jump into the red cannon to be launched over the sea to Pinna Park.
For now, these are the only areas you can unlock, until you complete a few more episodes.
The Return Of The Yoshis
After completing Episode 4 of Pinna Park (The Wilted Sunflowers) you will have to chase down Shadow Mario in Delfino Plaza. He is waiting for you near the fountain in Bianco Square (where the replacement nozzles are) so go find him and do the usual runny, jumpy chase thing. This time, when you catch him, instead of giving you a Shine he'll drop the Yoshi Egg that he was carrying. You'll notice a thought bubble coming out of the egg, with a picture of a fruit in it. Feed the egg one of these fruit to hatch the Yoshi from within.
When Yoshi hatches, jump onto its back and go for a ride. To see how to control Yoshi, have a look at the Controls page. Riding Yoshi will allow you to discover certain areas of the game that were unreachable before. Anywhere that you see an entrance that is blocked by wobbly yellow jelly, just get Yoshi to spit some juice on to it, to dissolve it.
Finding Sirena Beach
If you've discovered Yoshi by this point - which you really should have - you can now open up Sirena Beach. In Delfino Plaza, use Yoshi to climb on to the rooftops and find the roof that has a red pipe with a huge pineapple stuck in it. Make Yoshi eat the pineapple and you can then jump in the pipe to go to Sirena Beach.
Finding Noki Bay
When you've collected 20 Shines, you will be shown that a strange ray of light has appeared in Delfino Plaza, near the Shine Gate. If you go there, stand in the ray of light and then look up at the sun (use the Y button, Mario Cam), then you will be transported to Noki Bay.
Unlocking The Turbo Nozzle
At 25 Shines, and after getting Yoshi, Shadow Mario will turn up in Delfino Plaza again, this time holding a FLUDD nozzle. Chase him around like normal, spraying him when you can, and when he falls over he'll hand over the Turbo Nozzle! Unlocking this item does not open any new levels, but it does allow you get to hidden Shine (shown you in the little intro before the chase) and a Blue coin, and enter one of the minilevels in Delfino Plaza. The grey box near the Pianta statue becomes solid and you can switch to the Turbo Nozzle by breaking it open. Switch beck to the Hover Nozzle by breaking the blue box.
Unlocking The Rocket Nozzle
At 30 Shines, and after unlocking the Turbo nozzle, Shadow Mario will pop up in Delfino Sqaure yet again, and this time he's holding the final FLUDD upgrade: the Rocket Nozzle. Head to the rooftops near the lighthouse (portal to Gelato Beach) to find Shadow Mario and start the chase. When you beat him, he'll hand over the nozzle. Now the red box in Bianco Square becomes solid and can get the Rocket nozzle from it at any time.
Finding Pianta Village
Once you've obtained the Rocket Nozzle you'll be able to find the entrance to Pianta Village. The entrance is a red pipe on the top of the Shine Gate in harbour area of Delfino Plaza (if you don't know by now, the Shine Gate is the huge white and yellow arch with a large sludge-covered Shine in the top of it. Use the Rocket Nozzle to launch yourself on to the hills behind the Shine Gate. Then stand on the grass directly behind the Shine Gate and launch up on to the top of it. The red pipe here takes you to Pianta Village.
Entering Corona Mountain
Once you have beaten all of the Shadow Mario chases (which is always chapter seven) in every level, the plaza will be flooded. The natives are all on rooftops to stay dry and the only level that's open is Sirena Beach. (Pianta Village is open in theory but without a Rocket Nozzle you can reach it.) The intro scene showed Shadow Mario heading behind the Shine gate. Follow him there and he leads you into a cave, which is the entrance to Corona Mountain. Note, you don't actually have to complete the level to restore the plaza to normal. Just exit the level to come back later when you're ready. When the plaza is back to normal, look for the ferry to the airstrip docked south of the boathouse. The cost is 10 Gold coins.