Super Mario Sunshine/Shines

Aside from the Shines collected in the game's many episodes, there are others dotted around Delfino Plaza and outlying islands, mostly as rewards for completing mini-quests or secret levels. They count towards the Shine total for Delfino Plaza on the map (press ) , except for the Delfino Airstrip Shine and Delfino Plaza's 100+ coin Shine.

Blue Coin Exchange

• Requirement: Ricco Harbor portal open, 10+ Blue coins. (Actually the boathouse is open before you get three Shines, but it's unlikely you would have the required Blue coins then.)

Go inside the boathouse that the portal to Ricco Harbor is painted on and find a Tanuki and his son. Talk to him to trade 10 Blue coins for a Shine. Do this for every 10 Blue coins and since there are 240 of them in the game you can get 24 Shines here. Check the Blue Coins section of this guide for information on where to find them.

Pillars in the Sea

• Requirement: none.

Near the tower on the beach in the north-eastern part of Delfino Plaza, you will see a group of stone pillars sticking out of the ocean,(near the entrance to gelato beach) just a little way offshore. Jump and hover to reach the pillar that has a big green pipe sticking out the top. Climb into the pipe to start a secret level.

You start at the top of a long, steep slide with assorted holes, narrow bridges and gaps. Equip the Hover Nozzle and start sliding. Jump and hover when needed to stay on the slide until you reach the platform at the bottom. Then collect the Shine waiting for you there.

Hidden in the High Tower

Mario looking at the roof he needs to get to

• Requirement: Bianco Hills open.

Climb up on to the roofs of the buildings and go to the one with a weather vane just north of the inlet for the central harbor. The picture to the right shows Mario looking at this building. There is a Pianta waiting there who asks for a coin; if you don't have one then spray the weather vane to get it. In exchange he throws you into the tower opposite where you'll find a shiny new Shine.

Clean the West Bell

• Requirement: none but easier with Rocket nozzle

The west bell tower and freshly cleaned bell

You may have noticed a couple of bell towers around Delfino Plaza and that their bells are covered in black goop. If you've unlocked the Rocket nozzle then get it, stand on the roof where Yoshi's egg appears, and rocket up to the bell.

If you don't have the rocket yet then you can still get to the bell but it's a bit more tricky. Get to the roof of the smaller tower to the northeast of the bell tower, it has a white and gold flag flying at the top. A few well timed back-flip jumps and use of the hover nozzle will be needed. The bell is now withing hovering distance.

The inside of the bell tower (background) can be reached via this manhole cover.

When you've reached the bell start spraying the goop off. It's really stuck on there so it will take a few squirts. When it's fully cleaned a Shine will appear in the tower below the bell.

Now you have to get to the Shine and the only way is through the manhole cover beneath it. This connects to two others, one (shown in the image) on the roof of the building just to the north, and the other near the exhaust port that takes you to Pinna Island. Follow the tunnel under the tower and when you come out in the tower you have plenty of momentum to reach the Shine.

Clean the East Bell

• Requirement: Rocket Nozzle.

This is the second of the two dirty bells you need to clean. You can, in fact, get to the bell without the rocket nozzle but there's not much point since you need the rocket to get the Shine. So go to the fountain and in Bianco Square and get the Rocket nozzle, then head east to the building with the bars on the windows. (This seems to be the jail, but if so then why are the police at the other end of the street?) Use the Rocket Nozzle to boost up to the dirty bell, then spray as before until a shine appears.

Cheekily, the Shine appears high above the bell tower, so you need to climb down a level on to the ledge. From there, rocket up onto the roof of the tower and then boost again, straight up, to grab the Shine.

Crate-Stomping Game 1

• Requirement: Bianco Hills open

Locate the shop with cafe umbrellas in front, just to the west of the Shine Gate. The door is open so go in and speak to the Pianta inside to play the crate-stomping game. You get 30 seconds to smash all the crates. It's free to play and you get unlimited attempts. Tip: stomp the join between 2 crates that are next to each other and you can smash them both in one go.

Crate-Stomping Game 2

• Requirement: Complete Crate-Stomping Game 1

Go back into shop with the crate-stomping game to play a harder version and win another Shine. This time the boxes are stacked up: 2 stacks of 3 and 2 stacks of 2. It's best to go for the stacks of 3 first. Use a back-flip jump or a shorter stack to get the top of the tall stacks. Then take out the remaining 2 stacks. It takes some practice to do it within the time but it's not too difficult.

On the Beach

The patch of sand after it has been sprayed

• Requirement: none.

Start spraying the sand on the beach south of the lighthouse and you should see a patch that gives off sparks. (If you've already done some of the Pinna Park or Sirena Beach episodes then you know that spraying random patches of sand can turn up interesting things.) Keep spraying to uncover a picture of a Shine, and when the picture is complete the Shine itself appears on a pillar just offshore.

Under the Bell Tower

• Requirement: Turbo Nozzle.

You may have noticed some double doors under the west bell tower. Get the Turbo nozzle from the fountain near the Grand Pianta statue and turbo your way west through the doors. The Shine is just sitting there in a little room so grab it.

The Yellow Bird

• Requirement: none, but the bird only seems to appear later in the game, after collecting 15 or so Shines.

Just off the east beach there is a small island with a Pianta and a green pipe on it. Swim out to the island and you should see a little yellow bird, either sitting on the sand or flying around above the tree. Spray the bird a few times and a Shine will appear on one of the stone pillars near the lighthouse. While you're on the island you can spray the campfire to get a 1-Up mushroom, though you may have to chase it a bit to collect it.

The Island Secret

• Requirement: Yoshi, Fruit boats.

This is one of the difficult and time consuming Shines in the game. First wake up Yoshi, take him to the central dock, and hop onto one of the fruit boats. Remember that Yoshi is allergic to water so if you fall into the sea you need to start over. The first boat takes you to an island with a Pianta. Jump to the island and squirt some coconuts out of the trees here to keep Yoshi fed for the moment.

Hop on a second boat which takes you to a platform in the middle of the ocean. Hop onto it to wait for the next boat; a banana appears here so Yoshi won't go hungry. From the platform, hop onto a third boat which takes you to the island with the yellow bird and the campfire. The whole point of bringing Yoshi to this spot is to have him spray the yellow goop blocking the pipe. You would think this would be enough to earn a Shine but when you jump in the pipe you start a minilevel.

If you've done the Dirty Lake episode of Bianco Hills then you already know part of what this level is about. There is polluted water and you must propel a lily pad boat across it before the water destroys the boat. In this case though the water isn't just polluted, it's deadly. Hop onto the lily pad and give a bit of a squirt to start; there is a current which carries you along most of the time. Try to grab the seven Red coins floating above the water by steering the boat under them. Don't worry too much about getting all of them though since you can only stay on the boat for so long. The seventh coin is a bit higher than the others so you need to jump and hover to get it.

By the time you reach the end your boat is turning a scary shade of black, so hop onto the ledge here. If you managed to get all seven coins on the water then congratulations. Otherwise drop down to the rim of the stream and carefully walk along it back to the start. There is another lily pad waiting there so you can have another try at the coins. There's no time limit so take as many tries as you need, but keep in mind that FLUDD will run out of water eventually. There is a 1-Up about halfway down the stream so try to pick that up as well.

The eighth coin is on the ledge at the end; you have to do a bit of a jump to get it but compared with the others it's no problem. The Shine appears on the same ledge when you get all eight coins. Note the manhole pipe on the platform at the end of the stage does not take you back to the island, it takes you all the way back to Delfino Plaza!

Clean the Shine Gate

• Requirement: Rocket Nozzle

As you've probably noticed by now, the giant Shine in the top of the Shine Gate is covered in filth like the bells, so it's time to clean it up. Get the Rocket nozzle from the fountain near the Grand Pianta, then go around to the back of the Shine Gate and rocket to the top as if you're going to the Pianta Village. Slide down to the little ledge inside the gate and spray the Shine until it's clean. A Shine appears above the gate and you need to rocket back to the top of the gate and rocket from there to the top to get it.

Smash the Disk

• Requirement: Rocket Nozzle.

Get the Rocket nozzle, then go to the lighthouse and rocket to the top. Climb right to the very top and you'll see a black disk, something like a giant hockey puck, with a flame logo on it. It looks like you might be able to smash the disk with a ground pound but it turns out the flame logo means you'll need something extra on it. Fire the rocket and do the ground pound move when you're at the highest point to do a super, orbit reentry type ground pound which will do the trick. A Shine will appear above the lighthouse so just rocket straight up and get it. Remember the flame logo since it will be useful later on.

Blast past the Guards

• Requirement: Turbo Nozzle.

Get the Turbo nozzle and go to the northeast part of town where you were first released after getting out of jail at the start of the game. There is a double door with a Pianta guard standing either side of it. Use the Turbo Nozzle to blast through the door and start a mini level.

This is basically just a Turbo course and you have to follow it to the end. Use the turbo boost all the way and jump over the gaps when needed. You get a water refill from the fountains at the top of the hill piece, where you can take a break and re-align if necessary. The Shine is waiting for you on the final platform.

Pinball Machine Secret

• Requirement: Fruitboats running

This is one of the trickier shines in the game and it will take some practice and luck to get it.

Go to the central docks and board a fruitboat as it passes by. The boat passes under a bridge with a Gold coin hanging under, this coin is your only clue that there is an entrance to a secret level here. Jump just as you pass the coin to enter the level.

The level is actually a large pinball machine and you are the pinball. (The machine is more in the style of Japanese Pachinko than the pinball you may be used to.) The idea is to get the Red coins inside the machine.

Enter the machine and go into the launch area on the right. Jump to be bounced up to the top of the machine; you get two free Red coins on the first bounce. Now try to maneuver with the Hover nozzle so you land in one of the cups where the Red coins are located. You can also guide yourself a bit on the way up using the joystick. If you land in a cup then you slide out the back of the machine and down through the machine's workings to land next to the launch area. If you don't land in a cup then you fall out the bottom and you need to start over, so try to land in a cup even it you don't land in one with a Red coin.

Once you've collected all eight coins the Sprite will appear in a large cup in the middle of the machine. This is tricky to get to because there is another cup and a number of pins directly above it.

The Cliff Top Secret

• Requirement: Rocket Nozzle

First get the Rocket nozzle, the start swimming west from the exhaust port. There are some trees growing on the side of the cliff, so rocket up to them. Now locate the ledge overlooking these trees, rocket over to it and jump into the pipe there.

You're now in a minilevel with tall grass and you have to collect the 8 Red coins hidden here. First spray the Red bird until it turns into a coin. Then chase the Pianta with the burning backpack and put out the fire; he gives you a Red coin as a reward.

There are two Mini Pokeys in the corners and two Seedy Pods here, and each is holding a Red coin. Just hop on top of the Mini Pokeys to defeat them. For the Seedy pods you have to spray them from a distance to stun them first, but the only problem there is that the grass make it hard to see.

The seventh coin is hidden in a hole which is located in the corner opposite the one with the wooden arches. Jump down the hole to get the coin and wall-kick or backflip out again. Make sure you know where you're going here because there is a path leading out the bottom of the level and you don't want to fall.

The eighth and final red coin is on top of a wooden arch. When you get all eight coins the Shine appears on the tallest arch. You can rocket to reach these but backflips will will to the job just as well.

Red coin Shine at the airstrip

• Requirement: Visit Corona Mountain

After visiting Corona Mountain, whether you complete the boss battle or not, the water returns to its normal level in Delfino Plaza. The ferry back to the airstrip is back in operation but you the cost is 10 Gold coins. Find them around town, then talk to the boatman on the dock next to the west bell tower. Hand over your 10 coins to be taken to the airstrip.

Things are quite a bit different from when you first landed. There are boats in the water, Gold coins all over, Stus on the runway, and fish jumping around. You'll find the next part a bit easier if you stomp on all the Stus. Also, get the Turbo nozzle from the toolbox near the start and break through both sets of double doors to the waiting lounge. Leave the Gold coins alone as much as you can though.

Press the red button near the ferry to start the timer, you have 2:00 to collect all the Red coins around the airstrip. It's probably impossible to do it in time without the Turbo nozzle, but it's a mixed blessing because it's hard to control. Fortunately you have a trail of coins to follow and it will lead you to all the coins.

Start by going through the waiting lounge to collect Coin #1. Go between the two square tanks onto the water, follow the trail left, and jump over the boats collecting coins #2 and #3. Turn left again and get Coin #4 near the end of the runway. Turn again and get Coin #5 to the right of a string of little green floating platforms. Coin #6 is under the bridge ahead. Now turn left 180 degrees and hop up onto the runway to get coins #7 and #8; you will have problems running into Stus if you didn't clear them earlier.

The Shine appears on the runway on the picture of a Shine.

100 coins Shine

• Requirement: Fruitboats running (after you unlock Gelato Beach)

Click on the map to enlarge it

As you probably know by now, you can earn a bonus Shine in each of the game's areas by collecting 100 coins. This also works for Delfino Plaza itself.

First get the coins in the network of underground tunnels, see the map on the right. There are 98 down there to be exact (plus two 1-Up mushrooms and 3 blue coins).

You can also get coins by spraying open windows, signs, wanted posters. There are a couple of boxes you can smash to get more.

There are a few more in plain sight including a ring of six in the ocean near the beach. Another one is floating under a bridge across the harbor inlet.

Finally, spray or have Yoshi eat the green birds flying around town for even more.

You can actually get unlimited coins here using the following trick. Collect a good number to start, then get one of the other Shines listed on this page. You restart in the Plaza but the coin count remains, so you can collect all the coins over again. This also works if you take the boat to the airstrip and back.

When you've collected 100 coins the Shine appears on a platform out at sea, south of Bianco Square. Swim over to it and use the Rocket nozzle to boost yourself out of the water and up to the platform. If you don't have the Rocket nozzle yet then ride the fruit boats to get to the platform.