Moviegoers are just a few short weeks away from the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The sequel to Nintendo’s 2023 billion dollar hit will be an adaptation of the 2007 critically-acclaimed 3D platformer of the same. Like the first animated feature, the Galaxy Movie looks to cover a lot more than just what was found in those Wii classics. The American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 with Birdo and Wart as well as the Frog Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3 are joining the fun too. Even non-Super Mario franchises, like Pikmin, will make an appearance in the star-shining sequel.
However, before Nintendo fans “Welcome New Galaxies” to the big screen, there’s one major Super Mario location that we still need to go to. That would be Isle Delfino from Super Mario Sunshine. This would be the perfect destination for a third Super Mario film. After the interstellar highs of the upcoming Galaxy Movie, this tropical vacation destination will be making you say “Waho” in anticipation.
Super Mario Sunshine’s Story’s is a Fresh Coat of Paint
While Super Mario Sunshine is often seen alongside the lower-tier games this famous Italian plumber has starred in, it has gained a rabid cult following since its debut on the GameCube in 2002. The first quirky aspect of the game was the fact that it attempted a fresher story than just the usual Princess Peach has been kidnapped narrative. Yes, Peach does eventually get kidnapped, but the game itself centers around Mario, Peach and the Toads going on vacation to the sunny Isle Delfino.
However, they crash-land thanks in part to this mysterious goo that’s covering the whole island and its residents like the colorful Piantas. Immediately, Mario is greeted by the local police, who arrest him for making a mess of their home. The problem is someone is impersonating our hero. Welding a magic paint brush, this “Shadow Mario” whodunnit needs to be figured out while the real Mario does community service. It wasn’t as cinematic as the later-released Super Mario Galaxy, but that setup presented the series with its first voice acting (outside of Mario and Peach’s sound bits). Match that with the pre-rendered cut scenes and the atmosphere of this game couldn’t be beat in the series.
Sunshine is a Dream Vacation Destination
That takes us to Isle Delfino itself, which was full of so much sun-soaked life. The vacation setting allowed each area of the game to be much more focused and thematically connected than its predecessor. Starting in Delfino Plaza, Mario’s Italian roots can be felt with a very Florence and Venice-inspired design. Years before, gamers ran across the rooftops as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin’s Creed II, Nintendo fans were doing the same while clearing the mean streets of Delfino. From the main hub you’ll then be chasing Shadow Mario to lush environments like Ricco Harbor, Bonco Hills, Noki Bay, Gelato Beach and Pinna Park. Some of which rival the best levels from Super Mario Galaxy. Each location, like every Mario adventure, is also accompanied by a beautifully transportive soundtrack as well as filled with old fan-favorite enemies. This includes King Boo and his ghostly Boo army.
However, the biggest and most controversial aspect of Super Mario Sunshine was The Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device (F.L.U.D.D.). This was a talking jetpack and water gun-like device that allowed the player to platform in new ways like hovering, soaring and speeding around the levels in ways the franchise hadn’t seen before or since. It did take away the traditional power-ups the franchise has been known for over 40 years. There’s no trace of a fire flower or animal-themed suits anywhere. Yet, again, that limitation allowed/challenged the developers to go all in on the tropic locals and the mechanics found within them.
The Super Mario Movies Already Have a Villain in the Making
The Super Mario Bros Movie already did most of the heavy lifting, establishing the extensive lore for the mainstream moviegoing audience. The Galaxy Movie is also officially introducing Yoshi after his small cameo in the last film. Yoshi played a major role in Sunshine as well, but there’s another massive element of the Galaxy Movie in Sunshine. If you don’t want to be spoiled by the reveal of Sunshine, stop reading from this point on. For everyone else, Mario fans will know that Galaxy’s new bad guy, Bowser Jr. made his debut in Super Mario Sunshine. He was Shadow Mario, who was convinced Peach was his mother. That’s a long, hilarious story for another day, but both Bowser Jr. and his magic paint brush are in the Galaxy Movie. Their inclusion could set up a revenge-type story inspired by the events of Sunshine. The visuals tied to his paint brush could take the game’s inky style to the next level too.
Bowser Jr. ‘s film debut isn’t the last Sunshine connection in the upcoming film either. The Piantas have already been confirmed to be appearing and there were already a ton of background Easter eggs like a “Shine Sprite” in the original film. Sunshine has been the black sheep of the franchise for the last 24 years, mostly thanks to its wonky physics system and inconsistent camera controls. However, despite that, Nintendo has always found a fun way to honor that odd-ball game in each new release. This has included its music being included in Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) and the Piantas and Cataquaks were playable characters in Mario Kart World (2025). Sunshine has always been a game represented well by the company’s heavy-hitters, like Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart and Mario Tennis. Some would even say that Splatoon, Nintendo’s paint-based third-person shooter franchise, takes massive inspiration from this warm and chaotic 3D Mario entry.
Super Mario Galaxy & Beyond
With that all said, there’s most likely going to be a third Super Mario movie in the near future, alongside the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda and rumored Donkey Kong spin-off. Galaxy is going to blow the doors off Super Mario’s literal universe. With Pikmin and R.O.B the Robot’s inclusion, there may be a whole load of cameos from other Nintendo franchises we don’t know about. Yet, rather than going even bigger in a potential third entry, the Super Mario Bros. series could benefit from a scale-back narrative-focused installment.
That’s what the potential Super Mario Sunshine Movie provides. After the space odyssey of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, these plumbers and their Mushroom Kingdom friends could use a much-needed vacation. If you were a kid when that game came out, Sunshine gave you a sense of wonder and a sandbox playground like no other. That’s what the best Super Mario games have been about. The joy of traversal and the sense of mind-blowing discovery that’s around every blissfully-made corner. For most gamers, that’s what the 2023 film provided, as it had us in the same wide-eyed trance. The feeling of gleeful risk-taking freedom we had playing these games when we were younger.
We’ll have a much clearer answer for where the franchise is heading when the Galaxy Movie hits theaters on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. If you’re looking for a Super Mario fix until then, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury and Super Mario Sunshine are all available to play on the Nintendo Switch. The latter’s only available via the out-of-print 35th anniversary Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection for now. Though it’ll be available in the near future via the GameCube’s Nintendo Switch Online app.
- Released
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August 26, 2002
- ESRB
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E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
