Chuckster

Chuckster
First appearance	Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Latest appearance	Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)
Variant of	Pianta

“Howdy! I'm a chuckster! You'd better be careful when speaking to powerful Piantas. Some'll chuck you straight up, but most chuck you backward. When it comes to tossing folk, I'm... Well, I'm a chuckster!”

—Pianta Thrower, Super Mario Sunshine

Pianta Throwers (also known as Chucksters) are a variant of Piantas in Super Mario Sunshine. They are capable of throwing Mario a good distance behind them or above them. Pianta Throwers will usually toss Mario after he speaks to them.

This ability appears to be developed and practiced, as is the case with two particular Piantas in Ricco Harbor. As the player unlocks and plays through more episodes, they become more skilled at tossing Mario, to the point where they are both able to do so with good results.

A particular Pianta Thrower is found on the roof of one of the buildings in Delfino Plaza. If he is spoken to and given a coin, he hurls Mario behind him, into the building in which the Shine Sprite is held. If thrown off-target, Mario may miss the building and must speak to the Pianta Thrower again for another attempt.

The angle at which Mario speaks to a Pianta Thrower is a major factor for where he will wind up afterward. This concept is the focus of the episode Secret of the Village Underside in Pianta Village, which features a variety of Pianta Throwers. Some must be spoken to at a specific angle to either move on to the next or collect items. Many of the Pianta Throwers here refer to themselves as "chucksters", though it is unclear what this means, since one of them implies that not all Pianta Throwers are chucksters.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Pianta Throwers are found exclusively throughout Starshine Beach Galaxy during the level Climbing the Cloudy Tower. Mario does not need to initiate dialogue with them to be thrown, as simply coming into contact with them from the front will have them throw Mario into the air.

In Mario Party 8, if the player lands on an Event Space in Goomba's Booty Boardwalk in front of a yellow Pianta, the Pianta tosses them a short distance.

Gallery

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  The bonus area of Pianta Village, centered around the concept of Pianta Throwers.

Quotes

• "I'm a chuckster!"
• "Don't hold back! Grrrarrgaah!"
• "I may be little, but I never give up!"
• "Higher! Higher!"
• "Howdy! Throw me a coin, and I'll throw you for a loop!"
• "Yeeaaah! And awaaaaay you go!"
• "My wife can toss people farther than I can!"

Names in other languages

Chuckster

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ごっちゃん[?] Gocchan	Contraction of「ごっちゃ」(goccha, a term for "disorderly" or "messy") and「ちゃん」(-chan, an honorific)
Italian	Lanciagente[?]	People-tosser; possibly a play on "salvagente" (lifesaver) which literally means "people-saver"