Duck-ring riders
| Duck-ring riders | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Pianta |
| First appearance | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) |
- “You actually managed to talk to the three duck-ring riders? You're amazing! Here you go! This is your reward!”
- —Duck-ring riders, Super Mario Sunshine
The duck-ring riders are three Piantas who appear in Ricco Harbor in Super Mario Sunshine. They are named for their duck-shaped inner tubes that they use to swim through the harbor's waters near the entrance to the level. A single, brown-skinned duck-ring rider first appears in Episode 6, Red Coins on the Water. The same duck-ring rider reappears in Episode 7, Shadow Mario Revisited, and is finally joined by two additional duck-ring riders in Episode 8, Yoshi's Fruit Adventure, one with blue skin and one with purple skin.
Talking to the duck-ring riders is difficult in each of their appearances, as Mario cannot speak to characters while he is swimming, so the player must wait until the duck-ring riders approach particular parts of terrain on the edge of the harbor's water and speak to them as they enter the small range in which Mario can speak to nearby characters. The difficulty of speaking to the duck-ring riders is compounded by their slow movement speed. If Mario speaks to all three duck-ring riders during Episode 8, the final one spoken to will congratulate Mario and cause a 1-Up Mushroom to appear on the shore near Ricco Harbor's entrance.
In addition to Ricco Harbor's duck-ring riders, the Cannon Pianta uses a similar duck-shaped inner tube while Delfino Plaza is flooded when the entrance to Corona Mountain is opened.
