Shine Sprite

Shine Sprite
	; Artwork from Super Mario Sunshine
First appearance	Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Latest appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)

Not to be confused with Star Sprite.

“Mario, you witnessed this object at the Airstrip, correct? It is a Shine Sprite. Shine Sprites are the source of power on Isle Delfino. They used to gather in great numbers at the Shine Gate. But, the graffiti incident has polluted the island and most of the Shine Sprites have fled. There is no longer any power to support the peaceful lifestyle of the islanders. It is most pitiable. The only way to ensure the return of the Shine Sprites is to keep the island from becoming any dirtier.”

—F.L.U.D.D., Super Mario Sunshine

Shine Sprites, or simply Shines,^[1] are golden entities formed in the sun's image that debut in Super Mario Sunshine. They act as guardians of Isle Delfino and are the source of the island's sunshine. They are also Super Mario Sunshine's equivalent to Super Mario 64's Power Stars and Super Mario Odyssey's Power Moons. Their presence is necessary to sustain the lifestyle of Isle Delfino's population, so they are thus held very dear to the island's inhabitants. Under normal circumstances, Shine Sprites gather in great numbers at the Shine Gate, a large structure in the center of Delfino Plaza. However, they can be scared away from their gathering spot. When Shine Sprites scatter, their collective power weakens and the island gets covered in a haze that blocks out sunlight.

There are 120 Shine Sprites on Isle Delfino, the same as the number of Power Stars in Super Mario 64. Although they are mainly associated with the island, Shine Sprites have appeared in other places as well.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Sunshine

The object of Super Mario Sunshine is for Mario to collect Shine Sprites, as pictured

The Shine Sprites of Isle Delfino play a key role in Super Mario Sunshine. They are a factor in Bowser Jr.'s plot to get Mario sent to prison. At some point prior to the events of the game, Bowser Jr., posing as Mario, attacks the Shine Gate and defaces the monument with goop. Having their gathering spot polluted caused the Shine Sprites to scatter throughout the entire island, leaving the population engulfed in darkness. When Mario then arrives on Isle Delfino at the start of the game, he is promptly tried for upsetting the Shine Sprites. Mario's objective from that point on is to collect the scattered Shine Sprites and restore the original conditions of Isle Delfino.

Gameplay-wise, Shine Sprites function in a similar way as Power Stars did in Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Galaxy 2. The 120 Shine Sprites can be found all over Isle Delfino. Some are hidden in obscure or remote places, while others are held captive by bosses or, in some cases, the islanders themselves. Each world has 11 of them: eight regular ones, two secret ones, and one that appears if Mario collects a hundred coins. 43 Shine Sprites can be found in Delfino Plaza and Delfino Airstrip; 24 of them can be traded for Blue Coins (10 coins per Shine Sprite). Only the first seven regular Shine Sprites of each world are required to access the final boss in Corona Mountain; the rest are optional.

If the game is completed with all 120 Shine Sprites, the picture of Il Piantissimo shown after the credits will be replaced with a large group picture showing several characters from the game. The player will also be rewarded with a red sun sign next to their file block in the file select screen. The Shine Sprite also appears in the game's title screen.

Although the majority of the Shine Sprites have only been scattered relatively recently by Shadow Mario prior to the events of the game, the Noki elder tells Mario of a hidden Shine Sprite in Noki Bay that has been there since ancient times.

Super Mario Odyssey

Through an update for Super Mario Odyssey released on February 21, 2018, the Sunshine Outfit is available, which is based on the outfit given to Mario by the sunglasses vendor in Super Mario Sunshine and features Shine Sprite designs.

Mario Kart series

A Shine Thief battle at Nintendo GameCube.

A Shine Sprite as seen in a Shine Thief battle in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Shine Sprites (usually referred to as simply Shines) are the focus of certain battle modes in the Mario Kart games, namely Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

A Shine Sprite in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Shine Thief, a battle mode in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe based somewhat on "capture the flag" and "king of the hill", has players attempting to hold a Shine Sprite and keep it away from the other players for long enough for a timer to expire. Being struck with an item causes the character to drop the Shine Sprite, allowing another character to pick it up (or, in the case of a Mushroom, Star, or Feather, immediately giving the Shine to the user of the item). Mario Kart DS features a different battle mode, Shine Runners, in which there are nine Shines rather than only one, with players tasked with collecting as many as they can; a timer resets every 30 seconds, at which point whoever has or is tied for the fewest Shines collected is eliminated.

Shine Sprites are also featured on a few billboards in the race courses in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart 8; additionally, in Mario Kart 8, Sunshine Airport's logo is a Shine Sprite itself. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the crown that is worn by the character in first place in Battle Mode and is used as the emblem of the mode has a Shine Sprite on the top of it (unless it is worn by Iggy, Lemmy, or Larry, who use a version of the crown with the Shine Sprite removed so that their hair can fit through it). In Mario Kart Tour, Shine Sprite designs appear on Mario (Sunshine)'s shirt, which is based on the outfit given to Mario by the sunglasses vendor in Super Mario Sunshine.

Super Mario-kun

In Super Mario-kun

Mario collects Shine Sprites also in the Super Mario-kun adaption of Super Mario Sunshine. He receives his first one after defeating a Polluted Piranha Plant, as in the game. Shortly after, a Pianta explains to him about the Shine Sprite, also as in the game (this time, however, Mario does not get sent to jail; he went to jail prior to this).

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Main article: List of Shine Sprites in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, three Shine Sprites can be traded for a partner's level-up from Merlon. There are 42 in the game, with each of the seven partners being able to upgrade twice. They are scattered throughout the world. Forty-one of them can be found in Shine Blocks all over the world, and one of them is owned by Bub. The fortune teller Merluvlee can tell where the Shine Sprites are. The Shine Sprite also makes a minor (but commonly-seen) other appearance as the icon for Mario's partners' "Attack" choice. If the player lines up three Shine Sprite icons in the Bingo! wheel during battle, the effect refills all of Mario's and his partner's HP, FP, and SP, and fills every seat in the audiences.

Mario Golf: Advance Tour

Shine Sprites appear in Item Boxes on Star Courses. When received, the Shine Sprite will stop the rain.

Mario Power Tennis

Shine Sprites appear in Mario Power Tennis in the special game Tic Tac Glow. In that game, the player must hit the water balls at goop puddles at the opposite side of the court. If the player manages to get rid of enough goop, Shine Sprites will appear granting points. They also appear on the menu screen as outlines of the six modes.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Shine Sprites also appear in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time as the result of hitting any Adult Shine Blocks or Small Shine Blocks. Their purpose is to temporarily light dark rooms with spikes for the babies.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

While Shine Sprites are not physically present in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, one of the ranks available to Mario and Luigi is the Shine Rank, which they attain at level 18. Once this rank is reached, they may shop at the Toadles Boutique in Toad Town. This rank is removed in the game's remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, with it being partially replaced by the Boomerang Rank (though that rank is not required to shop at Toadles Boutique; the Flower Rank is instead, attained at the same level the Shine Rank did in the original game).

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

A Shine Sprite in the background of Tropical Island

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, a Shine Sprite appears as the sun in the background of Tropical Island, but without eyes.

Super Smash Bros. series

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a Shine Sprite appears as a sticker. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a Shine Sprite appears as a Legend-rank, support spirit, which slightly increases the power of special moves when equipped.

Additionally, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Shine Gate can be seen in the background of the Delfino Plaza stage, which serves as one of the landing points.

Other appearances

A painting of a Shine Sprite appears in the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft.