Super Mario Sunshine players have discovered a new glitch in the Italian version of the platformer that can softlock a player's game, forcing them to close and restart. Nintendo has seen its fair share of glitches throughout its many franchises. While glitches are often simple graphical bugs with amusing effects like ruining a Pokemon player's selfie, some of these bugs can have major game-altering implications and impact a player's save data.
Super Mario Sunshine has become one of the Mario franchise's most beloved games since it debuted on the GameCube in 2002. The 3D platformer whisking Mario to the tropical Delfino Isle brings one of the first major unique twists in a 3D Mario game, introducing the FLUDD robotic backpack and water cannon. While Sunshine was stuck on the GameCube for the better part of two decades, Super Mario 3D All-Stars in 2020 finally brought the game to Switch. Now, players have discovered a new softlock in the classic platformer.
The glitch shared by gaming YouTuber Gaming Reinvented details a softlock players have discovered in the Italian version's Gelato Beach area. When interacting with a sign near the entrance to the level, the sign will open up two text boxes, one with the name of the location and a second blank text box. Players will not be given the option to proceed or leave the sign menu from the second text box, locking the player in place. With no way to exit the sign available, players are forced to close the game and reset to their last save point.
Super Mario Sunshine's re-release as a part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars was met with significant controversy, thanks to Nintendo's policy with the compilation. The collection of Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy was released as a limited-time game with Nintendo revealing it would no longer be available after March 31st, 2021. The artificial scarcity of the game received a large amount of backlash from fans, feeling the developer was exploiting fans' fear of missing out. Nintendo would later use a similar limited-time sales method with a re-release of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.
While Super Mario 3D All-Stars was a divisive point for the Nintendo fanbase, Sunshine remains a fan-favorite from the Mario franchise. The GameCube platformer introduces several characters that would become staples of the franchise for years to come, including Petey Piranha and Bowser Jr. among others. The FLUDD backpack has also been a popular element of the game with some fans even modding FLUDD into Super Mario Odyssey. Super Mario Sunshine continues to see fans discovering new things within the game, more than 20 years after its launch.
Super Mario Sunshine is available now for GameCube.
Source: Nintendo Life