It's true that, even for some Mario fans, the GameCube's Super Mario Sunshine was somewhat of an obscure and fairly divisive game. In the eyes of many, there have certainly been better entries in the series. The colorful tropical island themes and unique water pack mechanic wasn't exactly for everyone. Yet, this game has been able to "shine" brighter than ever before thanks to the high-res polish of its Super Mario 3D All-Stars rerelease on Switch.

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This has caused many to give it a closer look and earned it a newfound appreciation from some Mario vets. Meanwhile, younger fans are enjoying this 2002 platformer for the first time. Still, even with its appealing new coat of paint, there are some aspects to this Mario journey that remain odd and/or confusing. This list will explore 10 ways in which Super Mario Sunshine simply doesn't add up.

10 The Absence Of Key Mario Baddies

Super Mario 64 Koopa Troopa stage 1 beginning

There are a number of iconic elements associated with classic Mario games, from the colorful Mushroom Kingdom to the satisfying Fire Flower. Yet, Sunshine is strangely missing two of its staple enemies for its entire duration, both Goombas and Koopa Troopas. Granted, there are a few foes that vaguely resemble these guys, like the Strollin' Stus and Snooza Koopas, but these are a far cry from the originals.

It makes sense on one level, given that Sunshine has Mario exploring a foreign land. Still, considering Dinosaur Land from Super Mario World had many of these baddies, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect Delfino to have them as well.

9 Those Bizzare Secret Levels

Super Mario Sunshine secret stage 1 up

While most of the game is consistent with its tropical island motif and stresses Mario's water pack, Sunshine takes a sort of jarring shift in tone and mechanics at times. This mainly comes in the form of the rather trippy secret levels. These are segmented areas that have more traditional platforming elements and challenges.

Given the dark, celestial nature of these places, they seem like they belong in Super Mario Galaxy rather than this game... Just what is the story behind these areas, and why is it that they all exist in these weird voids seemingly outside of regular space?

8 The Abundance Of Paint

Super Mario Sunshine Goopy Inferno paint, Mario on roof

As players soon find out when diving into Sunshine, the crux of the gameplay lies in blasting Mario's water pack and cleaning the abundance of paint from the island.

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With so much of this peculiar rainbow paint, one can't help but wonder just how Bowser Jr. was able to get around to dousing all these vast landscapes in graffiti in the first place, and just what were all the island inhabitants doing during this long period of defacing by Bowser's pesky kid?

7 No Luigi Whatsoever

Super Mario Galaxy Luigi Rescue Mission Help

Along with the original version of Super Mario 64, it just so happens that this GameCube sequel is the only other Mario platformer not to feature Luigi. What was Mario's green-shirted brother doing during this whole escapade?

Logic would dictate Mario would have the courtesy to bring his brother—with whom he's seemingly close—to an island getaway after all the adventures they've been on together. One would at least think that word of Mario's perils would reach Luigi's ear, and that he'd hightail it to the island for assistance at some point. It's pretty odd that, in a mainline Mario title, Luigi is neither seen nor even really alluded to.

6 Bowser Jr.'s Peculiar Powers

Super Mario Sunshine Shadow Mario close up

Early on in Sunshine, players are shown what appears to be a new villain in the elusive "Shadow Mario." Though it's soon revealed that—spoiler!—this is Bowser's troublesome child. A number of questions arise from this revelation quite quickly...

How is this young lad able to transform himself into this swift goo-like figure that resembles Mario in the first place? Moreover, how is he able to concoct a seemingly endless supply of this rainbow paint, which can birth countless monsters? Apparently, even the Yoshis of this game are derived from this graffiti...

5 Basically Everything About F.L.U.D.D.

Nintendo Super Mario Sunshine Mario Gets Blue Coin
Super Mario Sunshine Mario Gets Blue Coin

One of Sunshine's biggest sources of scrutiny from gamers and Mario purists, in particular, is the strange device that's the crux of Mario's mechanics and powers. This water pack, known as "F.L.U.D.D.," is certainly amusing to toy around with, though there's much about it that's peculiar, to say the least.

What are its origins, and moreover, how in the name of Delfino is this thing able to speak? It's all the weirder that this contraption is scarcely seen or even referenced beyond this game, the Smash Bros. series notwithstanding. We know it's connected to Professor E. Gadd from the Luigi's Mansion series, but that opens up more questions than it answers.

4 A Lack Of Certain Functions/Abilities For Mario

Rainbow Mario in Super Mario Galaxy

There's another key element to Sunshine which diverts somewhat from the usual Mario formula. This comes in the form of the plumber's general mechanics and skillset. As mentioned, there's the water pack, which covers most of Mario's abilities this time around. But, what's odd is that this has apparently stripped him of some of his more basic moves and abilities—some of which he even had in Super Mario 64.

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Gone is the satisfying ability to perform a long jump, and the usual platforming move of crouching. Not only this, but key power-ups like the Fire Flower and Super Star are also missing.

3 Mario Still Doesn't Speak, But Everyone Else Does?

Super Mario Sunshine FLUDD talking Gadd Science

It's a common trait for the leads of older games to be silent throughout, and this is particularly the case for Nintendo games. So, in a way, it's not too surprising that the Big N once again excludes any dialogue from the mustached hero aside from the occasional "oh yeah!" and "yahoo!" 

Still, this trait is particularly strange in Sunshine, as it's a rare Mario game in which most of the other characters do speak. Heck, even Mario's water pack is able to talk, but the game's lead cannot?

2 Inconsistency Of F.L.U.D.D. Mechanics Between Original And 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-stars Mario Sunshine played in handheld mode
via: youtube.com (Gaming Boulevard)

Staying on the topic of F.L.U.D.D., there's yet another oddity when it comes to this water-blasting contraption. In this case, it extends to the recent remaster in Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

Because of the difference between the Joy-Cons and the GameCube controller, there are a few key changes mechanically. While players once used the same trigger button to spray water while running and aiming stationary, these two actions are now split between the R and ZR buttons.

Gone also is the mostly-pointless, yet satisfying ability to control the water pressure, since the Joy-Cons don't have pressure-sensitive triggers. For the most part, it works fine, but GameCube diehards might find this shift a bit jarring.

1 How Do The Delfino Residents Not Differentiate Mario From Shadow Mario?

Super Mario Sunshine Delfino resident villain

While some have been fairly interesting, one shouldn't expect too much from the narrative of a Mario game. Still, one can't help but wonder about a glaring plot hole in this strange, majestic journey. The meatball-loving hero is condemned to clean up the island from the getgo, which raises the question—how can Delfino's inhabitants not have discovered the true culprit?

Bowser Jr. was vaguely able to resemble Mario with his disguise, but it's still quite clear this version of the plumber looks notably different. How could Mario have defaced these vast swathes of land when the paint was already there upon his arrival?

NEXT: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Super Mario Odyssey