In the same month that it was announced by Nintendo, Super Mario 3D All-Stars has arrived, with the glorious Super Mario Sunshine from the GameCube era included in the three-game bundle.
Super Mario Sunshine marked Nintendo’s second foray into the 3D world of Mario, arriving five years after its predecessor, Super Mario 64.
Here, we’re digging into all of the Super Mario Sunshine controls that you need to know to bring power back to Isle Delfino.
For the purposes of this controls guide, (L) and (R) refer to the left and right analogues.
Super Mario Sunshine Switch controls list
To play Super Mario Sunshine, you will need both sides of a Nintendo Switch controller. So, it has to be played docked with two Joy-Cons, via a Pro Controller, or with the console in handheld mode with both Joy-Cons attached.
For the Super Mario Sunshine controls on the Switch, we’ve separated it into three tables: Mario controls, FLUDD controls, and Yoshi controls so that you can quickly get to the Sunshine controls that you need.
Super Mario Sunshine Controls: Mario controls
These are the base controls for the little Italian plumber in Super Mario Sunshine.
| Mario Action | Switch Controls |
| Move Mario | (L) |
| Run | Keep pushing (L) in a direction for Mario to speed-up |
| Open Door | Walk into the door. If unlocked, it will open |
| Interact / Talk | X |
| Pick-up / Carry | Y |
| Drop Item | Y (while standing still) |
| Throw Item | Y (while moving in a direction) |
| Side Step | (L) along a wall |
| Swim Faster | A / B |
| Swim Down / Dive | Y (tap) |
| Swim to the Surface | B (tap) |
| Jump | A / B |
| Triple Jump | B, B, B while running |
| Spin Jump | Spin (L) once and press B |
| Side Somersault | While running, make a U-turn and press B |
| Ground Pound | In midair, press ZL |
| Body Slam | B (to jump), Y (to slam) |
| Slide | While running, press Y |
| Wall Kick | Jump towards a wall and press B on contact |
| Move Camera | (R) |
| Centre Camera | ZL |
| Guidebook | L |
| Suspend Menu | – |
| Pause Screen | + |
Super Mario Sunshine Controls: FLUDD controls
To build on Super Mario 64, Nintendo included a new tool for Mario to use, the Flash Liquidiser Ultra Dousing Device – otherwise known as FLUDD. Here are the Super Mario Sunshine Controls for using FLUDD.
| FLUDD Action | Switch Controls |
| Stop and Squirt | R |
| Aim Squirt | (L) when using R to fire |
| Running Squirt | ZR |
| Switch Nozzles | X |
| Hover (when Hover Nozzle equipped) | R (hold) |
| Refill Water Tank | R / ZR (in a body of water) |
| Sprinkler Squirt | Spin (L) once and press ZR |
| Sidestep | While spraying, move sideways while holding ZL |
| Slip-Slide | Spray in front of you (ZR), run into the puddle and press Y to slide through |
| Front Somersault | While sliding, press B |
| Back Somersault | While spraying with R, press B |
Super Mario Sunshine Controls: Yoshi controls
During the game, you’ll have the chance to hop on a Yoshi and use the many different coloured dinosaurs to perform new actions and get to previously out-of-reach areas. These are the Yoshi controls on Super Mario Sunshine.
| Yoshi Action | Switch Controls |
| Hatch Egg | Pick-up and carry the fruit shown to the egg |
| Mount | Jump on Yoshi’s back with B |
| Dismount | X |
| Eat | Y |
| Spit Juice | Eat fruit and then press R |
| Jump | B |
| Spin Jump | Spin (L) and press B |
| Ground Pound | In midair, press ZL |
How to save Super Mario Sunshine on the Switch
While Super Mario Sunshine doesn’t offer an auto-save feature, you can save at just about any time and will be prompted to save after you’ve made progress.
The easiest way to save the game on the Switch is to go to the pause menu (+) and then select ‘Save.’
That’s just about all that you need to know for the Super Mario Sunshine controls on the Nintendo Switch.
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