Super Mario 3D All-Stars: All Red Coin levels in Super Mario Sunshine

Ah, coins. A staple in any Mario game. With the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection coming, several different coin options make their appearance across all three games. In Super Mario Sunshine, you'll be tracking down Yellow, Blue, and Red Coins.

Yellow Coins can be spent and can heal you, and Blue Coins are necessary to trade-in for Shine Sprites, but Red Coins are some of the trickier fellows in the game. And yet, you'll need to gather at least 50 of them — maybe more — to beat Corona Mountain and finish the game.

What are Red Coins, how do you get them, and why should you care? All the details on Red Coin hunts in Super Mario Sunshine for Super Mario 3D All-Stars are below:

What are Red Coin levels in Super Mario Sunshine?

Red Coin levels can only be completed once you've collected eight Red Coins scattered throughout. Some of these levels do not have time limits, while others -- specifically the ones located in the underground platforming sections -- do. Collecting all eight coins will give Mario a Shine Sprite and mark the level as completed.

You'll encounter at least a few of these if you're trying to beat the game, and if you want to collect every Shine Sprite, there are lots of Red Coin hunts you'll have to go on.

Which episodes have Red Coins in them?

Episode 2: Red Coins of the Airstrip - This entirely optional level becomes available once you enter Corona Mountain for the first time. You can pay ten coins to revisit the airstrip and finish its only other level besides the tutorial. Unlike other Red Coin challenges that occur out in the world instead of underground levels, this one also features a time limit.

Pachinko Game - Defino Plaza doesn't have episodes, but it does have several hidden areas, a few of which have Red Coin challenges. Ride the boat underneath the bridge and stand on the roof. When it goes under, use the Hover Nozzle to push yourself into a hole under the bridge into the Pachinko level, where eight red coins are waiting in the various pockets and crannies.

Lily Pad Ride - This is located in a Warp Pipe on an island to the southeast of Delfino Plaza. You must bring Yoshi to the pipe to spray the barricade blocking it to get in. Once inside, you'll ride a lily pad down a poison river, using FLUDD's spray to direct your path and avoiding obstacles while collecting eight Red Coins as you go. If your lily pad goes too slowly, it will eventually disappear, dropping Mario into the poisoned water and causing him to lose a life.

Red Coin Field - Accessed by heading down the warp pipe northwest of Delfino Plaza, off the main coast. There is no time limit to collect the coins hidden in the grass. Be careful not to knock enemies off the platform, as some of them drop coins, and if they fall off the platform, you'll have to restart.

Episode 4: Red Coins of Windmill Village - This is likely the first Red Coin level you'll encounter, and is pretty straightforward. All coins are located in the village (there are none in the lake area), and many are hidden atop buildings or the main wall. You'll need to use the bouncing tightropes and the rotating windmill platforms (spray them to get them to move) to collect them all.

Episode 8: The Red Coins of the Lake - This is an optional level that sends you back to the lakeside of Bianco Hills to collect Red Coins —there are none in the village this time. You'll need the Rocket Nozzle to finish this level, located in a box on the opposite side of the lake. Beware of the Wind Spirits trying to knock you off the tightropes, as you'll have to climb those to collect all the coins.

Episode 9: Red Coins of the Hillside Cave - Once you've finished The Hillside Cave Secret, return to the completed level and enter the Hillside Cave once again. This time, a red switch will be present in the level. Once you ground pound it, eight red coins will appear across the platforms in the level. You'll have one minute to collect them all and spawn an additional Shine Sprite.

Episode 10: Red Coins of the Dirty Lake - Like episode 9, this episode is accessed by revisiting The Secret of the Dirty Lake's platforming level and triggering a Red Coin switch to spawn eight coins. Collect them all within one minute and thirty seconds to spawn a Shine Sprite.

Episode 6: Red Coins on the Water - This level has a timer, which you'll find next to a set of Bloopers waiting on the pier. Ground pound the switch to make the Red Coins appear, and you'll have two minutes to grab a Blooper and collect them all on the water. Use the trail of yellow coins to help stay on track and find them all. The Green Blooper is ideal for this episode, as it is easiest to control, and it is better not to miss a single coin the first try than to try and do them all very fast and miss one.

Episode 9: Red Coins in Ricco Tower - Revisit The Secret of Ricco Tower and enter the tower to find another Red Coin switch to ground pound and another timed challenge. This time you have one minute and thirty seconds to collect all eight Red Coins for the Shine Sprite to appear.

Episode 4: The Sand Bird is Born - Make your way to the tower that used to have the egg in it, and use the trampoline platform to bounce inside. You'll be taken to a different level to ride a Sand Bird and collect Red Coins that land atop it. Seven of them will appear on the bird, while the eighth will be on a platform at the end. This level can be tricky -- try to collect the ones on the bird's wings right away, then prepare to move with the bird as it flips on its side to avoid being thrown off. Other coins will float onto the bird as it climbs.

Episode 6: Red Coins in the Coral Reef - No timer on this level — simply collect all eight Red Coins hiding in the coral reed behind the Surf Cabana. Note that two are hiding in schools of red fish — if they swim into a rock and vanish, they will eventually reappear elsewhere.

Episode 9: Red Coins in the Sand Castle - As with other underground levels, this time you'll need to return to Dune Bud Sand Castle Secret and ground pound the red switch to make the eight Red Coins appear. You'll have one minute to collect them all.

Episode 3: Red Coins of the Pirate Ships - Enter Pinna Park's park properly and head for the pirate ship rides. You'll need to time jumps on, and across the ships so you can collect all the coins without falling off, and there will also be some scattered on high platforms around the ships.

Episode 9: Red Coins in the Cannon - Return to The Beach Cannon's Secret and enter the cannon for another secret Red Coin course. Ground pound the Red Coin Switch to get a minute on the clock to collect eight Red Coins throughout the level.

Episode 10: Red Coins in the Yoshi-Go-Round - This time, return to The Yoshi-Go-Round's Secret and enter the Yoshi-Go-Round as you did before to access the underground level. This time, you'll have two minutes to collect all eight coins.

Episode 8: Red Coins in the Hotel - Sirena Beach almost gets away with no Red Coin levels, but it crams them all in for the final three episodes. All coins are located inside Hotel Delfino, and you'll need to use your acquired knowledge of the hotel's nooks and crannies to find them all across multiple floors. Fortunately, there's no time limit.

Episode 9: Red Coins in Boo's Big Mouth - Return to The Hotel Lobby's Secret and hop into the Boo statue again to revisit the underground level. Ground pounding the red switch will give you a minute and thirty seconds to collect eight Red Coins across the course.

Episode 10: Red Coin Winnings in the Casino - This secret level is located in The Secret of Casino Delfino. You'll need to redo the slot machine puzzle from the level before re-entering the underground, then ground pound the switch to put one minute on the clock and eight Red Coins around the course. Collect them all in time for a Shine Sprite.

Episode 3: Red Coins in a Bottle - In this level, you'll be given a special helmet, shrunken down, and dropped into a bottle of water, obstacles, and eight Red Coins. There's no time limit, but you do have a limited amount of breath, so you'll need to collect both Red and Yellow Coins to replenish it as you explore. Use the Hover Nozzle to jet yourself around the bottle and collect them all.

Episode 8: The Red Coin Fish - Once again, you'll get the helmet at the start and be instructed to head to the top of the mountain. Once you're up there, dive into the waterfall to head underwater to gather the Red Coins on a Red Coin fish swimming around. Collecting both Red and Yellow Coins will replenish Mario's air supply, and if the fish scatters, simply wait a few seconds for the coins to return before you continue.

Episode 10: Red Coins on the Half Shell - Return to The Shell's Secret after beating it for another underground level with a one minute and thirty-second timer. Collect all eight coins to get the Shine Sprite to appear.

Episode 8: Fluff Festival Coin Hunt - You can finish the game without ever collecting a Red Coin from Pianta Village. If you have the urge, return for episode 8 to collect Red Coins around and underneath the village. These are some of the most spread out in the game, and once you're done, the Shine Sprite appears on a cloud floating around the area that can only be reached by climbing a big tree. No timer on this one, though. Good luck!

Episode 9: Red Coin Chucksters - The level that infuriated so many hapless Mario Sunshine players forces you to return to collect Red Coins. Go back to Secret of the Village Underside and start the timer once more. You have one minute and thirty seconds to collect them all, so make sure you know how and when to get Chucksters to throw you, so you don't fall, land badly, or waste time.

Do I need to finish all the Red Coin levels to beat the game?

You don't! You only need to beat the first seven episodes of each world to unlock Corona Mountain and beat the game. That means you need to finish the following:

• Bianco Hills - Episode 4
• Ricco Harbor - Episode 6
• Gelato Beach - Episode 4
• Pinna Park - Episode 3
• Noki Bay - Episode 3

These five episodes are the only Red Coin levels you have to complete to finish the game, so if you hate gathering Red Coins, feel free to skip the rest!

Stuck collecting them all?

Struggling to find that last Red Coin you need? Let us know in the comments below so we can help!