Super Mario 3D All-Stars: How to defeat all bosses in Super Mario Sunshine

The second game in Super Mario 3D All-Stars is Super Mario Sunshine. In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is tasked with collecting Shine Sprites and righting the wrongs caused by his evil doppelganger, Shadow Mario. To complete this challenge, you'll have to fight all 18 bosses along the way. We're here to make that task a little bit easier. Here's how to defeat every boss in Super Mario Sunshine.

Delfino Plaza

Boss 1: Polluted Piranha

The Polluted Piranha is the first boss you'll encounter in Super Mario Sunshine. He's unavoidable, and you'll need to defeat him to progress in the game.

First, spray the mound of orange and pink sludge to make the Polluted Piranha emerge. Clear a path up to its slime base and aim at his head. Every time it opens his mouth, spray it down with water. Do this three times, and the slimy foe dissolves.

Delfino Plaza

Boss 2: Polluted Piranha (Round 2)

Another mountain of goo has been spotted right in the middle of Delfino Plaza. Since Mario handled the first Polluted Piranha so well, the Piantas send him forward to handle this one. After the courtroom cutscene, head over to the plaza — you can't miss it. He's another unavoidable boss fight.

The Polluted Piranha might be another color, but it's none the wiser. Get up close to the boss and spray it in its mouth every time it opens it. This time there are Swoopin' Stu's nearby. They're easy to avoid, but if you get hit by them, you'll take damage and be covered in goop. Spray the Polluted Piranha mouth three times, and it'll go down.

Episode 1: Road to the Big Windmill

Boss 3: Polluted Piranha (Round 3) from Bianco Hills

Just when you thought you'd seen the last of it, it appears again, terrorizing Bianco Hills. Find the Polluted Piranha again by jumping into the Bianco Hills portal, located at the base of the Delfino Plaza Statue. When you jump in, select Episode 1: Road to the Big Windmill Shine. The episode will open with a shot of Shadow Mario and the base of what will be a Polluted Piranha.

Slide down the water slide and make your way toward the lake covered in brown goo on the other side of the white wall. Spray away the brown goo and head up the hill. This time, the Polluted Piranha picked up a new trick and is spitting out giant piranha heads covered in goo. Dodge them and trigger the fight by spraying his brown base with water.

This is the third time we're fighting this boss, so you'd think he'd learn a new move, right? Well, you're wrong. Get up close and spray it in the mouth with water, making sure to avoid the wandering Swoopin' Stus. Three hits and it's down for the count.

Episode 2: Down with Petey Piranha

Boss 4: Petey Piranha from Bianco Hills

Episode 2 of Bianco Hills marks Petey Piranha, his first appearance in a Nintendo game. To celebrate the occasion, we're gonna beat him up! Head to the statue in the middle of Delfino Plaza and jump into Episode 2 of Bianco Hills.

Head to the lake that you just cleaned up in the previous episode. You'll see that Petey has made a home for himself on top of the windmill. Head to the lake and cross the bridge towards the windmill. Follow the path around it, making sure to avoid the goop on the path. When you're at the top, you'll find a Pianta waiting. Talk to him or use him as a bounce pad and jump onto the platform on the windmill turbine. When you're at the top, jump over to Petey.

When Mario jumps onto the roof, both he and Petey get a quick lesson in gravity. The roof collapses, sending both Mario and Petey crashing into the windmill. When you come to, the battle will begin.

Like the Polluted Piranha, wait for Petey to open his mouth, and before he's able to barf slime, spray his mouth with water. You'll notice his stomach will get bigger. Fill Petey to the point of bursting, and he'll fall on his back, exhausted and full of water. Jump on his stomach and ground pound his belly button to do damage. Do this three times, and Petey Piranha will go down.

Delfino Plaza

Boss 5: Polluted Piranha (Round 4)

After collecting three Shines, the next time you enter Delfino Plaza, you'll find that once again a Polluted Piranha has made its home on top of a structure, burying it underneath its filth. You'll find it this time on the west side of town on a dock.

Surprise! This Polluted Piranha fights the same way as before, but this one has a party trick up its slimy sleeve. Once you shoot it in the mouth three times, it rises again like a phoenix from the ashes. Spray water into his mouth three more times after that, and you'll wash it away for good.

Episode 1: Gooper Blooper Breaks Out

Boss 6: Gooper Blooper # 1 from Ricco Harbor

Head into the portal that leads to Ricco Harbor and start the first episode. At the start, head through the ship and over the ship grating. You'll see a sign pointing in the direction you're supposed to go, but you have two choices. The first is to follow the signs and use the cranes and bloopers to get over to the crates containing the Blooper.

The second way around is just to jump over the wall. Head towards the angry Pianta on a stack of bricks. You should see him from where you're standing. Using him as a bounce pad, you can bounce off his head and hover over to the wall. FLUDD should be able to get you just high enough so Mario can grab the edge of the wall.

Whichever way you take, once you're on the same level as the Blooper, head over to the crates and give his loose tentacle a pull.

Spray the Gooper Blooper's face with water to make it swing its tentacles at you. You can stomp his tentacles to disable them temporarily, and then rush to the cork in his mouth. Uncork the Gooper Blooper to cause damage. After being uncorked, he'll spray the area with black goop.

Spray some of it away and bait him into another attack. If you're having trouble avoiding his tentacle attack, you can stomp on the edges of the tentacles and pull them off. Rush his mouth again and pull back to send the Gooper Blooper flying through the air, and a Shine Sprite will take its place.

Episode 5: Petey Piranha Strikes Back

Boss 7: Petey Piranha from Bianco Hills

Head to the Bianco Hills portal and into Episode 5. It seems like Petey has made his way into town and made a mess along the way. There are multiple ways to get to where Petey Piranha is sleeping. You can follow the ropes to the top of the hill that Petey Piranha has covered in goo, or you can follow the white wall until you reach the gray Nozzle Box and jump, using your Hover Nozzle to give yourself enough of a boost to get over.

Once you're on top, follow the path to a broken fence, and you'll spot Petey Piranha, sleeping on an inaccessible platform. Floating nearby are translucent balloon creatures called Poinks. They attach to FLUDD's nozzle and make excellent water balloons. Shoot one at Petey and wake him up to start the battle.

This time Petey Piranha is airborne, and a normal spray of water won't bring him down. Find a Poink and send it at Petey. That'll send him to the ground. Then wait for him to open his mouth, fill it with water, and ground pound his gut. He'll take flight again, so grab another Poink and shoot him down again. If you're having trouble following him, keep an eye on the shadow he cast on the ground.

When he makes landfall again, he'll start sending mini tornados out. They don't hurt Mario, but they send him flying and give Petey a chance to escape again. Dodge his attacks, fill him up with water, and ground pound his gut one more time, and Petey will call it quits.

Episode 5: Gooper Blooper Returns

Boss 8: Gooper Blooper (Round 2) from Ricco Harbor

Head to Ricco Harbor and enter Episode 5. The Gooper Blooper is on a helipad, waiting for its rematch. Go give it to 'em.

You can follow the ship or swim over to the helipad. You'll see a Red Nozzle Box that contains a Rocket Nozzle. Using FLUDD, hover over the black goop and reach the red platform. Use the Rocket Nozzle and shoot up to the helipad, where Mario will grab onto the grating. Make your way to one of the exposed panels and flip up to the top to begin the battle.

Gooper Blooper follows the same pattern as he did before, though he's a little more aggressive with his tentacles. Remove a couple of them before uncorking the giant Blooper. Do it two times, and the Shine Sprite is yours.

Delfino Plaza

Boss 9: Polluted Piranha (Round 5)

Once you've collected 5 Shines, the next time you visit Delfino Plaza, you'll be greeted to a cut scene of a huge pile of goo where the Lighthouse used to be. Head to the Northeast corner of town, and you'll engage the pile of goo by spraying it with water.

This boss fights the same way as the previous version. The only difference is that he sends a ring of enemies out after three hits. Spray him in his mouth every chance you get, and you should make quick work of this gross fiend.

Episode 3: Wiggler ahoy! Full steam ahead!

Boss 10: Wiggler from Gelato Beach

Enter the portal on the lighthouse that was buried underneath the last Polluted Piranha to access Gelato Beach. At the end of Episode 2, you'll forcibly wake a napping Wiggler using a couple of reflective panels. In Episode 3, you must deal with the consequences of waking Wiggler from his nap.

Wiggler is stomping around and is pretty intimidating, but defeating him is a matter of timing. At the start, you'll see a Noki in front of a stem, shooting that stem will sprout a huge pyramid. That's what you'll use to take down Wiggler.

Wait for him to start stampeding towards you and shoot the sprout. The pyramid will knock Wiggler over. Then, just hop up and ground pound the highlighted area. There are sprouts all over the beach, so if Wiggler takes another route, follow him and spray the nearest sprout to trip him. Do this three times and put Wiggler to nap for good.

Episode 1: Mecha-Bowser Appears!

Boss 11: Mecha Bowser from Pinna Park

You must have 10 Shines and have unlocked Bianco Hills, Ricco Harbor, and Gelato Beach to unlock Pinna Park. After doing that, the Princess will be kidnapped and taken to an amusement park on the other side of the island. Jump into the cannon in the northwest corner of town to head to Pinna Park.

When you arrive, you'll find Shadow Mario waiting for you at the entrance. Run towards him and enter the park. Once inside, follow him until you reach a large pool of water. A cutscene will begin, and Mario will be faced with Mecha Bowser. After the cutscene, a Noki, impressed by how exciting everything is, offers Mario a ride on the coaster to continue the show. Once Mario is strapped in, the fight will begin.

Mecha Bowser is fairly easy to beat. On the track, you'll collect rockets that FLUDD can use to shoot at Mecha Bowser. Once you shoot the rocket, you'll have to wait until you pass another rocket to shoot again, so try to make every shot count. While you're waiting in between rockets, you can use FLUDD to shoot the Bullet Bills and dose Mecha Bowsers flames if you get to close. Four hits are all it takes to destroy Mecha Bowser.

Episode 2: The Beach Cannon's Secret

Boss 12: Monty Mole from Pinna Park

Ride the cannon in the northwest corner of Delfino Plaza and blast to Pinna Park, selecting Episode 2 this time. The park is closed due to the crazy mole in the cannon on the beach. Follow the trail of Bullet Bills to find Monty Mole — you can't miss him.

Monty Mole will shoot three types of Bullet Bill at you: Black ones that travel in an arc, Purple ones that home in on you, and rare gold ones spit out eight gold coins when sprayed with water.

When you get close to the cannon, Monty will start chucking bombs at you. Shoot the bomb with water, and they'll turn blue. Pick them up and toss them back at Monty to deal damage. Three hits and the mole will be done for, and his cannon will open a passage to an Old-School stage.

Episode 2: Uncork the Waterfall

Boss 13: Monty Mole (Round 2) from Noki Bay

You must have 20 Shines to unlock Noki Bay. When you collect the number of Shines, a mysterious rainbow appears near the Dolphin Fountain by the canal in the center of town. If Mario stands in the center of the rainbow and looks at the sun, you will be sent to Noki Bay. Jump into episode 1.

Noki Bay has been poisoned thanks to Monty Mole corking the waterfall. He's positioned at the top of a cliff, shooting balls of colorful goop down the hill we need to climb. Hop across the water and do not fall in — the poisonous water will hurt Mario. Jump forward and around the pillar until you get to a sign and a scale. Jump onto one end of the scale and shoot water into the jug hanging across to pull yourself up.

Continue climbing up the side of the cliff, using FLUDD's Hover Nozzle and some careful platforming to avoid the gaps and the incoming projectiles. Follow the signs until you get to another scale. Pump water into it to get to the next level.

The following is tricky, and you must climb the wall using a combination of wall jumps and FLUDD's Hover Nozzle. The spin jump is particularly helpful here. Continue to dodge the projectiles and climb, stopping at a creek of fresh water to refill FLUDD's tank. Monty Mole is waiting for you just ahead.

Monty is stationed on top of the giant cork that is plugging up the waterfall. He'll start chucking bombs at you at a faster rate than before. Use FLUDD to defuse the bombs, and then chuck them back at the mole. Four hits are all it takes to defeat the mole and uncork the waterfall. Getting here was the hardest part!

Episode 2: The Boss of Tricky Ruins

Boss 14: Gooper Blooper (Round 3) from Noki Bay

Head to Noki Bay through the rainbow near the dolphin fountain and start episode 2. Start by jumping across the poison water, using FLUDD to avoid the fish bouncing between platforms, and speak to the Noki fisherman, who will tell you about an ancient Noki King buried nearby. He tells Mario that spraying the magic paintings on the wall will reveal a path. Take his advice and spray the painting behind him.

You only have 30 seconds to get to the other side, so you'll have to move fast. You'll have to wall jump up the wall, head to the right, and then the right again. Once you're out of the course, spray the smaller bloopers away and spray the next painting. Follow the path to the end, and you'll find your old friend, Gooper Blooper.

Gooper Blooper is more aggressive this time around but fights the same way it has the past two rounds. Remove his arms, dodge the smaller bloopers, and spray his face until you can pull the cork out of his mouth. Try removing the center two tentacles if Gooper Blooper is giving you too much trouble. Pull his snout one more time, and the squid will be defeated.

Episode 1: The Manta Storm

Boss 15: Phantamanta from Sirena Beach

Once you've completed Episode 4 of Pinna Park, return to Delfino Plaza to be greeted by Shadow Mario holding a Yoshi Egg. Chase him down and spray him for his crimes against humanity, and then feed Yoshi the fruit that he's thinking about. Once he's hatched, jump on Yoshi for a ride! Now, jump on top of the building with the giant pineapple lodged in a pipe and use Yoshi to clear it out. Jump down and enter Sirena Beach.

When you enter the beach, approach the mayor at the highest point of the stage. Talk to him, and you will trigger the entrance of Phantamanta.

The Phantamanta is a giant manta that has been terrorizing Sirena Beach. To defeat it, you'll have to beat it back with FLUDD's water blast. Blast Phantamanta with water, and it will start to break into smaller mantas. Continue to chase them down, spraying them until they break into even smaller mantas. You can use the water barrels around the level to cover large areas with water or ground pound them to refill FLUDD's tank.

Once the mantas have broken apart to their smallest form, they turn pink and begin attacking you directly. Dodge them, using FLUDD's Hover Nozzle to deal damage as you hover to safety. Watch out for the trail of electric goo that the mantas leave behind. Hold your ground and keep spraying until you get every last manta.

Episode 4: Eely-Mouth's Dentist

Boss 16: Eely Mouth from Noki Bay

Take the rainbow at the dolphin statue back to Noki Bay and start episode 4. The episode begins with a Noki telling you that his Grandpa is waiting for Mario at the top of the waterfall. He gives Mario a helmet, as well. Take the rope shortcut back to the cliff you climbed when you were battling Monty Mole earlier. You'll find the Noki at the top. He'll explain that the waterfall has cleared a way into the bay and that the poison is coming from an eel underneath. Jump down the waterfall to start your underwater journey.

Once you're underwater, you'll be greeted by four glowing lights coming from the depths of the bay. Eely will start shooting toxic purple bubbles at you. Dodge them as you approach. When you're close enough, Eely will reach out, revealing his rotten mouth. Shoot his plaque ridden teeth with FLUDD's stream of water to clean them. You'll know you're done when Eely's tooth is sparkling.

Because you're underwater, Mario will slowly lose oxygen as the fight continues. If you find yourself getting low, swim to the sides, and collect Gold Coins to replenish your health and oxygen. Dodge the poisonous bubbles coming from Eely's mouth and clean every tooth until it's satisfied. It wasn't evil; it just had a toothache! It even leaves behind a bunch of coins shaped like a heart.

Episode 5: King Boo Down Below

Boss 17: King Boo from Sirena Beach

Enter the stage through the pipe on the building and jump into Episode 5. Head to the casino and enter it, and then step onto the roulette wheel. Find the purple piece and ground pound it to be brought down into King Boo's lair.

Run up to King Boo and shoot at his slot machine. The slot machine will give one of four outcomes:

• Big question marks: An assortment of random enemies appear. They disappear in about 10 seconds.
• Question mark with feet: Eight Flaming Goombas appear. As with random enemies, these disappear after a few seconds.
• Gold Coins: Don't forget to collect these if you're low on health!
• Fruit: This is the one you want, as it's the only way to damage him. Pick up a red pepper and throw it directly at his tongue. When he's stunned, pick up any other fruit and hurl it at him to do damage. Do this three times to defeat King Boo.

Corona Mountain

Boss 18: Bowser and Bowser Jr.

Once you've completed the Shadow Mario episode in every world, you will be able to reach Corona Mountain, the final stage. When you reenter Delfino Plaza, you'll discover that the whole place has been flooded. Shadow Mario is waiting for you behind the Shine tower. Race over and follow him into the opening of the mountain.

Navigating Corona Mountain is straightforward but littered with instant KOs, so tread carefully. Make strategic use of FLUDD's Hover Nozzle and dodge the spikes on the platform. Spray the flaming platform with water to cool it, and jump over the next spiked platform to collect a 1-Up Mushroom.

Time your jumps to avoid the spike platforms, as they will kill you in one hit if you touch them. Continue to hop across the platforms until you make it to the solid ground again. Use the sprinkler to replenish FLUDD's water tank and break the crate nearby to net another 1-Up Mushroom. The next portion will see Mario steering a small boat to get to the other side.

Spray FLUDD to the right to make the boat turn left and vice versa. Shoot FLUDD's water, in short, controlled burst for better control. If the boat touches anything, it'll sink. Shoot a stream directly ahead of you if you want to come to a stop. Once you get passed the pillars in the lava, ditch the boat and hop onto solid ground. Grab the Rocket Nozzle out of the Red Nozzle Box for the final portion.

Using the Rocket Nozzle, blast upwards, landing on the clouds as you get higher and higher. The Rocket Nozzle uses a lot of water, so make sure you make every jump count. Once you make it to the Black Cloud, you'll discover Bowser and Bowser Jr. relaxing in a hot tub with Princess Peach.

Bowser's floating hot tub has five points marked with a flame. Run around the tub and rocket blast over the marks and coming crashing down with a super ground pound. Doing so will rock the tub, and the corner will begin to come apart. Quickly jump back to safety and repeat four more times.

Bowser and Bowser Jr. don't do much to damage Mario. Bowser will cut you off with his flame breath. If he does, simply run the other way or try to dive in front of it. Falling into the green water will also damage Mario. Find your balance on the edge and destroy Bowser's tub to beat the game.

How to beat all the bosses in Super Mario Sunshine

Defeating all the bosses in Super Mario Sunshine should be as easy as a stroll down the beach. Now the real vacation begins! The game is full of difficult platforming challenges, so be sure to practice your jumps and dives before heading out to collect all 120 Shines.