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Super Mario Sunshine


Mario's endless supply of costumes

We take a look into the plumber's incredibly deep closet

Words: Henry Gilbert, GamesRadar US

Sigh... Look, we aren't mad at you Sunshine. Just disappointed. Maybe it's our fault for expecting another Mario 64, when instead we got a postcard from your fun if not ground-breaking summer vacation. The main letdown of the game was F.L.U.D.D., the stupid water pump strapped to your back. It and short sleeves are not the best look for you honey, and we think you knew it. That's why everything changed again in Galaxy.


Above: It brings Mario down to remember this game


Ahh, that's more like it. Galaxy was both a reinvention and a restoration for Mario. It was an insanely huge adventure with an equally insane plethora of new game mechanics, but it also had the return of suit based power-ups. We'll start with the Bee Suit, Mario's main way to fly in the game. While it looks a tad silly compared to the Raccoon or the cape, we celebrate its buzzy goodness.


Not unlike the Hammer Bros suit, dressing like a Boo has a rebellious quality as you become your enemy. Still, Boos aren't near as interesting as the Hammer boys, and you can kind of tell when you get the power-up.


Not so much a suit as an encumbrance, the spring is like modern couture one would see in Milan during fashion week. It's just as avant garde in its looks and impracticality. Mario is scared to even wear it, which makes him a pretty poor model.


Unlocked late in Galaxy, this look takes Mario back to the palette swap where his fashion journey began. But instead of the heat of white and red, Mario's hat and overalls become black, giving him an emo look. We like to think that despite being free as a bird with his new found flight, Mario feels empty, having gotten to the height of his powers, and starts to dress all goth.



Probably the first spin-off with his name in the title, Mario gained a doctorate and decided to don a lab coat and stethoscope. Like all good doctors, Mario knew just how to fight sickness: by overwhelming it with hundreds of pills.


Above: Peach goes from being a princess to a nurse?


But don't think that one new job connected to a puzzler can satisfy Mario. Not long after, in the underrated NES game Yoshi's Cookie, Mario became a chef, making dozens and dozens of confections for his dino-pal.



Mario has done a fair share of golfing in the last ten years, but he only really dressed up for this NES title. As you can see from the cover, he's celebrating America while hitting a mole with a golf club, like every good patriot.


While the mouse that came included with Mario Paint never saw much action in the US, there were several Japan-only games that used it, one of them being Mario & Wario. Wario, who looks freakishly huge in this game, sticks a blinding bucket on Mario's head, and you, as the mouse-controlled pixie, direct him through mazes. We like to imagine he wore that bucket while helping Axl Rose complete Chinese Democracy.


At the time of Mario's first soccer title on the GameCube, it was normal for him and his cronies to play baseball, golf and tennis in their normal clothes. But on the pitch, as opposed to when go-cart racing, Mario wears the necessary safety equipment. And by the time Nintendo released the Wii sequel, Mario was looking quite stylized for such a dopey, fat cherub.


Wrecking Crew's claim to fame is that it was the first original Mario title for the NES. And other than the image of Mario trading in his standard topper for a hardhat, the pseudo-puzzler and its Japan-only sequel Wrecking Crew '98 are pretty forgettable. But we like seeing Mario get even more blue-collar.


Do you dare continue to the next page to see the most obscure of "official" Mario costumes? (Our advice: dare!)


 
36 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
Cyberninja  - 9 months 9 days ago 
first great article
FrozenImplosion  - 9 months 9 days ago 
haha wouldve been first butmy comment box wasnt coming up :( anyway, love the idea, keep it up gr!
fionnoh  - 9 months 9 days ago 
oh that mario tennis one on the last page is just disturbing...
Unoriginal  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Such a shame they didn't use the flying suit from Galaxy more in the game, they are my favorite threads in the series.
Gsindahouse  - 9 months 9 days ago 
That flying suit is just teasin', man
i cant WAIT to get Mario Galaxy!!

i will sometime
Gsindahouse  - 9 months 9 days ago 
as far as mario's HOBBIES dont forget
DDR mario mix,
he'll put his THANG DOWN, too, haa ha
FierceDeity  - 9 months 9 days ago 
hey dont diss bunny ears lol
link has a pair and they're one of his most useful powerups

and tennis mario is freaking creepy
NelosAngelos  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Ok, Mario...never wear shorts again...especially pure white and above the knees. The raccoon tail is my favorite and most memorable outfit I've ever used for him in a game, the best.
Corsair89  - 9 months 9 days ago 
The fire suit, raccon tail, and winged hat are my favorites and the most memorable for me.
RedOutlive10  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Hammer suit was very extremely fun (and imba), Nintendo should add the old costumes as secrets to Mario games. A bit of nostalgia is never bad.
GoldenMe  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Tennis Mario? That's more than enough to scar my brain with that memory.

Great article GR.
skyguy343  - 9 months 9 days ago 
i dont get the racoon suit. racoons cant fly, so why can he fly?
nguy123  - 9 months 9 days ago 
I used to play super mario 3 constantly...why did I never come across the tanooki suit???

Anyway, love marios flight suit in galaxy
ian edgar  - 9 months 9 days ago 
You guys forgot the ice flower from Super Mario Galaxy.
reyalejandro13  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Flying Mario is my favorite look for him, but Fire Mario is by far my Favorite. Oh,and there's one you guys forgot: Starman/Rainbow Star Mario. He tends to be flashing rainbow colors and leaves streaks behing when running, but there is one thing that he can only do in this suit: Midair flips. So, sure, he can do that now, but every time he jumps? I think not.
GRHenry  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Though I didn't mention it in the article, I felt Ice Mario, like star power and metal Mario, were just a total color change on Mario instead of a change of clothes. So by my fluid definition, it didn't count as a costume
Peefree  - 9 months 9 days ago 
That shot of him snowboarding is as an unlockable in one of the SSXs for the GC right?
BluePikmin  - 9 months 9 days ago 
My favorite suit is the cape.

Also, there is a spelling error on page three second paragraph
Clownsarescary  - 9 months 9 days ago 
I learned a lot from Dr. Mario. Now, whenever I have a cold, I eat as many red and blue pills I can find - I think my virus's get the point.

(Nice burn on chinese democracy. The ironic thing is one of the members actually does wear a bucket on his head)
deathrebellion  - 9 months 9 days ago 
Fireball underhand Wuss ROFLMAO..... the last pic wuz epic
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