It’s time to return to Isle Delfino with the release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch! Although a lot of players that have picked up the game may have already beaten Super Mario Sunshine when it first launched in 2002, there are tons yet that have never experienced this classic Mario romp. Like most Mario games, Super Mario Sunshine can be lengthy, so it’s only natural to know how much of your time you’ll be spending on the game. That’s why we’ve put together this guide, so you can know exactly how long it’ll take for you to complete Super Mario Sunshine — depending on the goal you’re after.
How long does it take to beat Super Mario Sunshine?
It will take you an average of approximately 16 hours to finish the main story of Super Mario Sunshine. That means completing the entire campaign by completing the first seven levels of every world, collecting a minimum of 50 Shine Sprites, and beating the final boss. However, you can also find yourself playing for just 11.5 hours if you rush it and up to 28.5 hours if you take your time. Not all players have the same play style, though — and some may want to do much more than just finish the campaign.
If you want to 100% complete Super Mario Sunshine (and get a snazzy red sun icon on your save game file), you’re looking at about 31.5 hours of play time. That means collecting all of the game’s 120 Shine Sprites — 70 more than the required 50 to finish the story. If you rush it, you can 100% Super Mario Sunshine in about 24 hours, and you can do it in 40.5 hours if you take your time.
Wondering how we came up with these numbers? We actually didn’t! That was all thanks to How Long to Beat, which polled hundreds of players to see how long they took to finish Super Mario Sunshine based on their individual play styles. After that, they averaged up all the times they gave.
Here’s an easier look at how to beat Super Mario Sunshine, plus an estimate of how long it’ll take you to do it:
| Goal | How to Complete | Average Time | Rushed Time | Take Your Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish the Story | Collect 50 Shine Sprites to fight the final boss. | 16 Hours | 11.5 Hours | 28.5 Hours |
| 100% Complete the Game | Collect 50 Shine Sprites to fight the final boss, and also collect 70 more Shine Sprites for a total of 120. | 31.5 Hours | 24 Hours | 40.5 Hours |
More Super Mario 3D All-Stars guides
Looking for more help with any of the games in Super Mario 3D All-Stars? Check out our other guides!
Super Mario 64 Guides
Super Mario Sunshine Guides
Super Mario Galaxy Guides
Written by Daniel Dell-Cornejo
Daniel is an editor at Nintendo Wire. Always with his head in the clouds, he is never apart from his creative thoughts – a blessing for an aspiring fiction writer. As a journalist and lifelong gamer, he aims to provide readers with the very best in Nintendo coverage.
