Controlling Mario
Guide to Delfino Plaza
Episode Walk Throughs
Secrets
Index
Gelato Beach

The beach boasts a beautiful view and a diverse set of challenges. The enemies here are among the most tenacious in the game, and they should be dealt with carefully. Be sure to water the many sprouting plants on the beach, as secrets will be revealed in this manner.

Episode One

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You must enter the magical sand castle to recover the shine in this episode.
There's a specific plant you have to water, and it will be shown to you in the opening movie. Avoid the duck-billed enemies or defeat them with the spray-and-stomp method, then add H2O to the designated location to make a sand castle appear. Enter the doorway for an obstacle course.

Most of the blocks here are made of sand, so the ground will slip away from under your feet if you dally too long in one place. The orange blocks, however, are safe. All in all, this is a very simple course. Flip and grab your way up to the shine to complete the story.

Episode Two

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These creatures have a powerful grip on the mirror surface. You'll have to prove that you're more tenacious than they are.
This episode has you square off against several powerful enemies who are wreaking havoc on the island's mirrors. Their feet are suction cups, so knocking them off will be a challenge. Find your way to the top of the mirrors using the trees and middle structure. When you're there, spray to keep the enemies away from you and plot their demise.

Spray the enemies until they near the edge and go up on one foot, then jump to hip-drop the opposite side of the mirror. With a bit of luck, you'll fling them right off. Do this for each of the mirrors and a shine will be yours.

Episode Three

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The massive wiggler lets out a blast of steam in frustration.
The many-legged creature you woke up at the end of episode two is now rampaging about the beach like a locomotive. Make no mistake--this wiggler is angry. Spraying him doesn't do much good, but you can deal with him fairly easily if you manage to derail him. Water the sprouts in the ground and try to make the ground swell when the monster is near. For timing, try keeping one sprout almost full of water and then adding the final drops at the last minute.

When the critter has been flipped, jump on top of him and hip-drop the section marked by a red arrow. After three hits, the creature will be vanquished and you'll be awarded a golden shine of courage.

Episode Four

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Standing on the bird's neck or tail during these sharp turns is essential.
Episode four will send you on one of the most nerve-wracking red-coin hunts you've experienced thus far. But first, you have to get there. You'll need to dive down into the middle structure where the crystal ball rests. There are a number of ways of doing this. It may be quickest and easiest to hop on the mirror farthest to the right and jump your way to the trampoline, but the game would probably prefer that you water the sprout in the recess of the wall to produce stairs before sliding down a coin-laden trail.

Whichever way you choose, you'll enter the stage on a cloud and float down onto a giant bird made of solid sand blocks. Try to collect the coins on the bird as quickly as possible. When the bird banks heavily, stand on the neck or tail and make sure you remain on the side facing up. The last red coin is on top of the platform in the middle of the area. Wait until the bird gets close enough to jump. The shine will appear right in front of you when collect the last coin.

Episode Five

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El What's-His-Name is no match for the portly but speedy plumber.
In episode five, you meet a fast runner looking for a worthy opponent. Your objective is to make it to the flagpole on top of the far hill before he does. This is fairly easy as long as you use the B button to belly-hop repeatedly. Try springing off the mirror for an additional shortcut.

Episode Six

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It's a beautiful reef--explore it at your leisure.
There's a reef to the left of where Mario starts containing a treasure trove of red coins. With a bit of shallow diving in the beautiful area, you should be able to find all eight without much problem. Adjust the camera for a closer view when exploring below the surface, and watch for a red coin swimming around with a school of fish.

Episode Seven

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Death from above! Well, more like wet from above.
The seventh episode means it's time to chase down the phony Mario. This stage works exactly like any of the other stages of this type, and you'll probably find Gelato Beach easier to navigate than Ricco Harbor. In any case, chase the punk down and make him eat sand.

Episode Eight

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Sizing up the competition. You'll need to find the king of all melons to compete with this crowd.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to roll a humongous watermelon down the hill, protecting it from enemies and contact with any object, and bring it to the juice bar on the far side of the beach. It's difficult, but the watermelon will sprout anew as many times as you break it.

First, make sure you attempt this only with the largest watermelon available. You'll find it at the top of hill with the flagpole without fail. You'll need to start it rolling and then clear a path for it by spraying and stomping the enemies in your way. If you press the watermelon into an edge it will shatter like glass, so be careful. When you finally roll the melon down the twisting pathway and into the bar, you'll be rewarded with a refreshingly cool shine.

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