Mario Kart 8 DETAIL DISCOVERY – S1 E1: Sunshine Airport

Mario Kart 8 has dozens of incredible tracks to race on, and even though you usually just zip through the track to beat the other racers, did you know that basically every track is filled to the absolute brim with a ton of cool details that reference past Mario Kart games, Mario games, and even other Nintendo franchises? Mario Kart 8 is one of the most detailed games Nintendo has ever made, and in this series we’ll be looking at every Mario Kart 8 track at every hidden detail we could find for each episode. Welcome to Mario Kart 8: Detail Discovery. Season one, episode one; the series premiere: Sunshine Airport.

So, Sunshine Airport is based on a fictional airport on its own island. And not only that, but the airport references a specific Mario game with its name and logo. Super Mario Sunshine, released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, is the main theme of the airport. The logo is a shine sprite, and the logo has “sunshine” in the name. The shine sprite logo can be found everywhere: the top of the Mario Kart gate, signs on the building, and on top of the watchtower, which seems to also be a direct reference to the Shine Gate in Super Mario Sunshine’s Delfino Plaza, which both towered over the area and had the shine sprite on top. The airport is also on a remote island surrounded by smaller islands, like Isle Delfino, and there are even Piantas cheering you on inside the airport. This track really is just a love letter to Super Mario Sunshine, and I love that.

Now, let’s get to the inside of the airport, and even though you’re only in this part of track for a little bit, there are so many details in here that connect to Nintendo, Mario, and even other tracks in Mario Kart 8. And we’re definitely going to be here for a while, so fold up your tables and keep your seatbelt on as we are ready for takeoff. Ok, so the indoor part of the track looks like an airport, with seating for a waiting area on the left side, screens showing all the flights and ads. Now, if you look at the screens, you’ll notice a neat detail. These screens can be found on the right of the start of the track, above the exit outside, and on the right above the crates as you make the last turn to the arch. These may seem like normal screens in airports, showing what flights are departing, landing, or boarding. However, the flights on these screens aren’t flights. They’re other courses in Mario Kart 8, including Cheep Cheep Beach, Sweet Sweet Canyon, DK Jungle, and Dolphin Shoals. Above the crates at the end of the track, you can also see Bone Dry Dunes, Yoshi Valley, and Sherbet Land to name a few. Some tracks are also mentioned over the intercom, announcing departures and information on flights – including letting someone named Mrs. Birdo know to head to an information counter on the second floor. Now, as you speed through the arch, look on the pole to the right. A screen is attached, which flips through advertisements for other Mario Kart tracks such as Sweet Sweet Canyon and Dry Dry Desert. — Signs for these tracks can also be found as ads on the right wall.

Alright, let’s go back to the start of the course to find some more details. So, we already mentioned the Piantas found around the inside of the airport, cheering you on as you race – but did you ever notice their luggage? There are stickers found all over the Piantas’ suitcases and bags. Let’s take a look at some of them, starting with the Pianta directly in front of the left pole for the archway. This Pianta’s suitcase had 5 stickers. The one on the top is the logo for Toad Harbor and the one in the bottom right is for Cheep Cheep Beach. In the middle is an ad for Red Shell Strike Equipment, an ad seen elsewhere in the game. Now the other two are a bit sneakier. The ad on the right side has a Yoshi in the center and says “Wild Yoshi Sanctuary” which you may recognize as the location for another track being N64 Yoshi Valley. But what about the bottom left, which says Waluigi Sea Bed? Well, Waluigi Sea Bed is actually the roller coaster you’ll see in the distance while racing through the – cup track, Water Park. Next, let’s head to the right side of the track and take a look at the large briefcase next to a pink Pianta. There’s two pretty self-explanatory stickers on this suitcase. The sticker toward the top in the middle is for Moo Moo Meadows, and the one on the right is a sticker for Peach & Daisy’s Royal Patisserie, an ad seen throughout Sweet Sweet Canyon. Alright, let’s check out one more suitcase, this one being a blue Pianta by the pole for the right side of the arch. This Pianta has two stickers on the side of his suitcase. The top sticker is for Burn Ban seen on most crates and baggage claim items throughout the course. The other sticker is for the Mario Motors sponsor, seen throughout the game as well. Ok, I lied, I want to see one more suitcase. Past the arch on the right side is another Pianta with a few stickers on his suitcase, mainly ads for the airlines including Galaxy Air, BBIA, and Propeller Toad Transport, but we’ll talk more about the airlines later. There’s also a sticker for Mushroom Piston Engines, another sponsor seen throughout the game.

Alright, let’s move on from the suitcases and take a look at the ads on a wall right by the ceiling. The ad on the far right is a bit harder to see, but if you look closely at the design, you’ll notice the advertisement matches the look of the signs for Peach & Daisy’s Royal Pattiserie also seen on a pink Pianta’s luggage we already mentioned. Then there’s an ad for Super Marine World Dive Shop, which is an ad seen in other spots throughout the game including Cheep Cheep Beach and Toad Harbor. Next to that is an ad for Coconut Cafe, which you might remember that name as a sponsor found around Mario Kart 8, as well as a full restaurant in Super Bell Subway. Then next to that on the left is an ad for BaNaNa-Boy, again an ad seen in other tracks from Mario Kart 8. The ads on the left after that are repeated from the start, so following BaNaNa Boy is Peach and Daisy, then Marine World, then Coconut Cafe and a few more around the first turn.

Alright, can we move on from ads because I want to talk about airlines. Ok, so you might recognize the signs on the right side of the start of the track for the various airlines at Sunshine Airport. These include Galaxy Air, BBIA, and PAL, just like one of the Pianta’s suitcases. Galaxy Air is of course a reference to the Wii title Super Mario Galaxy, even including a Luma in the logo. BBIA is short for Boomerang Brothers International Airlines sporting a boomerang made out of the I. Then there’s PAL, which is short for Paratroopa Airlines with a paratroopa shell as the logo and the top of an airplane logo under the font. There’s also a plane for another airline at the runways for Propellor Toad Transport or PTT, which is actually the plane you race through or under before the upper part of the track. Not only can you see planes for the other airlines around the runways outside of the airport, but the airline logos can also be found on the sides of buses in the Toad’s Turnpike course.

Ok, so we’re almost done covering the inside part of the airport, but there are a couple of other details I want to address. First, this detail is a bit hard to notice, so it’s probably easiest to see in a Time Trials race so you can get up close. At the last turn before heading outside, you’ll find a desk with some cheering Toads. But did you look at what’s on their desk? Yep, that’s a feather – but not any feather. The red-and-white design matches the feather ability in Super Mario World that granted Mario the cape power-up. It also reappeared in the original Super Mario Kart as an item, so it’s nice to see this little secret detail. Next, as you zip back into the airport to finish the lap, there’s a conveyor belt on the right with boxes on it for the baggage claim. Each box has stickers, and each sticker has a little icon to represent being careful with the luggage. For example, the sticker with a blue umbrella says ‘Keep Dry’ under it. Next, I love how all the poles around the airport are yellow as well as the signs for gates and baggage claim. It just lends the airport a more sunny, vibrant feel like Super Mario Sunshine.

And that about covers the inside of the airport, so let’s head outside to the planes and runways. And this part will be a bit briefer since there aren’t too many details out here compared to the inside. Now, let’s first look at the planes as there are a lot, and figure out which ones are for what airline. So, on the left right after the mystery boxes is the first plane. If you look in the window from the airport or anywhere else in the track, you’ll spot an unmistakable Luma on the side of the plane, and since a Luma is the logo for Galaxy Air, this is a plane for that airline. The next plane you drive under before the next turn — but since you go under it from the front, it’s very difficult to see the side. However, if you look from a bit later before you jump into the parked plane, turn to the left to spot the logo for Boomerang Bros. International Airlines, or BBIA, plastered on the side of the plane.

Now, take a look here on the right and you might see a plane taking off. This plane is yellow with a more intricate design on the sides. You might also see this taking off in front of you before the turn back into the airport. Heck, you might be driving right under it as it takes off when you go up the airborne platform. Well, remember I said this airplane has an intricate design? Well, that intricate design is actually Mario and friends. The easiest way to see the plane is from the picture below, where Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and other Mushroom inhabitants can be seen. But what airline is this? Well, there’s a small but noticeable Galaxy Air logo between Mario and Peach on the plane, so this plane must be a special plane from that airline. Heck, this could be Mario and friends’ private plane. Or, what if this was the private plane Mario and the gang took to Isle Delfino during the opening cutscene in Super Mario Sunshine? That would be cool, but that isn’t the case since the plane that lands is much less intricate just being white with a couple of logos. Plus, That airline was actually Toad Express, but that airline sadly isn’t seen anywhere in Sunshine Airport. Ok, let’s get back to Mario Kart 8. Another plane to the right before the first outside turn is another for BBIA, with the logo on the side. This is another you can even spot take off. Then, you go inside a plane for Propellor Toad Transport before the blue panel.

As far as we can see, no airplanes at Sunshine Airport are from other airlines such as Paratroopa Airlines. However, you can get a badge of a PAL plane’s tail fin in Mario Kart Tour. And that does it for the planes, but we’re not quite done with our detail discovery on Sunshine Airport yet, as there are a few final details I want to point out. First, did you notice the number on the giant containers of baggage all around the airport? The number is 55402MS. This number could represent the day that Super Mario Sunshine released in Europe, on October 4, 2022. 5+5 is 10, 4 is the fourth, and 02 is for 2002. Then MS is Mario Sunshine. This might be a stretch, but there is a possibility. Next, after you jump off the airplane, look to the right to spot two Propellor Toads jumping up and down. That’s what I call mascots. Then, as you make your way to the end of the track, you actually land on a helipad. How fitting. And here there’s actually one more detail. If you take a look in the distance before turning back into the airport, you’ll notice a bunch of rock formations shaped like koopa troopas, just like Koopa Troopa Beach as well as Cheep Cheep Beach, which is pretty cool.

And that’s it for the outside, which means we’re done with this episode of Detail Discovery. Sunshine Airport is definitely my favorite Mario Kart 8 track, and it’s really cool seeing all these hidden secrets everywhere. It’s also always nice to see Super Mario Sunshine getting some love since Nintendo has seemed to forget about it in the past few years. But that’s all for today. Thanks for watching and we’ll see you next time.