Some advice on Super Mario Sunshine
I've noticed a lot of people on here struggling a bit with Sunshine. I certainly don't blame you, there are definitely a lot of challenges as well as some bizzare difficulty spikes that can really frustrate people. So I just want to provide some advice to help smooth those out and improve your enjoyment.
Explore Delfino Plaza. Delfino Plaza is the area you start in and it can almost function like a safe tutorial area. There are a number of 1 ups hidden through the area for you to build up a stock before a hard level. The easiest being the one in the alcove below the red cannon and the two in the underground tunnels by the beach. Secondly it's a great place to practice all the different moved and see how Mario handles. Use some time to search out some of the secret shines in the area to get a better feel of the controls in a mostly consequence free environment.
Be aware of all the ways you can get water. This game runs, spins and jumps on water and it can come in many forms. There are sprinklers, fountains, water bottles that come from enemies. Often times if you see a level where the water is poisoned or the whole level covered in goop, they will provide one clear water source to work around. So find some of these to ensure you fill up often.
A lot of boss fights can be run away from. A lot of bosses don't really lock you in one location. This means you can freely leave the area, fill up on water, hunt down some coins, and take a breather before you charge back into battle.
Secret areas will require some patience. I won't pretend like these areas aren't often times very frustrating, especially if you're still getting used to the controls. The best advice I have to say is spend a little time before you tackle each challenge to find the safest way around it. There will almost always be a safe platform for you to determine just what you need to do. Is it a tile? A white cube? It's gonna soon and rotate. Take some time to plan routes and jumps before hopping in so you don't get yourself in trouble. And if it's too hard, just exit the area for a quick breather and try a different level.
In a lot of levels FLUDD can be a crutch. FLUDD does allow a lot of movement and a whole different move set from Mario. But very few of it's moves are explosive jumping movement that helps you handle the gymnastics of levels. It's best that you try and handle challenges with mario's own movement, and then use FLUDD as a savior/recovery. Try to make a jump but end up a little short? Then use hover pack to get you that extra bit. Just using the hover pack to start gets you no place fast.
There are some levels that are insanely difficult. Don't let these ruin your enjoyment if struggling, most of these are entirely optional and can be waited on until you have a better handle on the controls. These can include the leaf on the poisoned river, the pachinko machine, the floor is lava, rico harbor climb, ect.
I hope this guide helps you all atleast a bit and you enjoy Mario Sunshine for yourself. Thank you