Look, let’s be real. If you’ve spent any time on Isle Delfino, you probably have a complicated relationship with Noki Bay. It’s arguably the most stunning location in the entire game. The towering cliffs, the deep turquoise water, and those hauntingly beautiful synth-choir tracks create an atmosphere that nothing else in Super Mario Sunshine can touch. But then you actually start playing it.
Suddenly, you’re dealing with toxic water that eats your health, a vertical layout that puniors every missed jump, and an underwater camera that seems to have a personal vendetta against you.
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It’s a weird place. Most levels in Sunshine feel like a tropical playground, but Noki Bay feels like a mystery you’re slowly unearthing. Between the ancient ruins and the pollution plotline, it’s one of the few times the game’s "environmental" theme actually feels high-stakes. Honestly, it’s a masterclass in atmosphere and a total nightmare in physics.
The Vertical Gauntlet of Noki Bay
Most people remember the cliffs first. Unlike Bianco Hills or Ricco Harbor, where the world feels wide and expansive, Noki Bay is built straight up.
If you want to get anywhere in the early episodes, you’re wall-jumping. A lot. The "Tricky Ruins" episode is basically a test of how well you can handle Mario’s side-flip. You have to spray those yellow and pink tiles on the wall, which temporarily shift the rock to create platforms or tunnels.
It’s satisfying when it works. But when the timer runs out and the rock pushes you back out into the abyss? Yeah, that’s where the GameCube controllers started meeting their demise back in 2002.
Solving the Waterfall Mystery
The whole reason the bay is a toxic mess is because of a giant cork. Seriously. A Monty Mole is sitting in a tank at the very top of the waterfall, plugging the source of the fresh water.
- You have to scale the entire cliffside.
- You’ve gotta dodge the goop blobs he’s lobbing down.
- Once you’re up there, it’s a standard "spray the mole" fight, but the journey up is the real boss.
What’s interesting is how the level changes once you "Uncork the Waterfall." The water stays purple and poisonous for a while, but you’ve unlocked the path to the deeper lore of the Noki people.
Eely-Mouth and the Underwater Struggle
We have to talk about the dentist. Everyone remembers Eely-Mouth’s Dentist. It’s one of the most polarizing boss fights in Mario history.
On one hand, the scale is incredible. You’re diving deep into the abyss, wearing a bubble helmet that changes your physics, and trying to clean the teeth of a giant, ancient eel. It’s quiet. It’s eerie. It feels more like Shadow of the Colossus than a Mario game.
But the controls? Man.
Floating in the 3D space of the deep sea while trying to aim FLUDD at specific teeth is a lesson in patience. You’re constantly managing your air by collecting coins—which, thank goodness, the developers scattered everywhere. If you get too close to the mouth, you get sucked in. If you stay too far, you can't see the gunk. It’s a delicate balance that usually ends with a lot of frantic hovering.
The Secret of the Coin Fish
Then there’s the Red Coin Fish. In the later episodes, you dive back down into the ruins to find a literal school of coins swimming in the shape of a massive fish.
It’s one of those "wow" moments. You’re swimming through this ancient, submerged city, and this golden creature is just gliding past. But then the fish "breaks apart." All the coins scatter, and you’re left chasing red coins through 3D space while your oxygen meter ticks down. Pro tip: Don't chase individual coins when it breaks. Just stay in one spot and wait for the fish to reform around you. It’s much faster.
Finding the Noki Bay Blue Coins (The Real Challenge)
If you’re going for 100%, Noki Bay is where your spirit goes to be tested. There are 30 Blue Coins here, and some of them are just mean.
- The Wall Tiles: You have to spray specific sections of the cliff that look exactly like the rest of the rock.
- The Golden Bird: There’s a bird flying high above the cliffs. Soak it with water, and it’ll drop a coin. Catching it is a whole other story.
- The Underwater Pillars: Deep in the bay, there are Blue Coins hidden inside the architecture of the submerged ruins. You basically have to hug the walls while swimming to spot them.
The sheer density of secrets is why speedrunners and completionists still talk about this level. You can't just run through it; you have to pick it apart.
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Moving Through the Bay Like a Pro
If you’re revisiting this on the Switch version (part of 3D All-Stars) or dusting off the old Wii, you need to master the spin jump.
The verticality of Noki Bay becomes way more manageable if you stop relying on the standard jump-and-hover. A spin jump gives you massive initial height, which can bypass some of those annoying "tile" platforming sections entirely. Also, remember that you can spray the water while you’re sliding. If you douse a slope in the bay, Mario can belly-slide at incredible speeds, which is the only way to beat Il Piantissimo in his race without losing your mind.
What Most People Miss
The most "Nintendo" detail in the whole level is the secret bottle. In Episode 3, you're shrunk down and put inside a glass bottle to practice your underwater movement.
It's a tiny, self-contained world. The music is muffled, the physics are even floatier, and there’s this sense of being "watched" from the outside. It’s a totally unnecessary addition to the level design that exists just for the sake of being "cool." That’s the soul of Super Mario Sunshine right there.
Even with the janky camera and the occasionally frustrating physics, Noki Bay stands out. It’s not just another "water level." It’s an atmospheric journey into the history of Isle Delfino.
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Next Steps for Your Completionist Run:
- Master the Side Flip: Practice flicking the stick in the opposite direction before jumping. It's the most consistent way to scale the "Tricky Ruins" without falling.
- Check the Statues: In the later episodes, use FLUDD on the various Noki statues and murals. Many of them trigger coin spawns or reveal hidden alcoves that aren't obvious at first glance.
- Ignore the Surface: When the water is still polluted, remember that it only damages you at the surface. If you're struggling to cross a gap, just dive deep. You can't get hurt by the "poison" if you're fully submerged in the deeper, cleaner parts of the bay.