| Il Piantissimo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Human |
| First appearance | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) |
| Latest portrayal | Scott Burns (2002) |
- “And now, we shall race to that flag!”
- —Il Piantissimo, Super Mario Sunshine
Il Piantissimo is a human disguised as a Pianta who appears in Super Mario Sunshine. His name is possibly a portmanteau of "Pianta" and "-issimo" ("-est" or "very"), or specifically "pianissimo" (very soft), a dynamic marking in sheet music. The word "il" is an Italian definite article equivalent to "the." Il Piantissimo is very confident and considers himself superior to others. Various locals at Pianta Village regard him as a rogue, a creep, and not related to the Piantas.
Il Piantissimo is a character whom Mario must footrace for a Shine Sprite on three different occasions: Gelato Beach's fifth episode, Il Piantissimo's Sand Sprint; Noki Bay's fifth episode, Il Piantissimo's Surf Swim; and Pianta Village's second episode, Il Piantissimo's Crazy Climb, effectively taking the role of Koopa the Quick from Super Mario 64. Il Piantissimo can use most of Mario's moves but cannot use any tactics involving FLUDD. If Il Piantissimo reaches the flag first, Mario loses a life. When the player replays a completed episode, Il Piantissimo is more difficult to beat, as he finishes the course slightly over the player's previous time.[1]
If the game is beaten without all 120 Shine Sprites collected, the ending screen shows Il Piantissimo finding Bowser Jr.'s Magic Paintbrush on Gelato Beach.
Gallery
Gelato Beach
Noki Bay
Pianta Village
Il Piantissimo finding the Magic Paintbrush on Gelato Beach in the 100% ending
List of appearances
| Title | Description | Original release date | System/format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Sunshine | NPC | 2002 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour | Name appears on scoreboard | 2003 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Mario Golf: Advance Tour | Name appears on scoreboard | 2004 | Game Boy Advance |
| Super Mario 3D All-Stars | NPC | 2020 | Nintendo Switch |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Il Piantissimo[?] | Same as English name | |
| German | Palmathon[?] | Portmanteau of "Palma" (Pianta) and "Marathon" | |
| Italian | Palmassimo[?] | Portmanteau of "Palmense" (Pianta) and "massimo" (greatest) | |
| Spanish | Forestón[?] | Augmentative of "Foresto" (the NOE Spanish name of Piantas) |
Trivia
- With his mask removed, Il Piantissimo's face resembles those of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's running man and, by extension, the postman from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. This can also be seen in gameplay by looking through the mask's eyeholes.
- Mario, Shadow Mario, and Il Piantissimo all use the same animations.
References
- ^ Cross-reference this video with this video