Il Piantissimo (モンテマン Monteman?, Monteman) is a character who appears in Super Mario Sunshine.
Profile
Physical description
Il Piantissimo is a dark-skinned human who wears a purple Pianta costume, including a mask, gloves, and boots.
Powers and abilities
Il Piantissimo is a skilled runner, hence why he challenges Mario to race him a few times. Il Piantissimo's running, jumping, swimming, and sliding style is the same as Mario's and Shadow Mario's but without F.L.U.D.D..
Etymology
Il Piantissimo's name is a portmanteau of "Pianta," and the Italian suffix "-issimo." The origin of Il Piantissimo's name has not been made clear, but the portmanteau is likely a pun on "pianissimo."
In Super Mario Sunshine
Il Piantissimo challenges Mario to race for different Shine Sprites around Isle Delfino, similar to how Koopa the Quick did a few times in Super Mario 64.
Il Piantissimo is first raced at Gelato Beach, during the fifth episode, Il Piantissimo's Sand Sprint. Here Il Piantissimo challenges Mario to race to the pole at the amphitheater. Mario has to win the race in under 35 seconds to get a Shine Sprite.
The second time Mario races Il Piantissimo is in Noki Bay, in the fifth episode, Il Piantissimo's Surf Swim. Here, Il Piantissimo challenged Mario to race to the flag waiting outside the wall rift in the west cliff. Just as before, Mario has to win against Il Piantissimo to earn a Shine Sprite.
Il Piantissimo races Mario a third and final time at Pianta Village, during the second episode Il Piantissimo's Crazy Climb, where Mario has to win a race to a flag on one of the biggest trees in the village to get a Shine Sprite.
In any of the three races, if Il Piantissimo wins, Mario loses a life.
After the end credits is a graphic of Il Piantissimo discovering Bowser Jr.'s Magic Paintbrush sticking out of the sand in Gelato Beach. This screen is shown if Mario is yet to obtain all 120 Shine Sprites.
In the Mario Golf series
While Il Piantissimo does not appear in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour or Mario Golf: Advance Tour, his name appears on the scoreboard.
Timeline
[Edit] Game
|
Role | Year | Console | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Sunshine | Non-playable character | 2002 | Nintendo GameCube | |
| Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour | Cameo | 2003 | Nintendo GameCube | Name sometimes appears on the scoreboard |
| Mario Golf: Advance Tour | Cameo | 2004 | Game Boy Advance | Same as in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour |
| Super Mario 3D All-Stars | Non-playable character | 2020 | Nintendo Switch | Only appears in the Super Mario Sunshine remaster, with the same role as in the original version |
Nomenclature
[Edit] Language |
Name | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Il Piantissimo | - | Same as in English |
| German | Palmathon | ||
| Italian | Palmassimo | Greatest Pianta | The name is a portmanteau of "Palmense" (Pianta) and "massimo" (greatest), the latter owing to Il Piantissimo's arrogant nature. |
| Japanese | モンテマン Monteman |
Pianta Man | |
| Spanish | Forestón | - | Derived from "Foresto," the name used for Pianta in Spanish. Like the Italian name, the Spanish name owes to Il Piantissimo's arrogant nature, although expresses this differently in that Forestón is augmentative of Pianta. |
Trivia
- In Super Mario Sunshine's files, when Il Piantissimo's mask is removed from his model, it resembles the face of the Running Man or the Postman from The Legend of Zelda series.
- Although Il Piantissimo's name is derived from Italian, his name is different in the Italian version of Super Mario Sunshine.
