Super Mario Sunshine's Invisible Shine
Both of the above screenshots where taken with 20 Sprites, but not yet having visited Noki Bay. The screen on the left is the one that you reach by pushing the Z-button during game play then clicking on the shine sprite image. The screen on the right is the score screen from the game select screen.
These shots are after visiting Noki Bay, but not doing anything there. Notice that both screens show the number of coins at "00" and the select data screen on the right also has dots for the place of the 8 episodes.
In Noki Bay I did not get the Episode 1 "Uncork the Waterfall" shinesprite, but instead watered the golden bird to get a hidden or secret sprite.
Now here's the weird part. Both screens show "TOTAL * X 21." If you add the sprites on the left they add up to 21, but the screen on the right only has 20. It's missing the one I just got from the bird. I thought this was strange because it does show other secret sprites for Ricco Harbor and Gelato Beach.
The select data screen shows * X 21. The NOKI BAY Episode 1 screen has the sprite greyed out because I haven't got it yet, but at the bottom it shows ???* for the sprite from shooting the golden bird.
The two above images are from after Uncorking the Waterfall and getting the first shinesprite. There is nothing unusual about the screen on the left, but the right picture now shows the hidden sprite and the episode one shine. That's 2 more on the screen, but only one more in the total because the secret sprite was previously invisible. So, the left hand screen will show shine sprites as you get them, but the one on the right only shows the secret sprites after you have got at least one of the regular episode sprites.
Another difference on the two screens is where the hidden sprites are placed. Notice in the upperleft screen 3 shines on the left under the ??? and 1 is on the right. The other screen shows the opposite. And, Instead of having the ??? at the top, it put dots for the missing episode shines, but leaves spaces for the missing secret shines.
Why the lack of a standard? I think Nintendo simply overlooked this inconsistancy.
Check out the links below for other strange Super Mario information:
See all the Green Yoshis in Super Mario Sunshine.
Why are there Invisible ShineSprites in Super Mario Sunshine?
Get the book at the bottom of the red coin bottle in Super Mario Sunshine.
Got Mario? The Mushroom Kingdom does.