Mario franchise strategy guide/Items/Shine Sprite
Shine Sprites are small, sun-shaped beings with black eyes that have appeared throughout the Super Mario series of games, starting with Super Mario Sunshine.
In Super Mario Sunshine it is revealed that the pollution caused by Shadow Mario scared the Shine Sprites of Isle Delfino away. Without the Shine Sprites, Isle Delfino was covered in a perpetual dark shadow. Throughout Super Mario Sunshine, Mario had to collect Shine Sprites to travel further through the game.
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, a Capture the flag like mini-game can be played involving Shine Sprites. Players would have to grab a Shine Sprite a hold onto it for a set amount of time to win the game, while avoiding other players who will try to steal the Shine Sprite using various weaponry. In Mario Kart DS, another Shine Sprite related game can be played, this time involving nine Shine Sprites that the player has to obtain and hold onto.
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Shine Sprites appear throughout the game, usually being hidden inside transparent blocks. If players collect three Shine Sprites Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door they can give them to Merlon, who will upgrade a partner's abilities in exchange for them. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Shine Sprites are found in Shine Blocks, which can only be found in darkened areas. Once a Shine Block is hit, it will release a Shine Sprite that will brighten the surrounding area. If players hit a Shine Block incorrectly though, it will release a fireball that will damage whoever hit it.