Super Mario Sunshine is a 3D platforming game that came out on the Nintendo Gamecube. In the game, Mario and his crew go on a vacation, but Mario is falsely accused of polluting Delfino Island. Along the way, Princess Peach gets kidnapped. The only way for Mario to leave the island is to clean up the mess, collect Shine Sprites and save the Princess!
The game is an interesting research subject as there are many examples of pollution in a game that is quite mainstream. The game sold more than 5 million copies, meaning a lot of ‘regular’ gamers came into contact with the ‘green’ messages and could have been inspired to think more critically about pollution and their environmental actions. This can be linked back to Parham’s ‘games of empire’, where he discusses that videogames can convey a cultural message which could influence the actions of players.