Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a collection of three of the Nintendo mascot’s best games. Spread across several console generations, players will be able to enjoy Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Each of these titles is considered by many to be some of the best Mario games in the plumber’s entire catalog, with Super Mario Sunshine getting its first re-release since it launched in 2002.
Given the sheer age of these games, some of the Stars will be tricky for players to earn due to the sheer lack of information given in-game. One of these Stars is tied to the Plunder the Sunken Ship mission in Jolly Roger Bay. Revolving around entering a sunken ship, players will need to coax and eel out from the only entranceway. This is easier said than done because that eel really, really doesn’t want to move.
Here’s how to beat the Plunder the Sunken Ship mission:
How to Complete Plunder the Sunken Ship
When the level starts, swim over to the large body of water on the far side of the map. Once you’re over the deepest point, dive down towards the ship with the eel inside. For whatever reason, you need to get close enough to the eel to coax it out, but cannot just hide right above it. What worked for me every time is I would swim down and pass the eel with only about a foot or so between us and then go up to the closed-off area right above the ship. After doing that I go to the surface to catch my breath, which should cause the eel to leave the ship and swim around.
You won’t get a cutscene of the eel moving, but when you dive back down you should see it swimming around. The eel is pretty damn finicky, so it may take a few tries but this was the best method I found of getting it to leave during my testing. Now dive back down and swim inside of the open hole to enter the sunken ship. You’ll emerge in the hill of the ship where four pirate chests are sitting in front of you. Mario will need to touch each chest in a specific order to empty the water out of the ship. Picking the wrong one will shock Mario, causing him to lose air. You’ll know that you picked the right one because there will be a ding sound and an air bubble will float out.
Here’s the order you should open the chests:
After you open the last chest, the water will begin to drain out of the ship. You should see a wall of platforms on a slope that you can climb on so make your way over to them. Once the water is drained, climb up the side, and then hit the yellow box to produce a Star. If you’re quick enough, it’s possible to almost reach the top platform before the water drains out of the ship. This isn’t required, but it can save you a few headaches if you’re having trouble navigating to the top.
