- "Power-up complete. Thank you for purchasing this item from Gadd Science, Incorporated. Preparing to register customer information. Scanning and classifying subject data... subject identified as Mario, resident of the Mushroom Kingdom. Data storage complete. I am F.L.U.D.D., a Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device. I hope to be of assistance."
- —F.L.U.D.D.'s introduction
F.L.U.D.D. (sometimes spelled FLUDD and short for Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device) is a water-squirting accessory created by Professor E. Gadd. Its first and main appearance is in Super Mario Sunshine, in which Mario uses it throughout his adventure to clean Isle Delfino of its pollution. He is voiced by Kit Harris.
Profile[]
Physical description[]
F.L.U.D.D. is a water-spraying device meant to be worn on the user's back. It is composed of the water-spraying nozzle, colored gray and funnel-shaped, attached to a yellow head with large screws on either side and a spike on the back of the head. The head is attached to a small yellow neck followed by a blue pump-like tube connected to the water tank, with a yellow rim above the tank. To this rim are attached three metal arms, at the end of two of which are brown grips for the user to grab while spraying, while the third is connected to a belt to connect to the user. It is also capable of moving its head and arms on its own.
Personality[]
F.L.U.D.D. possesses artificial intelligence, and is capable of speech in a moderately high-pitched, monotonous, and slightly metallic voice. The primary aspect of its personality is servility; its programming is to assist its user, and as such it is loyal to Mario and offers assistance and information whenever it is relevant. It is selflessly steadfast in helping its user, even to the point where such assistance could destroy it.
Occasionally, it offers advice whose recipient is unclear, and may even be breaking the fourth wall, such as offering a reminder to take good care of your teeth after cleaning Eely Mouth's and saying to take good care of your pets after getting the three Chain Chomplets into their bath.
In Super Mario Sunshine[]
Mario first met FLUDD on the Delfino Airstrip, near a box of crates. When he approaches FLUDD, it introduces itself to Mario and analyzes him. An instructional video is shown on how to switch between FLUDD's nozzles, aim the direction in which it shoots water, or how to refill FLUDD's water supply. From this point onward, FLUDD joins Mario on his journey.
The first task that the two of them fulfill together is defeating the Polluted Piranha Plant on the Delfino Airstrip. After a short-celebrated victory between himself, FLUDD, Toadsworth, the Toads, and Princess Peach, Mario is arrested by the Isle Delfino Police, whom they believe is responsible for spreading goop all over Isle Delfino when the real culprit is Shadow Mario. Some time after a court trial, Mario and FLUDD spend some time in jail before starting their task of having to clean the entirety of Isle Delfino.
There are parts of Mario's journey when Shadow Mario appears to take FLUDD from him. This almost exclusively occurs when Mario enters a secret level if he has not yet acquired its Shine Sprite. Whenever FLUDD is stolen, this is shown from a short cutscene in which Shadow Mario swoops by, grabbing FLUDD, then waves goodbye to Mario before disappearing. The first time Mario acquires the Shine Sprite, he somehow regains FLUDD upon returning to Delfino Plaza. When starting Pianta Village's third episode, The Goopy Inferno, Shadow Mario also steals FLUDD from Mario, shown from the same short cutscene as when starting a secret level. The objective of the episode is for Mario to navigate around the burning goop, which can normally only be washed away by FLUDD, as he makes his way to the Shine Sprite. FLUDD is located shortly before the Shine Sprite.
In the ending cutscene, after Mario defeats both Bowser and Bowser Jr. in Corona Mountain at the end of the game, Mario and Peach fall through the air and land onto an island near Delfino Plaza. Mario notices that FLUDD is not on his back, and soon discovers FLUDD lying on the ground close to him. FLUDD had been damaged as a result of the battle, and right before shutting down, FLUDD asks Mario if it had been of assistance. Later, at Sirena Beach, the group of Toads who joined Mario and Peach on the vacation present to them FLUDD, whom they had somehow managed to fix. Before the end credits are shown, FLUDD happily exclaims, "The vacation starts now!".
Controls[]
FLUDD is primarily operated using the R button, which sprays the water it contains. FLUDD has only a limited supply of water, so if FLUDD's supply runs out, it can no longer spray water. Mario can refill FLUDD's tank, regardless of its capacity of water, by either holding the R button in a body of water or, less frequently, from collecting a Water Bottle. If the player rotates the Control Stick before using FLUDD, Mario can perform a spinning move that sprays water in all directions.
During his journey, Mario can acquire different nozzles that FLUDD can use, though only two can be equipped at a time. One of FLUDD's nozzles is always the Spray Nozzle, which allows Mario to spray water at foes or objects by holding the R button lightly; by holding the R button all the way down, Mario can stop and shoot, using the control stick to aim in any direction. The player can press the X button to have FLUDD switch between nozzles. At first, FLUDD's only secondary nozzle is the Hover Nozzle, which allows Mario to hover above the ground for around five seconds by spraying water to propel him in the air. There are two other nozzles that can be used for FLUDD instead of the Hover Nozzle, but each have to be unlocked wherever they appear before they can be collected:
- Rocket Nozzle: this blasts Mario into the air. Holding down R charges the rocket; the more the button is pressed down, the faster it will charge. As soon as it is fully charged, Mario is rocketed into the air to a great height.
- Turbo Nozzle: this blasts Mario forward. Holding down R charges the propeller; the more the button is pressed down, the faster it will charge. As soon as it is fully charged, Mario is rocketed forwards at great speed for as long as the R button is held down; Mario will stop when the button is released, when the water tank is empty, or when he hits something. This nozzle can be used to swim at high speeds, at the cost of minimal control when turning.
In Mario Power Tennis[]
Several FLUDD heads are stationed around the Delfino Plaza Court, with their purpose being to clear up the goop spit out by Polluted Piranha Plants. In order to do so, a character must run over a FLUDD button-like object to get a FLUDD nozzle and spray the goop off. These FLUDD heads also appear in the minigame Tic-Tac-Glow, set on the same court, and here, the player's character has to use balls of water shot by several FLUDD pumps to clear away goop in a game based on tic-tac-toe.
In WarioWare series[]
WarioWare: Smooth Moves[]
F.L.U.D.D. appears in the Super Mario Sunshine microgame, in Mario has to use F.L.U.D.D. to put out a fire in a building, something that never occurs within Super Mario Sunshine itself. Furthermore, F.L.U.D.D. sprays water automatically, and the controls are for the player to direct where it is sprayed.
WarioWare Gold[]
F.L.U.D.D. returns in the Super Mario Sunshine microgame, but was instead given a befitting objective to spray graffiti off the side of a building. Just as before, F.L.U.D.D. sprays water automatically, although this time, the direction in which the water is sprayed is controlled by tilting the Nintendo 3DS.
Crossover appearances[]
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
F.L.U.D.D. is featured as Mario's down special. Mario can use this attack to shoot water at his enemies with the Spray Nozzle; pressing the button the first time will charge the attack, and a second time will release it. The water does not harm opponents, and instead only knocks them back.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[]
F.L.U.D.D. appears in in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U with two Custom Moves that create alternate versions of its attack: Scalding F.L.U.D.D., which releases high-temperature water that burns opponents upon impact; and High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D., which takes longer to charge but releases more water that goes a greater distance.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
F.L.U.D.D. returns in its original style, no longer possessing Custom Moves.
Statistics[]
For F.L.U.D.D.'s in-game statistics, click here.
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Behind the scenes[]
Etymology[]
F.L.U.D.D.'s name is a play on the word "flood," meaning a large mass of water that often causes chaos in a public area. It could also be a reference to Robert Fludd, an inventor who designed (but never actually made or released) many water pumps.
Trivia[]
- Boss fights from older Mario games appear in the bottom-left corner during the cutscene in Super Mario Sunshine where F.L.U.D.D. scans Mario (Mario fighting Bowser from Super Mario Bros., Mario fighting Iggy Koopa from Super Mario World, and Mario spinning Bowser around by his tail from Super Mario 64. Furthermore, during this time, the bottom-right corner lists various notable appearances that Mario had made, albeit written backwards: MARIOBROS, SUPERMARIOBROS, SUPERMARIOBROS2 (referring to the Famicom Disk System game of the same name), SUPERMARIOBROS3, SUPERMARIOWORLD, SUPERMARIOKIRT[sic], SUPERMARIO64, MARIOKIRT64[sic], and MARIOSUNSHINE.
- In Super Mario Sunshine's ending cutscene, when F.L.U.D.D. is about to faint, the Game Over screen from Mario Bros. can be seen as it is scanning Mario for the final time.
- In Super Mario Sunshine, when squirting water, F.L.U.D.D.'s nozzle is above Mario's head, with Mario gripping both handles with both hands. However, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, F.L.U.D.D.'s nozzle is next to Mario's head on the right-hand side, while Mario holds one of its handles with his left hand and the nozzle with his right hand.
- A certain planet in the Toy Time Galaxy greatly resembles F.L.U.D.D.'s head when the Squirt Nozzle is attached.
- Some F.L.U.D.D.-like nozzles named Water Shooters appear throughout Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, and they shoot bubbles, fire, and spark balls.
Gallery[]
To view F.L.U.D.D.'s image gallery, click here.
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