An expansive pipeline that runs all the way through the outskirts of Palma Oasis, to the tropical shores around Rosa Reef.

Although nowhere near as complicated as the maze of pipes that the player encountered in the past, Fontana still runs deep underground. A lot of the pipeline runs freely throughout the expansive caves beneath the land between Palma and Rosa Reef, but a lot of it is also protected and maintained by metallic walls.

Due to the local cavernous wildlife, a lot of the pipes within Fontana have been tampered with. Others are designed to dump water freely, creating artificial waterfalls that give the pipeline its name. The moist environment caused by this extensive water flow has allowed Fontana to become an excellent spot for piranha plants to grow. Many of them especially love to hide in pipes.

Perhaps the sheer wetness of Fontana will provide some extra challenges for Mario and friends besides just piranha plants.

2-1 Polychromatic Pipe Ascension

The other end of the outskirts of Palma leads to the offshoots of Fontana. Here, there are multiple colors of pipes: green, red, yellow, blue, and purple, all arranged in a semi-rainbow fashion. It’s quite interesting to look at.

But, of course, while still in the drier portion of Palma, this terrestrial portion of Fontana is still close enough in the oasis to make for an excellent planting ground for cacti, particularly in the skinny purple pipes, as well as piranha plants. This was also a prominent breeding ground for spinies prior to the pipeline’s construction, forcing the prickly Koopas no other option but to live amongst the colorful pipes.

Apparently, these pipes lead to an elevator in the sky, where piranha plants and spinies love to gather to be nourished by the extremely tall waterfalls. Where does this water come from, and why does this sky-bound elevator exist in the first place? No one really knows, but maybe there’s some treasure in the sky nearby that this elevator is trying to reach.

2-2 Fontana’s Rushing Cascades

To get here, you must take a pipe leading deep underground into Fontana, where some slopes will lead you into the depths of the pipeline.

This is where most of the water being carried by Fontana’s pipes is dumped off at. The pipes here are colored blue accordingly, as they are intended to dump off water.

But, the large cascades of water formed by these open water pipes burst out of the pipes at very quick speeds. As the water flows on the cavern floor and into the abyssal depths of the caverns surrounding Fontana, it becomes extremely slippery to walk on. If you’re not careful, the raging streams may completely push you off. But, the local buzzy beetles and spinies that love to climb on the cavern ceilings don’t seem that fazed by the excess of water on the cave floor.

Deeper into this cascading portion of Fontana, the water dumping pipes become closer together. That may make crossing beyond them a lot more challenging.

2-3 Spike Top Speleothems

Fontana Pipeline was constructed rather long ago, so the extra water condensation forming from off the pipes has created the perfect surface for rather large stalactites and stalagmites to form since then. While fairly pointy, if one is careful, these speleothems should be simple to cross.

Of course, spike tops, known for their ability to easily climb horizontally and vertically, can also traverse the speleothems with ease, so they have thrived in this extra stony growth of Fontana. They may make jumping through the swaths of speleothems a tad bit more challenging.

Aside from dealing with spike tops, those that enter these rockier portions of the pipeline may also have to spend minutes of their time stomping… KOOPAS. It’s weird. Where are all of the Koopas coming from?

2-4 Monty Mole’s Snaking Sewer

Allured by the odorous aroma of sewage that has built up in Fontana’s sewers, many monty moles have begun to move away from their more plain standard cave habitat, making the big dig to their new, more metallic home. These blind mammals have somehow managed to learn how to burrow through metal, so be extra careful.

In case of trespassers looking to fix pipes and grab coins in their new home, the monty moles have also called about their semi-reptilian cousins, the rocky wrenches, for protection.

Unfortunately, as many of these monty moles live over what’s essentially a large river of disgusting, toxic sewage, the only way to make it across safely is with a snake block. Or, as safely as the inevitable mole ambushes will permit.

But, beyond the rancid rivers of sewage, your old pal Bowser Jr has returned to keep you company before facing his father in the deep depths of his underwater castle. Jr seems quite determined to stop you.

2-US The Mother Spore’s Lotus Lair

The Mother Spore is a large cloud-like creature that shoots several harmful spores at once for defense.

She has made camp in the depths of the sewers of Fontana. This is where all of the runoff from Fontana’s rushing cascades ends up. Thankfully, it is much cleaner than the sewers where the monty moles like to reside.

However, the excessive amount of pipe cascade water being dumped off here has caused unsteady water levels in The Mother Spore’s lair. So, flooding is a major issue, but it may just help you swim across the several munchers who have successfully grown from all of the extra water. The extra water has helped them out so much that some munchers have even grown to double their normal size.

Another major threat to look out for is the eponymous lava lotuses that reside in The Mother Spore’s lair. Even more partial to damp or aquatic environments, these flowering carnivores will also shoot several harmful spores for defense.