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In Super Mario Sunshine, there is a concept known as QF (Quarter Frame). Although not visually represented on the game screen, there are four QFs per frame, during which collision detection with terrain and objects occurs.
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For terrain, collision detection is performed during all four QFs within a single frame.
However, for objects, collision is checked only once per frame.
By default, the 0th QF (Quarter Frame) is rendered, and the game generally proceeds with this state. However, performing certain actions can cause the rendered QF to become offset, a phenomenon known as QF desync. Specifically, the following actions cause such a shift:
These QF shifts occur as a result of the game temporarily pausing, which causes the rendered QF to become misaligned.
Take, for example, opening and then closing the pause menu:
When the default 0th QF is being rendered, pressing the Start button also occurs on that 0QF. When the pause menu opens, the game freezes with that 0QF currently being rendered.
However, because the number of QFs it takes to exit the pause menu is not a multiple of 4 (i.e., not 4n), the QF at which the game resumes ends up being different from the one it was paused on.
The QF offset caused by selecting "Save" from the pause menu with no memory card inserted, or selecting "Continue without saving" from a save prompt (like after collecting a blue coin) with a memory card inserted, follows the same principle as previously described.