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Nintendo shares insight on Super Mario Bros. first prototype, creating F.L.U.D.D., why bosses take 3 hits, and much more
The Washington Post has put together a massive interview with some of Nintendo's biggest names, in which they talk about Mario game development and more. We've already shared some snippets from the interview in separate posts, but now we've combed through the full feature for even more insight. Check out comments from Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Kenta Motokura below.
On the first prototype for Super Mario Bros.
“It gave me a distinctive feeling that I had never experienced before. As development progressed and we had more opportunities to see the reactions and the impressions of the test players, I started to get a real sense that we were creating something new. I never imagined that it would turn into a franchise that would last for decades." - Tezuka
On creating Super Mario 64
“There was no jumping actions in 3-D we could reference at the time, so we shared in the enjoyment of going through all the trial and error with Mr. Miyamoto and other team members. It was arguably tough work, but that feeling was overtaken by the joy of innovating in a new field. With the 3-D Super Mario games that followed, we continued to go through the tough-yet-enjoyable work of figuring out how to take advantage of 3-D spaces and make the adventure feel more robust on an emotional level." - Koizumi
On Super Mario Odyssey not using the painting-style level approach of Super Mario 64
“And for ‘Super Mario Odyssey,’ we didn’t want to use a system that sends players on a trip by coming and going through a painting because the central theme of that game is the journey and the fun adventures you have along the way. We decided what elements to put into a game by figuring out new kinds of play and what would best support them.” - Motokura
On the creation of F.L.U.D.D. for Super Mario Sunshine
“The F.L.U.D.D. in ‘Sunshine’ came from the difficulty of handling 3-D space when we developed ‘Super Mario 64.’ In order to make it easier to get onto a platform, we created the hover feature where the characters slowly falls as if in low gravity. Also because it was difficult to stomp on the enemy in ‘Super Mario 64,' we created ways to defeat them using water.” - Tezuka
On Super Mario Run's creation
“We started by thinking we should incorporate cool-looking parkour action to give players that feeling that comes with skilled control. But then again, if we couldn’t get the kinds of experiences we wanted in an action game from our prototypes, we might have stopped developing ‘Super Mario Run.’ In other words, we do not run haphazardly toward an idea. We first find something that might work, and then we work hard on it. That is why we don’t mind when the work is hard.”
On manga influencing Miyamoto's design process
“Four panels give you a beginning, development, twist and conclusion to create funny stories. This concept is, I think, the foundation for script writing in Japan, and when I make games, I use it often.” - Miyamoto
On why most bosses take three hits in a Mario game
“Experts say that people are pretty good at mentally handling three things, and we often use three as the right number for items and mechanics too.” - Miyamoto
On previous Nintendo games inspiring sequels
“Whenever we finish a game … it always inspires us to want to do more, and that feeling is what leads us into creating the next game. I feel that will continue to be true in the future as well, and not just for ‘Super Mario’ titles. I think generally every Nintendo game has the ability to inspire future Nintendo games. My job is to see it through.” - Koizumi
Miyamoto on working with younger devs
“I have met with younger staff a few times to talk about my experience, but it really doesn’t compare to creating something together with them. I treasure the moments I have with the younger developers. Every time I work with young people, I feel like so many of them have a lot of talent. I’ve been working with them lately with the hope that I can help think beyond what they can now.”