Nintendo Spent More on Super Mario Bros. Wonder to Make it Closer to the Movie

When Super Mario Bros. Wonder releases later this week, it will feature a much more animated take than previous Mario games. From everything Nintendo has revealed thus far, the characters and enemies look much livelier than in games like New Super Mario Bros. U. Speaking to NPR, producer Takashi Tezuka revealed that Nintendo put more of the game's budget into the animations as a result of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The company rationalized that, since so many people now associated Mario with his movements in the movie, more work needed to be put into having him move in a similar manner. 

"Traditionally, our development costs have gone into the gameplay experience itself. Of course that's absolutely essential. But this time we really wanted to pour some of that into the animations. … People who are coming from the Mario movie are going to see that and think 'this is what Mario does, this is how Mario moves,' and we wanted them to experience something similar to that," Tezuka told NPR.

In August, ComicBook.com had a chance to attend a hands-on preview for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. One of the things that stood out during our time with the title is that "it almost feels like Nintendo EPD saw the movie as a challenge" and decided to make an animated Mario all their own. From Tezuka's comments, it seems that really was the case! 

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie released in theaters in April, and quickly proved a massive success. The animated adaptation made more than $1 billion at the box office, and became one of the highest-grossing animated films of all-time. Super Mario Bros. Wonder marks the first new Mario game released since the movie's debut, and it's positioned as Nintendo Switch's biggest game of the holiday season. Given that, it's not surprising that Nintendo put more of the game's budget into the animation, and it will be interesting to see if future Mario games follow suit. That will likely depend on the overall reception and sales for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but there has been a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the game since it was first announced. 

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Release Date

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is set to release October 20th exclusively on Nintendo Switch. In addition to being the first new Mario game released since The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it's also the first new 2D Mario game in more than a decade. New Super Mario Bros. U was a launch title for the Wii U in 2012, and that game was eventually brought to Nintendo Switch as a Deluxe version that included previously released DLC. While the game was mostly well-received, many fans felt that New Super Mario Bros. U felt too similar to previous games in the series, and failed to stand out. Hopefully Super Mario Bros. Wonder will offer the kind of experience Mario fans have long been craving. 

Are you planning to check out Super Mario Bros. Wonder? Are you surprised The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a big impact on the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Everything]