The original Super Mario Bros. on NES was made by a team of five people, and it seems every single one of them is still at Nintendo and was credited on Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
04.10.2023 - 21:11 / gameranx.com / Mario Bros / Takashi Tezuka / Sonic / Bros Wonder
Video game history is full of rivalries that continue to this day. Heck, just look at the FTC case with Sony and Microsoft and listen to how they talked about each other and Nintendo. It got brutal. But easily, one of the earliest video game rivalries that sparked generations of debate was “Mario vs. Sonic.” The two icons of the beloved video game publishers clashed in many ways over the years, and now, they appear to be clashing again. Why? Because Super Mario Bros Wonder is set to arrive on the 20th, and Sonic Superstars will arrive just three days before then on the 17th. Coincidence? Some people think so.
One of those people happens to be Super Mario Bros Wonder producer Takashi Tezuka, who talked with Game Informer about the upcoming title and noted that it was an “interesting coincidence” that this was happening:
“I think it’s an interesting coincidence. We’ve been creating 2D action games for a long time and we, of course, want as many players as possible to enjoy those games. We’re looking forward to as many people as possible having the opportunity to play these 2D side-scrolling action games, Mario and otherwise.”
That sounds like a very diplomatic answer, and we can appreciate that. But do we actually BELIEVE that he thinks it’s a coincidence? Probably. After all, SEGA, for all its highs, is no longer in the console game, and they’ve only been making software for years now. Meanwhile, Nintendo is on top of the gaming world in many respects, which means they don’t need to “fear competition” from Sonic anymore. Not to mention, games with Sonic have been hit or miss for a couple of decades, while titles with Mario have been rock solid.
However, if we wanted to put the conspiracy hat on, it would be easy to see them playing to “old rivalries” to incite Nintendo while pushing their new title with Sonic. After all, people love nostalgia, and the upcoming Mario and Sonic games both have a heavy helping of nostalgia while also featuring new elements to keep the franchise fresh.
The curious thing will be to see how the games sell because “safe bets” would indicate that it would be Mario that comes out on top by a wide margin, especially based on recent previews. But Sonic had a hit game last year, so who’s to say he couldn’t pull off an upset here? Only time will tell.
The original Super Mario Bros. on NES was made by a team of five people, and it seems every single one of them is still at Nintendo and was credited on Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is out now, and gamers have been enjoying much of what the game offers. There was a bit of a worry early on that things might be “too wacky” or “too weird” for their tastes, but it soon became clear that the game is a fountain of creativity that many gamers are definitely going to try and replicate in one form or another. However, little “oddities” made fans wonder if they wouldn’t like them. One of them is the “talking flower” that is prevalent throughout the Flower Kingdom and reacts to various things.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one the most unusual and surreal spins on a 2D Mario game that Nintendo has released in a long time, and so far, fans have embraced the new style and liveliness. One of the game's most interesting stylistic upgrades is expanded voice-over work from characters, and apparently, this was once planned to be much more ambitious. In a recent Ask the Developer blog post coinciding with the launch of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, game producer Takashi Tezuka and designer Koichi Hayashida spoke about many of the ideas that were worked on yet ended up being tossed into the development trash bin, including a live commentary feature that would praise - or judge - your every move. According to game director Shiro Mori, Takashi pitched the idea of having live commentary on the game - just one of the ideas that the developers received via 2,000+ sticky notes. The concept went pretty far into the development, with a full six months of work done. It was used in internal play-tests and even included tsundere-style commentary, a personality that hides genuine tenderness behind a cold exterior and is especially popular in Japanese media .
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is now available to play on the Nintendo Switch.
It turns out that Super Mario Bros. Wonder had a “live commentary” feature during its development that would have matched players’ actions as they progressed through the 2D platformer’s levels, with the option to switch the generic default voice to “tsundere commentary”. However, it didn't make the final cut.
Do you ever wonder what it would be like if someone commented on every decision you made in Mario? Well, according to a recent Super Mario Bros. Wonder developer interview, the idea of live commentary was tested for the game.
Like other 2D Mario games, the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder features online multiplayer. But it also introduces a new feature to the series that would allow solo players to feel like they were interacting with others, which the team dubbed "casual connection."
The Super Mario franchise’s line of 2D mainline platformers hasn’t quite been on the same level as its flagship 3D entries over the last couple of decades, but with the New Super Mario Bros. series firmly in our rearview mirror and the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder making lofty promises, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the 2D Mario line’s future once again.
Nintendo's soon-to-be-released Super Mario Bros. Wonder is looking to be a wild step forward for the traditional style of 2D Mario games. Along with its bold, new visual style, it also features some intriguing changes to the conventional style of 2D Mario platforming action. While Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder's developers have confirmed that the game wasn't inspired by and has nothing to do with Illumination's Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder almost had running 'live' commentary, like a sports game.
By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.