The 2023 movie calendar has made for a huge year for everyone’s favorite pair of plumbing brothers, with not only the massive release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but also the mustachioed characters’ return to side-scrolling action for the first time in over a decade. The highly anticipated release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is now finally here, though as a slightly different game than what might have been released if the movie didn’t exist. Nintendo apparently spent some of its billion-dollar box office on trying to make the game more like the record-breaking hit that easily cemented its spot as one of the 10 greatest video game films ever.
The newest game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, pays homage to the beloved 2D classic game series but takes bold, trippy, and frenetic leaps into uncharted territory by way of its radical power-ups. According to a report by NPR, their pre-release look at Wonder afforded a tantalizing glimpse into this exciting new universe, and they even sat down with director Shiro Mouri and producer Takashi Tezuka, a duo with roots tracing back to the creation of the original Super Mario Bros., for which they worked alongside the legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto.
The game features revitalized character movements; for instance: when Mario crouches, he adjusts his hat. The animation reflects meticulous design choices, even in the form of Elephant Mario navigating pipes. Producer Tezuka aimed to ensure that new fans drawn in by the Illumination-produced movie’s animation would recognize and feel familiar with the character’s movements. This approach underscores the commitment to delivering a cohesive and engaging gaming experience for new and long-time fans. Tezuka explains:
People who are coming from the Mario movie are going to see that [character movement] and think, ‘this is what Mario does, this is how Mario moves,’ and we wanted them to experience something similar to that.
Wonder‘s visuals live up to its name, presenting a more visually stunning experience than previous titles – aligning closely with the style of the Chris Pratt-voiced movie, as opposed to the more static animations of games past. Speaking to how this character-focused approach was a different avenue, Takashi added:
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.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder introduces familiar items for longtime fans, such as the Super Mushroom and Fire Flower, and exciting new power-ups for those transitioning from theaters to the gaming console. Among the fresh additions is the ability to drill through floors and walls, create trapping bubbles for adversaries, and transform into an elephant. This feature generated substantial online buzz when Wonder’s trailer was unveiled. Director Shiro Mouri aimed for the elephant power-up to achieve specific objectives, even if they had zilch to do with the animated feature.
Having a slightly bigger body, being able to attack blocks from the side, and being able to spray water — I mean, the elephant’s the only natural answer to this.
This year has been great for animation, thanks in no small part to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The animated journey follows Mario (Chris Pratt) as he gets pulled into a tunnel leading to the Mushroom Kingdom. There, he joins forces with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) to thwart the nefarious Bowser (Jack Black). Moreover, the iconic Jumpman embarks on a quest to rescue his captive brother, Luigi (Charlie Day), in a film brimming with a plethora of nostalgic references and can be enjoyed with a Peacock subscription.
After you catch up with the movie, you can enjoy Super Mario Bros. Wonder, released on October 20th exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.