Unveiling the Secrets of Super Mario Bros Wonder at GDC 2024

In a recent GDC presentation, Nintendo reflected on the development process of Super Mario Bros Wonder, focusing on the challenges of incorporating the entire team's input in creating the game's distinctive Wonder effects. Released in October, Super Mario Bros Wonder is the first 2D Mario platformer in 11 years and features Wonder effects that drastically alter levels, affecting screen orientation, Mario's abilities, or even causing Piranha plants to break into song. The talk, led by Nintendo's Takashi Tezuka and Shiro Mouri, highlighted the difficulties of creating a new 2D Mario game after such a long time, particularly in terms of introducing a world centered around secret abilities and mysteries. This led to the development of the Wonder effects, with Tezuka discussing the challenges of managing a large team and ensuring that each member's unique strengths and abilities are utilized. According to Mouri, the creation of the Wonder effects was a collaborative effort, with the entire team participating in brainstorming sessions to come up with ideas, regardless of job title or seniority. The team collected around 2,000 ideas and gradually narrowed down the criteria for good Wonder effects, including a connection between the pre-Wonder effect and the Wonder effect itself, as well as the ability to explain the effect simply in one short phrase. The team also emphasized the importance of having players suddenly gain new abilities they couldn't use before. With these criteria in mind, the team tested various ideas, with each testing team comprising a game designer, artist, programmer, and sound engineer. The testing phase allowed team members to share and layer ideas, ultimately leading to the final product. Tezuka and Mouri also addressed the evolution of player tastes over the years and the team's efforts to address the limited player choice in past Mario games. In Super Mario Bros Wonder, players can choose between different abilities, unlocking various paths or ways to finish a level, and have more freedom to explore the maps and select which levels to play. The pair concluded the talk by discussing the future of 2D games, with Mouri noting that new play is created by facing and solving the challenges that come with 2D titles. Tezuka emphasized the importance of finding the core of the game and verifying that it works, which is easier to do with 2D games due to their simple structure. He also expressed his excitement for the future of 2D games, where new technologies will be blended with traditional 2D presentation, potentially changing gameplay itself.