Super Mario Bros. Wonder, one of Nintendo's most distinctive entries into its beloved gaming franchise, has piqued the interest of players all around the globe with its unique style. One of its standout features is the expanded voice-over work from characters, which was once slated to be far more extensive according to a recent Ask the Developer blog post from the game's creators.
The blog post, written by game producer Takashi Tezuka and designer Koichi Hayashida to coincide with the game's launch, delves into an array of concepts that were experimented with but later abandoned. A fascinating idea that was nearly realized was a live commentary feature that would have critiqued or lauded players' every action, a feature initially suggested by game director Shiro Mori.
The concept of live commentary underwent extensive development, spanning six months. It was employed in internal play-tests, and it even brought a taste of the "tsundere" style, a popular trope in Japanese media where a character acts cold and dismissive to mask their warm feelings. Mori revealed that this implementation divided the team evenly, but the commentary managed to find favor among many internal play-testers.
In what would have been a novel addition to the Mario franchise, players could have experienced full, dynamic commentary during their play-through, potentially adding a new level of excitement and challenge to the game. However, due to the additional work required to perfect this concept for final play, the decision was made to drop this feature, despite the months of development already invested.
While this commentary concept was ultimately axed, remnants of this feature are still present in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The game has talking flowers in the Flower Kingdom that interject their thoughts on Mario and rest of the crew's wild adventures, thus preserving a small touch of the original idea.
The hugely positive reception for Super Mario Bros. Wonder shows that the title has charmed fans despite the missing live commentary. The game’s remarkable world-building has garnered praise, with new power-ups and the humorous touches that Nintendo is known for. The addition of the Wonder Flowers creates a lasting Mario experience that players can’t resist.
Also, the developers entertained the idea of a multiplayer mode akin to Dark Souls, but, ironically, it was intended to aid struggling solo players. The discarded gems of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's development stage highlight the creativity and ambition in Nintendo’s new take on this stalwart franchise, providing players a peek into the unlimited potential of the gaming world.
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