The deceptively simple Goomba is critical to the design of Mario games. These approaching enemies introduce players to the concept of enemy stomping and present platforming challenges in an accessible manner. Super Mario Bros. Wonder reveals how Goombas can hurt Mario by means of walking, with the game’s new art direction and expressive animation presenting this enemy in the way Nintendo intended since the NES days.
In Nintendo’s ‘Ask the Developer’ interview on Oct 17, Masanobu Sato, the art director for Wonder, recalled a conversation involving Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto and another staff member during the development phase of Super Mario Bros. “Someone once asked Miyamoto-san why Mario takes damage when he bumps into a Goomba from the side… It’s because the Goombas bite him,” he said.
You might be wondering why information hasn’t been released until now. Senior programmer Shiro Mouri explained this was because of the hardware limitations of the 16 and 32-bit titles, which Sato says were a blueprint for the nostalgia-driven New Super Mario Bros series. Rules regarding Miyamoto’s characters were also hinted at in regards to the recent change, which fans will not be surprised by.
Another legacy idea that is being brought back for Super Mario Wonder is a seemingly new enemy, the Roller Troopa (pictured below). The idea behind this Koopa Troopa variant came from the development of Super Mario World where pitches for rolling enemies were discussed. Ultimately these troopas were scrapped in favor of the belly-sliding Super Koopa.
Super Mario Wonder is presenting itself as an entirely new direction for the series but it’s clear that many of the game’s most creative ideas have formed from classic ideas. Wonder is continuing Mario’s legacy by giving creative freedom to staff who worked on prior Mario games, and it’s clear they want to see the series evolve while paying tribute to the plumber’s legacy.
Super Mario Wonder launches on Oct 20.
