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Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. U

H

Hobby

Member
TQpF5.jpg


Takemoto: At the time, Asuke-san was the only director who had worked on the "New" Mario games so he was a big help.

Asuke: I passed on knowledge about all the good parts of the old Super Mario games to Takemoto-san, and as he preserved them, I advised him to expand upon new elements.
Click to expand...

Iwata: The development hurdles were set high—and I suppose you anguished over them more than anyone, Takemoto-san. What was on your mind as you began development and thought, "What should be new?"

Takemoto: We began this time by using materials from the Wii game to make the courses.

Iwata: You started making it when development equipment didn't exist for the Wii U console.

Takemoto: Right. Even though we are making a new Super Mario game, the basic gameplay won't change, so we started by making the courses, but the whole time we thought, "How can we add new gameplay?" Then, as we were doing that, the Wii U GamePad came up. I explored some ideas and then consulted (Takashi) Tezuka-san5 and (Hiroyuki) Kimura-san.6
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Iwata: You wanted to make something you could play instinctively?

Takemoto: Yes. I wanted to make something with responses for even a child who doesn't understand language. Then I considered how we could use the touchscreen on the Wii U GamePad for a Super Mario action game. If you just used it to move Mario, touch controls would be inferior to the Wii Remote controller.
Click to expand...

Iwata: But in the end, it seems to me that the game turned out with balance so that both beginning and skilled gamers will be satisfied. How did you accomplish that?

Takemoto: I had Asuke-san help me.

Iwata: Oh! Enter your "good" counselor! (laughs)

Asuke: (laughs)
Click to expand...

Asuke: Yeah. In Super Mario, there are numerous ways to go up to a single spot. Finding those ways is fun, but this time, using blocks has added a new approach to the list.

Iwata: Drop-in play is a new option to add new routes.

Asuke: Yes. Suppose there's a Star Coin that's difficult to reach. It's a big relief when you can't get it alone no matter what but then snag it through drop-in play. Then you'll want to try it again without your buddy's help.
Click to expand...

Iwata: In the previous game New Super Mario Bros. Wii, being able to stay in the bubbles helped people to go further in the game by having others who were good at the game help them out. I heard from various people that they were able to clear the game, even though they themselves aren't great at action games. It seems to me that with this series, you're constantly challenging yourself so that even beginners can push through to the end.
Click to expand...

Iwata: How did you make the Challenge Mode?

Takemoto: During development, we had fun coming up with our own challenges.

Iwata: You set your own rules and then played that way.
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Iwata: Takemoto-san had also recognized the potential payoff from Challenge Mode gameplay.

Takemoto: Yes. I've been involved with the Super Mario series for a while, so when I design courses, I set some sort of challenge for myself, like being able to clear a course without ever touching the ground.
Click to expand...

Asuke: I wanted all kinds of people to play the Challenge Mode, so we prepared a mode that advanced players could enjoy, as well as a slightly easier mode that you can progress with little by little for people who can play about halfway through the story mode.

Iwata: It would be tough for players with average skills if everything required incredible playing.

Asuke: Yes. So there's a merit for those who aren't great at action games in that it gets easier to play when you learn how to, for example, nab consecutive 1-UPs in Challenge Mode and then try it out in the story mode to increase the number of Marios you have.

Iwata: It's a mode with some incredibly difficult challenges, and where less skilled players can enjoy by gradually building up their experience.

Asuke: Yeah. There are three levels—gold, silver and bronze medals—in line with each person's ability, so I really hope people will challenge themselves!
Click to expand...

Asuke: Top people in Mario Club9 were the litmus test for good players. It turned out so that even those people said it was a little challenging.

Iwata: But for the Mario Club members, it was just "a little" challenging. (laughs)

Asuke: No, this time it was more like "a lot."
Click to expand...

Asuke: Yeah. But it's no good if no one can clear it, so we tried not to make it too difficult.
Takemoto: But the testers at Nintendo of America did say, "We can't clear this!" (laughs)

Iwata: Oh, the lineup of master testers in America waved the white flag?

Asuke: Yeah. We got an email saying, "Can this really be cleared?"

Iwata: They thought it was a mistake in game design.

Takemoto: Yeah. So I sent a video to America proving that it can be cleared.

Asuke: Then the next day we got a reply saying, "Sorry. We did it." (laughs)
Click to expand...

Takemoto: But a problem for the Boost Mode challenges was that you couldn't play it without two people. We didn't want to make anything that a single player couldn't complete if he or she wanted to.

Asuke: Then we saw a certain programmer who just happened to be tapping away at Boost Mode challenges all alone.

Iwata: What's that like?

Asuke: You hold the Wii Remote with both hands and…

Iwamoto: Like this.

Takemoto: And you touch with your right middle finger…

Asuke: (tapping the table with his middle finger) Like this.

uYBVO.jpg


Asuke: That programmer got all the Boost Mode challenge gold medals all by himself.
Click to expand...

Asuke: Also, you can read Miiverse comments on the Wii U GamePad in your hands.

Iwata: Oh, is that so.

Asuke: Originally, when we displayed Miiverse on the television screen, lots of word bubbles appeared and it was difficult to see what was what.

Iwata: The word bubbles got in the way.

Asuke: But we wanted them to read messages of empathy right away. Then we made it so that only the Mii character's face would appear on the television screen. Then you would know someone was saying something. The Wii U GamePad shows pretty big letters, so you can read the comment right in your hands.

8tBqy.jpg
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DLC confirmed?

Tezuka: Yes. We also are planning additional courses.

Iwata: As with New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Nintendo 3DS, you're talking about the additional courses.

Tezuka: Yes. We're trying to think of ways of play that are different from New Super Mario Bros. 2, but we haven't made anything yet! (laughs)

Iwata: Right, rather than distributing content that's premade at a later date, you're going to start working on it now.

Iwamoto: Yes. The mechanism for adding courses is already there, so please stand by for an update on what they'll be like.
Click to expand...

TheExodu5 said:
Here's the super play linked in the article:
New Super Mario Bros. U - Super Play
Click to expand...

And much more:
http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wiiu/nsmbu/0/0
 
G

GiantEnemyGoomba

Member
Iwata said:
Instead of using them to assist, you had great fun using them to block each other's play.
Click to expand...

Asuke said:
Right. For example, if a Koopa Troopa's shell is scooting along, you can place a block in its path so that it deflects into another player's way.
Click to expand...

Iwata said:
Or you could place a block over the head of another player that's about to jump?
Click to expand...

Asuke said:
Right, right! (laughs) That kind of purposefully mean way of playing was fun. Then, we poked around with what we could do for when two people are cooperating and backing up each other as hard as they can.
Click to expand...

Sounds like they had a lot of fun making this game.
 
A

AzaK

Member
Jesus, that speedrun! (In the super play video)

And I never knew the MiiVerse doodles etc only appear on the GamePad and don't clutter the big screen. Nice touch.
 
A

Akai

Member
Iwata: How did you adjust the difficulty of the Challenge Mode? Everyone on the team is good at video games, right?

Iwamoto: (shakes head)

Iwata: Um, Iwamoto-san just looked as if to say no. (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)
Click to expand...

Oh man, I'm laughing so hard my gut hurts!
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
fuck!

gotta fancy myself a 2 AM cuppa, cigarette then I'm all yours, Iwata, you beautiful little man
 
K

kitsuneyo

Member
Iwata said:
Right, rather than distributing content that's premade at a later date, you're going to start working on it now.
Click to expand...

Nintendo haven't quite got the hang of this DLC business yet have they? You're supposed to hold back content or hide it on the disc, not make it afterwards.
 
D

Dartastic

Member
Keyser Soze said:
WAH WAH
Click to expand...
LLShC.gif

Smiles and Cries said:
the good musician is busy working on the 3D game duh
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Yeah well. Sound is such an important part of the gaming experience, I'm amazed they didn't try to do anything new with the soundtrack. It could have gone such a long way in regards to making this feel like an all new experience on an all new platform. I'm really hoping the next Wii U 2D Mario goes all out. I'm sure this game is going to be really fun, but still.
 
C

chertipros

Member
kitsuneyo said:
Nintendo haven't quite got the hang of this DLC business yet have they? You're supposed to hold back content or hide it on the disc, not make it afterwards.
Click to expand...

I know you are joking but after making so much bank on DLC for Fire Emblem awakening w/o
making half of the DLC on disc or cut content from the game (I hear that half of it isn't even important, like one of them is even a beach scenario lol) I'd say that they got the whole DLC thing down
 
D

Damo Yoshi

Member
AniHawk said:
wow.
Click to expand...
Ten Ten telling it like it is.

[That superplay was phenomenal! Although the laziness regarding the music still really irritates, I've become rather attached to this game. That does require forgetting the existence of NSMB2, at least for a while, but still cool. oh and fix yoshi's physics!!]
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
Takemoto: Right. At the time, I was involved in development of Yoshi Touch & Go, so I was there to explain it. A child about 2 years old was there, but when I explained how to draw the lines, he didn't get it at all.

Iwata: Well, at 2 years old, it may have been a little too difficult.

Takemoto: Nonetheless, ever since, I've been concerned with controls that you can understand right away without any explanation.
Click to expand...


Takemoto's dedication scares me
 
S

SMT

this show is not Breaking Bad why is it not Breaking Bad? it should be Breaking Bad dammit Breaking Bad
SMT: (laughs)
Racoon suits and olive oil.
 
S

StrikerObi

Member
Best part in my opinion.

Iwata Wasn't production very challenging in connecting all the maps?

Iwamoto Usually, you would break it down one by one.

Iwata That way it's much easier to make.

Iwamoto At first, a lot of people said, "Are we really gonna do this?" But Takemoto-san was like, "We're doing this no matter what."(laughs)

Takemoto I wanted to do it no matter what anyone said.

Asuke Of course, there was a lot of opposition from designers and whatnot, but Takemoto-san said, "No, this is important this time," and that strong will lasted to end, so the team eventually came together as one and gave it their all.
Click to expand...

Takemoto is a fucking badass for forcing these dudes to do the map right.
 
K

Kazerei

Banned
Asuke: Top people in Mario Club9 were the litmus test for good players. It turned out so that even those people said it was a little challenging.

Iwata: But for the Mario Club members, it was just "a little" challenging. (laughs)

Asuke: No, this time it was more like "a lot."
Click to expand...

Asuke: Yeah. But it's no good if no one can clear it, so we tried not to make it too difficult.

Takemoto: But the testers at Nintendo of America did say, "We can't clear this!" (laughs)

Iwata: Oh, the lineup of master testers in America waved the white flag?

Asuke: Yeah. We got an email saying, "Can this really be cleared?"

Iwata: They thought it was a mistake in game design.

Takemoto: Yeah. So I sent a video to America proving that it can be cleared.

Asuke: Then the next day we got a reply saying, "Sorry. We did it." (laughs)
Click to expand...

Challenge Mode sounds awesome! I was a bit disappointed by the low difficulty in the previous NSMB games. Thankfully, NSMB2 has some tough DLC, and NSMBU is gonna have Challenge Mode built in.
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
tbh the 3 year dev cycle may have been due to the console itself being in flux. Might've been a year or so of experiments and prototypes before even settling on a proper direction.

One interesting point though. This was clearly in development for a while even so. Therefore, what was that "Super Mario Bros. Mii" in the original E3 Wii U reveal? That looked like just NSMB Wii with Mii support.
 
G

Glass Joe

Member
I hope they make the DLC feel like its own "world" that's continually added to. The NSMB 2 DLC was interesting but being forced to play as level packs in coin rush only made it feel a little less special than the main maps.
 
O

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
Still reading, but 3 things so far.

1. Surprised Asuke's not directing this one. I assumed he was focused on the U version while someone else handled the 3DS one.
2. Isn't Iwamoto the jerk from Phantom Hourglass?
3. It must be somewhat weird giving orders to your former boss.
 
A

AntMurda

Member
Oblivion said:
Still reading, but 3 things so far.

1. Surprised Asuke's not directing this one. I assumed he was focused on the U version while someone else handled the 3DS one.
2. Isn't Iwamoto the jerk from Phantom Hourglass?
3. It must be somewhat weird giving orders to your former boss work.
Click to expand...

Well both Asuke and Iwamoto were planners (which is like lead level designers working right under director) on Skyward Sword. And then came back to do the same for this game.
 
O

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
Also, this game's been in development for 3 years? Hope they packed shit to the brim if that's the case.
 
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