In a surprising revelation, Takashi Tezuka, the producer of the immensely successful Super Mario Bros. Wonder, recently shared insights into an intriguing aspect of the game’s development. It turns out that Yoshi, the beloved dinosaur companion, almost had the ability to throw eggs in the 2D platformer, drawing inspiration from the classic SNES title, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.
Yoshi’s journey from a simple mount in Super Mario World to a more complex character with unique abilities in Yoshi’s Island was a pivotal evolution. The SNES game, acting as a prequel, allowed players to turn enemies into eggs and utilize them as projectiles to navigate and conquer various challenges.
Tezuka, shedding light on this scrapped feature in an interview with Famitsu (translated by Nintendo Everything), disclosed that the development team initially envisioned Yoshi having the ability to throw eggs in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. According to Tezuka, the team aimed to enhance Yoshi’s gameplay by introducing this unique mechanic. “As for Yoshi’s actions, I thought it would be better if he could throw eggs, so we tried to create a prototype and test it,” Tezuka explained.
However, the prototype for the egg-throwing ability proved to be more challenging than anticipated. Tezuka acknowledged the difficulties encountered during testing, citing that it might have posed a hurdle for new players, potentially compromising the overall gaming experience. Ultimately, the team decided to abandon the egg-throwing feature, opting to maintain the current gameplay for Yoshi.
The decision to omit the egg-throwing ability from Super Mario Bros. Wonder raises questions about how it could have impacted the gameplay dynamics. The Yoshis, already considered beginner-friendly with their flutter jump and damage immunity, might have presented an interesting contrast if equipped with a potentially tricky egg-throwing mechanism.
Despite this missed opportunity, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has achieved remarkable success since its October release. The game has set records as the fastest-selling Super Mario title, with an astounding 4.3 million units sold within the first two weeks. As the holiday season approached, it is likely that the game’s popularity experienced further boosts in sales.
The question on the minds of eager fans now is whether Nintendo plans to release downloadable content (DLC) in the coming months to sustain the momentum of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. While Tezuka didn’t provide explicit details on future updates, the possibility of additional content remains an exciting prospect for the vast player base.
As we await potential DLC announcements, it’s evident that Super Mario Bros. Wonder continues to captivate audiences worldwide. The decision to forgo Yoshi’s egg-throwing ability may have been a missed opportunity, but the game’s overall success underscores the enduring appeal of the iconic Super Mario franchise. Only time will reveal what additional surprises Nintendo has in store for the growing community of Super Mario enthusiasts.
