Wii U

With four players plus a fifth on the GamePad, up to five people can enjoy this game at once. And for the first time in the history of the series, you can play with Mii characters.

Actually, when we were working on the previous game for the Wii, we tried using Mii characters, but you could only tell them apart by the color of their clothes.

Takemoto-san and I couldn't tell which Mii character was ours!

Even though your faces are so different?!

(laughs)

But when we tried it this time for the Wii U, which has HD¹⁴, even if the Mii characters were pretty small, we could tell the difference, even with the facial expressions. 14. HD (high definition): This term indicates high resolution (high quality images) in televisions and other devices. Conditions for HD include a high number of image pixels, a number of scan lines over 720, and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Television broadcasting such as terrestrial transmission digital and BS digital that provide high resolution images is called HDTV.

Thanks to HD, we can even clearly tell when Mario blinks.

I heard Mario was blinking from the Wii version. It appears that almost no one noticed it though.

But if you put out your Mii character in story mode, they move like Mario, but it doesn't feel like you're controlling Mario.

It stops being a Super Mario game.

Right. So in the story mode, you play with the usual Mario gang, but when you play with Mii characters, we created a Play With Mii category, so you can play three modes: Challenge Mode, Boost Rush Mode and Coin Battle Mode.

So Mario stays as the main character. When you use Mii characters for the multiplayer mode, it must get pretty exciting.

Certainly. When a fireball hits you, you can't help but say, "Ow!"

There's a stronger feeling that your Mii character is another you.

Right. And in the previous game, you might get confused and wonder who was playing Luigi, but now it's clearly Asuke-san's Mii, so you think, "I don't care who wins as long as it isn't Asuke-san!" (laughs)

(laughs)

This time we really made it like you're playing with other people.

By the way…Tezuka-san?

Um, yes?

Tezuka-san, you're joining us as an observer today, but do you think that you achieved what you wanted to this time?

Yes, I suppose so. I really sense that this turned out to be a game that a wide variety of people can enjoy. When it comes to the multiplayer mode, I think you can enjoy it in different ways than the Wii game. Usually when multiple people play together, they shout out, but this time, calling out to each other is indispensable.

Shouting out and calling out to each other may seem similar, but are quite different.

I think the multiplayer mode is more fun this time.

I see. All right, lastly, I'd like to ask what you would draw the players' attention to.

This time, the maps are all connected, so you can come and go across its vast expanse anytime. You may become friends with Baby Yoshi or get items or run across enemies in your way, so walking across the map itself affords all kinds of discoveries.

You don't just use it to move around, but it's actually a part of the gameplay.

Yes. And you can read Miiverse posts as you play, so I hope people will enjoy the map.

This was my first involvement in development of Super Mario since Super Mario 64.¹⁵ So I thought that the main part of a Super Mario game is the story mode, but there is a lot to the other modes this time, so I hope people will discover the enjoyments peculiar to each. 15. Super Mario 64: The first 3D action game in the Super Mario series. It was released simultaneously with the Nintendo 64 system in September 1996.

You've prepared a play space that all kinds of people can enjoy.

Yes. We also are planning additional courses.

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

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)

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

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

Understood. Now, Takemoto-san.

I'm very satisfied that while I made a lot of people sweat over it, we were able to achieve what I wanted to put in. In particular, I intended to make the drop-in play mode so that people who feel they aren't that good at video games can enjoy it.

The Wii U GamePad doesn't require any complicated button controls, so you can enjoy playing simply by touch.

Yes. So touch everything!

You can do more than just place blocks.

Yeah. Touching will stop moving cogs, push back Piranha Plants and flip over Koopa Troopas, so touch everything and enjoy what happens!

Even small children who don't understand words yet can enjoy this game.

Yeah, they'll be fine! (laughs)

Listening to all of you talk this time, I get the impression that pieces from all kinds of elements have been fitted in perfectly, and that it's a game with considerable volume. Tezuka-san, was that by design?

Yes. It was all according to plan!

(laughs)

Nonetheless, there are times when you plan it out at the start and achieve just what you planned, and there are times when you sense something is there and achieve more than was planned. That's what Miyamoto-san calls a detective's hunch.

Oh, well this was the latter.

(laughs)

In fact, this was your first time to make two Super Mario games at once: New Super Mario Bros. 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U.

Yes, it was.

And their peak times overlapped.

Well, we kept our balance as we handled that. When we focused on the Wii U game, we laid off the Nintendo 3DS a bit, and then once things had settled somewhat, we would look at the other one, so it wasn't unbearably difficult. It was quite a marathon, though.

It was hardest for Tezuka-san.

I think so. But despite the circumstances, he never looked tired at all. He always worked happily, with a smile on his face. Even things like that will make it in the game and gets across to players, so it's really important.

Ah, the praise! (laughs)

When I saw that, I was like, "He's the man!"

(laughs)

Everyone, thank you so much on working on this for such a long time, and thank you for today.

You're welcome!