Why Does A Simple Character Design Change By Nintendo Offend Mario Fans?

Nintendo is circumspective of its beloved video game characters in every aspect. This is because of how they have carefully curated and harnessed them to make them the popular face that they are. Therefore, it seems very unlikely that they will allow a certain character design change just for a film.

With the teaser for the Super Mario Bros. movie finally out, the Nintendo fan base now knows what the final character design looks like. But what fans noticed recently in Mario’s design is both hilarious and curious.

Mario gets a ‘slimmer’ back for his movie debut

As the teaser dropped for Super Mario Bros. it was revealed that the character design for Mario has a slimmer back than his original incarnation. Thus, there is a debate online on whether this change is good or bad for the character.

Nintendo has been very serious about its character designs from the beginning. Thus fans have connected to the idea that a Mario-like character should have a round and bumpy back and not a skinny one. Therefore, this character change has been a point of debate for the fans, making it arguable that Mario should have a fatter back to look more like its video game counterpart.

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Although Nintendo changes its art style often, the character design remains the same. So making a change in the character design signifies a change in the overall ideology of the console giant. And since change is arduous to accept, Mario fans too became victims of the same mindset.

Why is Nintendo not worried about the design change?

Illumination, the workforce behind the making of the film, is a pioneer in animation filmmaking. This, along with the fact that Super Mario Bros. is a game-changer for Nintendo in the film industry, has a lot to do with the decision of changing the character design.

For starters, the change in a character design signifies that something new has been tried upon the conventional method. A transition from the video game world to the silver screen has to be noticed, or else what’s the point?

Additionally, heroism is a trait that is very often associated with caring and self-sacrificing people. Thus, having a good-looking character has a psychological effect on the viewer,making them feel more associated with the main character of the film.

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Or to be frank, everything can be just a misunderstanding by the makers and a Sonic-like re-imagination of Mario can be on its way soon. Whatever the case, Nintendo is surely going to make some good films based on the franchise.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.