In Peques and More we present a international interview in which we talked to those responsible in Nintendo of the video game Super Mario 3D World: Yoshiaki Koizumi (Producer), Kenta Motokura (Director) and Koichi Hayashida (Director). And at home we are very fans of this video game, we have devoured it until the end in the past Christmas, and in general the adventures of Mario, Luigi, Bowser, etc. So we dared to ask Nintendo if they could tell us how they created this great video game, what plans they have for the future, what has been the acceptance of the game and what recommendations they make for parents and children to share leisure together with video games . Then we leave the interview:
What is the inspiration to create these games full of adventure, dynamism and entertainment?
Kenta Motokura: We believe that the experiences that make us enjoy and also pass some fear can be shared. First we talked a lot about each of those experiences and then we selected the things we thought were really fun and included them in SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD. For example, I am sure that you have also felt, or can imagine, the thrill of being in an amusement park at night, right? It is these kinds of experiences, which can be shared with others, that we have intertwined in the game to create SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD.
How did they get to mature this video game after going through the versions for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii with games like New Super Mario Bros or Mario Galaxy?
Koichi Hayashida: Since we worked at Super Mario Galaxy we wanted people to enjoy Mario in three dimensions even more. Once we finished Super Mario Galaxy 2, we had the opportunity to choose between making the next Mario game for Nintendo 3DS or for Wii U, but in the end we decided to make a series for both platforms. First, with Nintendo 3DS, we explore 3D spaces with the 3D effects of the console itself and create SUPER MARIO 3D LAND where the 3D environment in which you play conveys a real sense of depth. In the case of Wii U, we took the lessons we had learned with SUPER MARIO 3D LAND and built a multiplayer 3D Mario game, a challenge we wanted to achieve for some time. I really hope you enjoy playing with family and friends!
Kenta Motokura, director of Super Mario 3D WorldHow many people are involved in the realization of this type of videogames and what profiles are necessary?
Yoshiaki Koizumi: I'm afraid I can't give you an exact number, but I can tell you there were many people! The production of a game involves not only developers but also many other people in charge of promoting the game, choosing packaging, etc. All these people involved in the realization enjoy video games, have a natural implication and take their work very seriously. If I had to stay with a quality or skill, I would choose the love for your work and enjoy always doing what you do.
Up to December 2013, 1.94 million copies were sold worldwide of Super Mario 3D World
What has been the impact on worldwide sales of the video game?
Nintendo: until the end of December 2013, 1.94 million copies were sold worldwide.
Why did you bet on a video game with these characteristics in which the characters take hilarious and charming forms for children and for the elderly?
Kenta Motokura: Thank you very much for your comment. On this occasion our goal when designing characters has been to be fun and intuitive at the same time. Whenever we design characters, we start thinking about what functions they play, for example, we ask ourselves: what kind of things does this character do? And, from there, we create the design and animation. Then, we add all the fun things that happen when you play and interact with the character. In both steps, we believe it is really important to make things easy to understand. Precisely I think this is why our designs like such a diverse fan group.
Super Mario 3D World imageWhat are the challenges of the future for Mario because 3D on the Wii U seems to be already very mature and successful?
Yoshiaki Koizumi: whenever we finish creating a game, we get a little frustrated because we still have more ideas that we could add. I think that with SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD we have managed to get more ideas than we had ever been able to have in the decade we have been facing the challenge of creating 3D Mario games. For example, to mention some of those things, you can now select up to four players to enjoy playing with friends or become a cat. We are very satisfied with what we have been able to achieve. That said, we still have many surprises in store for the future and we are looking forward to the next challenge. I am afraid that we will have to talk about these challenges at another time, but stay tuned.
Koichi Hayashida, director of Super Mario 3D worldWhat recommendations would you give parents to encourage their children to play with the video game?
Yoshiaki Koizumi: SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD is full of things that children can enjoy. You can explore a fantastic world that will stimulate and nourish your imagination and your adventurous spirit. My biggest recommendation is that parents play it with their children. If they do, they can awaken the playful spirit that we all have innate and spend happy and quality time with their children. I highly recommend playing SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD as a family.
We recommend that parents play with their children to awaken the playful spirit we all have and have a happy time with the kids.
That the game can be finished, although some screens are difficult, I really like it because it encourages discipline, trial-error, patience, attention, etc. What are the skills that can be enhanced in children who play with this type of video games?
Koichi Hayashida: I think children are much better video game players than adults think. For example, there are green stars and hidden seals throughout SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD. If they return to previous levels that have already played to find these elements, they will improve their abilities naturally. Regarding your question about the exact skills that can be improved, I think that, unlike, for example, a movie, SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD teaches them to overcome obstacles by themselves thanks to hard work.
Mario dressed as Beaver in Super Mario 3D WorldHow do you work on innovation in Nintendo?
Koichi Hayashida: I think Nintendo is able to offer new and interesting game modes because it combines interesting hardware, such as Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, with fun software. When a new technology appears, what we do is think about the new and fun things we can get with it. The key to Nintendo's success may simply be the fact that we try to offer what we genuinely consider fun, without sparing any effort.
What training is done in Japanese schools that can be transferred to animation when children grow up?
Nintendo: Although we cannot talk (in terms of games or animation) about the education currently offered in Japanese schools, in general terms, children in Japan are exposed from a very young age to the world of game animation, for what we believe is an ideal environment to win followers in this field. Many children contact Nintendo to ask what they have to study to be a video game designer. We suggest you be clear about your interests, that you interact with many different people, that you get as much experience as possible and that you learn to see things slowly from different perspectives while you are young. We also tell them to try to do all kinds of things for themselves, even things that are not directly related to the games; that later they show it to many people to obtain different opinions (although some do not like it so much, it is a good experience), and in this way they develop the habit of doing things that continue to impress people.
And so far the interview with Yoshiaki Koizumi, Kenta Motokura Y Koichi Hayashida. I thank very much to Miriam Sarralde, from trescom, the Nintendo Communication agency, the extraordinary collaboration to be able to reach these great artists and creators of one of the great video games of 2013. We will be very attentive to your new proposals and hope to tell you here soon.
