Behind the Scenes with Shigeru Miyamoto

The Making of Super Mario Bros. 3

A Behind-the-Scenes Look

Based on the number of letters and game ideas Nintendo receives regularly, we know that many fans are interested in knowing about how video games are created. So we decided to find out a little more about what is involved in designing a game ourselves. Super Mario Bros. 3 was the obvious choice, and to find something out about the stories behind the characters and the kinds of things that were done during the design process, we went right to the source, Nintendo Company Ltd. (NCL) in Kyoto, Japan.

Video games combine the best aspects of cartoon animation and computer programming to create a magical world of entertainment. As the result of a mix of two rather diverse fields, it requires the talents of many people to produce a video game.

Where It All Began

Design work and programming on almost all games developed by Nintendo are done by the staff of NCL’s Research and Development Departments (some is also done by independent software companies). Each of Nintendo’s R & D “teams” competes to come up with the best ideas. And each team member works hard to make sure his or her own contributions find their way into the final program.

We interviewed Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, project head in charge of development on SMB 3. He was intensely involved with the game at the very beginning idea stages and then at the end in the final polishing of the concept. Throughout he offered the other programmers advice, ideas, and guidance. He was happy to take time out of his busy schedule to give us some inside information on SMB 3.

A New Look for Mario

Designing a game in the Super Mario Bros. series is certainly different from creating one based on all new characters, but it is just as challenging. The difficult task is to make familiar characters seem fresh.

In each of the previous SMB games, Mario gained new power-ups, so in SMB 3, Mr. Miyamoto and the other designers wanted to invent yet another new and interesting way for Mario to power-up. Their initial ideas tended toward having Mario turn into some sort of creature. One of the rejected concepts had Mario power-up as a centaur (half man, half horse). The idea that they finally settled on was to give Mario a tail and the ability of flight. Their first tail concept, that of a Raccoon, was the one that finally stuck.

“I’m sorry to say there isn’t a funny story behind why we chose the Raccoon tail,” Miyamoto remarked. “We thought the Raccoon tail worked best from a practical point of view and it fit right in with Mario’s style. It also created some great new gameplay possibilities.”

New Enemies!

The most important new enemies created for SMB 3 were Bowser’s children. Each was given a unique look and personality. Another new creature that is one of Miyamoto’s personal favorites is the chained “dog” (Chain Chomp) that first appears in the Sky World. “This is a strange enemy, because it is chained and can’t get at Mario, which probably accounts for its vicious behavior,” Miyamoto said. As for the inspiration behind this mean character, Miyamoto mentions that he did have a “bad experience” with a dog when he was young.

Some of the familiar enemy characters from the previous SMB games were also included, but some were changed slightly. Winged Goombas, Giant Koopas, new species of Piranha Flowers, and additional members of the Hammer Brother family were all created to add spice to old familiar stand-bys.

Mr. Miyamoto has hundreds of partial game ideas in his head at all times. “Chatting with the other designers on a casual basis helps me bring my ideas together,” he commented. “Also, ideas can come together at any time, even in the middle of a hot bath!” (That must be the inspiration for the difficult water worlds in SMB 3—they really put Mario in hot water!)

Planning Gameplay

Once a collection of ideas has been assembled, the game must be plotted out in its entirety. According to Mr. Miyamoto, “The general plan for SMB 3 was to make it a game that players of all skill levels could enjoy.”

To do this, the planners put plenty of bonus coins and 1-Ups in the early Worlds of the game to help beginners. The later Worlds, however, contain some of the toughest gameplay challenges of any video game. In the two-player mode, turns are taken from World to World, making for an equal amount of playing time for both players.

After a general plan has been made, each scene must be laid out in minute detail. Even the simplest action by Mario may set into motion many reactions. For example, when Mario hits a breakable brick, the exact movement of all the pieces of the brick must be mapped out. Points gained and sound effects must also be considered.

Programming

Translating all the diagrams and drawings into computer graphics is a long and complicated process. A tool that makes this procedure easier is the Character Generator Computer Aided Design (CGCAD) machine. Using this computer, designers can create “character banks” that contain the graphic shapes used to draw images during gameplay. Each shape is given a number that the NES can use to access the shape and combine it into a complete image. An NES game program consists entirely of numerical data strings for creating the graphics of a game. Since the look and feel of the game are determined by the shapes in the “character banks,” they must be designed and used very carefully.

Conclusion

Even this short look behind the scenes shows the enormous amount of work it takes to produce a video game. The team that produced Super Mario Bros. 3 consisted of over 10 people, and they worked on the game over a two-year span. In all, though, the time and effort were well worth it and the final product is something they are all happy with. “We are especially proud of the magical wonderland we created in SMB 3, and the dastardly, fascinating, and repulsive enemy characters that live in it,” Mr. Miyamoto said. We can’t wait to see what he has in store for the NES in the future!