Mario's New Moves: How Nintendo Evolved the Iconic Plumber's Expressions and Animations in Recent Games

Developers aimed to make characters more expressive with richer facial expressions and movements. The Super Mario Bros. movie did not directly influence this.

Increased number of joints and animations allowed for broader range of motions and facial expressions. Iconic poses were revisited from pixel days.

Adjustments made so players could see both character facial expressions and direction of travel. Sound effects also evolved alongside visuals.

Enemies given more range of expressions but not full behavior changes to maintain gameplay. Online meetings enabled wider sharing of info across team.

Ideas like Elephant Mario transformation emerged from gameplay concepts first, then matched with appropriate character designs. Water spraying ability brought back from Super Mario Sunshine.