Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s release is right around the corner, but what won’t be arriving with the 2D platformer on October 20 is live commentary. Its developers spent six months making the scrapped feature, which added a voice that walked you through the game. The discarded feature, which would have been a first for Mario games, was revealed in another edition of Nintendo’s ongoing web series, Ask the Developer.
The team thought the feature would help the game feel fresh for longtime players. But one point of contention among the devs—who were already split on whether or not the feature should be included in the first place—was what kind of voice it should have.
“The default voice was very generic, like a newscaster, but you had the option to switch it to a Tsundere commentary,” Shiro Mouri said.
“Tsundere is an adjective term in Japanese that is used to describe a personality or a person who usually has a cold and harsh attitude but on the other hand shows a glimpse of affection,” Mouri added. “In fact, according to our playtest records, quite a few people were switching to the Tsundere commentary.”
Read More: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review Roundup: Wondrous Acclaim
Sadly, Wonder’s live commentary feature never saw the light of day, as the devs realized it would have been hard to make it work. The feature did however find new life through the game’s Talking Flowers characters, who shout at Mario and crew as they walk by.
“It’s nice that you’re never lonely when the Talking Flowers are there. If you were all alone in a course, it might feel like it was you against the world, but the Talking Flowers speak to you at just the right time,” Koichi Hayashida said.
I think Wonder dodged a bullet by not having the feature. Anyone who’s played God of War Ragnarok can tell you chatty characters who provide hints for solving puzzles are more annoying than they are helpful. Could you imagine having a Tsundere Princess Daisy yelling in your ear every time you botch a jump? No, thank you.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder will release on October 20 on the Nintendo Switch.
