Nintendo turned down “edgier” Mario RPG pitch

The developers of Mario & Luigi: Brothership revealed the rejected “edgier” designs that they had originally wanted to use for the game.

Nintendo has done a great job keeping Mario as light-hearted as possible, at least in the video game realm. The live-action Super Mario Bros. movie from the ’90s had notoriously dark aesthetics, but that’s a major exception to the rule.

In an “Ask the Developer” post-release interview for Mario & Luigi: Brothership on the Nintendo website, designer Hitomi Furuta revealed the original concepts that were planned, and ultimately rejected, for RPG.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership rejected battle-hardened character designs

Nintendo

According to Furuta, “I’m ashamed to say it, but we weren’t conscious of that when development started, which led to us making a huge detour. And in our search for a new Mario & Luigi style, at one point we ended up trying to present an edgier, more rugged Mario instead.”

Unfortunately for those wanting something a bit different, Metal Gear Mario just wasn’t the look Nintendo was looking for. Ultimately, these ideas ended up being turned down by Nintendo, and the team was encouraged to look for something slightly more “identifiable,” resulting in the familiar Mushroom Kingdom look being reused.

The cut ideas showed Mario and Luigi looking roughed up, covered in dirt, and having torn clothing. One outfit also had Mario sporting a yellow raincoat, rather than his iconic cape or raccoon gear.

Considering Nintendo wants to promote its games to kids, it’s understandable that these battle-damaged designs were turned down. Some players may have found it upsetting to see roughed-up Mario brothers running around for most of the story.

However, given the mild enthusiasm surrounding the game, it might have worked better if Mario & Luigi: Brothership had done something a little different to help it stand out from its predecessors.