On the other side, in a game as rich as Wonder, virtually every player is going to notice some little piece of animation, and it will bring them a little moment of delight. The thing is, you never know what element it will be, and it will probably be different for every player! Then, once the player does consciously register something, they are likely to start looking out for other little details, whether consciously or not. This will lead them to more moments of delight, which is what we all came to the game for!
@@WhitePaintbrush for me it’s the goombas getting sad when they fall into a one-block hole. That or the hoppycats peeking out at you and shaking when you approach.
Yeah I had whoa moment. I grew up with Mario 3 and World in the early 90’s and always felt something important was missing from more recent Mario games. Basically they made Mario look more like his old true sprite self
I really think the fact we once again see the faces of the characters as they move, run, and jump, really made everything more... whole. Expressions, especially with the eyes and mouth, can dictate feel quite well without voices.
It was a similar thing with Metroid Dread. Her movements looked so fluid and effortless, and somehow that translates through the controller and is absolutely felt.
@@jediguy3706 yeah in this game, Metroid Dread and Odyssey near the start i spent a good bit of time, just messing around and see how the animations handle each situation. the animation work on all 3 is just so smooth and makes you want to play differently
"You didn't notice it... but your brain did." I forget where that quote is from, but it perfectly sums up what you said and how I also feel about this level of polish it. Even if we aren't consciously aware of each and every one, we're still aware that it's better.
"You can hold onto a shell with your legs while gliding." Mind blown! I've 100% the game, but never realized some of the little details like this. I also think the 3/4 view, as you outlined, makes a huge difference. My all time favorite animation in the game has got to be the "scared Goomba" facial expressions, cracks me up every time. Truly wonderful animation work, and a great breakdown here.
You gotta let the imposter syndrome go, man. You're eloquent and are clearly VERY passionate about what you're doing here. Listening to you just gush at length about every minute little detail is why I'm here! I had a lot of fun watching and seeing you call out all those little details and effort and polish, but the constant self-deprecation really took me out of it.
I thought he was being funny. But just in case you are right, then I can confidently agree that Dan is very good at what he does, and I always love to hear about it. Plus, hearing the 6 year old at the end of these videos is so so joyful, she could easily steal the show
@@nicoblasssWait, this guy’s name is Dan? What are the chances that two big animation channels are run by people with the same name? Lol, very odd coincidence.
If there is one way I can describe Mario Wonder's animation is: "They didn't have to do that, but they did." It truly is just like the way Sakurai approached the Smash Bros. Series as a whole, especially Ultimate (where he also swapped to the 3/4 angle).
Super Mario Wonder's incredible animation was noticeable from the first 10 seconds of the trailer. Everything looked MUCH livelier and there was more of a cartoony expressiveness in the movements and expressions. Even playing it for a tiny bit from the demo at Best Buy, it instantly felt different in a good way, and was a lot of fun to control. Now having the game, I love how each level is filled with things moving to keep your eyes on. The game looked like it adapted some 2D/3D feel that is currently popular in animation. I've been wanting more of that in gaming. The animation helps elevate the enjoyment of gameplay.
An insane amount of character and context-specific animations, and they STILL maintain 60 FPS on Full HD resolution throughout. This is the Nintendo Seal of Quality in its essence.
For me the animations were extremely noticable and made the game infinitely more fun. Something that was really neat was to see the old enemies reimagined in this new style. It was super cool to see something even as mundane as the thwomp return due to how expressive and pretty the animation is. I know this isn't exactly animation related, but something really great is the use of different context specific lighting. Something in particular that was neat was the use of special texturing for rainy levels, which are almost completely absent from 2D mario for some reason. The level in world 5 with the weird cosmic rifts in space is also one of the most visually appealing levels in the game, in my opinion. The new level themes definitely help, too.
The Thwomp animations reminded me of Super Mario World, it made me really happy seeing them do what they did again in Wonder. And likewise, I loved those Rifts. Made me sorta wonder what exactly was going on in Fungi Mines apart from the perverted Wonder magic Bowser was spreading, definitely one of my favorite worlds in the game.
@@TheGravityShifter Fungi mines was amazing, the music was outstanding too. My only complaint is the lack of bosses, but that's more of a global issue rather than a local one.
@@Goomba456 Yeah, it really was the weakest aspect but at least Bowser's fight was great despite being easy. I appreciate what they tried to do in replacement of the bosses in that world and the Falls, but I did expect a bit more.
@@TheGravityShifter Yeah, hopefully that's something they can improve on in a sequel. It's funny, because this might've been the one time the koopalings WOULD'VE worked. It's weird there's never even a single magikoopa in any level either.
Played this recently at a friend's house and wow, I was impressed. Mario platformers have been dead to me for years because of how soulless and by the book they felt. We only got through a handful of levels, but everything from the SFX when characters jump, the immaculate attention to detail in the characters and environment, and balls to the wall creative freedom in the level concepts put me in awe. I'm so glad to know this will be some kids' first Mario game, and maybe it'll instill that creative energy in them that most of the previous games couldn't possibly have. It definitely has that Spiderverse effect of "incredibly intricate details that only hardcore animation nerds will notice". They could've removed 50% of the unique animations from this game and it still would've been very polished and nice, but the insane amount of attention to elegance puts it on another level. They've definitely set themselves an incredibly high bar.
Good animation is like good sound design, when it works well you don't notice it but when it's absent it's a deafening silence, so aside from just being eyecandy for us animation nerds it also is the secret sauce to a visually wonderful game
15:25 I 100% think so too. I personally love creative expression and passion in video games and animation, but just the general detail of watching mario and friends smile as they take a leap just makes me want to cry. The fluidity between all of the animations gives the game this feeling that it sometimes isn’t a game, but is more organic and real beyond our assumed level of connection between reality and the game. I just love everything about wonder.
Aside from the fluid animations that makes Mario and pals feel lively and full of temperaments, something about the musical levels of Mario enemies really gives off a sense of wonder (no pun intended), especially the Piranha Parade reminds me of the Japanese SMRPG commercial.
On the note of the characters being turned towards the camera, they even went as far as stylizing the model to be 2.5D - in that it would only make sense viewed from that specific angle. For example, look at how Mario's mouth is sort of on the side of his face, instead of directly under the nose.
Did we come here just to hear you point out cool looking animation? Yes, yes we did. It's really that simple. You break down animation to such a fundamental level that makes it incredibly digestible to everyone! Your video on the Mega Man games singlehandedly made me realize how much I love animation. And everytime I watch one of your videos I'm reminded of those exact same feelings! Gushing about cool animations may not seem like much worth praising to you, but it legitimately means the world to people like me. So please don't let any doubtful voices in your head stop you from making the content you wanna make, cuz even if you made a 10 hour video JUST talking about linking animations in an indie I've never heard of, I'd pull up a seat and enjoy every minute of it. Keep doing what you do man, it's much more entertaining, interesting, and impactful than you give it credit for.
The animations are so smooth and clean. When the devs have time to refine and polish every aspect of the game it really shows. Especially when it comes to animation.
I think this really goes to show how talented dev teams for major studios are, if they'd be given the right time, environment, and development philosophy
The animation is simply spectacular. I was frequently changing characters and power-ups and trying to find every unique situation just to see what all the different animations were. It was absolutely worth it to put so much effort in.
The little things all seen together make the characters feel alive. So instead of feeling like moving a 3d model in a video game, it feels like I'm moving MARIO through the kingdoms because he looks and reacts appropriately to EVERY situation during gameplay. Ik it's a weird thing to say about a Mario game, but it makes me feel immersed
I just beat Wonder last night, before the new year roll over, and honestly ny favorite thing about the game by far was the art direction and animation. I would consistently waste time in levels just figuring out what actions made the characters expressions change, what made their body language shift. All of it with an incredible level of haptic feedback through the joycons (i use the sad dog controller, just sliding the joycons into a mount) and really feeling every move. It came especially handy in hard levels like the Jump to the Beat challenges (that took me...dozens if not hundreds of tries). Getting the visual feedback and feeling the vibrations through the controller really helped me figure out the rhythm i needed to jum at, how hard to press the jump button, what frames to kick off on, etc. Speedrunning for this game is gonna be insane btw. But honestly, this is the first modern mario title that gave me the same feelings i had when playing super mario world on the snes with my brother and cousins. It really really honors that game philosophy that had been kinda abandoned after the shift to 3D with SM64. Which isnt to say i dont love the 3D marios (super mario sunshine and galaxy are still my favorites), but its been So long wince there was a 2D format mario game that actually felt like the old mario, but better. Fairer lol.
All of the new animations (combined with being able to see more of the character's faces and having their faces emote more during animation) goes such a long way to giving the game a lot of personality and making the whole thing feel so much more alive and joyful. One of my favorites is that when you shoot a bubble at an enemy, all of them have this little look of panic on their face right before it hits them, and it's always really funny lol. Thank you for this video!
Wonder feels really good to play, it's super charming, and much of the credit for that goes to animation. This is the kind of thing many folks may not actively notice while playing, but that's why I watch animation analyses on youtube, so I can appreciate it properly when I play again :P One of my favourite bits is them peeking from the pipes before coming out, it's so cute!
Fantastic vid The difference between those other channels that might have covered this topic and yours is that I wasn’t waiting for theirs, while I was eager for yours because you are so good
Awesome video man! Everything about your content is constantly improving, and I'm just completely enthralled by every video you release. No-one was ready for Yoshi's mouth-full pose.
I would say that its often the case for the best games that these details will go subconsciously unnoticed until someone pays closer attention. That, or someone in that specific research field plays it. I'm a musician, so I listen immediately to soundtracks. Although this might sound like a negative thing, similarly to music, if it's immersive enough, the details will go unnoticed notice until they stop to appreciate the game because the design of it all fits so well together. Meanwhile, they will have an immense amount of unknown positive feelings towards the production that seamlessly blend together with the gameplay. Even in the super mario bros NES days, I remember having so much fun replaying the game, and it wasnt until I stopped in the middle of a level, that I realized the music had me just as engaged as the gameplay. Really awesome stuff, the art world. Great video dude. I'm new here, but I watched through the whole thing just hearing your passion about the subject alone
16:06 Even here, you can see Luigi doing what seems to be a special animation for catching the shell from above. Though it also seems like it fits well for picking one up off the ground too, so it might just be the same
Definitely worth the animation investment if it can be afforded. It is like good audio design, it just makes the game feel good and a lot of it will go unnoticed consciously
I already got flabbergasted by how beautiful the animation was and how much I would just watch the animations. But there's so much more that you just showed us and I loved every bit. As for the question by the end, I'm with you, it is worth it. Even if a LOT of them go unnoticed I think that's the point of them. They made them so well that they just look natural to the eye, so (in my pov) it's not that it goes unnoticed. It's just that they put so much care that with the whole package it feels natural, literally one with the game. I mean I've seen games where the animation was so clean but that stuck out because what was around wasn't... Well that great 😅. I can't remember specifics right now but if I do remember one, I'll reply to my comment. But anyways, even when people don't really notice they do eventually. It's just that it feels natural with the qualities of the game, and so they don't pinpoint them. But that's the beauty of it, THAT show the care and love they had for this project. And when people see vidoes like yours, they'll be like I was. Already baffled for the wonderous (pun intended) animation and even more baffled by the other animation details you showed us
I’m surprised you didn’t go in to some of the other badges. These have been the standout to me in my playthrough! The Fast Dash Badge gives characters a new tier of animation, with a different expression for running top speed. And just walking has them hold out their arms like Mario 3 and it’s very cute :) The pose when you charge the Crouching High Jump is so cool, even for Elephant forms too. The front flip from the Timed High Jump feels really fulfilling to rebound off the ground too! And again, unique animation for Elephants And if you look closely at the Grappling Vine Badge, the character throws out the vine, but then the vine grabs a wall, it’s coming out of the character’s chest, which is an interesting decision to say the least
This video was an instant-watch for me. I’ve been excited for it ever since you announced it. I love everything about Mario Wonder, and it’s awesome to see you appreciate the finer details and point out some things I didn’t notice during my playthrough. I also just enjoy hearing you gush about this game, because I enjoy gushing about it too. Here’s hoping we get more 2D Mario games with this level of effort and charm in the future. I’ve been a Mario fan my whole life, and my love for the franchise keeps getting stronger. Great video as always!
Honestly most people don't really notice these details butII think they still feel them. The moment they spend playing is just made better by all this fine work. What a great game
Awesome breakdown, that was really neat and enjoyable. I would say it does make a difference, for sure. Maybe even if the people don't notice the subtle stuff, it adds to the overall experience!
Wait, if Sonic was based on rubberhose characters from the golden age of animation, then what templates did Mario used during or since? I'd be really interested about finding out!
I've always personally thought of Mario as an extension of the Tetzuka Star System(old, not the newer animations...)/Hanna-Barbera/UPA method of design and animating. Solid, basic representations of people that... aren't always realistic (/affectionate), and movement that sells the motion and emotion without blowing a budget. Does it work? Not always. But it does get the general point across. And when they started, that's kinda all they wanted out of Mario. Just like all they wanted out of Sonic at the start was appeal. It's like, eh, waddaya gonna do? Even with all our tropes and analysis, sometimes it's just simplicity and need talking... 🤷
Well he was originally meant to be popeye and the original arcade art looks a lot closer to that so id say mario would fit in with those types of old newspaper cartoons and comics along with stuff like hanna-barbera like the other commenter said
@@coach7304 I... thank you? I am in no way this articulate irl/on camera. Better off finding me on tumblr, and that's when I remember I have one... ^^;;;
@@AngelicDirt. So Sonic was basically stylish and Mario got everything functional? Considering how their respective franchises turned out, it's a pretty good summation!
Loving it as always. It really is incredibly satisfying seeing you point out all those things and making clear to us, why we love those games. Thank you so much! Btw., your Metroid dread video is probably the one I love the most, I rewatch once every two months 😂
My first playthrough of this game was full of moments where I had to stop and fiddle around with the animations, so much polish! Really hoping this style carries into future games
Only discovered your channel recently but I’m so glad how passionate and genuine you are about animation. As someone pursuing art as a career, living in these times can be hard but hearing someone appreciate some of the hard work put in is so nice! I completely agree that artistic work is best going unnoticed but more seen as a feeling. I’m really glad that at least Wonder feels so charming which is a breath of fresh air from some more mainstream games I’ve seen recently. Keep up the good work!
One of the things I really enjoyed about playing Wonder was also how much more Nintendo has been experimenting in their character design. Mario Wonder and Odyssey both look and feel completely different because the character models are so unique as well. Wonder Mario feels made out of plasticine and their expressions are much more pronounced in their key poses. I love the detail of all of these things and it makes Mario Wonder feel so much more unique rather than "The 2D Mario Game" the other games seem to do.
I noticed and loved the new animations, especially: badguys frowning at you when you get cloes to them, koopatroopas high-fiving each other, the animations going in and out of pipes! Love it.
the animations in this game convey so many emotions and feelings. I love them. they add so much to the feel of the characters the elephants struggling to get into and out of the pipes really sells "elephants are big, don't forget!" and i smile every time. there are so many good moments in this game where tha animation shows the love and attention this game got, and while not strictly necessary, the eperience is very much improved with all the personal touches. they've raised the bar.
The animation was well worth it if you ask me. A lot of details from this video I didn't notice, but I felt the effects of almost all of them and actively a lot. And I would imagine there is a subconscious effect of keeping things fresh too, even if you couldn't tell what's going on in detail. I am not too much into animation study myself yet, but I got to appreciate these details a lot, even in the first hours of playing.
I really enjoy the little things they ad into the character animation in the game. Like how the characters sink into the pipes or how they respond to certain enemies.
The animations help so much A Goomba simply reacting to me getting close make me smile so wide when I first saw it. And I'm so glad that the enemy's have been given so much personality in this
it's really cool seeing the models, how much they specifically cheat toward the camera, the fact they have different models for different expressions to keep things snappy and exaggerated rather than just rigging up the faces...
I don't notice all the little details that you mentioned, but I do still appreciate the combination of all of them bringing an expressiveness to the characters when combined.
If it wasn't for how many folk specifically pinpoint the animations I don't know if I'd be able to pinpoint the animations about it - I noticed some in gameplay, I didn't others, the ones I noticed made me smile - but it does feel more polished than prior 2d Mario games due to those animations. So, yes, I think it is worth it _if_ you have the budget for it, but not something to break the bank over. (Meanwhile, if you don't... Maybe you have the budget to focus on one element - The older Crash Bandicoot's obsession with death animations and making them all feel _right_ for how you die, or Sonic 3's gorgeous snowboarding segment for Ice Cap Zone. And if you don't... Don't worry about it, plenty of great games don't have these bespoke systems and instead get a good amount of polish in more generalized ways)
The fact that all of this can be explicitly pointed out when most players will not see all these minute details is telling. SO much effort and craftsmanship has gone into this game and into making it FEEL so polished. On top of THAT, seeing all these details pointed out is FANTASTIC! On the surface, I bet the majority of players won't give these things a second thought when they do in fact add to the game experience. Thanks!
I find myself reminded of the Mega Man video; they spent so long assuming it would look weird to show a 3D model at a 3/4 angle in a side-scroller, but when someone actually _tries_ it...
Unfortunately they just don’t have the time for that, between the time crunch for getting new generations out to fuel the world’s largest media franchise and the now >1000 pokemon. Imagine what could be done with no deadline like what Wonder got.
Don't know if you can really compare the animation of 2d platformers and 3d open world-ish games but I feel like the fact that the game had no dealine is pretty important
Great video, I didn't consciously notice many of the animations you showcased while playing, but I knew I loved the animations much more than the previous 2D Mario games. This one just feels some much more polished than the older ones to me. I think it helps the game a lot to have that level of polish even though it's not needed.
Yay it's here! Fantastic video! (With regards to your final question: I'm really not a visual person, I tend not to notice details much but I still think the extra effort is great for two reasons: 1) for a lot of stuff you kind of notice without noticing, like how a good bit of background music in a movie just blends in and you know the tune if someone plays it for you but you don't realize you know it until you hear it and 2) even I, with my not being a visual person, will still notice very specific things occasionally. My favorite that I immediately noticed when playing was holding the shell between your legs when cap parachuting, I just thought that was so cool)
With all the different animation and models, it also makes everything feel like you won't have another level like you played previously. The only time I (correct me if I'm wrong, I only played 2 so far) saw reused assets (enemies/blocks) was for the star stages. Seeing a vid slow down all the fast anims was great, honestly. Genuinely love how expressive everything is, it kinda makes everything feel less like a video game and more like an interactive movie... in a way. That comment on how the Mario movie may have influenced the game really made me connect those two dots! Thank you for the vid!
Mario wonder's the latest in a recent trend of major studios giving a game basically infinite budget and no deadline and i think the results speak for themselves
Hearing you gush about the things you're passionate about is the entire reason why I'm subscribed to this channel. We all tune in to listen to your opinions and impressions, so don't ever worry about having to curb your enthusiasm for the sake of your viewers.
Absolutely are the animations worth it. I loved spotting all the different reactions the characters had to everything. Wonder raises the bar across the board for animation in video games, especially 2D games.
One of the things that caught my eye with this game WAS the distinct visual style and the animations. I may not notice a lot of them, but you can absolutely feel the fluidity of the game. Its greatly helped by very good choices in sound design, the visuals, animations, and audio all blend together perfectly and make such a satisfying game to play, as it is to watch. Think they truly nailed it with this one.
These animations from Wonder turn from being a good game to a great game. While these are optional, great animations just bring so much life into the game and Mario Wonder is clear example of that.
Another great breakdown. I always learn something or understand something better by watching your videos, so thank you! Btw, your Dread video was rambling, but a really great watch. :)
Just found your channel from this video and absolutely love it , I bought Mario Wonder because I'm a parent and well you play Mario games with your kids and I thought to myself "it's just 2d Mario what else can they do" Although I never noticed these specific examples you mention here the whole game feels super animated and alive and really just look and feel fantastic. Absolute 10/10 job
I don't notice all the animations individually a lot of the time. As a whole though.. Mario Wonder feels immensely richer and way more visually interesting than literally any Mario game (3D or 2D) that came before it. Well done btw. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Amazing work. :)
Mario wonder’s animations are the dark souls of animations. You probably won’t find everything, but whatever you do find will feel that much more special
This game really did surprise me and mostly thanks to the design. I noticed nearly everything you pointed out, the power up poses and the on the edge teetering were my favorite. I told my wife that it felt like each level was made by a separate person because each one had its own personality. Even when the theme was similar due to the world the level was in, it was still so drastically different. I would have enjoyed a few more power ups, maybe fresh spins on old ones or even put them in Star (special) World. All in all I'm enjoying it.
Actually this is the only video I have watched about Mario wonder except for maybe a game review. The way you cover topics is much more interesting and approachable than the dozens of other channels that seem to be parroting each other
The unique animations Diasy has and the full lively attitude in the Elephant power up coerced me to 100% this game and I'm STILL playing it just because it's a treat to look at.
My god this game looks good. It's so familiar that you could easily miss the new animations, especially since it's done so well. Thank you for this breakdown!
very good analysis, not just on wonder, but in general. I'm glad you commented on 2D animation at 14:30. with 3D, you can theoretically have infinite "frames" with just one model. to create even a simple frame by frame rotating/spinning animation in 2D is no small task. take a look at darkest dungeon 2 if you haven't already. I'm sure their workload was cut down significantly with the switch from 2D to 3D.
They've put the perfect balance between mechanical feel and expressive appeal. Even if you've been given a whole new set of animations, you still intuitively know how it will feel when playing it. This kind of attention to detail is why Nintendo are seen as masters of their craft.
I do love how each of the animations gives away the character's personalities and how each of them is slightly different. It's a really nice detail I think I haven't seen much from Nintendo besides games like Punch Out on Wii. I love it especially since it looks great and I think animation goes a long way into immersing a player even if they don't technically notice it unless pointed out or they play something different with fewer expressive animations. Also nice to see the other characters for me because I played pretty much exclusively Peach and Daisy
It's good to see Mario games getting more cartoony. First odyssey with it's varied but mostly cartoony versions of the real world, now we're really into the spiderverse! Anyone else agrees?
Super Mario Wonder is much more like the old 2D Sonic games that had animations for the most mundane things (balancing, taking a hit, corkscrew animation). Nice!
Awesome video, better late than never!! I never knew you could throw bubbles and fireballs while crouching, let alone that action has it's own animation!
The absolute excitement I had when I saw the unique wonderflower transformations. I was smiling so hard! I had to put the game on the back buner to complete my winter semester but I'll get right back on it and finish the Desert and go beat bowser :)
I think investing in those little details is worth it because they make the experience different for every player, some players will notice some details and some will notice others. I replayed the game with my little sister and she pointed out a bunch of animations I didn't notice in my first playthrough. Awesome game, I love it!
Moana is best Mario character ngl
Hope she pops up one day
who’s moana
@@kirby_says_poyoand omg ur pfp is so damn cute
@@brandye3039 thanks😊
@@brandye3039A girl that first popped up in the beach world of NSMBW, I think World 4. She really likes the ocean.
I find the animation quality worth it, because while some won’t notice it, you will FEEL it.
On the other side, in a game as rich as Wonder, virtually every player is going to notice some little piece of animation, and it will bring them a little moment of delight. The thing is, you never know what element it will be, and it will probably be different for every player! Then, once the player does consciously register something, they are likely to start looking out for other little details, whether consciously or not. This will lead them to more moments of delight, which is what we all came to the game for!
@@PaulFisherMario and Luigi losing their hats as they enter a pipe is my favorite
Are ya feeling it now Mr Krabs?
@@WhitePaintbrush for me it’s the goombas getting sad when they fall into a one-block hole. That or the hoppycats peeking out at you and shaking when you approach.
@@PaulFisher all the goomba animations are ridiculously cute
Who knew that making Mario turn 3/4ths of the way to the camera gave him his soul back
Yeah I had whoa moment. I grew up with Mario 3 and World in the early 90’s and always felt something important was missing from more recent Mario games. Basically they made Mario look more like his old true sprite self
It makes a pretty big difference actually. You finally get to see the character's face which opens up a LOT of expression.
That's why the original sprites from Final Fantasy 6 and the pixel remake look so much better than the old IOS remake
I really think the fact we once again see the faces of the characters as they move, run, and jump, really made everything more... whole. Expressions, especially with the eyes and mouth, can dictate feel quite well without voices.
You don't notice the animations so much as feel them. They add some intangible quality to the game that just makes it feel better to play.
I think it's a case where the animation can really help with game feel. The things you see on screen just flow together that much better.
It was a similar thing with Metroid Dread. Her movements looked so fluid and effortless, and somehow that translates through the controller and is absolutely felt.
@@jediguy3706 yeah in this game, Metroid Dread and Odyssey near the start i spent a good bit of time, just messing around and see how the animations handle each situation. the animation work on all 3 is just so smooth and makes you want to play differently
Similar to 60fps. Some people think it's just a graphical thing, but it's integral to the feel of a game
"You didn't notice it... but your brain did."
I forget where that quote is from, but it perfectly sums up what you said and how I also feel about this level of polish it. Even if we aren't consciously aware of each and every one, we're still aware that it's better.
"You can hold onto a shell with your legs while gliding." Mind blown! I've 100% the game, but never realized some of the little details like this. I also think the 3/4 view, as you outlined, makes a huge difference. My all time favorite animation in the game has got to be the "scared Goomba" facial expressions, cracks me up every time. Truly wonderful animation work, and a great breakdown here.
You gotta let the imposter syndrome go, man. You're eloquent and are clearly VERY passionate about what you're doing here. Listening to you just gush at length about every minute little detail is why I'm here! I had a lot of fun watching and seeing you call out all those little details and effort and polish, but the constant self-deprecation really took me out of it.
Thanks for the feedback! I'll bear that in mind!
I thought he was being funny.
But just in case you are right, then I can confidently agree that Dan is very good at what he does, and I always love to hear about it.
Plus, hearing the 6 year old at the end of these videos is so so joyful, she could easily steal the show
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy I would have watched a video on Mario as long as that one on the classic blue character.
@@nicoblasssWait, this guy’s name is Dan? What are the chances that two big animation channels are run by people with the same name? Lol, very odd coincidence.
@@VideoGameAnimationStudyyou rule dude
If there is one way I can describe Mario Wonder's animation is: "They didn't have to do that, but they did."
It truly is just like the way Sakurai approached the Smash Bros. Series as a whole, especially Ultimate (where he also swapped to the 3/4 angle).
This is one exhaustive finite state machine. And, yet, it still feels like *MAGIC.*
Most people won't notice animation quality but they damn sure will feel it and that's what's it's all about
Super Mario Wonder's incredible animation was noticeable from the first 10 seconds of the trailer. Everything looked MUCH livelier and there was more of a cartoony expressiveness in the movements and expressions. Even playing it for a tiny bit from the demo at Best Buy, it instantly felt different in a good way, and was a lot of fun to control. Now having the game, I love how each level is filled with things moving to keep your eyes on. The game looked like it adapted some 2D/3D feel that is currently popular in animation. I've been wanting more of that in gaming. The animation helps elevate the enjoyment of gameplay.
An insane amount of character and context-specific animations, and they STILL maintain 60 FPS on Full HD resolution throughout. This is the Nintendo Seal of Quality in its essence.
I absolutely LOVE the detail that when you plop of of slime, your character does a little “fall” before they hit the ground.
For me the animations were extremely noticable and made the game infinitely more fun. Something that was really neat was to see the old enemies reimagined in this new style. It was super cool to see something even as mundane as the thwomp return due to how expressive and pretty the animation is. I know this isn't exactly animation related, but something really great is the use of different context specific lighting. Something in particular that was neat was the use of special texturing for rainy levels, which are almost completely absent from 2D mario for some reason. The level in world 5 with the weird cosmic rifts in space is also one of the most visually appealing levels in the game, in my opinion. The new level themes definitely help, too.
Yeah the environmental animations and lighting were really well done.
The Thwomp animations reminded me of Super Mario World, it made me really happy seeing them do what they did again in Wonder. And likewise, I loved those Rifts. Made me sorta wonder what exactly was going on in Fungi Mines apart from the perverted Wonder magic Bowser was spreading, definitely one of my favorite worlds in the game.
@@TheGravityShifter Fungi mines was amazing, the music was outstanding too. My only complaint is the lack of bosses, but that's more of a global issue rather than a local one.
@@Goomba456 Yeah, it really was the weakest aspect but at least Bowser's fight was great despite being easy. I appreciate what they tried to do in replacement of the bosses in that world and the Falls, but I did expect a bit more.
@@TheGravityShifter Yeah, hopefully that's something they can improve on in a sequel. It's funny, because this might've been the one time the koopalings WOULD'VE worked. It's weird there's never even a single magikoopa in any level either.
Played this recently at a friend's house and wow, I was impressed. Mario platformers have been dead to me for years because of how soulless and by the book they felt.
We only got through a handful of levels, but everything from the SFX when characters jump, the immaculate attention to detail in the characters and environment, and balls to the wall creative freedom in the level concepts put me in awe. I'm so glad to know this will be some kids' first Mario game, and maybe it'll instill that creative energy in them that most of the previous games couldn't possibly have.
It definitely has that Spiderverse effect of "incredibly intricate details that only hardcore animation nerds will notice". They could've removed 50% of the unique animations from this game and it still would've been very polished and nice, but the insane amount of attention to elegance puts it on another level. They've definitely set themselves an incredibly high bar.
Good animation is like good sound design, when it works well you don't notice it but when it's absent it's a deafening silence, so aside from just being eyecandy for us animation nerds it also is the secret sauce to a visually wonderful game
Calling the lighting “richer” is a perfect word for it. So vibrant and colorful.
the amount of work went into animation is insane. i love when companies really care about their product at launch
15:25 I 100% think so too. I personally love creative expression and passion in video games and animation, but just the general detail of watching mario and friends smile as they take a leap just makes me want to cry. The fluidity between all of the animations gives the game this feeling that it sometimes isn’t a game, but is more organic and real beyond our assumed level of connection between reality and the game. I just love everything about wonder.
Aside from the fluid animations that makes Mario and pals feel lively and full of temperaments, something about the musical levels of Mario enemies really gives off a sense of wonder (no pun intended), especially the Piranha Parade reminds me of the Japanese SMRPG commercial.
Been waiting for this exact video from this channel since Wonder’s release! Psyched
On the note of the characters being turned towards the camera, they even went as far as stylizing the model to be 2.5D - in that it would only make sense viewed from that specific angle.
For example, look at how Mario's mouth is sort of on the side of his face, instead of directly under the nose.
Did we come here just to hear you point out cool looking animation? Yes, yes we did.
It's really that simple. You break down animation to such a fundamental level that makes it incredibly digestible to everyone! Your video on the Mega Man games singlehandedly made me realize how much I love animation. And everytime I watch one of your videos I'm reminded of those exact same feelings! Gushing about cool animations may not seem like much worth praising to you, but it legitimately means the world to people like me. So please don't let any doubtful voices in your head stop you from making the content you wanna make, cuz even if you made a 10 hour video JUST talking about linking animations in an indie I've never heard of, I'd pull up a seat and enjoy every minute of it. Keep doing what you do man, it's much more entertaining, interesting, and impactful than you give it credit for.
Thank you!
The animations are so smooth and clean.
When the devs have time to refine and polish every aspect of the game it really shows. Especially when it comes to animation.
I think this really goes to show how talented dev teams for major studios are, if they'd be given the right time, environment, and development philosophy
The animation is simply spectacular. I was frequently changing characters and power-ups and trying to find every unique situation just to see what all the different animations were. It was absolutely worth it to put so much effort in.
The little things all seen together make the characters feel alive. So instead of feeling like moving a 3d model in a video game, it feels like I'm moving MARIO through the kingdoms because he looks and reacts appropriately to EVERY situation during gameplay.
Ik it's a weird thing to say about a Mario game, but it makes me feel immersed
The effort in just the animation added a lot to the experience. It exudes thought, effort, and creativity.
"Something so subtle you may not have noticed. But your brain did." -Mr. Plinkett
I just beat Wonder last night, before the new year roll over, and honestly ny favorite thing about the game by far was the art direction and animation. I would consistently waste time in levels just figuring out what actions made the characters expressions change, what made their body language shift. All of it with an incredible level of haptic feedback through the joycons (i use the sad dog controller, just sliding the joycons into a mount) and really feeling every move. It came especially handy in hard levels like the Jump to the Beat challenges (that took me...dozens if not hundreds of tries).
Getting the visual feedback and feeling the vibrations through the controller really helped me figure out the rhythm i needed to jum at, how hard to press the jump button, what frames to kick off on, etc. Speedrunning for this game is gonna be insane btw. But honestly, this is the first modern mario title that gave me the same feelings i had when playing super mario world on the snes with my brother and cousins. It really really honors that game philosophy that had been kinda abandoned after the shift to 3D with SM64.
Which isnt to say i dont love the 3D marios (super mario sunshine and galaxy are still my favorites), but its been So long wince there was a 2D format mario game that actually felt like the old mario, but better. Fairer lol.
The king has returned
All of the new animations (combined with being able to see more of the character's faces and having their faces emote more during animation) goes such a long way to giving the game a lot of personality and making the whole thing feel so much more alive and joyful. One of my favorites is that when you shoot a bubble at an enemy, all of them have this little look of panic on their face right before it hits them, and it's always really funny lol. Thank you for this video!
2:30 3d world's animation was made with the idea that it would be for a 3d game, so that why it doesn't come to mind when making the comparison.
Wonder feels really good to play, it's super charming, and much of the credit for that goes to animation. This is the kind of thing many folks may not actively notice while playing, but that's why I watch animation analyses on youtube, so I can appreciate it properly when I play again :P
One of my favourite bits is them peeking from the pipes before coming out, it's so cute!
Fantastic vid
The difference between those other channels that might have covered this topic and yours is that I wasn’t waiting for theirs, while I was eager for yours because you are so good
I noticed a *lot* of the animations and people immediately picked up on the improved animation, as you mentioned at the start of your video
Awesome video man! Everything about your content is constantly improving, and I'm just completely enthralled by every video you release.
No-one was ready for Yoshi's mouth-full pose.
Thank you!
I would say that its often the case for the best games that these details will go subconsciously unnoticed until someone pays closer attention. That, or someone in that specific research field plays it. I'm a musician, so I listen immediately to soundtracks. Although this might sound like a negative thing, similarly to music, if it's immersive enough, the details will go unnoticed notice until they stop to appreciate the game because the design of it all fits so well together. Meanwhile, they will have an immense amount of unknown positive feelings towards the production that seamlessly blend together with the gameplay. Even in the super mario bros NES days, I remember having so much fun replaying the game, and it wasnt until I stopped in the middle of a level, that I realized the music had me just as engaged as the gameplay. Really awesome stuff, the art world. Great video dude. I'm new here, but I watched through the whole thing just hearing your passion about the subject alone
16:06 Even here, you can see Luigi doing what seems to be a special animation for catching the shell from above. Though it also seems like it fits well for picking one up off the ground too, so it might just be the same
Definitely worth the animation investment if it can be afforded. It is like good audio design, it just makes the game feel good and a lot of it will go unnoticed consciously
I already got flabbergasted by how beautiful the animation was and how much I would just watch the animations. But there's so much more that you just showed us and I loved every bit. As for the question by the end, I'm with you, it is worth it. Even if a LOT of them go unnoticed I think that's the point of them.
They made them so well that they just look natural to the eye, so (in my pov) it's not that it goes unnoticed. It's just that they put so much care that with the whole package it feels natural, literally one with the game. I mean I've seen games where the animation was so clean but that stuck out because what was around wasn't... Well that great 😅. I can't remember specifics right now but if I do remember one, I'll reply to my comment.
But anyways, even when people don't really notice they do eventually. It's just that it feels natural with the qualities of the game, and so they don't pinpoint them. But that's the beauty of it, THAT show the care and love they had for this project. And when people see vidoes like yours, they'll be like I was. Already baffled for the wonderous (pun intended) animation and even more baffled by the other animation details you showed us
I’m surprised you didn’t go in to some of the other badges. These have been the standout to me in my playthrough!
The Fast Dash Badge gives characters a new tier of animation, with a different expression for running top speed. And just walking has them hold out their arms like Mario 3 and it’s very cute :)
The pose when you charge the Crouching High Jump is so cool, even for Elephant forms too. The front flip from the Timed High Jump feels really fulfilling to rebound off the ground too! And again, unique animation for Elephants
And if you look closely at the Grappling Vine Badge, the character throws out the vine, but then the vine grabs a wall, it’s coming out of the character’s chest, which is an interesting decision to say the least
This video was an instant-watch for me. I’ve been excited for it ever since you announced it.
I love everything about Mario Wonder, and it’s awesome to see you appreciate the finer details and point out some things I didn’t notice during my playthrough. I also just enjoy hearing you gush about this game, because I enjoy gushing about it too.
Here’s hoping we get more 2D Mario games with this level of effort and charm in the future. I’ve been a Mario fan my whole life, and my love for the franchise keeps getting stronger.
Great video as always!
The reason I clicked on the video was to hear and watch someone talk and “gush” about the animation in Mario wonder, and I loved every minute of it
Speaking of 2D games with huge spritesheets, I would absolutely love to see you cover Pizza Tower
I would also like to cover Pozza Tower ❤️
Honestly most people don't really notice these details butII think they still feel them. The moment they spend playing is just made better by all this fine work.
What a great game
Awesome breakdown, that was really neat and enjoyable. I would say it does make a difference, for sure. Maybe even if the people don't notice the subtle stuff, it adds to the overall experience!
Wait, if Sonic was based on rubberhose characters from the golden age of animation, then what templates did Mario used during or since? I'd be really interested about finding out!
I've always personally thought of Mario as an extension of the Tetzuka Star System(old, not the newer animations...)/Hanna-Barbera/UPA method of design and animating. Solid, basic representations of people that... aren't always realistic (/affectionate), and movement that sells the motion and emotion without blowing a budget. Does it work? Not always. But it does get the general point across.
And when they started, that's kinda all they wanted out of Mario. Just like all they wanted out of Sonic at the start was appeal. It's like, eh, waddaya gonna do? Even with all our tropes and analysis, sometimes it's just simplicity and need talking... 🤷
Well he was originally meant to be popeye and the original arcade art looks a lot closer to that so id say mario would fit in with those types of old newspaper cartoons and comics along with stuff like hanna-barbera like the other commenter said
@@coach7304 I... thank you? I am in no way this articulate irl/on camera. Better off finding me on tumblr, and that's when I remember I have one... ^^;;;
@@FrankEShaw05. No wonder sonic was based on mickey mouse! The only studio that heald a candle to Disney back then was fleischers!
@@AngelicDirt. So Sonic was basically stylish and Mario got everything functional? Considering how their respective franchises turned out, it's a pretty good summation!
Loving it as always. It really is incredibly satisfying seeing you point out all those things and making clear to us, why we love those games. Thank you so much!
Btw., your Metroid dread video is probably the one I love the most, I rewatch once every two months 😂
Ahw thank you!
My first playthrough of this game was full of moments where I had to stop and fiddle around with the animations, so much polish! Really hoping this style carries into future games
Only discovered your channel recently but I’m so glad how passionate and genuine you are about animation.
As someone pursuing art as a career, living in these times can be hard but hearing someone appreciate some of the hard work put in is so nice!
I completely agree that artistic work is best going unnoticed but more seen as a feeling. I’m really glad that at least Wonder feels so charming which is a breath of fresh air from some more mainstream games I’ve seen recently.
Keep up the good work!
My five-year-old also says, "My brain told me." It's so cute and funny, thank you for including that little bit!
One of the things I really enjoyed about playing Wonder was also how much more Nintendo has been experimenting in their character design. Mario Wonder and Odyssey both look and feel completely different because the character models are so unique as well. Wonder Mario feels made out of plasticine and their expressions are much more pronounced in their key poses. I love the detail of all of these things and it makes Mario Wonder feel so much more unique rather than "The 2D Mario Game" the other games seem to do.
Luigi learned that twist and spin in Smash. He brought the air dodge to wonder.
I noticed and loved the new animations, especially: badguys frowning at you when you get cloes to them, koopatroopas high-fiving each other, the animations going in and out of pipes! Love it.
the animations in this game convey so many emotions and feelings. I love them.
they add so much to the feel of the characters
the elephants struggling to get into and out of the pipes really sells "elephants are big, don't forget!" and i smile every time.
there are so many good moments in this game where tha animation shows the love and attention this game got, and while not strictly necessary, the eperience is very much improved with all the personal touches.
they've raised the bar.
The animation was well worth it if you ask me. A lot of details from this video I didn't notice, but I felt the effects of almost all of them and actively a lot. And I would imagine there is a subconscious effect of keeping things fresh too, even if you couldn't tell what's going on in detail. I am not too much into animation study myself yet, but I got to appreciate these details a lot, even in the first hours of playing.
I really enjoy the little things they ad into the character animation in the game. Like how the characters sink into the pipes or how they respond to certain enemies.
I love how you lampshaded one of the biggest reasons we even watch your channel in the first place
love seeing you pitch dan floyd's new frame plus
love both of your work.
it's a really satisfying niche on youtube
I love this game’s animations so much holy FRICK
The animations help so much
A Goomba simply reacting to me getting close make me smile so wide when I first saw it. And I'm so glad that the enemy's have been given so much personality in this
it's really cool seeing the models, how much they specifically cheat toward the camera, the fact they have different models for different expressions to keep things snappy and exaggerated rather than just rigging up the faces...
I don't notice all the little details that you mentioned, but I do still appreciate the combination of all of them bringing an expressiveness to the characters when combined.
If it wasn't for how many folk specifically pinpoint the animations I don't know if I'd be able to pinpoint the animations about it - I noticed some in gameplay, I didn't others, the ones I noticed made me smile - but it does feel more polished than prior 2d Mario games due to those animations. So, yes, I think it is worth it _if_ you have the budget for it, but not something to break the bank over.
(Meanwhile, if you don't... Maybe you have the budget to focus on one element - The older Crash Bandicoot's obsession with death animations and making them all feel _right_ for how you die, or Sonic 3's gorgeous snowboarding segment for Ice Cap Zone. And if you don't... Don't worry about it, plenty of great games don't have these bespoke systems and instead get a good amount of polish in more generalized ways)
The fact that all of this can be explicitly pointed out when most players will not see all these minute details is telling. SO much effort and craftsmanship has gone into this game and into making it FEEL so polished. On top of THAT, seeing all these details pointed out is FANTASTIC!
On the surface, I bet the majority of players won't give these things a second thought when they do in fact add to the game experience. Thanks!
Thanks for highlighting all these amazing animations. I tend to see these details while playing but I was surprised how many I still missed!
It’s like they treated it like a $60 game
I find myself reminded of the Mega Man video; they spent so long assuming it would look weird to show a 3D model at a 3/4 angle in a side-scroller, but when someone actually _tries_ it...
I don’t know how much of the animation I noticed at first, but eventually I saw the kick-kick-turn kick of the wall jump and was like WHAT
I had "like we did last summer" in the head, a second before you said it. xD
I wish Pokémon has a comparable level of animation.
Unfortunately they just don’t have the time for that, between the time crunch for getting new generations out to fuel the world’s largest media franchise and the now >1000 pokemon.
Imagine what could be done with no deadline like what Wonder got.
Don't know if you can really compare the animation of 2d platformers and 3d open world-ish games but I feel like the fact that the game had no dealine is pretty important
If you say something like that you don't know what franchise Pokemon even is. Or you want like 100 Pokemon in the game.
Great video, I didn't consciously notice many of the animations you showcased while playing, but I knew I loved the animations much more than the previous 2D Mario games. This one just feels some much more polished than the older ones to me. I think it helps the game a lot to have that level of polish even though it's not needed.
Hearing people gush about things they love is quite literally my favorite thing on this website. I get to learn AND experience other people's joy!
Yay it's here! Fantastic video! (With regards to your final question: I'm really not a visual person, I tend not to notice details much but I still think the extra effort is great for two reasons: 1) for a lot of stuff you kind of notice without noticing, like how a good bit of background music in a movie just blends in and you know the tune if someone plays it for you but you don't realize you know it until you hear it and 2) even I, with my not being a visual person, will still notice very specific things occasionally. My favorite that I immediately noticed when playing was holding the shell between your legs when cap parachuting, I just thought that was so cool)
With all the different animation and models, it also makes everything feel like you won't have another level like you played previously. The only time I (correct me if I'm wrong, I only played 2 so far) saw reused assets (enemies/blocks) was for the star stages.
Seeing a vid slow down all the fast anims was great, honestly. Genuinely love how expressive everything is, it kinda makes everything feel less like a video game and more like an interactive movie... in a way. That comment on how the Mario movie may have influenced the game really made me connect those two dots! Thank you for the vid!
Mario wonder's the latest in a recent trend of major studios giving a game basically infinite budget and no deadline and i think the results speak for themselves
What are the other studios?
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy psychonauts 2 did it and i forget what else
Hearing you gush about the things you're passionate about is the entire reason why I'm subscribed to this channel. We all tune in to listen to your opinions and impressions, so don't ever worry about having to curb your enthusiasm for the sake of your viewers.
This game’s animation is marvelous. Like yeah there are a lot of animations but they are also so well stylized!
Absolutely are the animations worth it. I loved spotting all the different reactions the characters had to everything. Wonder raises the bar across the board for animation in video games, especially 2D games.
One of the things that caught my eye with this game WAS the distinct visual style and the animations. I may not notice a lot of them, but you can absolutely feel the fluidity of the game. Its greatly helped by very good choices in sound design, the visuals, animations, and audio all blend together perfectly and make such a satisfying game to play, as it is to watch. Think they truly nailed it with this one.
These animations from Wonder turn from being a good game to a great game. While these are optional, great animations just bring so much life into the game and Mario Wonder is clear example of that.
Another great breakdown. I always learn something or understand something better by watching your videos, so thank you! Btw, your Dread video was rambling, but a really great watch. :)
Thank you!
Just found your channel from this video and absolutely love it , I bought Mario Wonder because I'm a parent and well you play Mario games with your kids and I thought to myself "it's just 2d Mario what else can they do" Although I never noticed these specific examples you mention here the whole game feels super animated and alive and really just look and feel fantastic. Absolute 10/10 job
Mario Wonder is the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World, and its expressive characters sell so much of its charm.
It's funny I was thinking this the other day, I was wondering if Wonder was better than World, but nah, World is still the golden child.
I don't notice all the animations individually a lot of the time.
As a whole though.. Mario Wonder feels immensely richer and way more visually interesting than literally any Mario game (3D or 2D) that came before it.
Well done btw. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Amazing work. :)
Mario wonder’s animations are the dark souls of animations. You probably won’t find everything, but whatever you do find will feel that much more special
This game really did surprise me and mostly thanks to the design. I noticed nearly everything you pointed out, the power up poses and the on the edge teetering were my favorite. I told my wife that it felt like each level was made by a separate person because each one had its own personality. Even when the theme was similar due to the world the level was in, it was still so drastically different. I would have enjoyed a few more power ups, maybe fresh spins on old ones or even put them in Star (special) World. All in all I'm enjoying it.
Actually this is the only video I have watched about Mario wonder except for maybe a game review. The way you cover topics is much more interesting and approachable than the dozens of other channels that seem to be parroting each other
The unique animations Diasy has and the full lively attitude in the Elephant power up coerced me to 100% this game and I'm STILL playing it just because it's a treat to look at.
My god this game looks good. It's so familiar that you could easily miss the new animations, especially since it's done so well.
Thank you for this breakdown!
very good analysis, not just on wonder, but in general. I'm glad you commented on 2D animation at 14:30. with 3D, you can theoretically have infinite "frames" with just one model. to create even a simple frame by frame rotating/spinning animation in 2D is no small task.
take a look at darkest dungeon 2 if you haven't already. I'm sure their workload was cut down significantly with the switch from 2D to 3D.
They've put the perfect balance between mechanical feel and expressive appeal. Even if you've been given a whole new set of animations, you still intuitively know how it will feel when playing it. This kind of attention to detail is why Nintendo are seen as masters of their craft.
I do love how each of the animations gives away the character's personalities and how each of them is slightly different. It's a really nice detail I think I haven't seen much from Nintendo besides games like Punch Out on Wii. I love it especially since it looks great and I think animation goes a long way into immersing a player even if they don't technically notice it unless pointed out or they play something different with fewer expressive animations. Also nice to see the other characters for me because I played pretty much exclusively Peach and Daisy
When playing as the goomba, his pupils track to your left analog stick
It's good to see Mario games getting more cartoony. First odyssey with it's varied but mostly cartoony versions of the real world, now we're really into the spiderverse! Anyone else agrees?
Super Mario Wonder is much more like the old 2D Sonic games that had animations for the most mundane things (balancing, taking a hit, corkscrew animation).
Nice!
Awesome video, better late than never!! I never knew you could throw bubbles and fireballs while crouching, let alone that action has it's own animation!
The absolute excitement I had when I saw the unique wonderflower transformations. I was smiling so hard! I had to put the game on the back buner to complete my winter semester but I'll get right back on it and finish the Desert and go beat bowser :)
I think investing in those little details is worth it because they make the experience different for every player, some players will notice some details and some will notice others. I replayed the game with my little sister and she pointed out a bunch of animations I didn't notice in my first playthrough. Awesome game, I love it!