Ep.65 – There’s So Many Ways To Go: Super Mario World and Nintendo’s Leap Into 16-Bits of Fun

In 1990, Super Mario World debuted on the Super Famicom, ushering Mario into the 16-bit era with bigger worlds, vibrant colors, and one unforgettable dinosaur. Our story explores how Nintendo R&D4, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, tackled the challenge of designing for brand-new hardware—first porting Super Mario Bros. 3 before charting new territory. We highlight Yoshi’s origins, born from Miyamoto’s long-desired “dinosaur buddy” concept, and the humorous detail that Mario may actually be punching him to extend his tongue. We also dive into the cape’s tricky flight mechanics, early builds resembling SMB3, and Koji Kondo’s soundtrack, which used the SNES sound chip to expand the series’ charm. Critics praised its polish, secrets, and 90+ levels. Join us as we revisit this dinosaur-riding classic on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.