Nintendo has once again proven that it doesn't need a third-party graphics engine to create magic. With Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the company uses its proprietary engine to achieve a hybrid between 2D and 3D that overflows with expressiveness. The character animations and vibrant visual effects transform each level into a constant surprise. There are no pretentious lighting tricks, just a work of digital craftsmanship that reminds us why Mario remains the king of platformers.
Nintendo's engine and Maya as creation tools 🎮
The development of Wonder relies on Nintendo's internal tools, combined with the use of Maya for modeling and animating assets. The proprietary engine allows absolute control over performance on the Switch, achieving a steady 60 fps even with the game's wildest effects, such as the wonder flower that distorts the stage. Nintendo's programmers have prioritized immediate controller response and visual clarity, avoiding the particle saturation that other titles use to hide their technical shortcomings.
How to make a flower give you more work than your boss 🌸
While other studios sweat to render a drop of sweat on the forehead of a space warrior, at Nintendo they've spent months programming the smile of a singing flower. Yes, you read that right: there's an entire level where flowers sing to you and laugh at your failed jumps. The proprietary engine allows even the background to have more expressiveness than your brother-in-law's face when you explain that you've paid 60 euros for a platformer. And the worst part: it works so well that you can't even complain.