If you’ve ever pondered the intricacies of the Super Mario universe (although we don’t recommend it, honestly), you may have come across a simple question: why does Mario get hurt when a Goomba hits him? It turns out that this question was asked of Miyamoto back in the NES days, and it is with Super Mario Bros. Wonder that Nintendo has finally visualized the answer.

In a recently published ‘Ask the Developer’ interview, Miyamoto’s answer from back then is revealed. He claimed that Goombas bite Mario upon impact (at least, according to Wonder’s art director, Masanobu Sato). Inspired by this, the developers of Wonder decided to include an animation in the upcoming platformer to bring this concept to life.

Below, you can find the relevant section where Sato, director Shiro Mouri, and game designer Koichi Hayashida each comment on the new biting animation:

Sato: We spoke earlier about the evolution of hardware – I heard that someone once asked Miyamoto-san why Mario takes damage when he bumps into a Goomba from the side in the original Super Mario Bros. game. Apparently, he answered, “It’s because the Goombas bite him”.

Mouri: Even if that was what was happening, due to hardware limitations at the time, the graphics weren’t capable of showing that much detail.

Sato: That’s right. But now we are able to show those expressions.

Hayashida: Goombas have a biting expression the moment they do damage.

Sato: Yes, and when they bite you, they’ll do it with a smile on their face! (Laughs)

So there you have it, according to Miyamoto, Goombas have always given Mario a little bite upon impact. However, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the first time we can actually see this nibbling attack in action.

The Ask the Developer interview also delves into the creation process of the new Rolla Koopa enemies, Elephant Mario’s abilities, and more. We recommend checking out parts one and two of the interview in full on the official Nintendo site before the second half is released tomorrow.

What do you think of this new animation? Have you always imagined the Goombas biting Mario? Let us know in the comments.

[source nintendo.co.uk]