The Super Mario Bros. Wonder ‘Ask the Developer’ interview has released its final two sections, and there’s one particularly interesting snippet. It’s no secret that the latest ‘2D’ Mario adventure will be the first in about 11 years, which has given the Nintendo developers ample time to determine the direction for Wonder leading up to its release this Friday.

During the interview, Executive Officer of Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development division, Takashi Tezuka, reflects on the team’s approach to the next mainline entry after one of the developers had trouble progressing through a certain section of Super Mario Run on mobile devices. Tezuka contemplated how to make the game more enjoyable and mentioned, “maybe there isn’t enough freedom… I feel that Super Mario Odyssey is designed so that all players can reach the ending, no matter how they progress through the game.”

Following this discussion, Developer Koichi Hayashida explains how Tezuka proposed using the 3D Mario games as a reference point for the development of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The goal of the team was to provide players with more freedom compared to earlier 2D entries, which had a reputation for being unforgiving. Hayashida says, “We’ve designed it so that players can conquer the game with their ideas and use their heads, not just their skills, to progress.”

The influence of 3D Mario games can be seen in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, not only in its accessibility but also in its design philosophy. For a comprehensive review of the game, check out our 9/10 review.