‘Super Mario Odyssey’ Producer Was Unsure About Its Sandbox Gameplay

Super Mario Odyssey is ready to set the Nintendo Switch on fire this fall with the return of sandbox Mario, but in a recent reddit AMA, producer Yoshiaki Koizumi admitted he was unsure if the revived playstyle would appeal to fans. He also touched on the game’s hat character Cappy, and why the Switch makes a good fit for the project.

Perhaps Koizumi’s most interesting answer arose from being asked about his biggest development challenge when coming up with the concept for Odyssey. “Since it's 15 years since the last time we made a sandbox style Mario game, “ he said, “it felt completely different and new to come up with ideas that would work there.” Surprisingly, he added that there was “a lot of debate to decide if people would accept this kind of playstyle again.” Koizumi expressed that finding a firm answer to that question wasn’t an easy task.

Read: Super Mario Odyssey Release Date & Gameplay Trailer Revealed

From a U.S. gamer’s perspective, this is certainly a strange revelation. Players have been clamoring for a new sandbox Mario title since the release of Sunshine on GameCube over a decade ago. Similar to the cries for a more open-world Zelda game, a truly 3D Mario has been at the top of every Nintendo fanboy’s list for a while. Was Koizumi unaware of that demand, or did he just feel Nintendo itself had a better direction for the franchise? That much wasn’t made clear, but we’re dying to know his response.

Beyond that controversial subject, Koizumi also spoke briefly about Odyssey’s signature hat character, Cappy. Having worked on previous Zelda titles like Ocarina Of Time, he felt Cappy “gave us the opportunity to give people an attachment for something that's personal.” He believes the same was also true of Link’s annoying guide Na’vi from his 1998 action-RPG. “Making Cappy relatable was important to us,” he said.

Of course, as the first mainline Mario title for the Nintendo Switch, there’s a lot more riding on Super Mario Odyssey’s success than reinventing old ideas with some new companions. Like most Nintendo games before it, this one must also properly leverage the hardware it’s meant to sell. On the subject of bringing Odyssey to Switch, Koizumi again made a Legend Of Zelda comparison.

Read: Skyrim On Nintendo Switch Getting Zelda Amiibo Support

Like Breath Of The Wild, “we wanted to make sure you could have a fun experience with the game even if you only had a short time to play,” he said. “If you're out on a journey of your own, handheld mode will help you play and have fun experience.” In other words, we expect the collection-focused gameplay loop of the title to be equally fun and accessible in both short bursts and longer gameplay sessions. As a console exclusive for a system that that can be used to fit both needs, its signature game was designed to convey that specific facet of the Switch.

Super Mario Odyssey comes to Nintendo Switch on Oct. 27.

Are you surprised Nintendo was hesitant to release another sandbox Mario game? Will taking a bet on the demand of fans pay off? Tell us in the comments section!