During a 2012 Game Developers Conference session, Koichi Hayashida of Nintendo EAD discussed elements of Super Mario 3D Land that didn’t end up making it into the final version.
“We must always consider ideas outside the normal range from what people expect from a Mario game,” he stated. “We must make others laugh with strange new ideas. We have to keep a feeling of joy in the development process.”
According to Eurogamer, some of the more entertaining ideas that were cut include “Pro Skater Mario,” cockroach enemies that could be beaten by closing the 3DS, Mario with creepy long limbs, and a feature where the player could swap out Princess Peach’s face with a friends’.
It’s worth noting that not all of these concepts were strongly considered. You also have to wonder what else Mario teams have brainstormed throughout the years that never saw the light of day.
Nintendo reveals rejected Super Mario 3D Land ideas [Eurogamer]
