How Has Mario's Run Changed?

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Trust me, you're not the first person to misread this as *Mario Run*

[@sonofan592]

i came down to the comments exactly because of that

[@gameridiotNOT]

ok, good

[@zeskul]

Video Game Animation Study ok that's good

[@CreepinCreeper145]

I didn't.

[@n0tzyx]

I thought it was about Mario run having new styles lol. I’m dum

[@goshator]

10:03 whoa, good thing Mario saved himself from falling by travelling a couple of generations forward!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Yay, glad someone noticed!

[@Zadamanim]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudy I noticed it too, thought it was a pretty cheeky edit lol

[@nonamea9177]

Indeed

[@clonefighter1996]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudy So did I, but didn't want to comment it.

[@kidnamedfingor]

@@clonefighter1996 me too 'o'

[@dkpsyhog]

I love his 3D World sprint because he looks like he’s in a hurry. Like, that’s the run you do when you’re about to be late for a train

[@ikmor]

1:56 "And then, when you hold b for the rest of the game.." Haha, damn right!

[@alexsc13]

How about a video about *Luigi's* running animations?, that would be cool, as some of them are quite different

[@edsoncastillo7357]

New Soup Luigi’s run (but not sprint) animation

[@justsomeone7298]

Yeah, especially the differences from luigis mansion games

[@richardcampbell9325]

He usually does like a kinda stiff lil jog with his arms bobbing but to tucked to his sides

[@da_pikmin_coder8367]

Super Mario Bros. 3's Mario running: "Woohoo hee hee I'm an airplane! :3 " New Super Mario Bros. U's Mario running: "You can't escape me, Sasuke! I'm gonna be the true Hokage! >:| "

[@TechBlade9000]

3D World: You exist solely due to me Sonic, I'll take your ideas as payment

[@professionalclown7166]

Alright I don't get it but nice joke I guess?

[@bitwize]

@@professionalclown7166 In New Super Mario, Mario runs pitched way forward with his arms back. This is often called the "Naruto run" after the way ninjas run in the anime Naruto.

[@aidenpomeroy1848]

@I'm Self Aware Naruto is way worse than Jojo’s. I’ve literally heard 2 jokes about Naruto and I hear them more than any of the 50+ Jojo’s jokes.

[@mjc0961]

@I'm Self Aware It's worse.

[@EvilNMessedUp]

11:46 Dude your gonna get demonetized you just showed Mario’s jiggle physics.

[@possibly_ben]

bruh, and i thought rouge was bad

[@JacobGeller]

Dan, your videos are weapons-grade charming.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Well bloody thank you!

[@orinanime]

Abso friggin lutely agreed

[@MelvaCross]

What I like most about Mario's running animation is that it's always so playful. Leaning deep into the curve, stretching his arms out or leaning back. He does it effortlessly and playfully. In a game which is all about running and jumping it's nice to have a character who seems to have fun doing said things. It's infectious. Your videos get better and more professional each time. Especially the little Google-Search-comedy-thingy! Short, sweet and not overstaying its welcome!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoy my videos!

[@tankthehedgehog105]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudyI Always Loved The New Super Mario Series Run Animation I Always Thought It Was Cool How Mario Swung His Arms Horizontally!

[@bananabike279]

SGDQ: * doing speedruns all day * Dan Root: Here's a video about ACTUAL RUNNING

[@DrPumpkinz]

I had never heard of Super Mario Flashback, but its animation looks gorgeous! I'll have to check it out.

[@TechBlade9000]

Hurry before the Nintendo ninjas

[@mikhailbjornsson1874]

Is that mod or hack??

[@DrPumpkinz]

@@mikhailbjornsson1874 Neither. It's a fan game.

[@DrPumpkinz]

@Pikachuisloveandlife I played a bit of it, and it feels like an original game.

[@thebigdawgj]

I feel like in future iterations, the "run" button should be changed to walk, since everyone naturally runs anyway.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Yeah. I know I'll definitely end up accidentally walking though.

[@VictorADino]

I love Super Mario World Mario’s run, he seems to be going in tune with the music (which it’s great by its own merits) and it just makes it so fun to watch.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

It does!

[@Step1adder]

2:02 Shell: *teleports behind you* Goomba: nAni Shell: Nothing personal kid Goomba: *commits die*

[@quadpad_music]

Sprite flickering at it's finest.

[@crep50]

Came back to this because mario wonders animations reminded me so much of mario world And also because its just a good breakdown of animation

[@skunkooo]

i would honestly really, REALLY love if you talked about luigi's running animations as well :)

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Oof, gimme a while to recover from this first..

[@briannawilson8845]

Or how Sonic's running animation changed over the years.

[@jackgwhitaker]

This is the most interesting video I’ve seen about a super random topic

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Ha! Well I'm glad you liked it.

[@truetrash5164]

The timeline at 2:49 is a genius piece of editing

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I put the time and effort into things like that for people like you to notice 🤩

[@kaiser9321]

5:52 It does if you recover from a slide/dive at an upwards slope, same for Sunshine

[@MishKoz]

Dang, I'm surprised someone already commented that. Not a lot of people seem to know about it.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Ah, yes.

[@mjc0961]

Super Mario 64 has mushrooms if you recover from a slide/dive at an upwards slope? Because what he's saying at that timestamp is how there's no mushrooms.

[@Doc27901]

I never knew I'd be interested in a video about how a video game character runs.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I'm glad to hear!

[@briannawilson8845]

I'm surprised you WOULDN'T be interested in a video about Mr. Video Game himself, considering you have Dr. Mario as your profile. You probably look at Smash videos everyday XD

[@sophiecharron5186]

I discovered your channel with the Samus run animation and I would love to see the same concept applied to other video game characters. Link, Luigi (and how it differs from Mario), Bowser (and how walking animations are used to convey danger and weight), Kirby, Sonic, Donkey Kong maybe even more general takes on things like horseback riding animation in different media. I really like the way you discuss the way the movement animations serves to convey character traits. I think you're doing a great job!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Hey, thank you so much! I think this could definitely be a series if I get the ideas.

[@briannawilson8845]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Yes!

[@crazyfox669]

Thanks... Now we need the evolution of Sonic's run and maybe Crash's run

[@matsubi4236]

Paper Mario the thousand year door if you look closely at Mario’s animation you can see his hat going up and down

[@briannawilson8845]

I've noticed the way Mario runs in the Paper Mario games is the same run from Super Mario World when he's tiny *(before he gets the big mushroom)* where he has his arms at the side. I think his hat bobbing animation is based from Super Mario World as well. In the BETA/early demo for New Super Mario Bros, Mario's hat originally was going to bob on his head, but they took it out, I guess because it too much to add in the game.

[@dale992]

Well made content deserves well made criticism: Nice video!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Ha! Thanks a lot!

[@dalej3552]

I agree! The video is great!

[@JoeCrafts123]

" Did you mean: *Funimation* "

[@willkelmanpenapena3551]

The movement in Super Mario Odyssey is god like

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

It is!

[@1Thunderfire]

I love the animations in the Mario & Luigi games, especially during battle in the later games. Then again, it is my favourite series of all time so I guess I'm pretty biased.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Never actually played them, but I've seen bits of footage here and there. Looks good.

[@hyperventalated]

This videos a year old so im sure this was brought up, but I remember Super Mario Galaxy had the arms-to-the-side style of run when you were at top speed with the rainbow star power-up! I remember it feeling really nice flying around, arms out stretched, blasting through goombas.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Oh I don't think I realised that, I must've forgot! That's interesting though!

[@sethieboygaming]

The background music sounds like pizza tower but that cant be right this video came out 4 years ago and pizza tower came out 1 or 2 years ago

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Music listings in the video description.

[@AlexYardZone]

Wow, just two frames for SMB2 run cycle. I never would have noticed!

[@briannawilson8845]

I like how Mario went from running with his arms spread out in his classic games to running like a ninja in the newer games. My favorite running animation would be Mario Galaxy's.

[@afanguy]

heres a quick fun fact: in the mario and luigi games, luigi is always given a walk cycle with his hands by his hips, like in SMW. ironically though, in super mario all-stars + super mario world, which updated luigi's sprites for super mario world to be completely unique and not just green mario, luigi actually has a much different walk cycle. additionally, in the mario and luigi games, the bros also raise different arms when jumping, with mario raising his left arm and luigi raising his right arm. the only exception to this is when the bros are facing left or right in superstar saga, as those sprites are the same for both directions

[@YoutubePizzer]

I never noticed how different 3D world + land was to the other 3d games I guess I just knew that this game had a run button initially

[@James-wd9ib]

Jesus H. Christ. Your critique has the depth, subtlety and contemplation normally reserved for the domain of fine wine, cigars, perfumes, bespoke apparel, designer watches...

[@BroToastR]

I love the google gag, it’s pretty funny and gets me every time

[@PersephonevanderWaard]

Watching speedruns for the Mario games, I always appreciated how the P-meter for SMB3 was incredibly important to speedrunning that game (the best speedruns try to maximum the P-meter for as long as possible). However, I also appreciated the way the developers signified its importance by animating it differently that Mario's regular running animation (and by providing additional sound effects). I feel like this concept of "powerful motion" has been applied since the oldest days, with power-ups making Mario glow and changing the music to the "Star Man" theme. However, simply having principles of motion be animated differently to emphasize specific locomotive abilities-this was something that needed to evolve into itself, over time. As the technologies of various entertainment systems grew more powerful, they allowed the characters to animate more expressively while moving. This wasn't purely for show, though; it helped players understand how to take advantage of their character's maximum potential whilst moving through the space. As they did, their avatar served as a guide for how to behave more effectively. It's a wonderful example of "learning by doing" wherein "doing" amounts to "action as animated." This didactic principle allows for a virtual lack of tutorials, in older games, because the observant player needs only watch themselves-an act assisted by increasingly expressive forms of animation that, likewise, inform the gameplay itself. The act of platforming is simple enough to present as an obstacle the player can then master by watching themselves make the attempt, over and over. It's almost hypnotic, but not to the point that it distracts from playing the game. Quite the opposite. In any case, just my two cents on the matter. As always, I love your videos, ; they give me much to think about in my own areas of study! I've often thought about how Metroidvania characters animate relative to their controls, and Gothically a tremendous sense of destructive power can be conveyed through their actions, mid-game. :)

[@dannytheguitarwarrior]

Hello

[@peterwaynelegend]

Hello man, hey, you weren't suposed to save another Two cents for another remaster?

[@PersephonevanderWaard]

@@peterwaynelegend I have a special piggy bank set aside just for remasters.

[@peterwaynelegend]

@@PersephonevanderWaard *Modrern problems require modern solutions*

[@peterwaynelegend]

@@PersephonevanderWaard Hey man, i have a question: Did Ahdy Khairat erased the Painkiller remaster from KZbin? Or it's just me?

[@Brodbrody]

"I'll be interested to see how you run next Mario" *Shows a Yoshi game as its last shot* (Yeah I know, baby mario running)

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Haha, I just liked that the last shot was Mario being thrown away 🤣

[@jacknation1141]

0:27 **airhorn in a video from 2020** I thought we moved past this, people

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Of course not, it's like using the Denzel Washington "relieved" meme when you think a celebrity has died on Twitter. Ever lasting 😃

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Also, this video is from 2019 😎

[@VulpesHilarianus]

One thing you showed alongside the various run cycles is how Mario reacts. In the New Super Mario Bros. series he's slidey, floaty, and very slow. In Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, World, and Sunshine he's much faster and precise in his movement. In Galaxy, 3D World, and Odyssey he starts off with dissatisfying floaty movement and with momentum, but gets snappy. 64 is the one outlier in that he's snappy and fast but oddly always seems to be fighting his own momentum.

[@briannawilson8845]

I agree with everything you said except about Sunshine. I felt like the way he ran in Sunshine was rather slower than he usually runs, but part of that could've been from playing with a broken Gamecube controller.

[@HaydenTheEeeeeeeeevilEukaryote]

13:53 Yes Dan, we remember. Have you had too much milk and cookies? Do you need a nappy-wap? (In all seriousness this is great thank you)

[@Gilbot9000]

You'd think that since I've been playing these since the first Mario I'd have noticed all of this progression but nah, I'm realizing it now as I watch the video. That was wonderful.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Hey thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Inferno144]

Gotta go and save the Princess, but gotta make sure my stride is right.

[@JLchevz]

What a fantastic video, I'm so hyped since I just bought the Switch OLED and a couple Mario games

[@XaneMyers]

3:10 OOOOOHHHHHH! Mario's head rotates! I thought he had the very common "stiff head" problem but MARIO DID WHAT SONIC DOES? I never noticed! I'm surprised right now because...I've clearly only paid attention to how stiff Mario's head is in Super Mario World...

[@SonicTimewarp]

Honestly I’d love to see a remake or a sequel to Mario 3D World for the switch. I love 2D-esque objective and level design of getting to the flagpole but with the ability of 3D movement.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Yeah, I think it's be cool! Maybe 3D World's inclusion in MM2 could be a sign?

[@briannawilson8845]

They should make another game similar to 3D World! Maybe call the sequel 3D Universe?

[@YoutubePizzer]

8:15 Fun fact here: this is for a technical reason. For the planet-based gravity to have worked, they felt it necessary to make mario’s collision shape a perfect sphere, instead of the classical cylinder-based collision in the previous games. To account for this, they just made mario fit into a sphere better

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

@@KZbinPizzer That's interesting!

[@gracefulcharity8412]

Amazing video man !! Also thanks for showing your true power. Time travel.

[@VilaToro64]

I like his running animation in Mario Odessey when he sticks out his arm like a air plane or whenever he gets a starman in Galaxy

[@ShockHat734]

Next is Kirby’s run! Probably not

[@casualartist4202]

in my honest opinion, 3D Mario's run cycle hit its peak at Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. since then it just hasn't been the same, Odyssey doesn't have the same dangliness and follow through Galaxy did. Odyssey feels too stiff to me, it feels like a starter pack run animation rather than a classic Mario scuttle like all the other animations up to Galaxy.

[@bitwize]

I always found it interesting how Mario runs like a toddler but his other moves are done with the style and grace of a top gymnast. Not bad for a pudgy middle-aged man. It really shows the boundless joy Mario represents, and that sort of disjunction in movement style is distinctly, recognizably Mario.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Fun fact: Mario is officially in his early twenties, according to Shiguru Miyamoto

[@Limayde]

I love how awkward you are in this video. There's some genuinely hilarious moments in this episode.

[@Mabra51]

I love how Nintendo acknowledges Mario 2 by bringing back the tucked arms run in 3D World, even if it's just a reskin of another game.

[@sweetmamaschili4051]

Yeah but Joker’s run in the P5 victory screen just looks really cool for some reason and I don’t know why

[@celestialcephalopod4331]

"This means no additional top speed can be reached." Me:*yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayahoo intensifies*

[@shanekrauchi2465]

7:34: I feel it's more like the SMW Small Mario run, but with more of the split kick run of Sunshine.

[@wavypumpkingaming]

This gave me a whole new appreciation for mario's design and how incredibly cute he is. I've mostly just seen him as a vessel for my own enjoyment, but I think I'll see him as an important figure forever now.

[@DragonTamerCos]

Good you mentioned paper Mario!!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

😎

[@PlayersNarrative]

Not really a Nintendo fan except for the Metroid series .but this brings back so many memories from my childhood .

[@ceceliaacaba2739]

Player’s Narrative Speaking of Metroid his video on Samus’s animation only has 67k this one has 5.1k poor Samus...

[@MedAnimations]

11:01 i just love how they used this in the Mario Movie, so your wish was hopefully granted!

[@newchallenger9017]

Mario: welp, time to save the princess again... I’m gonna do it as fast as I can. Dan and audience: yeah but look at how he runs differently in this game. You can really see how his motif has changed a bit as he is more confident about saving

[@briannawilson8845]

Symbolism is everywhere

[@martluca_]

I didn't read the title properly and read it as "How Has *Mario Run* changed" expecting it to be about Mario Run. Not disappointed though, only in myself.

[@smaery]

Great Video, I animate a lot of crazy characters at my job, and I think your videos will be useful for my work!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Ah that's cool! I'm glad they help!

[@dalej3552]

16 minutes of run cycles is a spicy meatball to swallow for sure: But I love it! (in a strange way) Thanks for the video! I did not know I needed this in my life!

[@LordBaktor]

Mario Odyssey's animations are a thing of beauty. Fluid, playful and full of personality.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Yes, they really really are!

[@LordBaktor]

Have you ever analyzed the animation of Raziel in Soul Reaver? When the game was new his character animations blew my mind in several directions.

[@CrokeyHigati]

Another delightful and informative video Dan! Im glad Im not the only one interested in seeing this lads run change from game to game.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Thanks Gero! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hasanelrabih283]

I always thought I was the only one who was really interested in Mario's running animations! Love the video!

[@enchilordo8562]

Being honest, when I run, it’s just like Luigi’s run from 3D World

[@memeloverr]

Youre right, i do hold the run button forever in the new smb games

[@matthewforce]

The little Google search breaks really had me a hootin' and a hollerin.' Funny stuff!

[@originalname1008]

Mario be looking like naruto now.

[@eladazrad107]

8:20 also if you barely move the joicon in the galaxy games, mario will have sneaking animetion

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

That's right, I think he had that for many of the 3D games.

[@briannawilson8845]

Tip-Toe

[@abramally1566]

The whole video I was thinking about Dream Team mainly cuz his run is goofy and its also my fav M&L game (and only M&L game) and didnt think you were gonna bring it up. Bonus points that you did tho

[@abramally1566]

@frick Understandable

[@Automatik234]

A video about Sonic's running animations would be great

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I have done two on Sonic Mania, the second kinda covers his running.

[@skychaserthedragon2046]

Mario's sprinting animation in 3d world looks like it should be accompanied by steam engine chugging noises

[@thelolminecrafter7830]

Not gonna lie, running and jumping around with the Turbo Nozzle active feels like it would've been a nice place to sneak in Mario's "airplane arms" pose....

[@MicklePickle]

how did you keep me satisfied and interested for 16 minutes about a plumber's running animation from a Japanese Company for 16 minutes. "Love ya, bye!"

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I don't know but I'm glad that I did ❤️

[@Graphomite]

Giving Mario a hand-tucked dash or airplane arms is much more ideal in my opinion than NSMB's Naruto/Sonic run. Looks better and is more unique.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

It feels a bit more cartoony which is more fitting for Mario.

[@Graphomite]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Agreed. All about that old toon swagger.

[@Tinkerer_Red]

This channel is very helpful for gamedevs, especially anyone trying to remake a game

[@wonderguardstalker]

“And when you hold B for the rest of the game” Too right

[@supergamer1388]

I don't see his run much in Odyssey. Unless I'm fighting a boss or somewhere that requires a ton of precision, I'm usually rolling everywhere.

[@Photon210]

Me: I should be sleeping KZbin: Check out Mario's run! Me: I'm interested

[@orinanime]

Absolutely wonderful and informative video as always. I love your output.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Thanks so much Aaron!

[@silveraddydwimores4085]

Super Mario World's just looks like how Arale Norimaki sprints, with the arms stretched sideways. That's Akira Toriyama's iconic sprint for his characters by the way. Nintendo got inspired by it apparently.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Interesting!

[@sugarandhoneypixels1869]

3D World has my favorite running animation

[@FireyDeath4]

Did he just look at that person as he ran past him at the end?

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Yeah, he does glance at objects and people as he goes past them, I think that started in NSMB.

[@briannawilson8845]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Yeah. Most Nintendo games now have their characters looking at citizens/objects, including the Zelda games starting with Twilight Princess *(I would have said Ocarina of Time but on the 1998 n64 version the graphical limitations didn't allow it, but on the 3DS remake Link can now turn his head to at objects and people).*

[@MangoesBangoesicup]

Eyy i see you've puttin some super mario flashback music in the video eeeeyyy

[@hypershadix1]

Just 40 thousand more to go and you'll finally have 100K subscribers Dan. I'm predicting by the end of this year you will have almost 80 thousand subs.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Haha, thank you! SocialBlade.com reckons I'll be on 100K by March next year, which sounds realistic. 😅

[@hypershadix1]

Video Game Animation Study hey thats my birth month. Anyway let's hope that in between now and then you'll make a video that boosts your popularity like how the death egg video did.

[@Azeriiall]

9:51 Yes we have seen it before In Naruto

[@Stephen-Fox]

Perfect video to roll in midnight with, thanks for this :)

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

You are quite welcome!

[@JimmysDonuts]

3:40 PTSD from the body removal of a bloody raccoon from my backyard is hitting me like a truck.

[@fwobebe5164]

The quick frantic running of New Super Mario Bros almost looks like he's running on ice, or he's wearing really slippery shoes.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Definitely

[@johneygd]

Now am think of it,,, yes it’s weird that mario doesn’t move his arms from side to side in mario 2, mario 3 and mario world,wich i found weird, in mario 1 he just moves his arms from side to side , wich i consider to be the best the way he runs,,, i don’t know why mario hardly moves his arms in those later mario games i mentioned, but i guess nintendo did this to save on memory space,mmmm.

[@Jimble]

I honestly thought you would just talk about the speed or something, but instead it was a lot more interesting!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I'm glad!

[@mr.froglito1474]

Did anybody notice that Luigi’s Mario world sprite is a mix of Mario’s sprite and Luigi’s allstars sprite

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I like how they've updated them!

[@deathsyth8888]

For a guy who runs and jumps all the time, Mario still has a bit of a gut.

[@briannawilson8845]

He appears to have a slight potbelly, but so does Luigi. But I don't think Mario or Luigi truly have a gut, at least not in the games because in Odyssey and in the new Mario and Sonic Tokyo 2020 game, Mario can be seen shirtless and he lacks a gut, his stomach is actually flat, and looks to be in-shape. He looks even slimmer in Tokyo 2020. He's not thin, but he's not actually fat either. Same with Luigi, he's in good shape for the Olympics too. Maybe it's just the clothes that make them look like they have a gut? It's a huge contrast from the cartoons, in those, Mario was depicted with a huge potbelly, there was one episode where he was trying to wear a karate outift and his fat stomach was poking out. I guess he was truly only ever fat in the cartoons, not the games.

[@seganintendofan1]

I think they gave Mario arm swinging move in future games because they gave Luigi the arm to the side move

[@scarffoxandfriends9401]

For the 2.5D Mario animations. The reason each arm is different is because of the front arm swings too far forward it looks unnatural, but matching it with thr back arm would have made the back arm stay behind his body making it hardly noticeable. So the back arm swings more forward so you can better see it in motion.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

That does make sense I guess, and you wouldn't notice it unless studying it like this.

[@dorukayhanwastaken]

"But that's okay, this game isn't so much about running quickly to the end of the level anymore than it is about precision and *jumping* and everything." *Pannenkoek2012 wants to know your location*

[@chiefcloudyeye0489]

At about 10:30 you were saying maybe the resolution made it look "janky"-er, but the "3D" characters in the ds version are prerendered onto 2D sprite sheets, and so they actually have set frames, whereas the Wii U version is real time so it is as smooth as your games fps.

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Mm, yeah. It still looks jankier though. Maybe I don't know what janky means..

[@thepuzzlemaster64]

No they aren't 2D sprites, as there are Action Replay codes that allow you to change Mario's size, and you can clearly see that it's a model. Not only that there's also people on KZbin who have been able to put DS games in 4K, and most of the characters are 3D models on 2D plains.