The Making of Super Mario World & Yoshi's Island

In this episode, focused on Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island, we look at Nintendo's EAD team and their road through the 16-bit era.
///Support the channel:
All your views, likes comments and shares are really appreciated! My making of videos are part of bigger project. I set up a patreon for those who would like to financially support it:
/ strafefox
//Music and Sources
For the complete track-listing with time-codes skip to the end of the video
Sources used for this video are also listed there.
Narration by Chase McCaskill

[@PepsiMan666]

Great way to follow up Gaming Historian's doc on SMB3.

[@LBPreviews]

Yeah it almost seems like they timed it that way but probably didn't. Just good luck for us!!

[@slurmsmckenzie.]

Yeah you beat me to it bro both of their quality is unmatched

[@Dawwwg]

@MultiTarded I feel like this channel also understands the Japanese culture and gaming history better; i.e. more accurate translations, etc. :) That being said; the SMB 3 doc was indeed really good too !

[@quackman]

werd, it was a real treat watching that and then having youtube recc this awesome vid!

[@djflugel79]

Don't forget Beta64's review of Super Mario World.

[@abletothink]

I love how you went though the effort if creating a model for the prototype SNES controller for the single shot where it was needed. That's insane attention to detail. Good job!

[@unstoppableExodia]

-abletothink serious? I thought that was a photo of a prototype controller from when Nintendo first showed off the super famicom to the press.- I can see now that it is a cgi model. From a source from the one I found there'd be no way to cut that from a source like that and have it high enough resolution to not look like dog shit in a HD video. Recreating it in cgi is the best way, no doubt

[@f.k.b.16]

These documentaries are easily "TV Quality" and possibly better than any other video game channels I've seen! Thank you!

[@STARSVeteran]

Agreed. This popped up in my results while looking for Paper Mario 64 beta. It’s really amazing how much SNES was a game changer, Rare killing it with 3D Renders while in-house Nintendo themselves were making legendary hand drawn sprites. What a wonderful time, RIP.

[@alimunshi7670]

The production quality and animations from a design perspective are very aesthetic. Quite impressive in high quality.

[@firestriker3580]

Lol no they aren’t

[@firestriker3580]

J P Nope

[@firestriker3580]

Ali Munshi no

[@billiambyte]

Honestly I can't recommend this channel enough. Thank you for your hard work in making these beautifully detailed documentaries. I've never seen such a "TV Network Ready" game documentary on KZbin. I'm in awe of your awesome

[@hazbaska1]

Billiam Byte it’s really true, this is the most work I’ve ever seen for a channel that’s still growing :) you’re truly one that shows attention to detail, and you have so much info, I can really only turn to you for the nitty gritty details! Great job, and Merry Christmas :)

[@boredom1000]

I couldn't agree more. The only close contender is Ahoy. Both amazing channels

[@johnjohnson6142]

I’m a simple man I see splash wave I click. But am because of my crippling depression. My neurologist has diagnosed me with Asperger's syndrome. All this I know, of course. But now I finally I see you. So I'm still at a bit of a loss for words. How do you explain to someone like me that I could help you with your daily struggles with social anxiety and depression? Is it like: "Hi, how can I help you with those troubles?" and 'wow, that's so awesome, I didn't even know it

[@billiambyte]

@@johnjohnson6142 "No one is too far from being able to help someone." I'm not exactly sure I grasped what you were getting at, or if I switched the meaning around, but I assure you that everyone is capable of empathy. It's good to see more people willing to show their appreciation for what this artist has done. Thank you for posting.

[@billiambyte]

@@boredom1000 Yo I'd never heard of Ahoy I was just checking it out and it's great! Thank your for mentioning it!

[@the-NightStar]

The visual aesthetic of these videos is truly unlike ANYTHING else on KZbin. You put so much attention to detail in making these absolutely gorgeous visuals that mimic the beautiful style of Nintendo. Pure, 100%, nostalgic bliss on full display. Your visuals and production puts me RIGHT back into the 90's, in which these games were made, and puts me right back in the mental headspace I was in when I first saw these games. Your visuals capture how my imagination saw these games. I love it to the point of tears.

[@graytoby1]

How doesn't he have more subs it's criminal

[@EricJacobusOfficial]

That smooth jazz remix at the end was the cherry on the sundae.

[@lapislazulirecords9072]

Oh it's mokujin (cool tekken move list irl video)

[@monkeyrobotsinc.9875]

It sucked

[@RemnantCult]

A part of me wishes I could be a young programmer during the early nineties. That's when making video games was extremely exciting. Just look at the burst of classics that came out even in 1989. Must have been exciting. Love the video, by the way.

[@partymetroid]

It's still very much alive in the indie scene.

[@TheGeekPunkGamer]

I feel the same. I do like coding, but I feel being a coder in those days would have been a much more unique experience.

[@ebridgewater]

@@partymetroid Shame most indie games are wank.

[@TheGeekPunkGamer]

@MultiTarded Or games like Secret of Mana and Donkey Kong Country.

[@TheGeekPunkGamer]

@MultiTarded The entire DKC series is legendary, indeed!

[@AskGamedev]

Thanks so much for making this! Would love to see you take on Super Mario RPG!

[@Krystalmyth]

OMG that would be so syyyyck.

[@brownandbloom]

Already smashed that like button before it hit 5 seconds. Already know it was professionally and well made.

[@suprastevio2264]

Right?! Deservedly so too! His videos are up to the quality and detail of the Gaming Historian himself. How lucky are we as fans?

[@duffman18]

@@suprastevio2264 it is baffling why he has so few subs. These are some genuinely top quality professionally made documentaries. I wish I could magic up a few hundred thousand subs to him or really even millions. He's so good. I guess hopefully with time the recognition will come as long as he keeps making these great videos

[@quietyuki8543]

Same my bro!

[@radicallaruby]

These days, of all the drama channels, fake news, "top 10 things you should do with your life", stale let's plays left over and abandoned channels, this is one of the few pieces of content I still enjoy on KZbin. Documentaries and making of videos of my favorite videogames and cartoons growing up. Learn how the magic is made and perhaps someone in the audience will be able to step up and replicate why we loved these games so much.

[@thundageon5962]

What's crazy is that just like Mario devs, final fantasy composer, Nobue Uematsu, didn't even learn music but just played with it. Now he's the Mozart of video games.

[@gypate74]

Yoshi's island is such a gem. One of the best artistic directions ever.

[@halonothing1]

One thing I will never forget is be the first time I ever saw SMW. I thought the item box was the coolest thing in the world. And likewise, I'll never forget the first time seeing Mario 64 at a Walmart and playing it. After that, I came in that store every damn day and played that thing as much as I could. Me and every other kid in a 10 mile radius. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long to get my own. No longer was I relegated to simply walking left to right to play a level from start to finish, maybe coming across a little nook or cranny hidden somewhere. I could explore whole WORLDS. And not like in Legend of Zelda for NES, but sooo much more immersive and all encompassing. I'll never forget that sense of awe and wonder that came with that exploration. Not just Mario 64, but all of the 1st gen 3d games. I still come across games that give me that feeling from time to time. Breath of the Wild was a huge one. Or GTA V, or really any of the GTA games since Vice City (never got into GTA 3). But it's nice that even though I no longer enjoy movies or shows or music, I still have something which brings me joy. Mario Odyssey's another off the top of my head. Which says a lot because I even have a hard time finding games I like anymore. At least new games. And they're almost always from franchises I know I like, like Zelda, Mario or Metroid. The only exception being indie games. I rarely come across indie games I don't like and I've spent in excess of $1500 on indie games in the last year. But again, I stick mostly to one relatively new genre called zach-likes. Which are games where you solve puzzles by programming. Very fun stuff. If you're into programming or computer science. Very nerdy. It's named for the company Zachtronics, which originally started the genre with games like TIS-100, Astra-256, Shenzhen I/O, and ExaPunks. But I digress.

[@matteosoncini9627]

Dear Strafefox, your editing has now gone from awesome to HOLY SHIT IS FUCKING AWESOME. I hope that someday you will make the making of... of final fantsy 6

[@ckellyedits]

WOW, what a great Christmas present!! My favourite two games!

[@DCeeMusik]

7:15 | Boo's creator is so savage. It's basically a diss to his wife. He probably was saying: if this girl don't stop yapping at me about my job, she gon' be a main villain in this game. Hence, "Big Boo" was created.

[@Yupppi]

It's hard to believe how brilliant Nintendo's project flow was to manifest these ground breaking games. Leaving just some young hungry talents to brainstorm on their own without the seniors after the direction had been set and you had some solid gold, one of the platform's best and most memorable games.

[@SteveEricJordan]

its pretty simple: i see a strafefox video, i click with supersonic speed. just a legendary channel.

[@reyesmiguelaldogerardo4105]

Quien más aquí por NicoGOD?

[@baddabaddabaddaswing]

My favourite gaming channel.

[@LittleBigKid707b]

This and Slope's game Room are equally as good. They are both 'making of" gaming channels. You should also check out Slope's channel.

[@lilyounggamer]

@@LittleBigKid707b link?

[@luigiretroshow2611]

SMALL CORRECTION: SMW has 73 Lvs, not 72 Lvs I consider SMB3 SUPERIOR, but I played a lot of SMW too SMW has 96 Exits - 24 Secret Exits(repeated) = 72 Lvs(not repeated) However, Bowser Castle is not counted as an exit, for the simple fact that the GAME FINISHES when it passes, then: 72 Lvs + Bowser's Castle(not counted) = 73 Total Lvs 73 Lvs + Yoshi's House, Top Secret Area(no Goal) = 75 Total Lvs Curiosity: SMB3 has 90 Lvs + Mini Game Lvs = more than 100 Lvs (something like an SMW "133%+" having 12+ worlds instead of 9)

[@Schwarzorn]

♪Go, Gadget, go! ♪ Love the song you chose for Mario Paint.

[@Kevinb1821]

Looking at this game 26 years later still just blows me away by how good it looks. The games backgrounds are still some of the most beautiful of any game I’ve ever seen. Even the new Yoshi games don’t capture that same beauty

[@Yarumasi]

The quality on these videos is truly insane. It reminds me of Captain Disillusion where his videos were very, very underviewed for a long time. This is TV worthy. Easily could be a show. Keep it up man, I hope you finally break out and shine soon!

[@TheAnvilMan]

I was planning on watching the first minute then running an errand to finish it later, but your videos always draw me in so I ended up watching the whole thing in one go forgetting what I had to do. Can't emphasize enough how much I love the way you blend knowledge and entertainment so seamlessly. Amazing work as always!

[@Ollision]

As a huge Yoshi's Island fan, this feels like Christmas to me! I couldn't believe my eyes as I'm actually working on a Yoshi video myself at this very moment. Love your channel! Learning something new every time, and the production value is other-worldly. Creating amazing 3D dioramas of ALttP and DKC for like 5 seconds of screen time? That's the long lost spirit of KZbin, taking time and doing things with dedication. It makes that much of a difference. I could go on and on... Please never change and happy Christmas to you!

[@strafefox]

Awesome to hear and happy holidays to you too!

[@vanitymirrorss]

You guys are honestly my heroes, where else am I going to get my professional grade, Vaporwave/Retrowave infused video game retrospectives? "Catch the wave" they say ;) Also I got goosebumps within the first 10 seconds, that funky beat and I'm so happy you guys brought back the title announcer.

[@thundageon5962]

Super Mario World was my introduction to game design and passion. Which is why it's my favorite game of all time

[@jpedrovianna]

This channel is underrated.

[@StarshipGhost]

Yoshi's Island is like an acid trip.

[@krystianhinz4575]

That subliminal Inspector Gadget tune was a nice touch, thank you for yet another amazing video!

[@GunGryphon]

The time between episodes clearly reflects the quality, well done.

[@Spind0k]

holy crap this channel is extremely under-rated.

[@frealish6622]

A mario 64 development history would be absolutely amazing from you

[@kz1000ps]

Pro tip: screenshots of Strafefox videos make for exceptionally good desktop backgrounds =)

[@carlsagan2607]

That hand drawn original art is why it’s still a good looking game today

[@starsroof_1633]

im glad i'm not the only one here to comment on how awesome the production value is! i like watching stuff like this while i eat because i can look away from the screen and the narration does the job while i eat. but i just couldn't take my eyes off the screen with this. so good guys.and not only the cute renders and effects, but for instance showing 90s animation trends, with examples like Sonya from MK and Earthworm jim, awesome examples.

[@kaicanyonellis]

Your voice is the David Attenborough of video game documentaries.

[@justdodumb]

this is one of those rare channels where you give the video a like before you even watch it. thats quality right there.

[@justingoers]

These documentaries are incredible. Probably the best game docs on all of KZbin.

[@Andyblarg]

Mario World will always and forever be my favorite Mario 2D platformer.

[@cocoman710]

how ANYONE can dislike a strafefox video is beyond me. huge props, amazing video as always.

[@TheBanjoShowOfficial]

Wife: “This isn’t going to work anymore, you’re always working and we never have time together, I want you to leave now” Programmer: “Honey that’s perfect! I know just how to implement that into the game.” Wife: “Your luggage is outside.”

[@fal_pal_]

seeing dev insight after 20+ years of loving these games... Incredible

[@mattb9664]

This channel is easily the best gaming channel on KZbin. KZbin should do more to recognize the high quality content creators.

[@peterlane1391]

I never played Yoshi's Island when I had a Super Nintendo. Why? Well, I did ask my parents. They looked at it and refused, assuming it was a game for toddlers. I've been hard on the art style for years because of that, and I was even harsher when I finally did play it and realized what an incredibly awesome game I'd missed out on. Now I appreciate how gorgeous it is, and how much it adds to the game, but I do wish Nintendo would show what their systems can do once in a while. The same criticism fell on Mario World, especially when Sonic came out. Mario World has more content, secrets, hidden bosses, play modes, and replayability, but the visuals gave Sonic a foothold.

[@suprastevio2264]

Your videos rival the quality and detail of the Gaming Historian. I could only hope you and Norm will someday collaborate on a special project! I will sing the praises of your channel, you deserve sooo many more subscribers!

[@SaviorGabriel]

I was thinking about that as well. Especially since I recently watched his documentary on Super Mario Bros. 3.

[@Game_Hero]

The top-notch channel striked again! All these small references to other games were great and I'm excited for what comes next (seen it was Sonic CD, got eye eh? :) ). Now seeing that Pitfall cameo in the video, I have a great unusual suggestion (beside my previous Sonic X-Treme one) : why not take a look sometime in the future at the Atari 2600 days of Activision? How it was a great time for video games since Activision and the game "Adventure" stood for the rights of game creators against publishers and created, in return, underrated and original games with great gameplay. Even the game manuals alone brought immersion to a game world that was mostly sticking to bland arcade copies. It would help recontextualize the world of video games in the late 70s-early 80s and bring an unique video to this great channel.

[@bizgriff1701]

Thanks so much for making this! Would love to see you take on Super Mario RPG!

[@Game_Hero]

@@bizgriff1701 Haha, I didn't make this. One day maybe I will, just maybe not on Mario RPG.

[@loveenbom4550]

The quality of your videos always strikes me as nothing short of amazing

[@combeechan]

Love this channel. Thank you for making these!! Do you have a discord or something? Would be cool to chat with you and others about design and video production. I've been passively learning 3D for the past two years in hopes to make my own meshes for future game modding and personal fun. If you require some sort of skill level to enter the discussion, I can show you the babby's first tshirt/shorts I rigged & textured the other week.

[@strafefox]

Thanks so much! I don't have discord but feel free to share you work on twitter.

[@fhoplist]

Do you have another platform? What do you use to work with? I use Maya mainly.

[@strafefox]

@@fhoplist I mainly use Cinema4D and After Effects these days.

[@funkychicken4509]

crazy that Yoshis Islands art style still feels funky fresh

[@JagoShogun]

Yoshi's island sure had a spectacle of bosses. Especially on a technical level. Wish more games blended different art styles like this. People have so many resources these days, they sometimes forget how to get clever.

[@pricetagcitrus]

Thank god this channel is still making content.

[@Alianger]

Beta Yoshi was pretty looney tunes-like. Great vid!

[@Psyagnostic]

Seeing the notification for this literally made me jump out of bed and run to the computer to watch it 😍

[@valgalder]

I really can't believe these videos don't have 10x more views. Incredible work.

[@samuelkibunda6960]

We've done it guys we've finally got him to cover Nintendo games

[@strafefox]

Ha! It took me only 9 years to make a Mario themed episode :)

[@WebLeoTV]

It's amazing how a wonderful game enter in 16 megabits! Less than 2 MegaBytes! Less than the space a single photo cellphones takes! Amazing video. Thank you!

[@lukamagicc]

This looks and sounds like a big budget TV series. Big props to you mad men

[@jamesforest5245]

Yoshi was actually conceptualized for the first game on nes, not smb3. They actually had to wait an entire console generation to implement him. I'll leave an excerpt from his wiki as a reply to this comment. Love your videos though!!!

[@jamesforest5245]

Nintendo had wanted Mario to have a dinosaur companion ever since the first release of Super Mario Bros.; however, it was not possible because of the limitations of the NES.[9] The inspiration for Yoshi can be traced back further, to the green dragon Tamagon in the 1984 video game Devil World: both are green lizards that hatch from eggs and can eat enemies with their large mouth, and also emit the same noise when they hatch.[10]

[@strafefox]

Thanks! I kinda left it in the middle when the concept of an animal buddy for Mario was first conceived. I couldn't find an interview with the developers to back up that it originated during the first Mario brothers and I personally don't trust Wikipedia when it comes to these things :)

[@jamesforest5245]

strafefox I know I feel weird giving you that as reference but it was all I could find in between brushing my teeth and the 25 extra minute I need to find my keys in the morning XD. I've actually never seen the wiki. The second bit about the similarities between him and the other game was actually news to me, pretty cool. P.s. I can't believe you answered

[@ClexYoshi]

Yoshi's Island is my favorite game of all time and the biggest source of inspiration to the artwork I've produced in my adult life. I have a feeling I'd have not been spurred on to become an artist had Yoshi's Island hopped on the SGI train like management wanted. I've always thought DKC was kinda lame.

[@booski1865]

Yoshi's Island is the best looking 2D 16 bit game of all time.

[@deedlessdeity218]

Yoshi's Island is one of those amazing, rare, perfect games.

[@bananachild1936]

The video presentations on this criminally underrated channel is really quite something. You deserve way more KZbin subs than what you currently have right now.

[@mackenzielopez8465]

Solid work as usual, love it! I always repeat the same compliments but best to feed the comments for a criminally overlooked channel.

[@dontletmebrown]

Production values and attention to detail on these documentaries never ceases to amaze me!

[@jolness1]

Wow again. So much nostalgia. First game I ever played, came out right before I was born and mom says whenever she hears the music from this game it takes her back since my father played it while she read. Weird to think of them so young. This is something I have shared with my son as well. It is the first game he has played by himself.

[@ProjectLM_]

Your videos are downright incredible, I can't imagine how much time it takes to make all this. You deserve a lot more recognition

[@RutherfordMRV]

Nice to find more information on how Yoshi's Island was in development as it is my favourite 2D Mario game.

[@kickheavy8982]

I clicked the like button the second the video started. The respect I have for this channel is massive. Glad to see you back man. By far my favorite channel on KZbin.

[@EccoMixes]

The extensive research and editing gone into this is stunning. Also major props on the music selection throughout the video, you clearly know your VGM and how to set the mood.

[@LostChildOfTime]

Funny how Yoshi’s Island’s art direction was looked at as something not as interesting as Donkey Kong. I found Yoshi’s Island to be the best looking SNES game as far as art style was concerned. It was quite creative and the music truly complimented it. It actually looked like a kid drew the backgrounds and settings which highlights the fact that Yoshi’s carrying a baby on his back all the time. Super Mario World is still the best Mario game, ever.

[@aarongreenfield9038]

This channel is a national treasure. The way KZbin's Algorithm treats this channel because he doesn't release two crappy videos A day, is treasonous!

[@SorbetAuxFramboises]

Rewatched today, because this channel is amazing and deserves more than 100x it's number of subscribers and views.

[@Vienna3080]

This channel is so underrated, so much effort is put in!

[@doctorwhounwokening7569]

SERIOUSLY, who thumbs down such great videos!

[@blakhorizon915]

Even the music editing is good, and like no one talks about smw2:yi

[@luisguillermojg]

Dude. I could kiss you for that CGI book at 13:47. Great, great work.

[@zenden1706]

Gorgoeus production value. Can't thank enough for this top notch channel.

[@zatransis]

This channel is amazing.

[@SRC267]

When will this be available on 4K Blu-ray? All episodes?

[@strafefox]

Next year I want to start working on the Blu-Ray, although it will be just HD :) My plan is to include all Making of videos and make some small and in same cases big tweaks (adding lots of extra content to older videos)

[@SRC267]

@@strafefox perfect! Please inform me when it's out. I'd prefer a digital download over a physical copy

[@Sims_it]

@@strafefox I would totally buy that! :D

[@Vespyr_]

@@SRC267 Id take both!

[@StahlAnni]

Random comment to support this awesome channel

[@chrisbg99]

Perfect follow up to Norm's Super Mario Bros. 3 History video.

[@drehkick32]

Instant like. This is gonna be good!

[@superlegoboysz]

Not even 100k subs, but we're always excited when you put something out. You bring us along into the development of these games. Some of the highest quality content I've ever found on this website. As always, thanks for the hard work you put in.

[@SZF123456]

YOU MAKE GOOD VIDEOS

[@quietyuki8543]

Yay! My favorite Mario platformer! Loved that child-drawing aesthetic!

[@REALSlutHunter]

Whoooaa. Another proof that this channel is by far the most underrated channel, nobody on youtube got animation skills like you, and put this much effort in his videos. It's fascinating to hear from all those background information that you investigated.

[@sebastianfeola8772]

Loved the video!! Thank you and Happy New Year!!

[@andreaswesterveld]

Underrated channel!

[@Psychopatz]

OMG, these videos you've made are pure gold. Thanks, algorithm for serving me your channel. Thank you kind sir for making these.

[@null_state]

Amazing as always strafefox!!

[@tariqdotpng546]

such an underrated channel. thank you for putting so much work into all these beautifully edited and researched videos

[@denNESdanMAKU]

It is allways such a joy to watch a new video of yours!

[@ochaco31]

Christmas came early with this masterpiece of a video!

[@michelrodrigues8088]

Amazing vídeo!!!! This make my day better!

[@anthonygwaltney4994]

thank you strafe fox for everything

[@m.burdelis]

Great job as usual! I’m always happy to see a new video on your channel.

[@okutem2014]

Awesome as always,keep up the good work

[@solidboko]

Such an amazing episode, again !

[@VGFreak]

Wonderful video, as always! Thank you!