Why Mario's Triple Jump Animation Is So Good

A professional animator explains why Super Mario 64's triple jump was such a triumph of early gameplay animation.
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Written and produced by Daniel Floyd
Special thanks to:
-Carrie Floyd
-Soraya Een Hajji
-Eric Luhta
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Follow me on Twitter (@DanFloydPlus): / danfloydplus
For more games (and animation geekery), check out our other channel, PlayFrame! bit.ly/2lmGte8
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♪ "The Slumber of the Beast" by DaMonz
• Super Mario 64 ReMix b...
♪ ...and selections from the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey official soundtracks.
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Want to contribute translated subtitles to this video? You can do so here!
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#Mario #Nintendo #animation #NewFramePlus

[@NewFramePlus]

AND one bonus observation about the triple jump (courtesy of patron Tim Romero): another reason the first jump looks so good in Mario Odyssey is because Mario's raised fist is always the arm furthest from camera. They have two mirrored versions of that jump animation just to ensure pose clarity and appeal, making it so that Mario's arm never blocks his face, which is a great, very Nintendo-y polish detail!

[@siyacer]

That's awesome

[@SuperemeRed]

Was waiting for you to mention it in the video but at least it's here as a comment :D

[@Lanman106]

I noticed that! Glad you brought it up here.

[@TamTroll]

i wish i read this post before making my own about that exact detail, herp.

[@Kiladahut]

I was just scrolling down to the comments to make the same Observation, Bugger. You win this round "Tim Romero, Patreon of NEW FRAME PLUS of which is a place you can support NEW FRAME PLUS"

[@DurryQuill]

It's ridiculously impressive how much Nintendo got right in their first try at 3D

[@SenshiSunPower]

They spent a long time with Mario on a flat plane, making sure he felt good to control. Then they added elements one by one. They ended up with a character that is fun to control and fun to watch.

[@glacierwolf2155]

Yeah. Super Mario 64 was pretty innovative and introduced elements that are either mainstays of future 2d and even 3d games, like the double jump, triple jump, wall jump, back flip, long jump, pole climbing, dive roll, side flip, ledge climb, nonlinear level designs, and some leeway in how goals can be accomplished, or elements unique to it, like the combat and jump kick.

[@AltimaNEO]

They spent a lot of time to get it right. Given how delayed the system was. The triple jump wasn't originally in the game, either.

[@seveneyes77]

@@AltimaNEO you mean they didn't think about a triple jump since the beginning while developing the game? You can say that about a shit ton of games, adding stuff later in development I mean.

[@recklesflam1ngo968]

Even today SM64 is great, except for perhaps the camera and a few other minor things

[@blackcat19]

Fun story: when I was a kid playing Mario 64 I never knew about the long jump. As a result, I became a master at timing and spacing the triple jump, as it was the only way I knew of clearing very large gaps. I got all 120 stars in Mario 64 without ever using the long jump, and years later, when I found out about it in the KZbin era, I felt really proud of myself for completing the game with a handicap without even knowing it. Still proud, to be honest.

[@SomeRandomDude000000]

You not know about the dive either?

[@kimgkomg]

You don't need any special jumps to beat the game.

[@fanqa9765]

Kimg Komg not to beat bowser, but i think they're essential for all 120 starts

[@kimgkomg]

@@fanqa9765 maybe. Definitely if you count wall jumps as a special jump. I don't know about long jumps though I'm sure there are some examples.

[@angelbryan26]

I didn't know about the long jump until I watched a video about somebody complaining about Mario Sunshine getting rid of it

[@MrSpookersMcGeeThe1st]

Here's an idea: what makes a victory animation feel triumphant? (Link's sword sheathe, Banjo's Jiggy collection dance, Final Fantasy victory poses, any Smash victory pose, etc.)

[@DM-mu8dc]

yes

[@JamesTHammond]

I like this idea. May be a little broad for a short episode however.

[@cliffturbo2146]

Now that is interesting to see. If they just stood still on a default, it's like their body language are saying: yeah, I won, whatever.

[@OhNoTheFace]

I'd imagine music helps a lot in those, but yeah, would be neat :O

[@MrSpookersMcGeeThe1st]

@@OhNoTheFace That's a great point, musical jingles really help sell the sense of achievement when celebrating a victory.

[@callowguru2611]

Seeing the comparison to the new Odyssey version is so interesting! You gotta wonder how the animators pulled it off in such early 3D

[@twizlight7408]

www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16386#.UERP19ZlRWw A little keynote with Yoshiaki Koizumi about the early days of 3D work with Mario and some of the design problems they had to solve. I really liked the part about having to add shadows directly under everything regardless of light.

[@Brunosky_Inc]

That talk reminded me on how so many of Monster Hunter's animations have gone on almosy unchaged through the whole series because the ones they created the first time around simply nailed it.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@Brunosky_Inc It also makes them recognizable. You can see what weapon someone is using just from the edge of your eye and the sounds. And sounds are so important, I played tonds of DMC4, and hearing the exact same menu sounds in DMC5 made my day.

[@mccookies3664]

Another thing about the second flip of the third jump: not only does Mario crunching up his body create visual interest, it also adds a serious sense of weight to the spinning motion. As far as I know, the way to keep any kind of spinning motion going as an athlete is to start with your body spread out and then bring every part of yourself closer to your center of mass. By starting in a laid out diving-type pose and then tucking into a ball, Mario is doing exactly this, and it makes the midair motion feel completely natural.

[@xdeathcon]

From my knowledge of basic physics, the reason for tucking is to increase the speed of rotation. There's some formula about it but I can't be bothered to remember.

[@mcdrums87]

Woo! Woo-hoo! WAH-HAAAA!!

[@matthewsama]

On the secret fourth jump he does a villain laugh.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Yeah, as great as the animation is, I feel like it's his vocalization that *really* sells it. Mario sounds like he's having so much FUN. And that's surprisingly rare in video games, at least in my experience. If the player character sounds like they're having fun, that's going to help inspire the player to have fun too.

[@marmato9332]

Charles Martinet must have had a Blast

[@joeykeilholz925]

It's like the brain expanding meme

[@pote2frouifruite81]

I really like the mario galaxy voice lines used for the triple jump Yah! WAh! WAHOOHOOO!!

[@tempestnova6715]

Just when he says primitive graphics at 6:28 low poly Mario appears, which I find kind of funny. I don't know if he did it on purpose or if it was just a coincidence. Either way, loved the video, can't wait for the next one.

[@Seergun]

that's absolutly hilarious timing

[@Z3R01d]

wow didnt even know that was a thing

[@DennerBob]

That customized level screen to introduce the background section, fact that there _is_ a background section at all, the look forward into the newer versions; it's all so good! These breakdowns are getting so impressive. They only take so long to come out because Dan can't give them less than 100%

[@Sientir]

I was also really impressed with how authentic that custom level screen looked.

[@Yolwoocle]

Timestamp?

[@Sientir]

@@Yolwoocle The scene begins at 0:15, it's really early because it starts the "A Brief History Lesson" (Name of the Star, though there are other details.) It didn't register to me as a custom screen at first, it took my brain a moment to realize what was going on, that's how well done it was!

[@hi-i-am-atan]

@@Sientir between the in-game footage before it and the fact that the fade-in to the screen is constrained to the game's resolution while the fade-in out of the screen isn't, i get the feeling it _is_ 100% authentic - because it's being recorded straight from the game, after some minor hacking or memory editing ( well, """minor""" in that it's low in scope, text editing through straight memory editing is more advanced than, say, what most gameshark codes do ) to replace the relevant text strings

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

This was one of the most detailed and concise analysis about the history and animation of Mario's jump that I've watched. Phenomenal job, Dan.

[@AaronRotenberg]

I see you in enough comment sections that I can honestly believe you have a mental catalogue of videos you've watched analyzing Mario's jump.

[@KokoroKatsura]

a n i m e n i m e

[@Dante_Sparda_DMC]

@@AaronRotenberg It's a shared account buddy. Tons of people are using it and going into popular videos to comment and grab some quick likes.

[@GudetamaSit]

@@Dante_Sparda_DMC Strange. I'd assume people wanting quick likes would want the clout with their own account. I thought it was a Justin Y sort of account?

[@wanacrymaguire9186]

I see you everywhere

[@Thraim.]

4:55 Feels like they were trying so hard to recreate the original jump animation in 3D that they didn't consider that you wouldn't be looking at Mario from side in this game.

[@WillowEpp]

I'm kind of surprised you didn't mention how triple jump links into flight with the wing cap.

[@Paco_de_Pinda]

And he didn't talk about how the triple jump was different after talking to Yoshi

[@reddodeado301]

@@Paco_de_Pinda Is it a coincidence that in Sunshine, the next 3D Mario game, Mario does the constant flips similarly to the Special Triple Jump in 64?

[@cay7809]

@@reddodeado301 and stops in galaxy

[@timothymclean]

These videos are (generally) supposed to be focused on _one_ animation, not an entire animation _system._ Dan has had some pretty bad scope creep in the past, but he managed it better here.

[@Gilbot9000]

Dan knocks another analysis out of the park. This one's so good.

[@franciscodetonne4797]

Years of doing narration for Extra Credits and Extra History also makes his narrarion so good to listen to.

[@HectoGamez]

For me the side-flip was always the stand out animation for 64. It had a really clear anticipation and the actual flip itself is gorgeous. Especially the first time you do it, it functions as a suprise that becomes one the most powerful tool. You could probably do a series on SM64, one of the most influential games of all time and a game that 100% still holds up after almost 25 years.

[@neoasura]

I agree, and other players are impressed when you side flip up on to platforms.

[@JochemKuijpers]

Dan: "Please suggest only one animation so I can keep the scope down and produce these videos more quickly" also Dan: "Let's revisit all Mario jumping animations from prior games"

[@iunnostupid5720]

I just noticed that in Odyssey, they switch which hand goes up so that Mario’s face is visible to the camera on the default jump

[@bowmanruto]

keeping in mind the level of tools they had back then vs what even just hobbyists have available now makes it even more impressive imo, and whist I personally don't like that they all lack a bit of anticipation, thats forgivable for the sake of responsiveness and because it was Clearly a choice rather then a byproduct of something else

[@ValkyrieTiara]

IMO the most impressive thing isn't the quality of tools they had but the fact that they didn't have anything else to work from. Like these days if you want to animate a 3D platformer you have D E C A D E S of great games to learn and draw inspiration from, INCLUDING Mario 64. The Mario 64 team very much didn't; they had to figure it all out for themselves and, as Dan is so fond of saying, they NAILED it. I never really liked Mario 64 as a game, even when it was released, but in terms of game feel and animation they knocked it out of the park on the first at-bat and they deserve every bit of honor and praise they've ever received for that alone.

[@carso1500]

@@ValkyrieTiara people are still playing and enjoying it which talks volumes about the quality of this game, it's still the most popular game in speeeruns

[@Kezedrix]

Most gamers consider Mario 64 to be one of the greatest classics, and so do I, but sometimes I like to stop and fully embrace for a moment how much of a miracle it was when it came out, close to perfection in almost every aspect

[@KokoroKatsura]

A N I M E N I M E

[@ZacharyMathematica]

It’s true. They were making the rules of 3D platformers as they went. Which in many ways could have gone so wrong, but they really nailed so much. While there are some flaws, they are dramatically outweighed by how many best practices they created.

[@IAm-zo1bo]

@Mister Guy it was almost perfect

[@MrMarinus18]

Nintendo was hoping Mario 64 would be a defining game for 3D platformers in the same way the original SMB was for 2D platformers and they did just that.

[@se7en427]

Ocarina of Time and Majoras mask, are true classics, right next to mario 64.

[@Shinny1338]

5:09 "The camera is going to be positioned behind Mario most of the time..." Laughs in speedrunner

[@pote2frouifruite81]

*YAHOO YAHOO YAHOOYAHOOYAHOOYAHOHYAHYHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHYAHYAHYAHYAHYAHYAAH*

[@cookieblobber]

The triple jump was a special little treat in Mario 64. I always loved pulling them off, it’s like the game telling you, “Hey good job, you did something very cool,” especially when you stop moving in the third jump and Mario poses with a exciting yell, congratulating the player for doing something so simple yet so fun to pull off.

[@Garvm]

I didn’t realize until now that the jump animation of Mario Oddyssey when jumping has two versions depending on the foot that is on the ground at that moment.

[@ItsJustMe0585]

Been a AAA game animator for 12 years now, and yet, I still LOVE these videos reminding me of core principles that I often forget (since I work from motion capture all dang day).

[@siyacer]

Oh baby a triple!

[@Doritomurderer]

and baby makes three

[@alptugraakan7490]

Oh yeeah

[@chasemarkovetz1279]

This is great! I remember when I was little, I would run around the observatory in Galaxy and do triple jumps to watch him flip!

[@Stephen-Fox]

He controls _so_ well, in all his 3d installments. It's a testament to how good traversal feels in 3d Mario that you can just spend time in an environment moving around in circles and have a good time with it - even when little. (And, apparently, this isn't exactly a coincidence, they reportedly spent months tweaking Mario's movement in Mario 64 in mostly empty environments just to get the movement to feel right.

[@1Thunderfire]

I absolutely loved jumping about in Super Mario Sunshine and especially doing a high spin and seeing flicks of paint fly off. So satisfying!

[@pote2frouifruite81]

@@1Thunderfire although the sound design and mario's voice was the best in mario galaxy I have to agree that mario sunshine feels the best to control, especially with fludd to add in every platforming session it's just so much fun!

[@AmyTheMeower]

I hope there's someone else who loves how all of the acrobatic controls work, for example: -To long jump you have to run, crouch and jump -To triple jump you have to run and jump several times -To jump higher you can do a jump, ground pound (to flex your legs with momentum) and jump That kinda stuff, it's very cool.

[@samuelturner6076]

This was a great vid. Side note why did I feel nostalgic for a game I’ve never even played, like gosh darn Nintendo fandom has made me feel like this game is engrained in me despite not touching it.

[@Oreli]

mario 64 is one of the most important games in gaming history. please, play it if you can.

[@asher-360]

Oreli but what if i cant even though i want to :(

[@pervertpenguinproductions2425]

just pretend you played it, that's what I do

[@Elrond_Hubbard_1]

You should buy an old console with the game off ebay, they're not too pricey.

[@redpup6931]

SHERA-JODIE if you happen to be one of the 13 million people who own a Wii U, it’s on virtual console.

[@Tustin2121]

I love how in Odyssey, Mario switches which hand he’s punching up depending on where the camera is in relation to him. They wanted to evoke the old 2D pose where the outstretched arm was behind his head, so they flip the animation so that he always has the outstretched arm behind his head when jumping in 3D. It’s reminds me of Mickey (and this is a more extreme example), where some more recent 3D games he appears in makes absolutely sure his ears are ALWAYS perpendicular to the camera, literally moving his ear circles around his head like they would in 2D animation to make sure the profile always reads 2 separate side-by-side circles.

[@AmyTheMeower]

6:27 You can see the very low-poly model they use when the camera comes from a distance.

[@silviox8637]

I forgot how good the triple jump animation was in all 3D Mario games especially galaxy. Probably because I never use it considering the back flip basically gets me the same amount of height.

[@TamTroll]

i like how in the odyssey jump, Mario changes which fist is punching the air depending on where the camera is. they always make sure the fist furthest away from the camera is the one that pumps up, allowing you to not only see Mario's face, but also contrast his face with the background of his white glove, allowing you to see his face more clearly in that moment, likely to read expressions as well as more easily determine what direction he's facing. This can also be used to help define Mario's shape in situations where there might be a brown or red background that might muddy up Mario's silhouette.

[@The_FlyingDutchman]

I always took for granted that the jumping and moving animations were similar in all versions. Never thought about how much of a feat it was they got that on their first 3d game

[@dfgccgggff7963]

TheFlyingDutchman ya same

[@TheLingo56]

Mario 64's jump still looks more satisfying to me than Odyssey's does. There's a weight and gravity to the one in 64 that in Odyssey I don't feel is there.

[@JezMM]

I get where you're coming from, but I think I'd phrase it a little differently - if anything, Mario 64's feels unrestricted, it really gets that "trampoline" vibe that Dan talks about. Odyssey's is lovely and full of life, but it does give a much stronger impression that gravity is trying to pull Mario back down at all times. Everything is just a bit floppier, whereas Mario 64 takes to the air like a bullet.

[@fernandobanda5734]

@@JezMM Yep, you nailed it. Personally, 64's jump seem too weightless. It might have to do with the angle or the fact that he jumps so high the camera has to adjust a bit to keep up. I don't have this problem with 2D games.

[@MorphRed]

I really like how Mario gets very fast when jumping, it feels natural and just like how jumping should feel, less control over the movement but going very fast

[@camerong7365]

My only nitpick with the Odyssey triple jump is that there is just a little too much time after doing the flip where Mario is just in his free fall animation. I think it detracts from the flip and makes it look less impressive.

[@TheLingo56]

@@JezMM Yeah, by gravity I meant in terms of visual impact more than in terms of physics lol. Odyssey feels like a jump but Mario 64 feels like a J U M P.

[@Swampert00260]

I love Mario's 3d jumps. It's so satisfying to go to insane heights in Mario Odyssey without any assistance, just well timed jumps and dives.

[@AerobianAngel]

One of my favorite details in Mario Odyssey is that Mario's 1st jump has a soft-coding to favor being open-faced towards the camera angle, most notably at profile views. It's a small detail, but being able to see Mario's face and other frontal details peak through to the pose really does wonders for his silhouette value and picturesque appeal at most angles of platforming. Edit: just read the pinned comment, dang it hurts being redundant.

[@hooty78]

I've always loved triple jumping in Mario Games. They feel so satisfying to pull of, in 2D and 3D

[@Madchimpz]

I have an obsession with the triple jump in every Mario platformer that has it. I use it constantly. It just looks so cool and is fun to use. One of my biggest disappointments about 3D Land and World was no triple jump.

[@hadesthegod9181]

EXCELLENT video! Good stuff! Another reason the animation looks so good is because the jumps FEEL so good. They mastered the perfect amount of air acceleration for Mario, so that you can direct yourself midair in any direction, but only so much. This adds to the weighted feel -- there's so much gravity in everything Mario does. The air control and the animation go hand-in-hand to create that. Boy, it's never felt as good to move a character as it does in Super Mario 64.

[@pote2frouifruite81]

everyone loves the feeling of triple jumping freely at any moment while walking, it's such an amazing move of the 3D mario games and I especially love it from mario galaxy 2 because of the sound design and mario's own amusement while doing it (I'm talking about galaxy 2 and not the first one even though they are the same triple jumps, but only because in the sequel mario has one extra voice line for his triple jump)

[@kevgmei]

This may be coming from a person with little experience in game design, but I think Super Mario 64 is still the gold standard for both animation and player movement.

[@Z3R01d]

Exactly, take a look at ASTRO's Playroom on ps5

[@skinny_bred]

7:17 Mario just praised the sun.

[@DS_DoggerX]

I'm actually in love with this channel, it's exactly what I'm into and so much more

[@GameOver-ou1ge]

Same and I hope he continues the 12 principals of animation series I'm waiting for those

[@LucificNight]

His subsequent jumps may look like he's bouncing on a trampoline, but his first jump looks like he's taking off in a low-gravity environment, like the moon. The Odyssey version sells this even harder.

[@stimpaxx]

One improvement I notice in Odyssey is how Mario kind of finishes his second front flip rotation a little higher and cleaner, but that's extreme. Actually I'm not 100% sure that's what I'm seeing, but yeah he just looks more skilled like he's got more hang time in Odyssey

[@Knarros]

You actually have to go further back for the origin of the triple jump. The Game Boy game "Donkey Kong," also known as "Donkey Kong '94," introduced the triple jump as well as some other moves such as the backflip. Mario actually has quite a bit of animation going on in that game, including some fun cutscenes. Even if you don't do a video on it, I recommend taking a look at it.

[@mariatomlinson2663]

Even though I'm not an animator or even an artist, it brings me inexplicable joy to hear you talk so positively about game animation. I think I've watched all your videos about 5 times over by now and I'm not stopping anytime soon! :P

[@actuallylollypop7469]

I got so excited when I read the title. Something about Mario's triple jump always seemed so satisfying to me. I'm happy to see you're talking about it

[@pervertpenguinproductions2425]

Could you do a video on the animations in Celeste, I personally think it is really interesting how they are not limited by the pixel art style of the game, with the distortion and the backgrounds. Just a suggestion. Also the jump animation is particularly nice, as well as the speed techs.

[@Brawph]

"... three animations, depending how you count them" ...well I guess we have to talk about A presses!

[@Adamski-]

What i think makes this animation extra satisfying is the fact that when mario does the first flip on the tripple jump he kind of rotates his arms to then then tuck his legs on the second flip giving it this very.. Rotaty feeling? It feels like he is flipping more than he actually is. BTW, i think you should look at Ori and the will of wisps next! The animation in that game is some of the best 2d animation i've seen. Legit every part of the game just gives you this amazing feeling of movementum and fluidity

[@Matthordika]

Another interesting detail in Mario's first jump in Odyessy: his raised fist actually gets bigger, just as it does with punches, presumably so he can break blocks.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The fact that the graphics are "primitive" makes the animations even more amazing. Something hard to do with more recent, more realistic graphics exactly because they are more realistic. The simpleness and cartoony proportions make everything more fluid without risk of clippin.

[@ChaseBanhart]

These Triple Jump and Backflip animations have origins in the 1994 Gameboy Game - Donkey Kong. That's two full years before Mario 64.

[@projectaroid]

Cool breakdown of the jump animation. Nice work!

[@TheHappyKamper]

I remeber being blown the first time I booted up Mario 64. I spent several minutes just soaking in the sounds, and moving Mario around that small starting circle to test out his move sets. I was also amazed at just how many fluid animations and moves you had in this 3D space.

[@krzlcve]

Love the animation dissections! They're so helpful And interesting ♥️

[@mrfuzz987]

Really good video. I liked how concise and informative it was.

[@databased7812]

I love how you adapted the intro to fit the topic. Little things can go a long way.

[@maneruloquendero]

Speaking of Mario animations, when I play Mario Kart Double Dash, I pay a lot of attention to the rear racers's animations. While turning, drifting, holding items, etc. They look so alive and funny

[@VenusAsAFormerBoy]

I love seeing such an in-depth analysis on something I've never thought twice about

[@Saiavinn]

Wasn't expecting much, but this analysis proved just as insightful and succinct as it needed to be. Well done~

[@ellie8272]

I think it's pretty crazy that in terms of standard jumps, they've literally never added a new one. There's single, double, and triple, side flip, croutch hop, and long jump. That's it. Every other movement option in future games comes specifically from the game's gimmick (FLUDD, spin, cappy)

[@epicredhot5675]

Not entirely true, as 3D World (and I believe Odyssey adapted this too) introduced the spin jump, pulled off by rotating the control stick a few times before pressing the jump button. (Not to be confused with the similarly named maneuver from Galaxy, which was a jump followed by a spin, hence the name.)

[@camo6465]

epicRedHot That version of the spin jump was also in Sunshine

[@dannys8014]

I want to see the animation of Super Mario Galaxy's spin. I always thought it just looks so...Mario! That's the best way to describe it.

[@FM-kl7oc]

6:29 Mario has the low-LOD head/face for a brief moment while sliding far enough away from the camera, but he's still close enough that you can see that the low-LOD head/face is very different from the normal model of his head/face.

[@nomukun1138]

When this came out, the controls were literally better than anyone could imagine. I heard my friends talk about a fully 3D Mario game but I had no idea what it was like until I played. You just point a stick in the direction you want and the character goes? It was like telepathic magic. It was a work of creative genius just to imagine the control scheme, let alone realise it so beautifully. You need to play other 3d games from the era to know what it was like. Shadows of the Empire and Resident Evil and Gex. We played them and didn't know something better existed.

[@MattG4033]

I think some of jump inspiration came from donkey kong 94 on gameboy, mario got new jumping moves there, and the side jump is first seen there!

[@qarsiseer]

I think what’s most effective about the triple jump is the difference in detail between the first two jumps is staggering. The first two jumps have very few poses, but the triple jump is wildly varied in a way that to me is the game going “hey! congrats! you pulled off a triple jump!” which is just so satisfying while playing.

[@Dwedit]

Donkey Kong '94 on the Game Boy actually had several of the moves that Mario would later go on to use in Super Mario 64. For example, the high jump when changing direction debuted in Donkey Kong, and there was also a Triple Jump move, but performed differently.

[@JoyceW-Art]

These are just so goshdarn fun to watch! Thank you for another great video ^^

[@evyatarsegal1198]

Dan! I've finally found you! were have you been?! Anyway now I need to go binge your entire channel. Thank you for existing and making stuff. It makes me happy.

[@chimericalical]

My favorite was the long jump animations. I was on the track and field tram in high school. For the long jump event there are two techniques taught: the beginner technique and the advanced technique. In SM64 Mario will do one of those techniques depending on how fast he’s moving when you perform the long jump. The beginner technique for doing the long jump is to extend your limbs out in front of you after you’re airborne. This distributes your weight in the direction you’re trying to get your body to go. Simple but effective. Mario does this for his slow long jumps. The advanced technique is more or less doing a running motion while you’re airborne. This motion (when done correctly) will continuously use your limbs to use their weight to propel you even further forwards. And from experience I can say the difference is pretty significant. So, when I was in high school i was playing SM64 and noticed his long jump actually had two separate animations based on those two techniques. It’s also stayed the same for pretty much every game. It’s interesting how accurate his form is to what should be done for that event.

[@navitathepinkreindeeryoshi1009]

This HAS to be the best KZbin video I have ever watched! You just got a sub from a first time viewer!

[@brianbethea3069]

7:50 Wow, I never noticed this before, but which hand Mario puts up in his first jump is dependent on which foot he jumps off on. In the first jump at 7:50, he jumps off on his right foot and puts his right hand up. At 7:55, he jumps off on his left foot, so he puts up his left hand. So much attention to detail.

[@Kyrbi0]

Another excellent video. Love the deep dive into this stuff. : )

[@Elrond_Hubbard_1]

I was 9 when this game came out and I didn't usually get lots of presents but it was my birthday and my parents promised me something good so they pre-ordered a N64 and I got one on release day with Mario 64

[@themaskedkid8495]

ok the fact that you did that with your intro already has me super intrigued

[@KPol0]

Is channel is SO underrated. I alway share all your new videos with my friends that are games (and i'm from f*ckin Brazil). Hope to see you grow everyday man. Take care and stay safe.

[@atsunymphae2723]

So insightful and concise ~ thank you!

[@akaDL]

Mario movement in Super Mario 64 is what makes the game so fun. Literally, just walking, running and jumping around is fun, even on a plain field like the Castle garden. And oh, a minor detail: "little" Mario is just Mario. "big" Mario is Super Mario.

[@Fleetw00d]

These videos really help me identify problems with my drawings and teach me more about having clear posing.

[@Letham316]

I like that you covered this. It's not something I consciously thought about, but when I played Mario 64, I remember going around doing the triple jump because it was strangely satisfying to watch. :)

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

Super Mario 64 is very....VERY nostalgic to me. The first video game I've ever played. Even as an adult, this is still one of my favourite games to replay. It's so much fun to master, it's so addictive trying to find new and creative ways to get stars quickly, it's so rewarding to wander around the environment and discover secrets, and it's so challenging yet satisfying to speedrun. Aside from Crash 3 and Spyro 1 and 3, this is my favourite 5th Gen 3D platformer.

[@cannonfodder4000]

Another triple jump in Mario 64 is the one Mario performs after beating the final level. during the end cutscene after Bowser, he performs a triple jump where the second jump is closer to a somersault, it's very acrobatic!

[@cheesecake4204]

Every time a 3D Mario game doesn’t have a triple, or long jump, an angel loses their wings.

[@N12015]

That's kinda why people didn't liked that much 3D land and 3D world. The triple jump is maybe the most exciting move of mario due to the great animation and in general it's just fun to time the move right, specially since it allows the player to skip a lot of obstacles.

[@rafaelleone678]

That's awesome! I want to see what you would think about Sora's combat animations in KH2 with all his transformations included.

[@ChesireWaltz]

I've always loved the triple jump in every game, and this perfectly explained what was drawing me to it.

[@pocketglove]

Thank you. You and Game Makers Tool Kit, are amazing. You help me through the process of making my game. Thank you for these amazing videos

[@nis5e]

Lovely video - i would *love* to see some comparisons to other jumps in games when giving feedback to the current subject matter, or maybe even some custom-made animation examples modded into the game or in a 3D engine with a ripped character model!

[@AdrianHereToHelp]

I just love the little flip Weee

[@curtisturpin9389]

Thank you for all these awsome observations!

[@jonahthebear]

I love your videos so much. Could you do a video on your top ten most ALIVE feeling animations and breakdown why each one works so well?

[@AngieLikesGirls]

what about Street Fighter's 3rd Strike's Makoto? her entire set of animations is just so incredibly beautiful, i luv it... Elena and Ibuki are incredible as well

[@Emelenyt]

It's amazing to see that they the formula spot on all them years ago and it's been polished further with each iteration

[@TediI47]

I'd love to see a video dealing with animations in classic arena shooters like Quake and Unreal. They have to deal with a very pure or primitive (dependent on your views) in order to not lose the responsiveness and readability the games are known for. It might be a good lesson in how to work within restriction or the benefits of leaving out flourishes. \ One thing i do think arenashooters have always struggled with are the in world character animations as opposed to the weapon animations. Clearly communicating what a character is doing, retaining some physicality without weird snapping is probably very hard, but I always thought this genre could do more within its character animations.

[@denischen8196]

Can you do an analysis on all the other jumps in the 3D Mario games like the long jump, backflip, wall jump, and side flip?

[@joshuabelfield7592]

I know it’s not the best of animations, but all the force powers in both Star Wars: Force Unleashed games are just phenomenal in giving you a sense of power. Every push, lightning, and force choke gives you a sense of having a great deal of power from the effects to the motion of Starkiller as he uses the abilities. Definitely with a look in my opinion, especially the force push.

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

Shigeru Miyamoto explained that he and his team spent over a year in prototype design and refinement from early 1994 (after the original Star Fox was launched during Christmastime in 1993 and laid the foundation for a 3D engine that Nintendo could use to build a 3D platformer) to 1995 just to get the basic physics, physicality, camera system, and Mario's movement exactly right so that moving Mario through a 3D world by itself would be a fun and engaging experience. In fact, the level layout of the Courses was done so late in development that he and his team could only throw them together in an unrefined manner, which lends to the rather chaotic and messy open-world design for each of the levels.

[@yatzyac]

Great video! But I was hoping when you talked about SMB3 you would have mentioned the jumping animation when you grab a star changes to a front flipping animation!

[@viks2ndaccount478]

just me who noticed mario changed into the low detail model at 6:29? (for some information, this model is used when the game considders the camera to be to zoomed out from mario to be able to tell the difference from this model and the normal one without having to take a second look, the low polygon model is to save on system resources and because if you're zoomed out you're logically rendering more stuff so save on the stuff that doesn't take up big parts of the screen.)

[@nerdy-wizard]

I love watching these. This channel has me trying my best to look for cool or interesting animations in the games I play now. Not that I'm any good at it xD Can't wait for more!

[@ANMAnation]

I really loved the history lesson feel of this one. This could be a fun series to see how 2D games translate their animations into their first 3D outings! You could cover Ocarina of Time, Metroid Prime, Pokémon, ect. Great video!