Bobby Ivar shares his year-long process in a brilliant pair of videos.
(Image credit: Bobby Ivar)
There are few games more iconic than Nintendo's Super Mario World. A game that premiered in 1990 on the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), it's a classic version of a platform game, entirely in 2D – my favourite kind – and full of characters that have infiltrated popular culture.
Recently, a game dev has reimagined Super Mario World in 3D – recreating every element in Unreal Engine 5. The result retains the core design of the original, but adds 3D texture to offer a new perspective. It's a whole load of fun, and an amazing display of creativity. There are actually two videos to watch, the one explaining how he made the game (see that below), and a gameplay video as well (see that further down the page and then try making your own with the best animation software, the best game development software and indeed, the best free animation software).
I Spent 1 YEAR Remaking Super Mario World In 3D! - YouTube
The videos themselves are beautifully made by dev Bobby Ivar, with excellent sound effects and narrative throughout. Bobby takes us through his process of making levels 1 and 2, and Yoshi's island. He begins with 3D-ifying Mario himself and then sets his movement. He treats each part of the scenery separately, such as platform tiles, tree assets and those iconic clouds. A highlight is watching him explain the Monty Mole's movement patterns, and negotiating the how the Piranha Plants should interact with Mario as he runs past them. Bobby even makes tweaks like introducing multi-coloured Yoshis in Level one because "they're so cute" he just couldn't help himself.
Bobby's explanations of his process is fascinating, and a genuinely entertaining watch – as well as being inspirational to other devs. He's been true to the original design, while injecting new life through a fresh perspective. Hearing his design decisions and insights into the original designs, such as the Koopa colours, or the way different parts of the game works shows how fond he is of the game (as we all are), and makes the final gameplay video even more interesting to watch.
Super Mario World In 3D | Unreal Engine 5 Fan Concept - YouTube
Unreal Engine 5 is opening up so many possibilities for people to create using the free software, and this is one of the best examples I've seen. Comments on both videos agree, with many people asking Bobby to make the entire game in 3D as it looks so playable.
"This is incredible! I love the way you showcased each and every element scaling from one to an overwhelming amount and they jokes, editing, and pacing of the video was so enjoyable to watch," one user said. "As a person who grew up playing SMW a ton, you did an outstanding job reimagining and adapting the original look and mechanics into 3D!"
Georgia is lucky enough to be Creative Bloq's Editor. She has been working for Creative Bloq since 2018, starting out as a freelancer writing about all things branding, design, art, tech and creativity – as well as sniffing out genuinely good deals on creative technology. Since becoming Editor, she has been managing the site and its long term strategy, helping to shape the diverse content streams CB is known for and leading the team in their own creativity.
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