Driver FixRecommendedSound, Wi-Fi or graphics acting up? Check drivers firstFind missing or outdated drivers fast.Check DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run Scan×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Why Nintendo Made Mario an Elephant in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nintendo chose Elephant Mario to combine three gameplay goals: a bigger body, sideways block hits, and water spray that can make withered flowers bloom.
WorldSuper Mario Bros. Wonder Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Elephant Mario was designed around gameplay first, not chosen just for its novelty. Director Shiro Mouri says the team wanted a transformation that made Mario bigger, let him hit blocks from the side, and gave him a way to spray water. An elephant fit all three goals at once.

Why did Nintendo choose an elephant?

In Nintendo’s English developer interview, published October 17, 2023, Mouri described the team’s initial gameplay goals: “First, we wanted to make the body bigger. Having a bigger body makes stepping on enemies, hitting blocks, and collecting coins easier, adding ease of play. Also, we wanted the characters to be able to hit blocks from the side and to spray water.”

The developers discussed those functions before settling on the elephant form. Mouri summed up the choice: “We thought these two features would provide more variety to the gameplay. What checks all three of those boxes? An elephant, of course!” The larger body makes familiar actions easier, while the sideways impact and water spray add interactions that the usual Mario form does not offer.

What can Elephant Mario do?

Use his size and trunk to hit things

Elephant Mario can stomp enemies, hit blocks, and collect coins with his larger body. His trunk also lets him strike blocks from the side, opening a different way to reach or interact with them.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Super Mario Bros. Wonder : Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • Find wonder in the Flower Kingdom in the next side-scrolling Super Mario adventure
  • Collect Wonder Flowers for surprising, game-changing effects like pipes coming alive, an enemy stampede, and much, much more
  • Choose from the largest cast of characters in a side-scrolling Mario game, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy and other favorites
  • Ease into the action with four different-colored Yoshis and Nabbit who can’t take damage
  • Discover new power-ups like Elephant Fruit, which transforms Mario and friends into an elephant that can swing its trunk and spray water

Spray water to trigger effects

Water is more than an attack: it can make withered flowers bloom. Developer Koichi Hayashida explained, “With the ability to spray water, you can make withered flowers bloom that in turn generate a variety of things.” Those responses can lead to secrets and surprises in a course.

Not every trunk idea made the cut

The team also considered letting the trunk blow up shells, but left that idea out. Nintendo’s interview does not give a reason for dropping it, so it is best understood simply as one of the concepts explored during development rather than a feature in the finished design.

How did the team make the transformation sound different?

Elephant Mario has dedicated footstep, jump, and water sounds, as well as a changed background-music arrangement. Composer Koji Kondo said the elephant footsteps were the first sounds created for the form. Producer Takashi Tezuka singled out the trunk’s hit sound: “The ‘boing’ sound it makes when you hit something with your trunk is quite impactful.”

Rank #2
Super Mario Bros Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park
  • Step into a world of wonder with Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Nintendo Switch 2! Experience a fresh twist on classic side-scrolling Mario gameplay, packed with vibrant visuals, new power-ups, and unexpected surprises around every corner.
  • Join Mario, Luigi, and friends as they explore imaginative new worlds filled with dynamic challenges and creative level design. The all-new Wonder Effects transform gameplay in exciting ways—pipes come alive, environments shift, and each level delivers a unique adventure.

The transformation itself has a new verbal cue. Kondo said, “When a character collects an Elephant Fruit and transforms, you hear ‘wowie zowie,’ a phrase unique to the elephant transformation that wasn’t in past games.”

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Is Elephant Mario really “the internet’s new obsession”?

That phrase comes from the headline of MobileSyrup’s August 31, 2023 interview with Mouri, whose introduction described fans becoming enamored with the form after the game’s June 2023 announcement. It is a qualitative description, not a measured claim: the cited coverage provides no statistic for the size, duration, or demographics of the online reaction.

Where Elephant Mario fits in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a Nintendo Switch game. Its official Nintendo page describes Wonder Flowers as changing courses and gameplay, placing Elephant Mario among the game’s broader experiments with familiar platforming. The power-up’s defining idea is practical: its size, side-block hits, and water spray each change what players can do in a level.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Super Mario Bros. Wonder : Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
Super Mario Bros. Wonder : Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
Find wonder in the Flower Kingdom in the next side-scrolling Super Mario adventure; Ease into the action with four different-colored Yoshis and Nabbit who can’t take damage
$59.88

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How to Turn On Vibrant Visuals in MinecraftMinecraftBlog3min
  2. Best Multiplayer Games for Low-End PCsBlog4min
  3. Minecraft: How To Use And Install OptiFineBlog5min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.