Super Mario Bros.
Wonder arrives in discussions of game audio not just for its level design but for how Nintendo approached characterful sound effects.
Developed by Nintendo EPD and revealed during a Nintendo Direct on June 21, 2023, Super Mario Bros.
Wonder released worldwide for Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023.
The side-scrolling entry introduces new mechanics under the game's "Wonder" theme, including moving Warp Pipes such as the Inchworm Pipe, and is available digitally through the Nintendo eShop.
A member of Nintendo's sound team who worked on Super Mario Bros.
Wonder has detailed the process of designing the Inchworm Pipe's signature noise.
As a new employee assigned to enemy, mechanism and environmental sounds, he said his early interest in how music and auditory perception move emotions led him to focus on sound over music.
That background framed his approach to crafting audio that feels alive in a game world.
According to the developer's description, the team faced a fundamental challenge: unlike real-world objects, a living, wriggling pipe has no direct acoustic reference.
Initial attempts produced scraping sounds—what the team described as a "zuzuzuuu"—but those effects failed to communicate the pipe's creature-like personality.
Senior sound designers then built a preliminary version that used vibrato, a pitch-shaking effect, to suggest the pipe's wiggling motion.
The developer explained that the vibrato helped convey movement in a way raw Foley could not, giving the pipe a more organic, animated presence.
Building on that foundation, the sound team refined the effect to emphasize a "wriggling, creature-like quality" that matches the Inchworm Pipe's on-screen behavior.
The developer noted that successful game sound effects do more than label materials or actions; they shape player impressions, signal character, and contribute to the game's sense of fun and surprise.
He credited the seniors' thoughtful approach to how players will perceive sounds, saying it expanded his own perspective on audio design and returned him to the "starting line" of his craft with renewed focus.
This interview and translation were provided by Philip Proctor, SatsumaFS, and Simon Griffin on behalf of Nintendo Everything.
The account highlights how iterative experimentation and deliberate use of techniques like vibrato helped Nintendo EPD create an effect that supports Wonder's playful aesthetic on Nintendo Switch and in digital release via the eShop.
Wonder arrives in discussions of game audio not just for its level design but for how Nintendo approached characterful sound effects.
Developed by Nintendo EPD and revealed during a Nintendo Direct on June 21, 2023, Super Mario Bros.
Wonder released worldwide for Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023.
The side-scrolling entry introduces new mechanics under the game's "Wonder" theme, including moving Warp Pipes such as the Inchworm Pipe, and is available digitally through the Nintendo eShop.
A member of Nintendo's sound team who worked on Super Mario Bros.
Wonder has detailed the process of designing the Inchworm Pipe's signature noise.
As a new employee assigned to enemy, mechanism and environmental sounds, he said his early interest in how music and auditory perception move emotions led him to focus on sound over music.
That background framed his approach to crafting audio that feels alive in a game world.
According to the developer's description, the team faced a fundamental challenge: unlike real-world objects, a living, wriggling pipe has no direct acoustic reference.
Initial attempts produced scraping sounds—what the team described as a "zuzuzuuu"—but those effects failed to communicate the pipe's creature-like personality.
Senior sound designers then built a preliminary version that used vibrato, a pitch-shaking effect, to suggest the pipe's wiggling motion.
The developer explained that the vibrato helped convey movement in a way raw Foley could not, giving the pipe a more organic, animated presence.
Building on that foundation, the sound team refined the effect to emphasize a "wriggling, creature-like quality" that matches the Inchworm Pipe's on-screen behavior.
The developer noted that successful game sound effects do more than label materials or actions; they shape player impressions, signal character, and contribute to the game's sense of fun and surprise.
He credited the seniors' thoughtful approach to how players will perceive sounds, saying it expanded his own perspective on audio design and returned him to the "starting line" of his craft with renewed focus.
This interview and translation were provided by Philip Proctor, SatsumaFS, and Simon Griffin on behalf of Nintendo Everything.
The account highlights how iterative experimentation and deliberate use of techniques like vibrato helped Nintendo EPD create an effect that supports Wonder's playful aesthetic on Nintendo Switch and in digital release via the eShop.
