When it comes to games like Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros Wonder, it takes quite a bit to make them shine the way they did when they were released in 2023. That’s why the dev teams have talked about what made them shine many times over. However, at GDC 2024, there are going to be a set of “developer sessions” that will help further showcase the effort of the Nintendo squads.
First, there is the “Tunes of the Kingdom: Evolving Physics and Sounds for ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.'” Three members of the dev team, including the technical director, sound engineer, and physics programmer, will talk about what challenges they overcame to make the game and “will share insights on Link’s new abilities, composing Hyrule’s expanded sound design and music, and how these go hand-in-(Ultra)hand to create a new experience for players.”
Then, there’s “2D and Tomorrow: How the Developers of ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’ Find New Joy in Creating Classic Side-Scrolling Adventures”. In this dev session, Producer Takashi Tezuka and director Shiro Mouri come together to “discuss the unique challenge of taking classic side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. gameplay and turning it upside down.” They’ll elaborate on the Wonder Effect and the inspirations from the past that helped influence the main game, as well as the features that could help future Mario titles!
All told? It’s going to be an interesting GDC.
