Miyamoto reflects on the Super Guide

The controversial Super Guide wasnt easy to implement Miyamoto has revealed in a new Iwata Asks

The Super Guide was a storm in a tea cup, the feature which allows you to let the CPU finish a level or get past a tough spot in New super Mario Bros Wii was actually pretty helpful and non intrusive. However while the idea is a good one it was a hard one for the team at Nintendo and Miyamoto to implement.

The Super Guide itself activates after you die a certain amount of times on a level however Miyamoto revealed that originally it was an option on the main menu but that didnt sit well with him. "At first, we had the option to view the Super Guide on the first menu screen. But as I couldnt bring myself to allow that, we considered a number of solutions and eventually came up with the idea that after losing three turns, a hint block would appear." Miyamoto says. However the amount of times you fail at a level before the guide came up was also a point of contention. "Should it be five times, or would it be better if it were ten times? I thought that ten times would probably be best, but there were people who thought somewhere in between would be better and they suggested: "How about making it eight times?”

So why make the guide? Miyamoto in response to a question posed by Iwata explains "Theres always a basic reason why you cant clear a level: either its because the game is really difficult, or its because you dont understand the game properly. For instance, even though you could use a lift and bounce easily to the next stage, you go out of your way to choose a tricky route and that means no matter how many times you try it, you fail." Miyamoto says once youve seen someone do the level and choose the easiest path youre more likely to be able to do it yourself.

And what about all the pro players who dont need the guide? Well, play through the game and not use it once and youll get yourself a medal. Everyone wins.

Read more of the interview at Nintendos latest Iwata Asks feature.