Finding the right balance of 1-ups in Mario games is difficult for Nintendo

In the past few Mario titles, veteran gamers have been able to obtain large amounts of 1-ups without much effort. That’s in contrast to some of the earlier entries in the franchise. Aside from performing certain tricks in levels, it wasn’t as easy to acquire a large stack of lives.

Game Informer brought up the possibly that 1-ups may have become devalued as a prize over the years while speaking with Takashi Tezuka.

When asked if this was the case, Tezuka responded by noting how it’s tough trying to find the right amount of 1-ups to have to each Mario title. Ultimately though, Nintendo hopes that more players will complete the experience until the very end, so there have been “an increased number of these items.” Tezuka also mentioned that players looking for more of a challenge could try out other modes, perhaps referring to the inclusion of Boost Rush in New Super Mario Bros. U.

“That’s a difficult balancing question for us. I think that those who are experienced Mario players might feel that there are a lot of 1-ups or power-ups or items that help them out. Others, who are maybe not as experienced, would really need that number to be able to progress through the game. The question becomes, ‘Who do we balance the game for? Who do we make this for?’ One of our goals is to increase the number of people who play a Mario title through to the end. With that being one of our goals, we have an increased number of these items. That being said, for players who need more of a challenge or who are looking for some variation, we have included other modes that will allow for them to get that sort of gaming fix. I think we have created something that has a wide range of features that a very wide range of players will be able to enjoy.”