Nintendo Rejected Edgier Mario Concept for Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Acquire’s initial rugged redesign for Mario was replaced with a style more consistent with the series’ established identity after Nintendo’s feedback.

Acquire initially proposed a rugged, edgier design for Mario in Mario & Luigi: Brothership, featuring torn clothing and a yellow cape, but it was deemed unfit for the series’ tone by Nintendo.
Nintendo provided Acquire with detailed guidelines on what defines the Mario & Luigi series, leading to a shift toward a more traditional and recognizable art style.
The game marks Acquire’s first collaboration with Nintendo on a Mario title, with the studio leveraging its experience from games like Octopath Traveler to create a vibrant 3D visual style.
New characters, such as Connie, underwent significant redesigns during development to better align with the Mario universe’s whimsical aesthetic.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership, released for the Nintendo Switch, has been praised for its colorful, cartoonish visuals that effectively modernize the series’ charm.