Skip to main content

In case you were wondering, the mushroom on Toad is part of his head

Super Mario Odyssey Dev. Talk - ft. Mr. Koizumi
Nintendo has offered up disturbing factoids about its many game series in the past, including the truth behind Mario’s treatment of Yoshi, but there are none that prepared us for the company’s latest revelation. In a special developer video, Super Mario Odyssey producer Yoshiaki Koizumi revealed that the mushroom “hat” sitting on Toad’s head isn’t a hat at all — it’s part of the creature’s head.

“So that, as it turns out, is actually Toad’s head,” Koizumi said when asked by fans. “I’m going to have to leave it to all of you to figure out exactly how that works out. Maybe there’s something inside.”

Given the size of the growth and Toad’s lack of extraordinary intelligence, we can only assume he uses it to store the maps and other goodies he prepares for Mario during his adventures.

The debate on whether or not Toad is wearing a hat has gone back for years, particularly because of an episode of an old Super Mario Bros. cartoon where he can be seen taking it off, revealing a few strands of hair underneath. This is hardly considered canonical material, and Super Mario Odyssey often shows Toad wearing a hat on top of the mushroom. Were it actually a hat, this would be a little bizarre.

During the same developer video, Koizumi also addressed another point of contention: Mario’s lack of belly button. Ever since Mario’s nipples were revealed leading up to Odyssey‘s release, fans were left wondering why he didn’t have a belly button, as well. Was he human? Did he have a mother?

As it turns out, Koizumi and the team hadn’t really considered giving Mario a belly button until they heard the outcry from passionate fans demanding answers, so we shouldn’t expect the truth to come out anytime soon. Koizumi also refused to answer questions regarding Peach, Pauline, and Mario.

“I would appreciate it if we could respect the privacy of those three at this time,” he said with a laugh.

Perhaps we will learn the truth in the animated Mario movie being produced by Illumination — or at least the true last name of Mario and Luigi.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Super Mario Wonder is more of a transformation than you’re expecting
Bowser terrorizes Mario and company in Super Mario Wonder.

It’s been an unexpected year of change for Mario. The Super Mario Bros. Movie reversed the series’ big-screen fortunes, delivering a blockbuster hit led by (non-Italian) Chris Pratt. More shockingly, Nintendo recently announced that longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet is stepping down from the role after decades of work. A new era is dawning on the Mushroom Kingdom, and you can feel a bit of anxiety among longtime fans who don’t want the character they love to change too much.
With all those complicated threads coming together, Super Mario Wonder feels like a fitting game for the moment. It’s a throwback to Mario’s traditional 2D platformers, keeping old fans happy while still promising some level of transformation -- and I’m not just talking about Mario’s new elephant form. Whether it was Nintendo’s intention for not, it could wind up being the most symbolic release in the franchise’s long history.

That context was in the back of my mind when I demoed an hour of Super Mario Wonder, jumping through six of its main courses and two bonus stages. Longtime fans won’t be disappointed, as the latest entry retains all of its staples and Nintendo’s enduring 2D design chops. What’s more exciting, though, is how many new ideas Super Mario Wonder brings to an old formula. It’s not a total transformation, but it exists in a healthy middle ground that should make it a reliable crowd-pleaser.
The Flower Kingdom
I’m not sure anyone needs me to go over the basics of a 2D Mario game at this point: run, jump, collect coins and power-ups. All of those gameplay hooks are unchanged, as is Nintendo’s level design philosophy. If you still love that formula, that’s probably all you need to know until reviews hit this October.

Read more
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is getting a very red Nintendo Switch OLED
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

Nintendo is launching a Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition in October. The news capped off the company's Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct today, which shared new details on the upcoming platformer.

This new themed version of the latest Nintendo Switch iteration is completely red across the system and Joy-Cons. On the back of it, players can find a silhouette of Mario and hidden coins. It's not as detailed as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's OLED model, but it does look very sleek. This Mario Red Edition system will come out on October 6, two weeks ahead of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's release.

Read more
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct: how to watch and what to expect
Mario as an elephant in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Nintendo will reveal more about Super Mario Bros. Wonder during a Nintendo Direct dedicated to the game that's set for later this week. Nintendo announced this new 2D Mario game during a Direct in June, but we haven't learned much more about it since then outside of the fact that Charles Martinet won't voice Mario in it. As such, this is a presentation Mario fans will definitely want to tune into ahead of the game's release in October. If you're planning to watch the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct live, this is everything you need to know about watching it.

When is the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct
Nintendo confirmed that the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct will take place at 7 a.m. PT on August 31. It says the showcase will last "roughly 15 minutes," so you'll only need to set aside a little bit of time on Thursday morning for it.
How to watch the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct
Like most Nintendo Directs, this Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct will be live-streamed on Nintendo's YouTube channel. The premiere for it is already live on YouTube, and you can watch it from this article with the embedded video below. 
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct 8.31.2023
What to expect from the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches for Nintendo Switch on October 20, but there's still a lot we don't know about it. Nintendo simply says the Direct will serve as "an in-depth look at Mario's latest 2D side-scrolling adventure," so expect a deep dive into the different characters, gimmicks, and abilities players will encounter during the game. 
I personally hope we learn more about some of the new power-ups we can use in the adventure, like the Wonder Flower that makes levels weird and the strange-looking power-up that turns Mario into an elephant. One thing you shouldn't expect from this Direct: other Nintendo games. This is a livestream to tune into if you want to learn more about Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario Bros. Wonder alone. That's not such a bad thing, though.

Read more