Nintendo’s New Mario Render Update Adds the Character’s Long-Missing Coin Pouch

Nintendo has given Mario coin pockets. The company updated renders of Mario on its websites, and eagle-eyed fans caught the change. The detail is small, but it is a genuine addition to the character model.

The updates arrived after Nintendo’s recent Direct streams, which spotlighted Kirby, Samus and Zelda. Mario got a quieter nod. His overalls now feature small coin pouches.

The Render Update

The render shows a new version of Mario’s overalls with visible coin pockets. The change is cosmetic, not functional. Mario still cannot use these pockets in any game. But the detail is notable for a character who has spent nearly 45 years without them.

What the Pouches Add

The pockets are a small touch, but they address a long-standing gap. Mario has carried items throughout his history — Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, coins — but he has never had a visible place to put them. Now he does.

The pockets also add texture. Mario’s pants have fluctuated in detail since Super Smash Bros. Melee, with sudden realism that can look a little uncanny against his flat, flawless skin. These new pouches seem to have a little more give.

A Long History Without Pockets

Mario has faced dragons, ghosts, apes and aliens without catching his breath. He has saved the Mushroom Kingdom through deep undersea caverns and the stars above. And through it all, his wallet and keys were likely smushed together against his hip.

The report notes that Mario’s clothes continue to conform to his Mickey Mouse physique, but these new pockets seem to have a little more give. The pockets are painted-on, but they are painted-on in a way that suggests a small amount of stretch.

What We Make of It

This is a delightful update. After decades of Mario adventuring without pockets, Nintendo has finally given him somewhere to put his loose change, grocery receipts and BiC lighters. The detail is minor, but it is a genuine improvement to the character model.

The timing is also amusing. Kirby, Samus and Zelda were the main attractions of the Directs. Mario got a smaller nod. The render update shows that even a character as iconic as Mario gets attention when it comes to presentation.

The pockets are a small victory for fans who have wondered why Mario has never had a proper place to put his items.

The Bottom Line

Nintendo has given Mario coin pockets. The update is small, but it is real. The render shows the pouches as rendered detail, and the detail adds a layer of texture to a character who has remained largely unchanged for decades.

The update is a reminder that even the most iconic characters need a little care. Mario has been saving the Mushroom Kingdom for 45 years, and the new renders give him a place to put his items.

Here is what the update changed:

1. The Super Mario logo got a shiny bevel.
2. Mario’s overalls gained visible coin pouches.
3. The detail and texture of Mario’s pants fluctuated since Super Smash Bros. Melee.

The pockets are a small touch, but they matter to anyone who has ever wondered where Mario kept his coins.

Source material: “Nintendo Gives Mario Those Little Coin Pockets In Newly Updated Renders,” Kotaku.

cosmetic change · game industry · Mario · Nintendo · render update