Thread by @bobjinx

Animator and artist Yoichi Kotabe seems to be the key thread connecting everything I love about Mario/Zelda Nintendo design. Sure, Miyamoto got the ideas and worlds off to a great start. I'm mainly talking aesthetic here.

See 'Doki Doki Panic', where Kotabe enters around 1985.

He created that art, and this art for the redone US version of 'Doki Doki Panic' (Super Mario Bros 2). Which got me looking and thinking. A lot of the weird surreal character design first shows up in Mario 2. Did Kotabe have something to do with that?

We all know the 'Mario world' got its start with Miyamoto. This is a famous artwork credited to Miyamoto. It's definitely cartoony, and Tezuka inspired (even though none of this aesthetic made it into Super Mario 1 the game).

Working with Miyamotoz, "Kotabe created the image of Mario that became the new base for the visual development of Nintendo's mascot. Kotabe also redefined the look of other characters in the series." Including Bowser and Princess Toadstool.
mariowiki.com/Yoichi_Kotabe

He was around during the production of 'Doki Doki' and is credited by some to have created characters including Birdo, Mouser, Fry Guy, Wart and Triclyde.

I'm not sure if he did all of the game manual art Mario 2? Hard to say.

But anyway, Mario 2 is when gets weirder. And that's why it matters. The character world and aesthetic grows immensely.

Yoichi Kotabe is on the Nintendo team for Mario 3, where he makes a huge splash with the fan base. The illustration art around this game (especially the game manual art) is treasured by all of us. But did you know his name?

I mean, he designed the Koopa Kids! It doesn't get any cooler than that.

He's responsible for this Frog Mario design.
All of this builds and builds to who we now know as a very cartoony appealing Mario, and world of appealing baddies.

If contributions to Mario 2 and Mario 3 weren't enough, there's Super Mario World!

Even more baddies added to the world! —iterating on a lot of the same design ideas stretching back to Mario 2.

Seen again in some classic game manual art. Really building out the world of koopas as well! (thank goodness they don't look like the long-necked turkey-headed turtles from Mario 1 any more)

Now, you may be thinking, BOB! You mentioned Zelda at the top of this. Plenty of Mario here, but where's the Zelda art?

Kotabe created the illustration art for 'Links Awakening' back in the early 90s.

And he was a leading art direction voice on 'The Wind Waker'

(see this previous research thread of mine)
I mean, Wind Waker! Mario 2, Mario 3, and Super Mario World would be enough for most mortals, but the guy lead design on Wind Waker.

https://twitter.com/bobjinx/status/1130632463015981056

So, sum total here: You've heard plenty about Miyamoto birthing Nintendo's best games.

Make sure to commit to memory Yoichi Kotabe as well.

For anyone interested in digging into the history of Mario 2, this video is a great primer. Growing up I remember hearing it was a lazy port of another game. The reality is that the Mario directly inspired Doki Doki Panic (and eventually became Mario 2)