Why Mario has nipples but no belly button

 
In a new developer video Yoshiaki Koizumi has answered a number of questions that fans have been asking both about the entire Mario franchise and specifically the latest Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey.

The first question Koizumi answered was why does Mario have nipples in Super Mario Odyssey but no belly button, and what did he think to the fan feedback on this subject? He answered by saying that he really didn’t expect the subject of Mario’s nipples to be so prevalent, and has considered going back to the costume design that shows them off to implement a belly button, though no confirmation on action was given.

The next question is one that fans have had for years. Is Toad’s head a hat or his head? The character, being based on a Toadstool, is thought to have a bouncy hat, but some fans say that Toad’s head is in fact a hat that he wears to allow Mario to jump on it. Koizumi said that the shape is in fact Toad’s head, but that fans will need to decide amongst themselves just how it works.

Another question asked how Nintendo decided what elements to use from other Mario games in Super Mario Odyssey. He responded by saying that they had many discussions about which elements from various Mario titles to include, but ultimately they were heavy with Super Mario 64 references because it is the precursor to the Super Mario 3D games.

The final question regards the areas in Super Mario Odyssey that are incredibly hard to get to yet seem to have coins for players to collect, how and why they are there. Koizumi said that as the Testing team reported they could reach new, unexpected areas in the worlds, the developers added coins and collectibles there as a testament to the work the Testing Team had put into the game.

Super Mario Odyssey launchd for the Nintendo Switch in October 2017 and has since sold over 9 million copies. This made Super Mario Odyssey the best-selling first party title for Nintendo Switch so far. The fact that fans have so many weird and wonderful questions like these shows the huge level of interest the franchise has generated over the years.