In the original, Mario and his friends are flat planes with black outlines, to give the impression they’re drawings rather than computer graphics. While that design is still present in the remake, you can also see a faint hint of a white highlight around the edges of the character model, much like you’d see on actual paper cutouts. It’s subtle but pervasive, and it contributes to the sense that these models really were cut out by hand.
Every piece of the world has this attention to detail. When you first enter Rogueport, there’s a platform in the main square with a noose on it. In the original, the wooden steps are straight and flat, and everything is at a right angle. It’s fine for a background element, and the flat noose cutout sways in the wind, so the effect works.
In the remake, however, the steps are a little crooked and janky. The side pieces of the steps look bent,…
