Nintendo has always been able to make Mario feel like an old friend and their latest initiative, It’s Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts, does just that in a new and familiar way. This series of one minute stop motion animations is part of the My Mario campaign which includes toys, clothing and apps for young children and their families.
The first episode, “Mario’s Mustache” sets the tone with a simple concept. Mario stands in front of a mirror and struggles to control his mustache. As he combs, his hair takes on strange shapes – curly, zigzag and even briefly Wario’s – before he gets it back to normal. A sneeze at the end undoes all his work and the mustache curls up and he walks away unaware. 56 seconds of pure warmth and humor and stop motion. The felt and clay textures and Mario’s big expressions feel like a well worn storybook.
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In episode two, “Top Hat” Mario is looking for his red cap which is on top of a tall? Block. He can’t reach it with regular jumps so he smartly uses wall jumps from the surrounding Brick Blocks to climb higher. His success is short lived – after a happy jump the cap gets stuck again and Mario is blissfully unaware. This episode captures the essence of Mario’s platforming roots by transferring his in game acrobatics to a tangible almost toy like environment.
“Shell Games” the third episode is all about Mario’s naughty side. He finds a Green Shell and kicks it with glee only for it to ricochet off a coin block and chase him down. Mario does a beautiful backflip to avoid the first hit but the shell comes back and he tumbles. The slapstick humor and recognizable Mario sound effects is like the games. Dwarf Studios attention to detail – tiny accessories, jerky movements and a fun rhythm – makes the setting feel like a diorama you want to reach out and grab.
These are more than just fun diversions; they’re part of Nintendo’s My Mario project which launched alongside the Hello, Mario! app for Switch and mobile devices. The campaign is to make Mario a physical part of young children’s lives by offering things like wooden block sets (some of which double as amiibo), plush toys and apparel. The whole product line is now available in Nintendo’s Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto stores, but select items will be released globally in 2026 to coincide with Mario’s 40th anniversary.
Dwarf Studios takes the series above mere promotion. Their work on Pokémon Concierge gives the animations a professional yet handmade feel with each frame bursting with attention. The shorts don’t rely on flashy CGI but instead embrace the imperfections of stop-motion – slight wobbles, obvious seams – to give them a homemade feel.
