In the build up to Super Mario Odyssey, there was an amusing meme that emerged from some prerelease footage of the game which showed off Mario running around on the beach with his shirt off. Naturally, the internet immediately went wild over the fact that Mario’s nipples were so prominently displayed, and now Yoshiaki Koizumi, Odyssey’s producer, has spoken with his thoughts on the subject.

In a recent video interview, Koizumi answered a slew of fan questions relating to the game, addressing the topic of Mario’s nipples and lack of a belly button. Koizumi said he was surprised by the internet’s reaction, but he seemed quite amused by the reception. Another interesting tidbit was the final confirmation that Toad’s head is indeed is head, not just a hat that he wears. It's a great interview all in all, hopefully Nintendo starts doing more of these.

What do you think? Did you always wonder that about Toad? Have you been enthralled by Mario’s nipples? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

[source youtube.com]