Super Mario RPG monster designer apologizes for their lack of knowledge in cocktails 

Nintendo just announced the release of the Super Mario RPG remake on November 17. The search for what’s new and different has already started, with fans analyzing the newly released trailer. An article going into the particulars of what’s been discovered, published on our Japanese site AUTOMATON, has earned an apologetic response from the monster designer of the original Super Mario RPG due to a certain charming mistake they had made in the past. 

The original Super Mario RPG was released in 1996 for the SNES. The remake obviously brings big changes such as high-definition 3D graphics, new gameplay elements and changes to the setting and characters, but the update that caused a reaction from Kurashima Kazuyuki, the game graphic designer who worked on the monsters in Super Mario RPG, is a rather small design revision made to the major villain Valentina. 

The design revision was first spotted by @MarioBrothBlog, and consists merely of Valentina’s drink being changed – what was previously a cherry in her cocktail glass is now what appears to be a lime slice. The reason for this change can be explained by Valentina’s Japanese name – Margarita. Being named after the famous cocktail, it’s only natural that the cocktail she holds is a Margarita as well, but a cocktail with a cherry in it is not a very accurate representation of a Margarita. Thus, the minute correction was made. 

Learning of the news of the revision, Kurashima realized his past mistake and decided to comment on it, quoting our news article with an apology via his official Twitter account. 

Kurashima Kazuhiro has worked as a graphic designer for game developers such as Square, Love-De-Lic, Vanpool and is currently an art director at Onion Games. Aside from Super Mario RPG, he has notably worked on character designs for Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Pokémon designs for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and others. 

Though no apology was needed and surely no one would have held the inaccurate Margarita representation against him, the modest remark from a seasoned designer makes the whole ordeal endearing, with nothing but positive reactions from users. Kurashima has been following news of the Super Mario RPG remake, singing praises and expressing his excitement. 

Super Mario RPG is scheduled for release on November 17 for Nintendo Switch.