You’ve seen his work. Honestly, if you’ve picked up a Nintendo game in the last fifteen years, you’ve stared directly at it. But if I asked you to name the artist, you’d probably hesitate. Most people think of Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator, or Yoichi Kotabe, the legendary animator who defined the 80s and 90s aesthetic.
But there is a new era.
Shigehisa Nakaue mario art is the reason the Mushroom Kingdom looks the way it does today. He isn't just some guy in the marketing department. He's the primary 2D illustrator for the entire Super Mario franchise. When you see a high-definition 2D render of Mario jumping on a Goomba or Peach looking surprisingly expressive on a postcard, that’s Nakaue.
He’s the bridge between the old-school watercolor charm and the clean, bold digital age.
The Man Who Saved the "Classic" Look
For a long time, there was this weird tension at Nintendo. The games were going 3D—think New Super Mario Bros. or Super Mario Galaxy—but the 2D promotional art started to feel a bit... corporate. Cold.
Then came Shigehisa Nakaue.
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He joined Nintendo officially in 2003, but he didn't start with Mario. Before he was the "Mario guy," he was working at Nintendo DREAM (a Japanese magazine), drawing a comic strip called Dream Drunker. It featured Bowser and a single Shy Guy. It was weird. It was niche. But it showed he had a "feel" for these characters that most people lacked.
What makes Nakaue special is how he channels Yoichi Kotabe. Kotabe is the guy who gave Bowser his turtle-ox look and refined Mario's proportions for Super Mario Bros.. When Kotabe retired, there was a risk that the "soul" of the 2D art would vanish. Nakaue stepped in and didn't just copy Kotabe—he evolved the style.
He brought back that watercolor-esque shading.
He added those thick, slightly irregular white borders.
He made the characters feel like they were made of ink and paper again, rather than just 3D models flattened out into a JPEG.
Why 3D Land Changed Everything
The real turning point for Shigehisa Nakaue mario art was Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS. Remember those letters you’d get from Princess Peach?
Those beautiful, hand-drawn postcards showing Peach in captivity or the Toads hanging out?
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For years, fans actually thought Kotabe had come out of retirement to draw them. That’s how good Nakaue is. He captured the nostalgia of the Super Mario World era so perfectly that he fooled the hardcore fans.
It’s all in the eyes
If you look closely at Nakaue’s work, you’ll notice the eyes are more expressive than the standard 3D renders. There’s a "spark" there. In Super Mario 3D World, he was the one behind the stamps you collect. Those stamps are a masterclass in minimalist character design. They have to work in one color, yet you can feel exactly what Luigi is feeling (usually terror).
He’s also the reason Donkey Kong looks "correct" again. There was a lot of chatter about the Super Mario Bros. Movie design for DK, with some people claiming Nintendo was "ruining" him. In reality, the movie design was heavily inspired by Nakaue’s 2D illustrations, which were themselves a callback to Miyamoto’s original 1981 sketches.
Nakaue likes the "philtrum"—that little ridge between the nose and the lip. It makes DK look more like a classic cartoon character and less like a generic gorilla.
Where You Can Spot His Work Right Now
Nakaue is everywhere. He isn't just doing the box art. His influence touches:
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- Mario Party Superstars: All those gorgeous 2D character assets.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: The promotional art that feels vibrant and "toony."
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder: While the game is 3D, the "vibe" and the exaggerated animations are a direct result of the 2D foundation Nakaue has spent two decades building.
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie: He was part of the "Nintendo Team" that supervised the character designs to ensure they stayed "on model."
It’s a tough job. You have to keep a 40-year-old character feeling fresh without breaking the "rules" that fans expect.
The Secret Sauce of the Nakaue Style
If you're an artist trying to replicate Shigehisa Nakaue mario art, you need to focus on three specific things. First, the line weight. It’s never uniform. It’s thicker where shadows would fall and thinner on top. Second, the "soft" shading. He uses gradients that mimic traditional airbrushing or watercolor, giving the characters volume without making them look "plastic."
Finally, there’s the posing.
Nakaue’s Mario is never static. Even in a "standing" pose, there’s a sense of weight. One foot is slightly forward. The cap is tilted. The hands are expressive. He understands that Mario isn't just a plumber—he's a performer.
Practical Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you actually want to see more of his work or learn from it, don't just look at the game covers.
- Check the My Nintendo Rewards: Nintendo often releases "Summer" or "Winter" themed wallpapers. These are almost always Nakaue originals. Look for the "Blooper in the ocean" piece from 2024—it’s quintessential Nakaue.
- Scan the 3D World Stamps: If you have the game, look at the 2D stamp gallery. It’s the purest distillation of his character work.
- Japanese Manuals: If you can find scans of Japanese manuals for the Mario & Luigi series (where he acted as a supervisor), you’ll see his DNA all over the character concepts.
- Follow the Credits: Next time you beat a Mario game, wait for the "Illustration" or "Artwork" section of the credits. If you see Shigehisa Nakaue, you know you’re looking at the gold standard of modern Nintendo art.
Stop thinking of modern Mario art as "generic." It’s the work of a single man who spent years drawing Bowser comics in a magazine until he was given the keys to the kingdom. He’s the reason the 2D Mario style hasn't just survived—it’s thriving.
Check your favorite Mario render again. Look at the shading. Look at the white border. You’re looking at a Nakaue.