Shigeru Miyamoto says Super Mario dash was born from a coding bug

In an interview with Casa Brutus, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto explained that the iconic dash mechanic in the original Super Mario Bros. – where holding the B button makes Mario run faster and clear small gaps – was not a deliberate design choice but the result of a collision‑detection bug. When the programmer noticed Mario not falling, Miyamoto decided to keep the effect because it added fun to the gameplay.

Miyamoto also recounted other accidental features that became staples, such as the hidden block that originated from floating coins and the Cheep Cheep enemy, whose concept was first suggested by graphic artist Takashi Tezuka. He emphasized the collaborative nature of the development team, noting that ideas were shared freely and even jokes like banning headphones in the office helped shape the game.