Remember Tokotoko Mario? The walking toy was featured in the Super Nintendo World Direct and sold there from the start. It was, however, quietly discontinued post November 2022. A new Japanese patent finally offers an explanation: the construction was overly complex (imgs 1-2 below), implying high production costs.
To address the problem, a structurally simpler walking mechanism based on four-bar linkage is proposed, using only three moving parts per leg and one crankshaft (imgs 1-2 below). Although Nintendo’s R&D work isn’t always commercialized, I think it’s possible that Tokotoko Mario may return with the new mechanism.
And to demonstrate that Weird Nintendo is alive and kicking, the patent also includes an embodiment that replaces the conventional bicycle drivetrain with this invention. Instead of pedaling circularly, the rider stomps the left/right pedal down alternatingly to go forward.
[Originally posted on 2026-09-15 Pacific Time]
