Last evening, a 3D animator and Twitter user by the name of @NooB4536 has developed a 3D rig of the original platforming superstar. The Mario rig is free to download and can be used for any SFW animations.
3D rigging is a process that basically builds the bone structure of a 3D model. While Nintendo most certainly have their own rigs for animating Mario, this one can be used freely by any aspiring 3D animator. The bones of this Mario feature a variety of sliders for his arms and legs, as well as a face rig for making him display different faces. It's likely possible that this Mario can also be used for VTuber purposes. The model looks its best in Cycles, but it can be worked with to work in Eevee, although NooB isn't sure about it working in Renderman.
It's time.
— NooB. (@NooB4536) February 22, 2021
Mario rig is now released to the public, I also made this little video showcasing some important features about the rig.
Only rules are to not make anything NSFW related, crediting me will be a nice thing to do.https://t.co/UIQidqyZqQ
Have fun! pic.twitter.com/8Q72Wx6HQB
One of the more interesting features of the rig is a "costume bone" that has properties to change the textures on Mario's clothes. This allows users to give him a selection of his palette swap outfits, such as Fire Mario, Shadow Mario, and Luigi. In addition to the costume bone, the model comes with two alternate outfits: Mario's builder getup from Mario Maker and his fancy tuxedo from Super Mario Odyssey. NooB's only rule on using the Mario rig is to not use it for NSFW purposes, and that "crediting me will be a nice thing to do." It's also worth crediting @uijidow, @HoloOdyssey, and @MLSpence3D for offering their criticism and advice on this project.
The Mario rig can be downloaded from this Google Drive link. If you want it, we suggest getting it soon before Nintendo possibly takes action to take it down.