Alvin-Earthworm

Where does the name Alvin Earthworm come from?

When I was in my teens, I was a big fan of the Earthworm Jim games and cartoon series. Alvin was just a fan character that I created based on him. Much like how people created their own Sonic OC's.
I have long since retired the character. However, since most people associate SMBZ with the username, I brought it back just for that purpose. At least so people know this reboot is the genuine article.

Where or when did you thought of the idea for SMBZ originally?

Back in 2005, I was a huge fan of sprite animations on Newgrounds. Series like Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom. Sonic's Quest for power and Power star were huge contributors to my inspiration.
On top of being a Nintendo and Sega fan, I also enjoyed watching Dragonball Z at the time because, being British without the luxury of Satellite TV, I never had the chance to watch it growing up.
So I decided that I wanted to try my hand at making my own series combining all of the things I loved. There was also a plethora of Mario vs Sonic animations on Newgrounds as well. So I thought to myself "What if Mario and Sonic were allies instead of enemies?"
That's when SMBZ was born.

What made you decide that now was the time to bring the series back? What's changed since 3 years ago?

I always had the intention of coming back and finishing what I had started. But with the stress, long hours and constant verbal abuse from my previous job, I was overwhelmed and I ended up having a nervous breakdown.
I have since lost my job and now have all the time I need to focus on my personal projects.

Why reboot and not just continue? :)

I think the term "The artist is their own worst critic" applies here. I wasn't satisfied with the older version of the series and there were certain things I wanted to revamp and improve upon. I knew I wouldn't be satisfied just editing the old ones, so I'm starting over with a clean slate.

When will each episode come out? once a Month? twice a Month?

I have no set schedule for when I will release each episode. They will be out when they're out. All I ask for is a little patience.

How heavy will non-pixel art feature in the reboot? Including use of CGI?

I would like to use the non pixel art for certain close ups or the more dramatic moments. They do take longer to make than sprites, so maybe not too often.

Are the events that happened in the previous version gonna happen the same way or differently?

A bit of both. There are some things I'd like to preserve while other bits are in dire need of being changed.

Do you plan to go for a consistent episode length now that you will render out the episodes?

I would like to. At the very least I want to avoid going into "episode 7" lengths again.

I heard you used some other program rather than flash that made it easier for you to animate. I got confused about exactly which program you were using and why you used it. What was the program that you were using and how can i get it?

Allow me to clear up this misconception. I'm still using Flash CS3 Professional for the animating. But, I will now be using Swivel to convert the series into high quality videos at 1080p. SWF files are very limited and are prone to lagging if there is a lot of stuff going on, so I shall not be releasing the series in this format anymore.

Are you gonna make the make the whole series this time?

I really want to this time. Hopefully there won't be any unexpected snags.

Are you going to add any other franchise series to SMBZ? Ex. Mega man, Kirby, blah blah

I'd like to avoid adding other franchises to the mix, unless I can find a very good reason for doing so.
My philosophy is "less is more" when I make the series. I don't just randomly shoehorn in loads of popular characters just for fanservice. (unlike some other sprite series that shall not be named!)

Does the story take place in a specific game like for example before the events of Super Mario Galaxy and etc?

I think the series should be its own continuity. But if I had to decide, I would say right at the very end of the Mario and Sonic timelines.

I want to know your reasons why you want to have all of Sonic and Shadow's friends still being dead and have no means of reviving them. To me and a few others it just feels like the entire Sonic Universe is killed off for good and with only two male hedgehogs being the only Mobians left alive as part of an endanger species who would then (you say...) live permanently in Mario's World. To me it feels pointless much as it is for them like a sad ending. I just want to know why you have no means of bringing back the other Sonic heroes and why you think they should stay dead? I want to know! I have the right... To know!

For one, the show is called Super "Mario bros" Z. Even though Sonic and Shadow are in the series and the main antagonist is a powered up genocidal Metal Sonic, at the end of the day, it's still a Mario parody. I wanted to focus more on the Mario aspects.
Secondly, it was to trim the fat on the main cast of characters. I would rather have a smaller cast with more focus than a large cast of underutilized characters just to appease the fans. Less is more.
Third, the death of Sonic's friends will play a big role in Sonic's character development later on in the saga. I won't say what though, due to spoilers.
Fourth, One of my biggest pet peeves of DBZ was the fact that death had no impact. If a character died, Goku would just comically shrug his shoulders and say "No biggie! We'll just wish them back with the Dragonballs! lolololol". I would rather not fall into the same trappings. It also raises the stakes and makes Metallix a more threatening villain. He will not hesitate to kill anyone that stands in his way.
And before you ask "Why can't the Star spirits bring them back?". The Star Spirits only have influence in the Mushroom Kingdom. Since Mobius is in another dimension, their powers will have no affect. And even if they could bring them back, I wouldn't want them to for the reason stated above.

Are you planning any new forms for Sonic and Shadow via Mario's powerups?

I'm not sure, really. I felt Fire Sonic's appearance in the series had more impact since it was the first time a Sonic character used a Mario power up. Doing it too often could end up diluting the experience.

Will wario and waluigi become actual antagonists or are they still gonna be joke characters?

Mostly the latter. But they will regularly hinder the heroes progress as the story progresses.

Would you bring the yellow and blue toad into the series?

I will be perfectly honest. I never liked the generic Toad characters in New Super Mario bros. I would have much rather played as Wario and Waluigi or some other better established Mario characters instead of them.
Needless to say, they won't be in SMBZ.

Why did you replace Wart with King K Rool?

Some people brought up a good point about Subcon being in a dream world. The story I had in place for the heroes reaching Subcon didn't really have any logic to it. Plus I felt what I had planned would be better suited to K Rool and the Kremling crew.

Will the partners from any of the Paper Mario games be present at some point?

Goombella will be making a return. Not so sure about the other partners though. I try to avoid cramming in tons of characters for fanservice, unless I can find a good reason for doing so.

If Metallix is gonna replace Mecha Sonic then what will his transformation look like with all 7 chaos emeralds?

I have some sprite concepts made for his "perfect form". But I don't plan on sharing them until he makes his appearance in the show. I don't want other sprite animators to steal my design, like they did with Axem Blue.

Will all the fights be completely different form the original series?

For the most parts yes. At the very least I'm remaking the fights from the ground up.

What made you decide to use the Star Spirits as the "Mario version" of the Chaos Emeralds instead of artifacts like the Crystal Stars from TTYD?

The Star Spirits have the ability to grant wishes. When things start looking bleak, the heroes seek them out to help them unlock their Super forms. Once the Star spirits grant their wish, the heroes will be able to turn into their Super forms at will. Just like how Saiyans can turn Super any time they want.
I figured this would be better than them needing X magical McGuffins to accomplish the same goal.

Since you have Swivel, are you going to put textures on the Omega Doomship like you originally wanted?

Oh, I will be collaborating with a talented 3D animator for the new version of the Omega Doomship. Trust me on this, it's gonna blow your mind.

When coming up with the "super" Mario design, did you get it from somewhere in particular? Or you made it up?

When coming up with the design, my philosophy was "If Mario could go Super Saiyan".
I wasn't gonna make his hair and stache go yellow though. That would have been stupid...

Are we going to see Princess Peach get into any fight scenes in this reboot?

Princess Peach has always been a dumbass in distress and that's how she's gonna stay.

Where will you be uploading the episodes?

I will be uploading them to Youtube and Newgrounds.

Will the banana bomb return?

The Banana bomb was part of an old inside joke that has long since run its course. So he won't be in the reboot.

How do I play this game?

I wish you could. But instead, Nintendo and Sega are content with releasing stupid Olympic party games. u_u