Shigeru Miyamoto shot down guest appearances from iconic Nintendo characters in plaformer sequel, saying they did not have a "functional reason" to be included.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 might have included a supporting cast of iconic Nintendo characters, but legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto wanted none of it.

Yoshi was a good fit for Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Speaking to Side Mission, Super Mario Galaxy 2 director Koichi Hayashida said Donkey Kong and Pikmin cameos were suggested for inclusion in the game, but ultimately, Miyamoto said these characters were a mismatch for the title.

"We presented this to Mr. Miyamoto, but he came down pretty hard, saying that there has to be a functional reason to include characters of a certain type in a game," he said.

Hayashida did not elaborate as to why Donkey Kong was scrubbed from Super Mario Galaxy 2, but as for Pikmin, he said the decision was made in regard to the characters' body type.

"In the Pikmin games, you'll notice that all the Pikmin are very thin--tall and narrow for their frame," Hayashida said. "Mario enemies tend to be on the short and squat side, and there's a functional reason for that. They're easier to stomp on. They're lower so you can get above them and broader so you can land on them. In that sense, Pikmin are just not well suited for the Mario universe."

Super Mario Galaxy 2 shipped in 2010 to a warm critical reception. For more on the title, check out GameSpot's review.

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