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[Sapiens]

How i feel about the Mario franchise as of late.

That would be true if Galaxy 1, 2 and 3D Land weren't so magnificent.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

and you got this from 4 generic screenshots? wow, kudos to you

he got it from looking at how NSMB and NSMBWii turned out and by seeing that the artstyle seems to be pretty much similar to those now, i'd say that's pretty legit as far as opinions go!

 

[TheNatural]

You non-haters (lol) gotta understand.

The Mario games up until NSMB were all extremely well-crafted labours of love, and that's a big part of why we love them so much. They ooze soul because dozens of crafty japanese enthusiasts poured their soul into it, for hours and hours.

That's clearly not the case here, and to a lot of us, it feels straight up sacrilegious. When Disney started making low-budget straight-to-video sequels to the Jungle Book and other classics, that felt wrong too. Where there's a tradition for going all the way, a cheap cop-out is heartbreaking.

Even if a big portion of the NSMB audience is okay with the same visual style, I think Nintendo is making a mistake here. The new Mario audience will grow up to love Mario even more if it has more of that special "je ne sais quoi" that comes from serious artistry. Kids accept whatever is fun, but they can feel the difference between something deep and something shallow, even if they appreciate both in the moment. The feeling of something thorough stays with you, and grows.

Do you guys really think a brand new Mario with all the bells and whistles & freshness that SMB3, SMW and YI had (when they first came out) would sell less than a new NSMB game? I don't think so. They could easily make the game play exactly like the other NSMB games, just with richer visuals and audio. But the best thing would be to actually respect the legacy of Mario by making something brand spanking new without sacrificing what already works.
It would be a far better way for Nintendo to cultivate their brand too, instead of this fast food version.

You pretty much summed it up. Thing is, they're dictated by finances, and this is cheap and easy. It's cheap and easy to reuse assets and update them a little bit than taking something from scratch and spending the time to make something new.

They're ill prepared and continue to be ill prepared. So now they're just pushing stuff out, that may have the of the core compentancies of previous games, but nothing more than that.

 

[The Technomancer]

It's not so much that SMB 1, 2, 3, and World stand up graphically/artistically to the NSMB series, it's that they were beautiful for their time and were constantly improving. We all know Nintendo is capable of amazing 2D environments -- everything from Yoshi's Island to Kirby's Canvas Curse to Wario Land: Shake It. I want to see them build upon their tradition of amazing sprite based art. Until then, the NSMB games won't feel 100% like classic Mario to me, and will instead come off as second rate, artistic hack jobs.

Dude, Super Mario World's art, especially in the first few worlds, is bland as fuck. Far more then the NSMB games. World gets better as the game goes on but then so do the NSMB games. I mean, SMB 1-3 I can see, but world has always looked generic and bland to me.

 

[Chunky]

You non-haters (lol) gotta understand.

The Mario games up until NSMB were all extremely well-crafted labours of love, and that's a big part of why we love them so much. They ooze soul because dozens of crafty japanese enthusiasts poured their soul into it, for hours and hours.

That's clearly not the case here, and to a lot of us, it feels straight up sacrilegious. When Disney started making low-budget straight-to-video sequels to the Jungle Book and other classics, that felt wrong too. Where there's a tradition for going all the way, a cheap cop-out is heartbreaking.

Even if a big portion of the NSMB audience is okay with the same visual style, I think Nintendo is making a mistake here. The new Mario audience will grow up to love Mario even more if it has more of that special "je ne sais quoi" that comes from serious artistry. Kids accept whatever is fun, but they can feel the difference between something deep and something shallow, even if they appreciate both in the moment. The feeling of something thorough stays with you, and grows.

Do you guys really think a brand new Mario with all the bells and whistles & freshness that SMB3, SMW and YI had (when they first came out) would sell less than a new NSMB game? I don't think so. They could easily make the game play exactly like the other NSMB games, just with richer visuals and audio. But the best thing would be to actually respect the legacy of Mario by making something brand spanking new without sacrificing what already works.
It would be a far better way for Nintendo to cultivate their brand too, instead of this fast food version.

Firstly, even linking NSMBWii to rubbish like Fox and the Hound 2 is a bit insulting.
Secondly, I'd like some actual examples of why NSMB is somewhow creatively bankrupt compared to the old games. Apart from some offshoots (like Land, YI) they've always had pretty plain art. You could maybe make a case for the music, but the 3D games beat 2d so roundly visually and aurally, it's bit of a pointless argument.

Dude, Super Mario World's art, especially in the first few worlds, is bland as fuck. Far more then the NSMB games. World gets better as the game goes on but then so do the NSMB games. I mean, SMB 1-3 I can see, but world has always looked generic and bland to me.

Exactly. None of this makes the 2D games bad, but putting them on this pedestal that NSMB is so seemingly subterranean against, is a bit weird.
Hopefully this announcement means EAD's been cooking up something good all this time.

 

[Kyleripman]

Bring back Chargin' Chuck, Nintendo, and I will forgive this trespass.

Yes please!

Loved NSMBWii, this game + 3D Land are making me really consider finally getting the 3DS.

 

[Tashi]

Pumped for this Mario. The more great 3DS games the better!

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

That would be true if Galaxy 1, 2 and 3D Land weren't so magnificent.

Well, it's still true because for Nintendo it seems like the lesser the quality, the more currency they acquire.

Games like Galaxy, Donky Kong, and 3D Land don't do as well as NSMB, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports, etc.

 

[botty]

Well, it's still true because for Nintendo it seems like the lesser the quality, the more currency they acquire.

Games like Galaxy, Donky Kong, and 3D Land don't do as well as NSMB, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports, etc.

Those games still sell a million times better than most games could dream of...

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Those games still sell a million times better than most games could dream of...

No doubt.

I just wish Nintendo put as much production effort into those games as they do titles like Galaxy.

You can still be an accessible, mainstream game and have beautiful art.

 

[kittens]

Dude, Super Mario World's art, especially in the first few worlds, is bland as fuck. Far more then the NSMB games. World gets better as the game goes on but then so do the NSMB games. I mean, SMB 1-3 I can see, but world has always looked generic and bland to me.

In 1991 SMBW blew my mind. If not amazing, it was very good for it's time. Other games have definitely impressed me more, including the one's I listed in my previous post. The NSMB series has only managed to impress me a handful of times. They're not ugly, they're just not up to par with the trajectory the classic 2D Mario games were taking the series.

 

[cartman414]

It's fine if you thought the FLUDD-less parts were your favorite parts of the game. Nothing wrong with that.

I didn't though, it felt like tacked on filler that was too different from the rest of the game.

I am not calling 2D platformers to be mindless, but I do think they are too simple for me. Many times I have played a 2.5D game and looked at the background thinking "why can't I go there?" and "Why am I stuck in this obstacle course?".

The FLUDD-less parts of Sunshine also felt less stimulating, since you were just jumping on random blocks instead of on an actual world. Felt more like test stages to test out the physics that were refitted to be levels.

Simplicity isn't always a bad thing, specifically platformers, which aren't as tightly focused in 3d as they are in 2d. There's a reason I'd take any of the best Mario side-scrollers over Mario 64 in a heartbeat.

You non-haters (lol) gotta understand.

The Mario games up until NSMB were all extremely well-crafted labours of love, and that's a big part of why we love them so much. They ooze soul because dozens of crafty japanese enthusiasts poured their soul into it, for hours and hours.

That's clearly not the case here, and to a lot of us, it feels straight up sacrilegious. When Disney started making low-budget straight-to-video sequels to the Jungle Book and other classics, that felt wrong too. Where there's a tradition for going all the way, a cheap cop-out is heartbreaking.

Even if a big portion of the NSMB audience is okay with the same visual style, I think Nintendo is making a mistake here. The new Mario audience will grow up to love Mario even more if it has more of that special "je ne sais quoi" that comes from serious artistry. Kids accept whatever is fun, but they can feel the difference between something deep and something shallow, even if they appreciate both in the moment. As a child I was in awe of Super Mario World, and it developed into a fondness that made me a fan to this day. I spent hours on other decent (but generic) platformers in my youth too, but I've forgotten many of them. The feeling of something thorough stays with you, and grows.

Do you guys really think a brand new Mario with all the bells and whistles & freshness that SMB3, SMW and YI had (when they first came out) would sell less than a new NSMB game? I don't think so. They could easily make the game play exactly like the other NSMB games, just with richer visuals and audio. But the best thing would be to actually respect the legacy of Mario by making something brand spanking new without sacrificing what already works.
It would be a far better way for Nintendo to cultivate their brand too, instead of this fast food version.

I think my brain just imploded reading that.

You complain about a lack of substance, yet it's the art style, not the gameplay, that's the focus of your complaint.

I'm a careful environment observer
Btw, I'm a lot excited about this game. Really curious about the world map, I'm still waiting for something more SMW style since the first Wario Land.

I think the SMW map/multiple exit system worked a lot better in the Wario series, since Wario games put a lot more stock in finding secret stuff.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

No doubt.

I just wish Nintendo put as much production effort into those games as they do titles like Galaxy.

You can still be an accessible, mainstream game and have beautiful art.

exactly, they COULD but they WON'T cos they don't HAVE to... so i think it is not that unfair to be accusing them of laziness in some instances!

 

[Bumhead]

After the amazing 3D Land, they are going back to the uninspired NSMB series.

Newsflash, but the two are totally capable of co-existing.

 

[botty]

No doubt.

I just wish Nintendo put as much production effort into those games as they do titles like Galaxy.

You can still be an accessible, mainstream game and have beautiful art.

Maybe it's the simplicity of it all that draws in the mass appeal that those games have. But, that's why Nintendo has it's different offerings of Mario... "Don't like NSMB? Take Galaxy!"

 

[Platy]

They did that with the Wario game on the Virtual Boy, didn't they? I haven't played it but I thought they did.

In a smaller way, they did that on the NES with Super Mario Bros 3

 

[A Twisty Fluken]

Quality is such a funny word, because it's so inherently subjective. For me, the design in NSMBW resulted in an extremely high quality product.

Anyway, I am super psyched for this and I kind of pity those getting bent out of shape over the art style.

 

[Kai Dracon]

You non-haters (lol) gotta understand.

The Mario games up until NSMB were all extremely well-crafted labours of love, and that's a big part of why we love them so much. They ooze soul because dozens of crafty japanese enthusiasts poured their soul into it, for hours and hours.

That's clearly not the case here, and to a lot of us, it feels straight up sacrilegious. When Disney started making low-budget straight-to-video sequels to the Jungle Book and other classics, that felt wrong too. Where there's a tradition for going all the way, a cheap cop-out is heartbreaking.

Even if a big portion of the NSMB audience is okay with the same visual style, I think Nintendo is making a mistake here. The new Mario audience will grow up to love Mario even more if it has more of that special "je ne sais quoi" that comes from serious artistry. Kids accept whatever is fun, but they can feel the difference between something deep and something shallow, even if they appreciate both in the moment. The feeling of something thorough stays with you, and grows.

Do you guys really think a brand new Mario with all the bells and whistles & freshness that SMB3, SMW and YI had (when they first came out) would sell less than a new NSMB game? I don't think so. They could easily make the game play exactly like the other NSMB games, just with richer visuals and audio. But the best thing would be to actually respect the legacy of Mario by making something brand spanking new without sacrificing what already works.
It would be a far better way for Nintendo to cultivate their brand too, instead of this fast food version.

I can entirely see where you're coming from. And I think this is a fair concern about a franchise to put on the table. This sentiment is worth considering.

The point I disagree on, is that I believe the "cheapness" of the NSMB series is being oversold and exaggerated because a certain number of franchise fans are offended by the art style. In my view, this is not unlike a certain number of people who keep saying Skullgirls looks "cheap and trashy" because in their mind, its art style is "like a flash game". That doesn't mean it is objectively cheap (or literally flash). But that's the association triggered in some observers.

I grew up with every classic Nintendo game too. Yoshi's Island is my favorite platformer of all time. I have full appreciation for how Nintendo makes games; but I have to admit I'm not offended by NSMB's art style. I'm separating my taste from my ability to gauge craftsmanship. Despite the criticisms of NSMB, there is still a fair amount of craftsmanship and care going into it; especially the Wii version, which improved on the visual quality in a lot of subtle ways. Going back and actually playing SMB3, or SMW... the pedestal on which those games are placed, is IMO just exaggeration. They are not artistically or technically sophisticated, and were not as sophisticated as better games in their own contemporary era.

The one thing they have going for them, is that yup, they have a clean, appealing pixel art (what we call pixel art today!) style. Absolutely. But they are otherwise simplistic except for a neat gadget or animated detail only once in a while (which is no different from NSMB, in fact).

The only 8 or 16-bit era Nintendo platformer that was ever anything like a tour de force was Yoshi's Island. YI was a "technological game" as opposed to a "simple mode" game - the two flavors of presentation and packaging inside Nintendo have always been there from the start. Nothing has changed.

The difference currently, is that the last couple of 2D Mario games have been in "simple mode" while 3D Mario has been in "technological" mode. Another reason why fan cries of "Nintendo is just using Mario for cheap cash ins!" falls deaf on my ears; the Mario franchise has seem some of Nintendo's most technologically advanced (and probably expensive) games ever, in the last five years.

Like I said in an earlier post... according to my tastes, I'd like to see Nintendo make another Yoshi's Island of a 2D platformer. I also realize that making such a game, that impresses on that level in the context of current standards, would be a significant undertaking. When they eventually do that (and who knows, whatever it is they're doing for Wii U could be it), it'll be impressive and all.

But in the meantime, the NSMB games are just not the disgrace that bitter-sounding fans try to make them out to be, even if the basic concerns said fans have are not entirely off-base.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

Maybe it's the simplicity of it all that draws in the mass appeal that those games have. But, that's why Nintendo has it's different offerings of Mario... "Don't like NSMB? Take Galaxy!"

that... is right! fair enough!

 

[MYE]

No doubt.

I just wish Nintendo put as much production effort into those games as they do titles like Galaxy.

You can still be an accessible, mainstream game and have beautiful art.

You do understand that "beautiful" is subjective, right?

A friend of mine borrowed NSMBW from me and she loves how the game looks. Plenty of people dont like how Epic Yarn looks, etc, etc...

You non-haters (lol) gotta understand.

The Mario games up until NSMB were all extremely well-crafted labours of love, and that's a big part of why we love them so much. They ooze soul because dozens of crafty japanese enthusiasts poured their soul into it, for hours and hours.

That's clearly not the case here, and to a lot of us, it feels straight up sacrilegious.

Even if a big portion of the NSMB audience is okay with the same visual style, I think Nintendo is making a mistake here. The new Mario audience will grow up to love Mario even more if it has more of that special "je ne sais quoi" that comes from serious artistry. Kids accept whatever is fun, but they can feel the difference between something deep and something shallow, even if they appreciate both in the moment. As a child I was in awe of Super Mario World, and it developed into a fondness that made me a fan to this day. I spent hours on other decent (but generic) platformers in my youth too, but I've forgotten many of them. The feeling of something thorough stays with you, and grows.

Again with this nonesense of passing off opinions as facts. What the hell?
Some people think too highly of their sensibilities

 

[Sis Focaccia]

and you got this from 4 generic screenshots? wow, kudos to you

Yes, I did. Like you said, they were generic. It might seem subtle to some. But a hardcore Miles Davis fan can hear two seconds of some run-of-the-mill trumpeter and know thats's not the real deal.

You pretty much summed it up. Thing is, they're dictated by finances, and this is cheap and easy. It's cheap and easy to reuse assets and update them a little bit than taking something from scratch and spending the time to make something new.

In the long run, I think they would be much better off by making the effort. If SMB3 and World were made up of re-used assets and music, I don't think we would be emotionally invested to sit here and discuss something like this.

 

[Solid SOAP]

Dude, Super Mario World's art, especially in the first few worlds, is bland as fuck. Far more then the NSMB games. World gets better as the game goes on but then so do the NSMB games. I mean, SMB 1-3 I can see, but world has always looked generic and bland to me.

Honestly, I agree with this. I love Super Mario World but it's ugly as fuck, the game's art style makes no damn sense. Some sprites have thick black outlines, some are pillow-shaded, etc. It all just makes no sense. Obviously NSMBWii is no benchmark in visual design and is notably lazy in comparison to most games in the same genre, at least it makes a degree of sense. I dunno, I never found it to be a particularly repugnant looking game.

 

[Ponn]

This is great news. I just couldn't get into Super Mario 3D Land but really like New Super Mario Bros. I think I always preferred the sidescrolling Marios instead of the 3D ones.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

Honestly, I agree with this. I love Super Mario World but it's ugly as fuck, the game's art style makes no damn sense. Some sprites have thick black outlines, some are pillow-shaded, etc. It all just makes no sense. Obviously NSMBWii is no benchmark in visual design and is notably lazy in comparison to most games in the same genre, at least it makes a degree of sense. I dunno, I never found it to be a particularly repugnant looking game.

Honestly, you guys gotta consider the TECHNICAL limitations of that period too, it's not like they even COULD have made some super awesome Epic Yarn or Rayman Origins art back in the day either, games used to look "simpler" back then because they were made on 16 bit consoles, sure that's not the whole story but it's PART of it at least imo!

Nowadays though they just don't have any excuses anymore

 

[Bruno MB]

New Super Mario Bros. 2 being released so soon means that Nintendo is not happy with 3DS sales in the West market.

 

[MYE]

Honestly, you guys gotta consider the TECHNICAL limitations of that period too, it's not like they even COULD have made some super awesome Epic Yarn or Rayman Origins art back in the day either, games used to look "simpler" back then because they were made on 16 bit consoles, sure that's not the whole story but it's PART of it at least imo!

Nowadays though they just don't have any excuses anymore

There were far better looking games (technically speaking) than SMW back in those days too.

 

[botty]

New Super Mario Bros. 2 being released so soon means that Nintendo is not happy with 3DS sales in the West market.

How are you even drawing this conclusion?

 

[jonno394]

New Super Mario Bros. 2 being released so soon means that Nintendo is not happy with 3DS sales in the West market.

Erm........it was a given we'd get a NSMB this year considering it was announced last year....

 

[TheNatural]

Yes, I did. Like you said, they were generic. It might seem subtle to some. But a hardcore Miles Davis fan can hear two seconds of some run-of-the-mill trumpeter and know thats's not the real deal.





In the long run, I think they would be much better off by making the effort. If SMB3 and World were made up of re-used assets and music, I don't think we would be emotionally invested to sit here and discuss something like this.

You're right. I mean Super Mario Galaxy came out 5 years ago this holiday and you figured in that timeframe Nintendo would have come up with a new style or world for Mario to be in. But it hasn't happened, and that's disappointing. Why they're so inefficient in making games nowadays is beyond me.

 

[cartman414]

Honestly, you guys gotta consider the TECHNICAL limitations of that period too, it's not like they even COULD have made some super awesome Epic Yarn or Rayman Origins art back in the day either, games used to look "simpler" back then because they were made on 16 bit consoles, sure that's not the whole story but it's PART of it at least imo!

Nowadays though they just don't have any excuses anymore

It kind of was the art style too. It felt like a step down from Super Mario 3, and the enhanced All Stars remake of the latter only drove the point even further.

I can entirely see where you're coming from. And I think this is a fair concern about a franchise to put on the table. This sentiment is worth considering.

The point I disagree on, is that I believe the "cheapness" of the NSMB series is being oversold and exaggerated because a certain number of franchise fans are offended by the art style. In my view, this is not unlike a certain number of people who keep saying Skullgirls looks "cheap and trashy" because in their mind, its art style is "like a flash game". That doesn't mean it is objectively cheap (or literally flash). But that's the association triggered in some observers.

I grew up with every classic Nintendo game too. Yoshi's Island is my favorite platformer of all time. I have full appreciation for how Nintendo makes games; but I have to admit I'm not offended by NSMB's art style. I'm separating my taste from my ability to gauge craftsmanship. Despite the criticisms of NSMB, there is still a fair amount of craftsmanship and care going into it; especially the Wii version, which improved on the visual quality in a lot of subtle ways. Going back and actually playing SMB3, or SMW... the pedestal on which those games are placed, is IMO just exaggeration. They are not artistically or technically sophisticated, and were not as sophisticated as better games in their own contemporary era.

The one thing they have going for them, is that yup, they have a clean, appealing pixel art (what we call pixel art today!) style. Absolutely. But they are otherwise simplistic except for a neat gadget or animated detail only once in a while (which is no different from NSMB, in fact).

The only 8 or 16-bit era Nintendo platformer that was ever anything like a tour de force was Yoshi's Island. YI was a "technological game" as opposed to a "simple mode" game - the two flavors of presentation and packaging inside Nintendo have always been there from the start. Nothing has changed.

The difference currently, is that the last couple of 2D Mario games have been in "simple mode" while 3D Mario has been in "technological" mode. Another reason why fan cries of "Nintendo is just using Mario for cheap cash ins!" falls deaf on my ears; the Mario franchise has seem some of Nintendo's most technologically advanced (and probably expensive) games ever, in the last five years.

Like I said in an earlier post... according to my tastes, I'd like to see Nintendo make another Yoshi's Island of a 2D platformer. I also realize that making such a game, that impresses on that level in the context of current standards, would be a significant undertaking. When they eventually do that (and who knows, whatever it is they're doing for Wii U could be it), it'll be impressive and all.

But in the meantime, the NSMB games are just not the disgrace that bitter-sounding fans try to make them out to be, even if the basic concerns said fans have are not entirely off-base.

No surprise. You have fans complaining about Iga cloning Symphony of the Night, even though only one of its followups could be considered a crass imitation, and about a couple others rival if not exceed the original.

 

[teeny]

New Super Mario Bros. 2 being released so soon means that Nintendo is not happy with 3DS sales in the West market.

Or perhaps they just want to keep the momentum going?

By the way, hyped for this. Liked World at the time, but SMB3 is my favourite in the series of 2D platformers. I honestly think NSMBWii edges it out in terms of design, and only falls short when it comes to the music. Both art styles are pretty similar, and the evolution is clear in my mind. I dont understand why there is such a backlash towards it, but I would like it if the 2D games had some of the stage variety of the 3D ones, as opposed to the elemental world locations we usually get.

 

[The Technomancer]

Honestly, you guys gotta consider the TECHNICAL limitations of that period too, it's not like they even COULD have made some super awesome Epic Yarn or Rayman Origins art back in the day either, games used to look "simpler" back then because they were made on 16 bit consoles, sure that's not the whole story but it's PART of it at least imo!

Nowadays though they just don't have any excuses anymore

World is a better game but Sonic the Hedgehog had much more detailed graphics that I'd argue had more "personality"

 

[Kilrogg]

I don't mind Nintendo keeping the same artstyle, and I'm glad the colors are more vibrant than before.

What I do mind is that from these 4 screenshots we already what the first 4 worlds will look like. Nintendo will no doubt have come up with new obstacles and enemies, but overall we're once again stuck with grass/mushroom kingdom > desert > snow > jungle. Sky and lava are a given too, but I wouldn't be surprised if beach and even mountain are in as well.

I contend that even haters of the NSMB styles would be okay with it if the screenshots featured new visual themes instead of the stuff we've been eating for 2 games and will probably be eating on the Wii U version as well :/.

As for the game itself, let's hope that 2-player mode from NSMB DS is in, as well co-op play.

 

[MYE]

You're right. I mean Super Mario Galaxy came out 5 years ago this holiday and you figured in that timeframe Nintendo would have come up with a new style or world for Mario to be in. But it hasn't happened, and that's disappointing. Why they're so inefficient in making games nowadays is beyond me.

lol i gotta say, the way a bunch of people in here just make up their own minds on what is happening internally is amusing

Maybe they didnt want to introduce ANOTHER visual identity to their main franchise?
Thats hardly a showcase of inefficiecy in game making.

 

[Zekes!]

holy shit at the salt in this thread lmao

 

[TheExecutive]

Is there any talk of a new 3DS model? Just wondering- don't really like the feel of the current buttons and what not and am interested in getting one for games just like this.

 

[MYE]

holy shit at the salt in this thread lmao

Imagine if they released more tha 4 screenshots

 

[TheNatural]

lol i gotta say, the way a bunch of people in here just make up their own minds on what is happening internally is amusing

Maybe they didnt want to introduce ANOTHER visual identity to their main franchise?
Thats hardly a showcase of inefficiecy in game making.

The fact they had nothing ready at 3DS launch when they needed it, and the Wii's sharp decline shows problems. The fact they've never stuck with a style of Mario game more than twice, and here they are going with a 3rd and 4th version of the franchise this year shows a lot as well. A new visual identity? Mario's evolution has always been a new identity and changing things up.

They ran Metroid into the ground be releasing similar games and offshoots of the series after a long layoff, and wondered why Other M didn't sell worth shit, so this has happened before. I don't think Mario will meet the same fate, but the less effoert and more recycled the games become, the more damage is being done to the brand to the point where a new release doesn't make waves anymore.

 

[Codeblue]

Well, it's still true because for Nintendo it seems like the lesser the quality, the more currency they acquire.

Games like Galaxy, Donky Kong, and 3D Land don't do as well as NSMB, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports, etc.

Just because the Wii series and Mario Kart aren't up your alley doesn't mean they aren't quality and weren't carefully crafted.

 

[KAL2006]

Not happy about the art style. SMB1, SMB2, SMB3, SMW and Yoshi's Island all had diffferent art styles. But now we are getting the same art style for NSMB, NSMBWii, NSMB2, and maybe NSMBWiiU. Even Mario Land 1 and Mario Land 2 had different art styles. It's not just because I am not a fan of the art style, but it is because I am getting bored of the visuals. When SMB3 launched it blew me away not only because of the gameplay but because of the new art style, same with SMW. Basically the new art style makes the game feel fresh.

Anyway I will still get this game as for me the bread and butter for MArio games is gameplay and not graphics, so I can get over this. However I am hoping they improve on the gameplay, don't get me wrong the core platforming in NSMBWii was at it's best, however I feel the 2D Mario platforming series has been dumb downed since Mario World/Yoshi's Island because of lacking expansive world maps, many hidden secrets and shortcuts, switch palaces, different coloured Yoshi's with different powers when eating a shell, verticality in stages, longer levels and the list goes on.

 

[Chunky]

No doubt.

I just wish Nintendo put as much production effort into those games as they do titles like Galaxy.

You can still be an accessible, mainstream game and have beautiful art.

Has anything ever sold half as well as either NSMB game and looked twice as good?

 

[Bentendo]

The blandest Mario game in existence will always bee Mario All-Stars:

FFS they completely ruined the look of the NES games. The only one that really translated well was Super Mario Bros. 2 (Doki Doki version).

 

[fernoca]

and you got this from 4 generic screenshots? wow, kudos to you

That and the "fast food" thing.

New Super Mario Bros. : 2006
New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 2009
New Super Mario Bros. 2: 2012
---- 3 "New" games in 6 years. ----
(4 if we include "3D Land" as portable entries)

Super Mario Sunshine: 2002
Super Mario Galaxy: 2007
Super Mario Galaxy 2: 2010
----3 "full 3D" games in 8 years.----

 

[zroid]

The blandest Mario game in existence will always bee Mario All-Stars:

FFS they completely ruined the look of the NES games. The only one that really translated well was Super Mario Bros. 2 (Doki Doki version).

I do not understand this claim at all. In what way is it "ruined"?

 

[LeleSocho]

Dude, Super Mario World's art, especially in the first few worlds, is bland as fuck. Far more then the NSMB games. World gets better as the game goes on but then so do the NSMB games. I mean, SMB 1-3 I can see, but world has always looked generic and bland to me.

What? WHAT?

 

[Aaron Strife]

If this game holds up to the brilliance that was NSMB Wii at all, then I'm in.

Actually I'd be in even if it were like NSMB DS, which was alright.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

I'm sure it will be good, but I don't really see how people can argue that it doesn't look bland as fuck.

 

[MYE]

The fact they had nothing ready at 3DS launch when they needed it, and the Wii's sharp decline shows problems. The fact they've never stuck with a style of Mario game more than twice, and here they are going with a 3rd and 4th version of the franchise this year shows a lot as well. A new visual identity? Mario's evolution has always been a new identity and changing things up.

This is the SECOND entry of a portable game that presented this new look. Lets not act like they have been cranking out these games like a sports series.

Yes, there was also a Wii entry. One entry to test how the market would respond to a home console game with added multiplayer. And they both sold millions of copies.

This New series has earned the right to release direct sequels. They resonate with people.
That doesnt mean nintendo will hang on to this style forever. They wont.

They ran Metroid into the ground be releasing similar games and offshoots of the series after a long layoff

You mean the Prime series? They ran the franchise to the ground with the Prime trilogy?

, and wondered why Other M didn't sell worth shit, so this has happened before.

But Other M showcased a new style. The opposite of what you're acusing them of doing.
It should've been a success, right?

I don't think Mario will meet the same fate, but the less effoert and more recycled the games become, the more damage is being done to the brand to the point where a new release doesn't make waves anymore.

This game will dominate charts for years

 

[liger05]

Nintendo are stomping on the vita and won't let it get up. Sony japan especially must just be thinking when it rains it pours.

 

[Impeccable]

Nintendo are stomping on the vita and won't let it get up. Sony japan especially must just be thinking when it rains it pours.

Nintendo is Mario and Sony is a Goomba?