Strider, Strider and uhhh... Oh, what the hell... how about Strider?

And for dessert: Final Fight, Punisher, Cs&Ds, Forgotten Worlds, King of Dragons, Willow, Magic Sword, 3 Wonders. I like dessert...

@shonenjump86 Yes! Great choice!

@JebbyDeringer And there isn't anything that says that they MUSN'T either. Plain and simple, it's their business model and one that they have made their primary pillar as a business. They have been in the hardware business the longest and know what they are doing. They have experimented and missed the mark on few occasions but at least they lead by coming up with innovative products. And they are the ONLY hardware manufacturer who can sell their hardware on 1st party software alone. Plain and simple. Also, without Nintendo, there would be no Kinect, PS Move, touchpad on PS4 controller, SmartGlass. There wouldn't even be gamepads as we know them from PS or MS for that matter. So whether you're a fan of Nintendo or not, we as gamers ALL owe them some nods in acknowledgement for the hardware they have designed over the last 30 years. I for one would hate to see the gaming space without Nintendo as a hardware manufacturer.

Well, that's one thing to be thankful for today - that Peter Molyneux is not in charge of Nintendo. And there's good reason why, evidently. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Mario were on other console or hand-held platforms. It will be a sad day when Nintendo ceases pushing innovation in hardware design if they were to become software only, but as long as I get my Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. on a solid platform made for games, I'm a happy gamer.

Where Molyneux is as dead wrong as his last attempts at the sorry games he's made is his feeling that an IP that revolutionized game mechanics and spot-on game controls such as Mario can exist on a device that only provides virtual controls. There is no way in hell that I would want to play Mario or any other flagship Nintendo franchise on a tablet with pictures of buttons on the screen. And no, I don't want to fiddle with blue-tooth add-on controllers that you have to take with you, configure and hope they work. No thanks. And this is precisely why Nintendo does not want to bring these franchises to the world of mobile gaming. They are one of the very few companies who genuinely feel the obligation to gamers and the integrity of their own IP to provide true gaming experiences in the way they were designed and intended. Major props to Nintendo and thumbs down to former visionaries like Molyneaux. If he wants to sell out is crappy games to Apple and Google, let him. Nintendo obviously holds their IP to a higher standard.

@tsm7 I absolutely could not have said it better myself. These devs arent as big or as cool as they think they are. Better get a reality check soon because consumers are starting to take offense and avoid their games. When all it takes is some humility and shut the hell up if you have nothing good to say about consoles that your target consumers might also own. Western developers are getting way too cocky. They should take a page from the Japanese book of respect or they'll soon be looking at another '84 in the face

@Tasuki Not weird. Right proper!!

Raise your hand if you instinctively tried to wall-jump of the side of the first pit you fell into playing this game again after so many years! LOL!

To me, this is hands-down the best Mario game ever made. Even today. Having more fun playing this now than the 3D, 2.5D and New SMB. The overworld map is just more creatively laid out. NSMBWiiU tried to emulate but couldn't capture the exact formula.

And the graphics are the best - to me. I'll take creative 2D pixel art over 3D or faux 2.5D any day. Imagine a new Super Mario World 3 with HD, hand drawn gpx like Rayman!!!! And no crayon, watercolor or yarn art. Just honest to goodness HD 2D Mario!!!

I see another video game crash like in '84 happening. And it will start on smart phones. Its easy to see the allure of mobile games. They are inexpensive, easy to get access to and in great abundance. They prey on our decreasing attention span as a global society. I have a tablet too and fall victim to downloading new and pretty games frequently. But not because they are good games. But because of the reasons I shared above. And maybe because I hope to find a diamond in the rough. In truth, there are many games out on the mobile market that are gorgeous! But they are just shells of the games we are used to as console gamers. I have yet to find a game that has the content, depth, story and elements necessary to give players new game play mechanics throughout a full and lengthy game campaign that is fulfilling after 20 plus hours. No matter how pretty and inexpensive these games are, they are just mini games and fetch quests. I have yet to finish any game on a mobile device simply because I have lost interest within the first couple of hours.

And then, on the few games out there that actually HAVE good mechanics and a full game experience, the virtual controls simply kill it dead.

Yes, I see the mobile gaming platform increasing temporarily. But I see it crashing in a couple of years as people get tired of the thousands of me-too, shallow games. And i dont see it improving because the very two things that make mobile gaming so appealing - cheap or free gaming and ultimate portability - cannot exist with the money thats required to develop rich and engaging games like zelda and the physical controls required to immerse the gamer fully into that game. In short, you will never have the same gaming experience that you do on a dedicated gaming device for less than $10. The people who dont care about deep gaming experiences will get bored and move on to the next popular thing. And the people who do will go back to dedicated consoles (as I have focused most of my attention BACK to dedicated machines) - and mobile gaming will fade into the background if not away in a few years.

Look for a new hardware design in 2014 or 2015.

@tsm7 LOL! VERY good point!

Wow... think about it guys. i think of all the kickstarters that have been covered in these game sites, this is the only one I can remember that failed. LOL! Well... I always thought the Eco games were boring. Never got into them. I guess I'm not the only one!

Someone needs to start a Phantasy Star kickstarter with the original dev team. a full-fledged, single player, top-down, 2D adventure in HD like I - IV. I'd pay big kickstarter bucks for that!

Redesigned hardware is very much not out of the question. It didn't take long for Nintendo to come out with the DS Lite very shortly after the first DS was released. They changed that hardware several times in a few years. This is definitely not out of the question. i'd bet the farm on seeing a different design in 2014 or 2015. I think jools hit the nail on the head. Yes, it's one of many things that went wrong. But it's something that will make a big splash and give a big bang for the buck. It would definitely give the Wii U it's own image to break away from any association with the Wii

I think he has a very good point. We all must realize that die hard gamers like us who spend significant time on blogs like these who are very knowledgeable on all things video games actually make up a very small number of consumers to whom video game makers target their consoles. To most people (parents predominantly) and kids who only see new consoles at their friends' homes, the Wii U does look very much like the Wii. or maybe the GamePad as an optional add-on to the Wii. And therefore, not really necessary to buy.

i'm not sure another color would have made a difference. just because Nintendo has a good history of releasing hardware in alternate colors. But I very much do agree that a totally different design would have helped tremendously. This is a very good observation and one I never really thought of! Might want to look for a newer design Wii U sooner than most redesigned hardware typically hits the market.

@Lo3edia
I concur. I'm downloading now as well. New update is live in North America. Not a small update...

Pure genius. I love it. And it, again, goes to show how Nintendo are happy to pave their own path - and a path which their competitors will soon follow.

The facts are that Nintendo already communicates directly to their consumers exponentially more than their other two competitors. I personally have been VERY happy with how much and how well they have communicated through nintendo Direct and other briefings.

Also, if you look back, most of their major reveals have been OUTSIDE of E3 keynotes. All the tasty stuff happens on the side. And besides, before everyone gets their panties in a bind, we need to read the article again... they are STILL going to have presentations and announcements before the main keynotes - just like they ALWAYS have. And there WILL be games played and announced. The only thing they're not going to do is the hour-long keynote. And honestly, WHO CARES?! They will still be showing games and they will still be making announcements. Just on their own timeline and their own terms. They are just tossing the useless pomp and circumstance to the side and focusing on the games and continuing to communicate to their consumers in more frequent forums - instead of waiting to spill everything all at one time. I mean, isn't that a GOOD thing? More news more often?

Bravo Nintendo! Lead on.

Love it!!

I applaud ANY publisher / developer who chooses to go against the popular trend that believes that the only players out there are multi-players. Its so good to hear someone actually mention specific focus on the single player experience. Yes, Im very interested in this!

Yeah, sheesh this IS old news. The good thing is it looks like MOST everyone on here is mature enough to not be surprised or incredulous about this. The same probably could be said about how Sega felt about Sonic and Robotnic's portrayal. Some people don't know that pretty much every flagship character (from pretty much any form of media - games, movie, cartoon, TV) has a "bible" that specifically outlines what they can or can't do, etc. I know Sonic had one when I was with them in '91. Some companies are pretty free with how their characters are portrayed (like Capcom and their Street Fighter Characters) as long as they are in a positive light. And some aren't. No biggie. Disney would do the same thing with Mickey too!

The thing we DON'T know is how he was holding the cup before-hand. Did he have his pinky out? If I were Nintendo, I'd definitely have an issue with that. LOL!

BTW, this is hands-down one of my favorite Disney movies (if not THE). And it is arguably THE best video game inspired movie ever created. If you haven't seen it... what are you waiting for?!

Maybe because Dragon Quest is a single player RPG based on STORY, characters and ONE person's emersion in a fantasy tale?! There has not been one MMO that has come close to providing people who like single player experiences something they can sink their teeth into. Why does everything have to be MMOs these days? If it was a true traditional DQ, it would be flying off the shelves like every installment before. Note to new president... get back to what you do best. Don't follow the "trends" lead by your heart because your mind is always overqualified!

What's silly about this whole thing is that Epic announced last year that it is scaleable and can be run on the WiiU. they stated that they would not provide developer support for utilizing it for the WiiU but if a developer wanted to use it, they could. So... nothing new... just a fubar by an arrogant exec - there seem to be a lot of those lately...

@darkgamer001 I agree with you 100% and have been saying this for a while now as well. There is most definitely a level of diplomacy, professionalism and grace that these executives should demonstrate when addressing the public. Whatever your personal issues are with a certain platform, it does your company no good to make future consumers of your own products feel bad about the decisions they've made. Its called burning bridges. And if I'm and executive that has products that span all platforms, I'm going to make sure that all of my bridges are fully functional.

At first, I was taken aback by Richard Garrott's comments about current developers sucking. It's the same kind of lack of grace I hate to see. But I'm beginning to agree with him.

Either way, it's a good thing that we at least still have Nintendo's execs to serve as models of humility and professionalism in the industry. You never hear a snyde comment from them and when they make mistakes, they admit it and work to fix it. That level of leadership alone shines so brightly in the quality of their games and is deserving of my full backing - Unreal engine 4 or 3!

@Burning_Spear you are correct. The only rules Shiggy gave the Sticker Star team was to keep the characters to the known SMB universe. The designers decided to dump the other RPG elements.

This is perfectly acceptable and now comparable to their competitors. Id be satisfied with this. Id rather them now focus on other upgrades like Wii games from main menu and Wii/WiiU virtual console games on the GamePad than further speed enhancement like some here are crying about. Some people will never be satisfied.

@moomoo Played them... sorry, they don't float my boat. And those aren't even close to the classics I mentioned in so many ways: depth, breadth, value. Comparing them to the titles you mentioned, to me, is inconceivable.

And yeah, a lot of peoples' dislike for him IS in his tone and arrogance. He likes Nintendo more than they deserve? What the hell does that mean actually? Couple that with the other points I and others have mentioned - about his work not being that great and you can see why people don't think HE deserves the bandwidth and attention he's already gotten.

As for your point about it not being worth porting to WiiU because of install base?? What, and Vita has a bigger install base? Because that's where he said Monster Hunter should have gone... and 3DS has how many TIMES the install base tha Vita does? So that logic doesn't hold water. Logic simply implies that this guys has a hard-on against Nintendo. Nothing other than him just not liking his dealings with them. Just read his words, dude. Who knows the reason? But it's obvious that he's not looking at things objectively and he has some kind of issue with Nintendo. Otherwise he wouldn't like them "more than they deserve".

@MickeyTheGreat Yup! I agree with you 100%. They get more credit than they deserve. Honestly, I really cannot stand indie games. They don't hold a candle in terms of quality and depth to the pros as Nintendo, Capcom, Konami, etc... And the funny thing is, all of these indie games are so dirivative of each other. This reminds me of the early 90s that pumped out land-fills full of crappy hipster indie music. No worries though, these guys won't last long. In a decade, I guarantee we won't be playing Fez. We'll still be playing Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, SMB, Mario Galaxy, Pikmin, Metroid, etc...

This guy is the new Pachter. I'm sick of hearing the noise coming from his suck hole. Dude, your game IS NOT THAT GOOD... get over yourself. I wouldn't play your game if it was free.

@Gamesake Progear was AWESOME!

Good! Give them the reigns for the following HD remakes:
Ghouls n Ghosts
Strider
Final Fight
Aliens vs. Predator
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Punisher
Captain Commando
Magic Sword
3 Wonders

This was a great article! Thank you so much Nintendolife! These days, in the last few generations of consoles, hearing stories from developers is very common. But its so rare to hear stories about classic games that I loved from the golden age of arcade gaming. And these Capcom games are my absolute favorites! Its so interesting to see how much influence and final say the West had on the final design. Not surprised at all about the push-back from the Japanese. Especially in an era where they pretty much ruled the roost. Kinda refreshing to see a licensor from the West say it like it is to a licensee from the East in that day and age. LOL!

Not much news here if you already know about emulation. Emulation was the first thing I thought would go crazy when Ouya was announced - The first commercial device with traditional controls out of the box that could run emulators. But the processor is already way behind anything that has a Tegra 4. The Nexus 7 is the first Android/iOS device I've seen that runs everything full speed! If you're in the market for a device that plays emulators with traditional console controls, skip the Ouya and get NVIDIA's Shield. That thing is going to shred anything you feed it! Or wait for the titles you want to be released on WiiU eShop.

Shiryu, I'm gonna immediately SECOND that! HD Arcade Strider please!!! There is hope though. It doesn't seem like Capcom is putting any constraints on which HD remakes they do. Ducktales here and Dungeons and Dragons arcade there (which is flippin AWESOME, BTW). I gotta think Strider would be high on their list of HD remakes looking down the road. Strider is Capcom's Boba Fett!

@CanisWolfred, I thought UGnG was a'ait. Definitely not the calibur of either Ghouls n' Ghosts or Super Ghouls n' Ghost. But better than nothing!

That actually looks like pretty old art. Could just be a port. But I would pay kick-starter cash (read: a sh#$t ton) to have an HD remake of Strider!! As long as it's the arcade version - or if new - it maintains the art style of the arcade! Please, please, please!! LOL!

This guy just has a hard-on against Nintendo. Sorry dude, there is absolutely nothing about this game that couldn't be done on the 3DS. If it can be done on XBLA, it absolutely can be done on 3DS just purely from a technical perspective. If you don't want to go all out on 3D perspectives just make the different planes of the foreground and background be the 3D separators.

Now, whether you don't like dealing with Nintendo is another story. I definitely have no desire to play this game. I personally am getting sick of these indie games and sub-par graphics concepts. But that doesn't keep me from saying it couldn't be done on 3DS though. Get over yourself. You're still an indie and your game isn't THAT good.

Stipey, sometimes its ok to learn something when you weren't expecting it!

ShadJV. Totally agree! The thing is, most of the people on his blog haven't lived long enough our endured enough mental strain and anguish to know that pain comes in more forms than physical. As soon as they hit the real world and have to make decisions that have serious reprecussions on themselves and others, reality will hit real quick and they'll understand. For now I guess we're just here to give some levity to whats already put there.

Couldn't have said it better Five-seveN! A very good way of putting it to someone who probably has years ahead of his or her life to learn this for themselves as well.

I think the medal should definitely be downgraded. But I do think it is relevant and it would be good for people on this blog commenting that it's nonsense to fully understand what these soldiers (yes, they're still soldiers) go through. A lot of people don't realize the mental as well as physical demands placed on remote operators. They are still soldiers and they deal in real death. They take it to bed with them whether they want to or not. They are witness to the death and destruction en mass that their payloads deal in a way that even soldiers on the ground often do not see. The closest to compare would be that of a real pilot. A lot of these drone pilots also have a very difficult time in relating with the simplisity in which they kill and the finality of their actions. This can be very traumatic and a lot of these soldiers also suffer post traumatic syndroms like the men and women with boots on the floor. Just a different varietly.

And they do save a crap load of lives as well. I think you'd have a hard time convincing a grunt on the ground who has been dug in for 12 hours with bullets picking off his squad mates left and right, down to his last clip, if the guy or girl expertly piloting that drone who just blew a hole in the blockcade allowing his escape didn't deserve recognition.

Yes, it should be downgraded. But it's still relevant. Those soldiers take a lot of burden onto their shoulders each night. Their casualties may not be missing limbs or death but their caualties are often fractured minds and tarnished souls. They do their part and deserve recognition as well.

There is a very good reason that I love Nintendo. They stick to their guns in terms of their philosophy towards their consumers. I love the fact that Nintendo has said many, many times that free to play is not a model they want to support. Why? Because for the vast majority of people who play a given free to play game, they will never get the full gaming experience. Most players give up on a game once they catch on to the scheme. To the player, it appears that the developer is more interested in squeezing each dime out of the player at every opportunity. Instead of crafting a complete game for all to enjoy in entirety and charging what its worth. Nintendo are craftsmen and toy makers first and businessmen second. EA are accountants first. This much is clear because they focus on the revenue model before the game. And also because they seem to believe that the single player experience needs to go away. Very simply WRONG! There are many different kinds of gamers out there and to denounce a very large segment of the market who dont like to play online and will never play online to justify their business model shows how myopic they are. Its clear that Nintendo and EA are on polar ends of the gaming spectrum. So its no surprise that they cant make a deal. Not upsetting at all. Im totally behind Nintendo on this one.

Reading comprehension people... the article states, "The investigation into the claim began in 2011, when he sued Nintendo and its U.S. unit." Its the second sentence of the article... he didn't just sue them.

At first glance this looks really good. Great hand-drawn sprites. Excellent animation. The helpers are a really cool idea too!

However, I'm noticing that this, along with many other games labeled as "Final Fight" type games do not capture all of the mechanics that made games like Final Fight, Streets of Rage or Double Dragon great.

• First of all, in the video, I only see left and right scrolling. No up and down movement for the character. Absolutely key in a traditional "beat-em-up".
• Second - and I have no idea why so many games of this genre miss on this mechanic - there are no grapples, holds, throws, knees-to the head, headbutts, etc. One of THE biggest things that made titles like Final Fight and Streets of Rage (along with all their other clones like Aliens vs. Predator, Captain Commando, The Punisher, Golden Axe, etc.) is the ability to grab an opponent if you got within proximity and execute moves like suplexes, throws, pile drivers, head-butts, knees to the head or other stylistic moves. The inclusion of these mechanics instantly turn the game from a button masher to something where you can express your own style of play and actually play with some finesse. A "beat-em-up" without these mechanics, to me, is incredibly boring. ...the equivalent of the slew of other boring button mashers on iOS and Android markets

Unless I see more mechanics like this, not interested...

I hear you Rafie! I get what you're sayin'. But you know what though? Mario don't wanna play for the brooding, multiplayer-campin', too-cool-for-my-own-{XBOX/PS3} Sony / MS teen fanboy crowd anyway. He's having too much fun playing for guys like you and me and our kids - the new generation of gamers. He just needs a change of clothes and learn a few more moves to keep us coming back to his parties!

Ha!! Instead of suits, you switch Marios and other characters from the franchise history! Instead of suits, the power ups are characters each with one unique power up. And at each castle you free one version of Mario. Now MARIO is in another castle! Each has their own abilities - The most prominet box art or arcade cabinet illustration power is their main power up; Donkey Kong Mario has the hammer, Super Mario Brothers is the fireball, SMB2 has the ability to pull up veggies, bombs or KEYS (to unlock secret levels) from the ground and throw them, SMB3 is the racoon suit, Mario World is the cape, Mario Sunshine has FLUDD, NSMB could have the ice-balls, etc.

It could play like "Mario-d" too (new genre term)! Combine the platforming of Mario with the elements of Metroid where the world is open but areas passable only with the right Mario freed from his castle! Other power-ups could be Yoshi (flutter jump, eat characters and throw it's eggs), Peach (float), Toad (strength), Luigi (high jump) and other characters like Birdo (travel long distances or gaps riding her egg), etc. Again, all in-game sprites based on historical box art, cabinet, advert illustrations from time of their release.

We should start a kick-starter!

Thanks Moshugan!

That's a great idea! They could base the in-game sprites on the many variations of the hand-drawn illustrations of Mario (like you said, the cartoons, and even the box art and arcade cabinet illustrations, etc.) since Donkey Kong in 82. Maybe those "non-super Mario Brothers" Marios like the Donkey Kong Mario could be unlockable levels / characters or somehing with different abilities. Mario's illustrations have evolved as much as the sprites. Now with the HD resolution capabilities like in Rayman, these different Mario art-styles can be captured perfectly.

If Nintendo or one of it's community people actually read this, I'm seeing some consensus in a lot of these posts:

• There IS a lot of room for changing things up and making things fresh. Just read the examples
• Which leads to the next point; get rid of Takemoto and Tezuka. Way too lazy, close-minded and most likely defensive with their work on 2D Mario. What I read in their quotes is an overly defensive and myopic stance on their work.
• LOTS of love for SMB2 (I totally, 110% agree)
• 2D Mario simply looks, sounds and plays like every "New" installment since the first DS and is in stark contrast to the graphical, audio and gameplay evolutions every SMB game has taken with each game since '85. They are basically new levels with minor additions like suits.

Follow the pedigree of other 2D predecesors and evolve the look, sound and play and you have a fresh new Mario that is grounded in the mechanics and charm the series is known for but gives us something new and exciting to look at, hear and play each time.

Noooo... no dark Mario. It's been done before with Sonic and was disasterous. Mario is Mario. Besides, thankfully, Nintendo is very protective of their IP. I think the closest they'll get to a dark Mario is with the invention of Wario, the dark Mario that trashed Delphi Island in Mario Sunshine and brief appearances in Marioland 3D.

I'd also argue that adults don't need "dark". Dark is really popular with teens. Once you grow up you tend to take things the way they are intended. COD, Resident Evil, Gears of War, God of War, etc. are "dark" because that's how they were envisioned and that's what they are. Making something that has always been vibrant, bright, happy and fun dark will only appeal to brooding teens. I wouldn't touch that game with a 10 foot pole.

Dumping their 1st party IP would also be disasterous. The ONE thing Nintendo is known for (other than hardware innovation) that neither Sony nor MS have yet been able to come even close to touching is the level of quality in their 1st party development. It's their bread and butter. It's what makes them Nintendo and what makes their fans so dedicated. Nintendo-developed games are worlds apart from the 1st party games developed by Sony and MS. And because of it, Nintendo fans are definitely much different than Sony or MS simply due to their 1st party games. Without those games, Nintendo might as well hang it up.

Rafie, it's good that you don't mind Mario how he is. Honestly, I don't either. But would love to see some evolution or something different. But I definitely will probably always play Mario! Unless he's made dark. LOL!

I honestly don't think it has to do with story at all. The story has always been throw-away anyway. That's what makes it great. The game (gameplay) is the attraction here. It always has been. As is the nostalgia. I personally love 2D Mario. i think there will always be a demand for this version of Mario. It just needs to be changed up a bit. Mix of fresh ideas and old ideas

In my opinion, here are the things to do to fix 2D Mario:

• Need new music: The music has been recycled waaaaay too much since NSMB on Wii
• Need a new graphic style: This look was amazing when it debuted on NSMB DS. But the look has been, again, recycled way too many times since then. Think of the classic games: SMB, SMB2, SMB3, SMBW, Yoshi Story and on to Mario 64 and then SM Sunshine all looked DIFFERENT. And even between the first 3 SMB titles running on the same hardware, the graphics "evolved" and looked better with each iteration. Give us a new look please! And no, please no more paper or Crayola crayons! that's been done to death as well. Give me a brand new hand-drawn SMB in the style of the newest Raymans and i'll die a happy man! Been asking for this forever. It seems like a simple solution and one they haven't even done yet!
• More "stuff" to do as Mario: The latest power ups in NSMBU have at least been a little better than the ones in the previous games. but still - it's been done before since the cape in SMBW. Give us something that requires you to change your game engine - not just fly or swim or walk on water. I don't have a solution here except put your thinking caps on. Maybe something that allows you to dig or break through the geometry to differet areas (more than just the mega mushroom). Or power ups that allow you to "build" platforms to get to other areas. Think physics-based puzzles like Trine - I'm not talking about a whole new approach to platforming as a basis for a game. i think that would slow it down too much. But just bits and pieces.
• More/different stuff to do within each level: When are you going to bring back the keys to the secret doorways? In SMBW, you knew there was something special in a level - a secret doorway - because the icon you were on was red. The secrets weren't arbitrary. And you didn't need to waste time combing through a level looking for secrets that didn't have any. also, seeing that key laying there in the level meant you had to put your thinking cap on to find the alternate exit. It also gave you something different to do - deliver the key to the keyhole! Same thing with SMB2. Bring the damn keys back! Or something similar. Or the whole pulling up vegitables and using them as weapons deal in SMB2 - and the potion that created a door to alt dimesion in SMB2. Yes, I know that wasn't originally a SMB game. It was another game with SMB skin placed on it. But it doesn't matter. It worked very well within the SMB Universe. Think of something like that that works within the 2D platform realm but changes up the paradigm.
• Bring back the old: why just one powerup / character to focus on? Racoon Mario only? What else, how about the boot? Frog, Cape? As others have said, how about characters from SMB2? I honestly see that game as part of SMB canon and it's actually one of my favorites!
• Or take a different route all-together. How about a 2D SMB game with ALL NEW power ups? Nothing from previous games. And they should all have utility. They should all do something significant. The flying squirrel suit was ok but kind of a rehash of the racoon suit. Think harder.

I honestly feel there are a LOT of legs left on 2D Mario. And there are TONS of things to do differently and still keep the 2D gameplay and concept. Just make it fresh. Maybe put a new team on it. Maybe there are guys on the team who think they know it all and are too protective/defensive about concepts. That's what I hear in the quotes from this article. It's BS. Put Shiggy on as exec producer again but over a new team of young guns who are Mario freaks and hungry!

@ Wamtu, yes, my opinion is exactly that. My opinion and I like it. You have yours as well which is good for you. Yes, the Other M story was terrible - again - which is why it didn't need to be in the game in the first place. Besides, my point was not that games sholdn't have a story. Not at all. It's just that the story shouldn't be bigger than the game - or get in the way of it. Read my post again. The original Metroid and Super Metroid had a very cursory story. And how many times will Mario rescue the Princess? The only thing that's making Mario stale is that they are recycling graphics and gameplay. And there, they are breaking their own rules and need to improve. That's why the Galaxy series was so fresh! It was a brand new game and gameplay. Certainly no one cares about the story. Or at least the story was so minimal that it didn't overpower the game itself.

I think Sakurai's point is that games need good gameplay first and foremost. The trend these days is for the story to come fist and gameplay (game CONCEPT) and game itself to come second. It think we all respect Shiggy here, don't we? Well it is HIS mantra that steers all his teams' projects and his first question to his developers on a pitch is what is the GAME? Don't sell me on the story - sell me on the game! Look it up!

I agree 110%! And I have agreed with this all these years as well. Everyone in the media is always waxing profetic about the artsy need for strong stories and strong characters, while they consume their online multiplayer frag-fests at a rabid pace. They either don't even know what they want or they just want to sound intelligent.

Sorry to say to those who need to fill a space with 250 words or less but stories did not deliver classic games like SMB, Donkey Kong or even Metroid, Castlevania or Mega Man. In fact, it's when story is injected into these timeless masterpieces (Metroid Other M?) that it ruins the experience. If anything, the story was peripheral to game play. And it's as it should be. I'm happy to have a story give me a reason to open the next door or to find the next NPC to unlock the next part of the game. But don't stop me from the action to read loads of text that I don't care about. I don't need to cry at my video games. I don't even do that to the movies I watch. If I want to turn my brain on to appreciate a story I'll pop a movie in. But when I game, I want to exercise my imagination and reflexes. I find that a story puts me on rails and gets in the way of my "fun". thank goodness there are developers like Shiggy and Sakurai (And most at Nintendo in general) who still know the keys of making a good game: Gameplay FIRST, all else after. This is why Nintendo games are head and shoulders above any other publishers on the market today - especially 1st parties from their competition.