Nintendo Defends Influx of New Mario Titles

Ohhhh... I am so glad that mariokart, smash bros, zelda windwaker are considered new game play experiences. >.<

Meh, I'm quite pleased actually; although, it doesn't take much to please me.

Personally, a good game is anything I have fun with (which is why I like Shadow the Hedgehog in the first place).

As long Nintendo remembers to make something on the scope of Sunshine and Galaxy and doesn't go the CoD way, I'm fine with whatever they do.

That makes me want to buy less Mario games so there could be less Mario games released and the ones that are released i will buy and really appreciate

I can live with that. I'm not really annoyed of the many Mario Games, but they should still focus on different IPs.

I love Mario games, but the fact that there is an overabundance of them lately, and at the expense of other franchises, new or otherwise, is starting to get a little annoying.

The release of a new Mario game should be met with cheers and celebration, not sighs and indifference

I think all these Mario games are really around to just help boost sales that Nintendo really needs. Afterwards, I'd like to see Mario take a bit of a rest and give all the other unused IP's and potential new IP's a chance to shine on 3DS & Wii U.

Really? People are "asking for" one new Mario platformer every year? As Al Pacino said in Dog Day Afternoon, "Get someone in here who is not trying to con me."

I don't necessarily look at it as another Mario game, but as another good game from Nintendo, I don't really care if it's the Mario character or another one. I mean, when they made Galaxy they could have thrown a new main character into that game since it is so different from other Mario games. I don't think Nintendo is wrong when they say that different gameplay experiences doesn't mean new IP's or characters but I also support the idea of a new character from this company, something to try to achieve the iconics (Mario, Link, Samus) heights.

All of these Mario games are great as long as they have different gameplay each. Also these games are just what the company needs to rev up its Wii U sales which are low and need to be boosted, especially since the other 2 8th gen consoles are arriving late this year.

Mario fatigue is a more common attitude among anti-Nintendo people (the ones who don't even play Mario) who say Nintendo milks their franchise while they play the 10th CoD released in 10 years vs. 8th Mario Kart in 22 years.

i own all 8 mario 3ds games(not including eshop games) and they are all amazing. if they stopped making mario games i would completely give up on nintendo. the more mario games the better!

a new zelda 4 swords would be awesome

@Nobodys_Angel The problem is that they are starting to go in the direction with the New Super Mario Bros games. I can't say anything about the Wii U NSMB, but New Super Mario Bros 2 felt like a rehash with a coin-collection gimmick tossed in. It was still a fun game, but 2-D Mario is no longer the king of these kinds of platformer games. Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Rayman origins felt like innovative and fresh new games that were alot more fun to play.

Even Kirby's Return to Dreamland felt like a pretty fresh game and it brought some cool ideas to the table. The New Super Mario Bros games are fun, but they are starting to feel the same with each entry. I find it funny how F-Zero can't get a new game due to the team not having anything new or innovative to add to the game, and yet we keep getting new NSMB games that rehash the gameplay of SMB 3 and Super Mario World and seem to copy and paste music & backgrounds.

The first one on the DS was a cool throwback game, and the second one on the Wii was a cool game that had some fun ideas. But now, it just feels like they are milking the NSMB series.

I'm not asking for them to be canceled or radically changed. But I would love to see the same level of innovation and care that goes into the 3D Mario's go into the next 2-D one.

At the very least, they could stop reusing the same music and backgrounds in the NSMB games. Honestly, it feels like the copied and pasted the backgrounds from New Super Mario Bros Wii game and used them in NSMB 2.

I want more 2-D Mario, but I want a fresh take on the franchise. That's all I'm asking for.

@GN004Nadleeh With online play!

"You could call all the games that we're making here new IP in the sense that they're new gameplay experiences. They just happen to also have the IP that people associate with."

Few gamers will though. Even a lifelong Nintendo fan like myself feels the market is oversaturated with Mario games. If Nintendo is going to make the effort to make "new gameplay experiences" (and I'd argue very little is new in the NSMB series) why not go the distance and create some genuinely new IP's? Even if Nintendo feels the need to use exixting IP's as a crutch due to financial fears, aren't there others besides Mario? I mean, how many Mario games have been announced (or have already been released ) for the Wii U & 3DS already?

"You could call all the games that we're making here new IP in the sense that they're new gameplay experiences."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Hahaha...ha...ok sure. That's a good one. Hahaha...oh that's just great.

@Burning_Spear Considering that the top sellers for the 3ds and Wii u are Super Mario 3D Land and New Super Mario Bros. U respectively (if you don;t count the bundled in Nintendo Land) and New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the 5th best selling Wii game, I thin it's fair to say that YES tehre are a lot of people who want Mario games.

Tip for future reference: Not everyone is you.

^^^ I merely wondered if people wanted a new Mario platformer EVERY year. It's possible that they could sell well but people still don't want them as frequently.

I like the new games, but there is something missing...

I had only beaten Super Mario World once, years ago. When it came out on the Wii U VC, I picked it up and beat it again. I remembered exactly what the Bowser Fight was like, and exactly what I needed to do in the battle.

I beat New Super Mario Bros. U in January of this year. Last week I downloaded the Luigi DLC, and just beat Bowser yesterday. I thought that the boss fight was brand new, but then I saw that it was the exact same boss fight I played 5 months ago! No recollection of that battle at all.

Nintendo may be producing fun, solid titles these days, but there must be some mediocrity baked in the cake as well. Oh well...

This sounds so lazy.

The one thing I love about nintendo games is that all of their sequels are actaully sequels. They try to add new experiences to all of their sequesl adn make them feel like you are playing a different game insead of just a sequel. I don't think that nintendo needs to produce a new IP becasue each fo ther sequels is basically a new IP

"The key to that is as long as there's innovation occurring within the gameplay, as long as there's new features..."

HOLD THE PHONE NINTENDO. Are you actually saying that each NSMB game is innovative? The second one added multiplayer, the third one added a coin focus, and the latest one adds some controller stuff with the Wii U. If that's what counts for innovation with Nintendo these days then I have no words. No hope left.

I'm sorry to say, but there's too much Mario. Where's our Metroid, Star Fox, F-Zero, Kirby etc.?

Mario may sell consoles, but you certainly can't live on him forever, people are already starting to get fed up. If Mario can have 2 or more releases on 1 console, why can't their other IPs?

New gameplay mechanic in a knwon IP: I don't understand, why not using this gameplay in a new IP? I'm tired of all these same games.
In the case of using New Gameplay mechanic in a new IP: Why they didnt use this on a mario game or another already existing IP? It could have been so much succesful instead of using new faces nobody knows.

You can never have everybody happy, people will always complain.

Get real, people. If you want the Wii U to do well enough to keep having games made for it, then Mario is exactly what the doctor ordered to get those sales up. Metroid, Star Fox and F-Zero don't sell consoles like Mario, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. do.

That said, I don't know much about the NSMB franchise, but as a potential consumer, I see no obvious differences between the U version and older versions except HD and off-TV play. Yes, Luigi U is harder than NSMBU, but is it actually fundamentally "new"? Like I said, I think they really need to get Mario out soon to push console sales, but I'm just saying the "well, we believe they're new IPs" comment is rather silly...

The "New" Mario games are pretty much dead to me...I forget the name of the studio, but I'm sticking with the Galaxy guys. lol
Not to mention Intelligent Systems and Alpha Dream makes great Mario RPGs as well. As long as they mix things up then I'm good...but the "New" games don't seem to be going anywhere really... :/

Its not a bad thing, I still enjoy the games, but it gets harder and harder to get excited for a new Mario game with the amount of games they release.

Nintendo needs.. Nintendo should.. Nintendo must...Nintendo just has to gotta wanna lol. Fanbases, you know?

I'm perfectly fine with more Mario

I love Mario but I definitely think that there needs to be a focus on other games as well, as others said, Kirby, Metroid, F-Zero, maybe some new IP's even

Mario games are definitely amongst the top on my list. I agree as long as they don't get lazy then I'm fine with them! However, I definitely would like them to put more of an emphasis on a game like Sunshine or Mario 64. A great adventure like these would be awesome! Not every game has to be strictly a platformer.

I love New Super Mario Bros U ... I love New Super Luigi U and I can't wait to get my hands on the 4 player CoOp Super Mario 3D World ... So I say bring on the Mushroom Kingdom its one of the main reasons I own a Wii U as Super Mario Bros on NES was the first game I ever owned got it for Christmas 1986 !!!!!! Mario is always great...I love great games!!!! Maybe I'm not oversaturated because I don't own a 3DS ?

Mario is turning into Sonic

The thing I hate most about the New Super Mario Bros. games is that they're far too easy. The least they could do is make some of their games a bit harder.

This is just me, but I'd probably stick to one great 2D Mario, and one great 3D Mario per platform. However, I do want something along the lines of Mario 64 for the Wii U, which Super Mario 3D World is not. I'm not saying I won't get SM3DW, because I will, and I will have fun and enjoy it... but Mario 64, Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy were completely new experiences, unlike SM3DW which is really an addition to 3D Land. I think they are playing it a little too safe with 3D World. They said "3D Land sold well, and we need to sell Wii U's, so let's go with 3D World!". That's almost too obvious to a clever person like me. I already had a Wii U though, and I want innovation.

If creating a new IP is too much of a risk, how about brining back some of the neglected IP's such as Star Fox, F-Zero, 1080 Snowboarding, Wave Racer, Kid Icarus, ect.. for Wii U my beloved Nintendo? I want the Wii U to succeed in the eyes of gamers, not just the casual masses. Bringing back those long forgotten IP's will do that. People love Nintendo for a reason, and it's not just Mario, even though he is a big part of Nintendo and obviously the face of the company. For good reason, at that. I'm just saying there is more to Nintendo than Mario.

I dont think there has been enough innovation in the New Super Mario Bros series, so on that account his remark doesn't hold true. Neither really between Galaxy 1 and 2 for that matter.
The "problem" is that if Mario Games are the ones selling the most, then those are the games they are going to make. I must say, I am a bit 'full' of 2D Mario right now, though looking forward to 3DWorld!

Personally I don´t like the new super mario series, I just want a real 3d mario platform like 64, sunshine and galaxy series, I´m agree that there have to be only one mario game per console.

@Fillytase You're correct, they don't sell so there's absolutely no reason to bother with 'em. In fact, Nintendo should keep shovelling Mario constantly and only use the WiiU as a dedicated Mario box. Just imagine it, the WiiU will sell massively! Who really cares about game variety nowadays, right?

@Yanchamaru No Mario is not turning into Sonic. The day Nintendo starts churning out bad Mario games is when he turns into Sonic.

@OverturePT Conker FTW!

Some people say that they are tired of Mario, yet they apparently can't resist Mario. I mean, do they force you to buy each Mario game? I gladly skipped New Super Mario Bros 2 since U was close and I did not care about the coin thing.

It is no secret that the Galaxy games, as great, innovative and fun as they are, did not sell as well as New Super Mario Bros Wii. As soon as those New Mario games stop selling, they will stop making them. Same for any Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, and any other big selling franchise.

The amount of Mario games are alil extreme, but on the same note I'm enjoyed each new entry, so it's hard to say one way or the other. Personally, I think they should tone it down alil bit and try and focus on bringing franchises that need more love back, such as Star Fox and F-Zero.

Mario games don't usually do much for me unless it's a Mario RPG.

Mario Sunshine would be my favourite non rpg Mario game. (I'm not counting Luigi's Mansion)

@sinalefa
Agreed. It's no secret, but dedicated gamers tend to overlook it. Some vocal internet commenters saying "too much New Super Mario Bros. style games" vs. a 15 million sale gap favoring it over Mario Galaxy. Not a tough decision for Nintendo.

Personally, I can't wait to see more of Super Mario 3D Land as it looks like a great combination to me and it IS designed by the same director and team as Galaxy. I'm betting it's going to rock pretty hard.

@Fillytase
Yes, that may be true, but what happens when people start getting tired of Mario? What about people who * gasp * don't like Mario, what reason do they have to go out and buy a Wii U if all it has is Mario? They need to get their system sellers out there but they also need to pace themselves too.

They're kidding themselve if they think coin sprees and multiplayer are innovative, let alone enough to make a game a new IP. The thing about they way they say it is that while they have a point about making new IPs for the sake of it, tacking exsisting IPs to new ideas suggests they don't have enough faith in their ideas without Mario there.

Less Mario? Sure, I love the guy but I'd like to see a focus on other IPs.

Mario Kart 8 a new IP. Um...no.

@Zombie_Barioth "What about people who gasp don't like Mario?" You mean people like me? Well, let's see my Christmas/Birthday list: Pikmin 3, DKC:TF, Game & Wario, Rayman Legends, Watch Dogs, The Wonderful 101. Other games coming out for it by the end of the year: Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut, Sonic: Lost World, Wind Waker HD. Great games coming out for it in 2014: Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, Bayonetta 2, X and possibly Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem. Great games already out for it: Just Dance 4, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, ZombiU, Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate, Scribblenauts Unlimited, Lego City Undercover, Need for Speed Most Wanted U, Resident Evil: Revelations. But wait, there's more! TONS of indie games on the horizon for the eShop.

I don't like Mario, but I'm not complaining.

Mario is not "all" the Wii U has, not by a long shot. Not in the past, present, or future. People like you have tunnel vision and get your panties twisted the nanosecond Mario shows his Italian mug because you're butthurt Nintendo isn't showing a little love to your favorite franchises. I get it, I'd love to see a new Star Fox, but I'm capable of accepting that Nintendo simply has bigger fish to fry this year. They JUST went on public record stating that they're restructuring so that their studios can take on more projects at once. To say that the system is "just Mario" and to imply Nintendo still isn't doing enough is ridiculous.

Mario Kart is really played out though, not sure I'll get that one.

That is a pretty reasonable explanation to me. As for my opinion, I'll always love Mario games. I just try to space them out so I can enjoy them to the fullest.

@Doma "Constantly"? lmao. They've released one Mario title with one on the way, and a DLC. A yearly Mario release is not the norm for Nintendo; they'd have spaced Mario 3D World out from NSMBU if they didn't badly need to sell consoles right now... unlike EA and their sports games or Activision and COD.

As for the "games variety" comment, please remove your blinders and see my reply to Zombie_Barioth. I have no interest in Mario platformers or even Mario Kart really, yet magically, I've found quite a bit to be excited about on the Wii U. No variety my donkey.

"We have plenty of games! Try Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Paper Mario Sticker Star, NSMB2, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario and Luigi Dream Team, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Mario Party, and even Luigi's Mansion! You can also buy a Wii U to enjoy games such as New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, and New Super Luigi U!"

...Okay, maybe we have had enough to last us for a little while.

@Pixel-Perfect Common "too many Mario games" fallacy there--almost all of those games have completely different gameplay from each other, despite having Mario in the title or game.

Haha, just saying.

yeah, brand overload for sure XD I feel bad, my previous comments came off rather harsh. I totally agree that Mario is a little... over-exposed right now. And I have no enthusiasm for Mario 3D World now that I know it has no online (friends all live in different states). But I also can see why Nintendo is doing what it's doing, and don't think one new Mario platformer game this holiday season is going to kill anybody. They have a lot more in their holiday line-up besides Mario, but because of brand overexposure I guess a lot of people don't quite realize that.

Mario is the reason I started playing video games and they somehow always feel new and fun to play I can't wait to play the new 3D World on my Wii U . I notice that the Mario games to me have the best replay value to them they are fun to play over and over other games once I beat them I sell them or trade them to gamestop but I keep the Mario titles . I only hope they add in a online multiplayer on 3D WORLD that would be awesome .

Nintendo is just giving fans what they want...If ppl thought about it it's not that bad. We have a 2d and 3d Mario on 3ds(and tennis and kart but those are very different games), a 2d and eventual 3d Mario on wii u, 2 3d and 1 2d Mario on wii(in its entire lifespan). What's the issue?

It always bugged me when people claim their are to many New Super Mario Bros. games. Every time a new one has been released its been on a new console.

@Doma That image is perfect.

@Warbeard My question is how much more you CAN really innovate 2d Mario. At least every New Mario game is on a new console. Never two on the same.

ill be getting Sonic Lost World over Mario 3D World, so Nintendo can suck it!!

Nintenzo need new game

By the way, I can't help but agree with a lot of the sentiment here. I love Mario and Nintendo, they're both my first memories pretty much. However, what Nintendo has said about having new IP, through their current IP has to be one of the dumbest and most discouraging things I've heard yet. The Wii U has a lot of promise to it, and that's why I invested good money into purchasing one.

Even though I'm glad a new Mario is releasing that isn't "New" per se, I'm a bit disappointed so far by the looks of Super Mario 3D World. I absolutely loved Super Mario 3D Land because it seemed so novel and unique to the 3DS. With this game it seems to be a cross between a sequel to that game, and a 3D-ed version of New Super Mario Bros., if I dare say that. I can only stand to play so much Mario before I get tired of it.

And bear in mind, I love the Mario series. I don't want to start hating it, though. I could tolerate the news of a Donkey Kong Country Returns sequel, but as soon as I saw the cat suits I groaned. While Captain Falcon, Fox McCloud, and Samus Aran are waiting for their next tasks, Mario and friends get cat suits. Are you kidding me, Nintendo?

At least we get Smash Bros. That's a plus.

More Mario games in the 3D series, or Galaxy style are always welcome. Time to retire the New franchise though. They can still do 2D Mario games, but I want them as chock full of stuff as Mario World was.

they need to stop making mario games and start making star fox games and metroid games if they make a other mario game please make it to be a online game i'm tier of playing by my salf all of the time you would be tier to nintendo wind you have no body to play with in a mario game how sad this is so just bring star fox or metroid or some other games that have online on

They better be giving Mario a break for a long time after 3D World, and when they come back with Mario again it better be a Mario 64 or Sunshine style of 3D Mario. I honestly don't want to see another NSMB game. At least not until the next generation of consoles.

I love Mario games as well. I usually get the newest one, then forget it and months later go "hey, I forgot I got this" and play it and I don't feel saturated. I really like what Fillytase had to say. I mean the Wii U and 3DS still have so much more to offer (and to be completely honest I am a Sony fan as well but Nintendo's latest efforts have me more excited to see what Nintendo has planned for the future), and I believe what they have offer is going to be fantastic. Right now I mostly play Monster Hunter 3, Resident Evil: Revelations, and Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, Fire Emblem: Awakening (just ordered Game & Wario also, hoping it arrived today. But, alas I'm still at work), and ALOT of Virtual Console games. But, what I was saying was, I see where Fillytase is saying because I've actually heard people say they won't by Nintendo's new console until they can get Mariokart 8, or Super Smash Bros.

Let's be honest here, Nintendo wants to make all of their fans happy. Young, old, hardcore, casual. But more than that they also want to stay competitive with Sony and Microsoft. They see money in Mario for alot of reasons, reasons alot on here have already discussed, in the gaming market right now you have gamers who range in age from probably as high up as late 40s to children 6, 7 years old. With the exception of individuals who can purchase and have money enough to buy new game consoles, and games. You also have this market of people who by consoles and games (especially around the holidays) for their children, nieces, nephews, or families in general. "New" Mario games are easy to get into. He's not rough on the eyes, gameplay that anyone can play, for children this might be their first game experience it's not too hard but not exactly the most watered down easy experience, the family can play together, and even for older people who are not necessarily gamers can feel somewhat nostalgic. Bottom line it sells, and Nintendo knows it.

E3 (and all the game expos) are nothing more than a week long commercial now. It's not that Nintendo is not doing or working or other projects, they are just bringing their most profitable to the surface. Metroid, StarFox, so on and so forth may already be in planning stages we just don't know yet, and with the new consoles on the way Nintendo is trying to be a contender. Mario can do that for them.

I actually want to see a new Faxanadu, or Wizards and Warriors. Even maybe a new Shadowgate, lol. I know my taste in games is pretty lame.

COUGH...call of duty...COUGH...Madden...COUGH....assassins creed....COUGH...must be something wrong with my throat?

I would take a new mario EVERY YEAR over any one of those stale cut and paste "blockbusters"

@mbarnhart
HECK YEAH, those were some of the best NES games! I loved faxanadu!

Yeah I still play it on Wii Virtual Console. I never knew it was published by Hudson Soft.

Personally, I love all the Mario. But I can see where some people are getting a bit frustrated. Just understand that despite what we think on these forums, being the dedicated core gamers we are, every Mario that comes out is being snapped up vigorously by the public. Then take a look at the position that Nintendo is in right now. They need to increase the install-base of their new WiiU system to generate interest from their consumers and, yes, 3rd party publishers. These games are the best way to do it. That's why they chose to have Retro do a new DK over Metroid. As much as many of we core gamers would love to see a new Metroid over DKC, the fact is that the DK series pushes more units and more systems. You just have to look at the numbers.

But rest assured, Nintendo will get back to and continue innovating once they have gotten themselves to the point where they are confident in their install base. Think of these Mario and DKC games as a shot of cortisone to the starting athlete to keep them in the game. We don't like it but it will win the champoinship! Then we look forward to next season!

Never to much Mario. :]

BTW, as much as I love Mario, if they would have released another 2D NSMB, I think even I'd start to get cranky. I agree with the Nintendo exec in that SM3DW, to me at least, IS new. I personally see a lot of innovation in terms of gameplay in the little I've seen! I can't wait to play it. And the new Mario & Luigi is just more of a series that I can never get enough of (and they are spaced out fairly well). The new Paper Mario had it's own innovation. So I'm good!

@mbarnhart Nicely said. I totally agree

The only non-innovative Nintendo games I can think of are the NSMB games...but they're only releasing ONE per console! This guy is right about all new Mario games except for FOUR! Seriously, give him a break. It's not like COD where EVERY installment since Modern Warfare has lacked innovation...

All the recent Mario Games I have played have been disappointing apart from the Mario Galaxy ones.

Especially the 2D ones. 3D Land was quite reasonable but the controls were not tight enough and I hate the coin collecting game mechanic game was not fun enough for me to want to bother. (Still not done the 90 Coin Castle.)

I think they should just wait to do another 2D one until they are certain that it undeniably is superior to World / 3. (With the multiple exits mechanic - No Star Coins and a reasonable amount of content at Super Mario Bros 2 - Lost Levels style difficulty.) Replay value via changing you to always go small if you get hit and introducing random poison mushrooms.

This is better than anything Nintendo has done Recently with 2D Mario

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evu-tUNeUK8

honestly no and it is too much mario its getting annoying specially when they announced 3 super 3d mario world i mean come on -.-

but what ppl do like is the spin off like mario kart but even still they need to focus more on the other IPs

Also, if you guys want innovation, support games like X. That game looks amazing, but you know what's sad? It probably won't even sell 2 million worldwide. Why are there so little fans for games like that?

@swordx Does not look particularly innovative to me. Xenoblade Chronicles wasn't particularly innovative. (It was good but not because it innovated). First JRPG I have actually liked for ages. (And it was my favourite genre).

It will probably do pretty well. (Might even sell loads of Wii U's in Japan if nothing else has up to that point).

Open world generally means boring to me as well. (There has been the odd exception but not in a long time probably before the term was even coined).

There is indeed too much mario, the new elements do not make them new IPs, that doesn't make sense, it sure gives you a slightly different experience but still not considered a new IP. What really bothers me is how he said "that's what the fans are asking for"... really? as far as I know Nintendo are not very good at listening to their fans, did fans really ask for that many Marios????? my guess is no.....

@CrimsonFire13 couldn't agree more

I think that Super Mario 3D Land could be a great setup for a Super Mario 3D Galaxy followed by a Super Mario 3D universe but they do need to spread out the Mario. I don't think they realize that we are for less Mario all around not less 3D or 2D Mario but Mario golf Mario party Mario Kart I mean Nintendo might as well change the company name to Mario at this rate. I just don't understand the lack of new ip do they not understand character development anymore? Also where is a new star fox earthbound or f zero because I'm sorry but you can't think of a way to make a new f zero fun but you can add one new aspect to Mario or Mario Kart and consider it a new ip. I really am starting to question how game development is being handled at Nintendo.

The quantity doesn't matter to me. Give me all the Mario games you want Nintendo, I'll buy 'em all (the platformers that is). However, 3D World is almost exactly like 3D Land in terms of gameplay. There's little innovation happening there. I hope I see a more traditional (or more innovative?) 3D Mario soon after this one for Wii U.

The quantity doesn't matter to me. Give me all the Mario games you want Nintendo, I'll buy 'em all (the platformers that is). However, 3D World is almost exactly like 3D Land in terms of gameplay. There's little innovation happening there. I hope I see a more traditional (or more innovative?) 3D Mario soon after this one for Wii U.

@Fillytase
Whoa, chill out there, I think your taking my post more seriously than I did.

When I said "people who * gasp * don't like Mario", I was refering to the idea that all Nintendo fans have to like all things Mario. I ment that to be sarcastic but I forgot NL uses asterisks for bold print, sorry is that came off a little harsh.

I think you and @Pixel-Perfect were spot on with the over exposure, and thats what I was trying to get at. Lately I've seen more of Mario than all those other games you listed, there are plenty of other games out there but a lot of them get drowned out by the big guns like Mario, COD, or GTA. Mario is a great franchise and I'd hate to see all this over-exposure ruin that.

@Doma Two different Mario titles have much more variety than Halo, CoD & Battlefield.

All fine by me! I can never get enough of Mario!

@Zombie_Barioth Yeah I feel bad that I was that snarky before. I didn't suggest every Nintendo fan has to like Mario--or are you saying that Nintendo thinks that? I'm pretty sure they know what the fans want, but like I said, they're simply putting that off until next year or later, so they can focus on the bigger market ("casuals") now. I understand the idea that Mario is overexposed, but I wouldn't say that there are "too many Mario games" this year (which is what the article asked), as least to the extent where "Mario game" is assumed to mean "traditional Mario 2D or 3D platformer." Because I don't think of, say, the Mario & Luigi series, Mario Kart or Paper Mario when I think "Mario game." Like I said before, I think a lot of people confuse "too many Mario games" with "too many games with Mario on the cover." And while it's mildly annoying seeing him all over the place, is it actually a serious industry problem? I'd say no, there are much bigger things to worry about.

This article is giving me some serious deja vu (which is ironic, considering its topic). Haven't we already had discussions like this before? I understand that people would like to see a bit more of Nintendo's other franchises, but at the end of the day, the gameplay experience is more important than the face on the box. As long as the games themselves are still fun, I won't complain.

I beg to differ, I really want the wii u. As a matter of fact, I have the money saved, but I'm waiting. I'm waiting for a specific game to come out. I'm holding out until a Dragon Quest title comes out for the wii u. My love for Nintendo is all about the Dragon Quest series, heck I own almost all of them. If nintendo is really listening to us bring a good jrpg over or make the adjustment so that the wii u plays well with other games. Pay attention nintendo! As for me you will have my money when DQ 7 and 10 come out.

Does anyone know what game the Mario picture on this article is from? I really have no idea. lol

It's mostly the spin-off titles (the party and sports genres) that are making mario stale.
If only nintendo and various developers would take a break from mario of a while and focus more on the struggling IPs...

it is a little too much Mario this is Mario that much rather see the new IP something along the lines of an uncharted or who Dead Island something good zombie you was okay graphics were poopiedoodledingdongs but what can you do but Mario's getting very old you see the retired Crash Bandicoot a long time ago

its simple. they need games people will buy, quick. these are brand new consoles that need games like these to create a large enough install base so they can take the risk of working on new ip's.

Mario games are fine, but Nintendo needs to find a better balance. I dont see why they don't have a team of developers working on a new ip suited to wii u. It seems like Nintendo fans would be thrilled to see a brand new, creative offering from the minds at Nintendo. E3 just seemed like too much of the same. Nintendo is in no position to be playing it safe. They need to generate some real excitement around their new console, and I think that's hard to do with sequels, however innovative they may be.

the problem is not too much mario games is the lack of anything else

I just want a Mario Sunshine HD soon. Seeing how amazing WW looks on Wii U, Sunshine, in my eyes, would be simply unbelievable. The water, the plantlife, the sky, the sunsets. It was meant to be a very pretty game. It's my favorite Mario by far, I strangely enjoyed it more than 64, and far more than the Galaxy 1 or 2. And it's my Mother's favorite, too.

People speaking about new IP's Nintendo is not making any new IP's, the truth is Nintendo just rehashes all there old franchises. In some cases like Mario decades years old and people slag off COD, not that i like COD but both franchises have one thing in common thay are both milked to death. And the sad truth of the fact is Nintendo & fans call this innovative, give me a break Nintendo fans throw about the word innovative so the word innovative with Nintendo has lost it's meaning in BS.

@banacheck Excuse me ? What else in the gaming industry can you call "innovative" if not Nintendo ? Just because they reuse their mascot doesnt mean that they are remaking the same game. Would you say that Super Mario World was unneccessary because we already had the original Super Mario Bros ?
They are reinventing the platformer formula quite often, and why should they create a new IP when their mascot is known to be the "king" of that particular genre ?
Also, the comparison with CoD is a farse. CoD is literally the same game every year. Its Duck Hunt with people, and dont argue with stuff that they are changing the setting every now and then, that changes absolutely nothing. It doesnt matter what time period it is, you still have the same kinds of weapons. Look at their futuristok BLOPS2 escapade. Futuristic weapons look like stuff from the old Turok series if you ask me, not just the same weapon types that look a bit different.
But enough of that.
I have absolutely nothing against Nintendo reusing their well known mascots over and over as long as they change their games and gameplay everytime.

mmk

@Fillytase
Don't worry about, we all lose our cool sometimes.

I was refering to how a lot of fans seem to think you need to love all things Nintendo when I said that. I don't mean to generalize but many Nintendo fans seem to enjoy putting Nintendo on a pedestal and act as if they could do no wrong.

I think you have a point about people confusing games with Mario on the cover with too many Mario games, but I guess that depends on what you count as an actual Mario game. Remember back in the day how a lot of people got tired of Pokemon after it exploded into popularity? I think thats whats going on here, its not that theres too much Mario thats the problem its that hes everywhere.

I have played all nsmb games, and I think they are great. Byt now I think it's time to change direction with the 2D mario games. First of all I would love to see a new artstyle, something like Rayman origins/ Legends. Handdrawn! That would be awesome! Secondly I want new music, maybe something like in the galaxy games. I just want them to make a brand new mario game. Not a another nsmb game.

What the hell? They can be considered a new IP as long as there's enough innovation? Do they try to fool the consumers? If there's so much innovation as they claim to be, how on earth can they release 3 Mario titles in 2 years? They are milking the series like crazy.

NSMBWii and DS were great and definitely innovative, but it all went downhill after that. I didn't even bother with NSMB2, the first time I ever skipped a traditional Mario game and I think there will be many more to ignore if they keep it up like this.

The Abundance of 2D Mario's and the lack of a Real 3D Mario is what's annoying.
After 3D world i don't wanna see another mario for 2 years. They can start announcing a 3D mario in the works with footage 1 year after 3D world.

I agree with their reasoning. Better than annual shooters where the "new experience" comes in the form of new guns and maps.

I totally agree with Nintendo on this one Every Mario game has felt different to every other Mario game to me. All that's the same is the fact that Mario stars as the character & the story is similar each time. But that's completely fine in my book because all the Mario games are amazingly fun. Nintendo do a really amazing job on the level design, powerups, tightness of the gameplay, graphics & music - everything! Thank you Nintendo for the amazing experiences!

"as long as there's innovation occurring within the gameplay"
er...

I think at some time Nintendo will come to the point of diminishing returns with the constant 2D Mario titles they're releasing. Parents with set budgets are going to notice that they're pretty much the same, and let their kid play games on the iPad instead.

Current Nintendo policy reminds me of how Disney just produced endless sequels.

Mario games are fun so I like this

I would like to see they put some energy in creating new games instead.
So my vote goes to > to much plumbering more innovation pls.

That is some PR spin... spin... spin... Lol, "You could call all the games that we're making here new IP", please, we are not THAT stupid.

Hey, remember that time we had that really, really bad Mario game!?
Yep, me neither.

@Shiryu
Mario is missing
Hotel Mario
Mario dance mix

@wober2 We're talking about Mario here don't BS us like that.

So talking about mario, did a ever a Cat Suit that allowed to cheat the flag pole if done right? No. Did i ever see the concept for handheld Mario like 3D Land applyied to a Mario on the home console? No. Did i ever see 4 players local multiplayer in a 3D Mario game? No.

There's no such thing as too much Mario for me. I buy all Mario games except the sports titles and Mario Party.

I believe this to be a case of Nintendo establishing a couple new sub-series and releasing two new pieces of hardware.

Every Nintendo hardware going forward will have both a 2D Mario and a 3D Mario, and on occasion more than one of each.

Many just happen to be getting ready for release around the same time. I think we can "look forward" to a couple of years with no main series Mario games at all, only seeing the odd spin-off.

...well Um, eh hem, we at Nintendo feel that making money is better than not...

TOO MUCH MARIO. It is time to focus on the rare and amazing series (What's plural for series?) Metroid, F-Zero, and Star Fox. They all have remained in the shadows and it is time for a comeback. I hope one day, that fans will have to wait for 3-10 years for a Mario....

I know that people talk about sales all the time to me when I say this, but I DO NOT care about sales. I thought Nintendo was about giving entertainment, not money. Metroid Blast and the F-Zero game (Both from Nintendo Land) could lead up to new games. I hope so.

So yeah, instead of Nintendo having to be motivated by sales, they should be motivated by their ideas for entertainment. Retro making tropical freeze was a bad surprise because it can not prove the Wii U's power. A Metroid or a Star Fox would have been more AMAZING than anything else. Nintendo didn't see these ideas either.

Yes! Too much Mario! It is time for more popularity for the best bounty-hunter, jet fighter commander who is a fox, and the racer with a nifty suit.

"ugh...Mario...again... Gosh...that makes it....4 games now in 2 years now? They can't let us 'marinate' they the previous titles? Gosh Nintendo...let us breathe a little.... geez...." Psyche! XD

I loving these Mario games and they are SO MUCH fun to play! I look forward to 3D World in December.

Side note: "Nintendo have been releasing too much 2D Mario games lately though 'and it's a bit concerning to me...'...If this new game was a complete exploration game like Mario 64, Sunshine Galaxy 1 and 2 & 'NO FLAG POLE mess', then I think it would NOT feel like too many Mario game releases because of how different the 2D Mario games are to 3D Mario games. You may not agree with that, which totally is fine. It just I think everyone reaction would have been a 'different kind of excitement' had it been a Mario 64/Galaxy like game. Just saying..."

"Oh well. We can't 'catch them all' Oh wait! That's Pokemon!" XD XD

This kind of answer is expected. There can be too much of a good thing, we´re being spoiled with new Mario titles. And seriously, they are not all that original. A new series would be good.

Yes there is way too many main series Mario games. New Super Mario Bros. 2 should not exist (though I really enjoyed it) and only one Mario game should have been on Wii U so far (either New Super Mario Bros. U or Super Mario 3D World not both). I think Nintendo should release a Galaxy-esque PROPER 3D Mario platformer in 2014 for the Wii U and then have no Mario platformers at all in 2015.

@Araknie I will buy each and everyone of them . Kind of playing devils advocate... I do not think the experiences are incredibly unique no, but I was still enjoy solid versions of those games on the wiiu. I do believe nintendo has been playing it safe on console, handheld seems more adventurous...

Bring on Mario, can never get enough good Chubby Plumber games.
Especially interested in Mario Kart.
But once these are out,bring us something new.

As long as they keep the formula of the Mario titles (as in, it's fun), then I don't see a problem.

@unrandomsam I would LOVE to see a new hand-drawn HD 2D Mario. But with no paper, crayons or yarn gimicks. Just good old fashioned and crafted 2D sprites (like the new Rayman). I had an idea a while ago where they could do a "Super Mario Epoch" kind of idea where all the Marios through the generations are represented in their unique art style of the era. They would mimic how they were drawn in their respective box art / instruction manuals. And they would each possess the most significant power-up of that game. So the Mario from SMW would be shown as he was drawn with the cape. SM3 would be the raccoon suit as drawn on the box. SM3 would be as drawn with the ability to pull and throw radishes. SM Sunshine would have the FLUDD and can hover, etc. It would be an homage to Mario as we've seen him in print through the ages. I would give my 3rd nut for something like that!

@SanderEvers Mario Sunshine HD would be awesome. I don't think that was given a fair shake when it was released. I think the expectations were set so high after Mario 64. Plus, the fact that there were no differences in scenery (no snow, lava, desert levels) made it bland to some people. But the play mechanics that FLUDD brought were truly innovative. Would be fun to play that game again in HD!

I dont mind the Mario games, but I sure as heck hope we get a traditional 3D Mario game. And no, 3D World isnt up to par with the previous console Mario games.

I want a 3D Mario game like 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy. One without the timers and flagpoles. I want to collect stars, do missions, and explore.

I fear the 3D Mario games will now be like the NSMB series... pls no... oh god no...

i don't think its fair to count games from different systems..

People who buy a 3DS are not necessarily the same people who buy a Wii U, and vice versa.

so is it really fair to ding Nintendo because they give each of their customer types 1 of every series per platform?

There is plenty of people who only buy Nintendo portables, and people who only buy their home consoles.... so these individuals may only see the 1 per series per their system.

"3D World isnt up to par with the previous console Mario games."

@Obywan really? You played the whole game and you decided its not up to par with Galaxy or Sunshine?

@element187 It's about as up to par as the NSMB games.

Nothing theyve shown about it looks mind blowing. There's now a cat suit. Yay?
It looks about as mind blowing as 3D Land (ie not at all).

Wasnt a huge fan of 3D Land, it was a decent handheld game.

On a console I expected MUCH more. Not a souped up 3D Land.

Mario Galaxy looks better and that came out in 2007 and isnt HD. It also had orchestrated music, which I much doubt 3DWorld will have.

Im sure it'll be fun, but to say I was underwhelmed by it is an understatement.

@Obywan So how is the boss layouts, are they anymore difficult then the ones in Galaxy? Whats the overworld hub look like? Did you play the dynamic camera that allows you to play in a classic 3D Mario style?

How many worlds in all, and how much stages per world, since you played the whole thing, inquiring minds would love to know because the developers have only shown a small snippet of the title... do you work for Nintendo? is that how you got to play the whole game?

I say ..the more Mario games, the better. Oh, and also Zelda.
That's why I'm a Nintendo fan in the first place, call me what you want

@element187 lol so true I hate how people assume ..no, scrap that ...they state in advance that a game is horrible (or w.e) just from seeing a flipping trailer or playing 10 min of like a tutorial demo. I mean sure, the core gameplay mechanic and what not is usually shown off, but concluding that a game is "on par" with another game before having played thet whole thing is irrational. Basically they're comparing a work in progress with a released title XD Funny stuff.

There's no way people are going to convince me that New Super Mario Brothers 2, New Super Mario Brothers U and Super Mario 3D World offer the same experience. It's simply not true. I mean if Mario was offering zero change up, I would be sick of it myself, but that's not the case. Even counting New Super Luigi U, which I look forward to getting, that too will offer a different experience. If anything, I think they need to push 3D and 2D Mario more on their systems considering all the untapped material from the RPGs not yet seen in the platformers.

Am I the only person here who's getting sick of the term "new IP"? I don't seem to recall Nintendo ever having to rely on "new IP" to make fans happy. /shrug

I really don't see it as overkill when you take it in perspective.

Super Mario Bros was dead from 1991 until the DS New SMB with #5 in 06 and in that time there has been 3 more averaging out one every 2 years which is hardly killing it. The 3D Mario titles there still hasn't been one since Galaxy 2 and that series of full roaming 3D Mario started on N64 in 1996 and went to Sunshine on GC and then Galaxy 1 on Wii which again is hardly overkill. The Mario "Land" titles ended effectively again in 1991/2 with Mario Land 2 and came back with Mario 3D Land on 3DS and a 3D World coming late this year.

Mario really isn't played out as each of those are different series setups of the same mascot. Kart is up to 7 so far from the SNES era at 1 per system which is good, and the sports games got a semi-rest as there was no Golf or Tennis on Wii, just that Mario Sports title. Mario Party though I'd think is guilty of burnout as there's a heap of them multiple per system with little variation.

I wonder what will happen to the sale of the New Super Mario Brothers series if they try to rehash the same game only with varied levels every year. Will the Mario fans still buy it every year? No doubt some will.

The 2D New Super Mario Brothers games are probably easy to make, so Nintendo can make quick bucks out of it.

@element187 I dont need to play it to know. No need to get defensive. I never said it'd horrible. The fact it has flagpoles and a timer automatically tells me it wont be up to par. Dont agree? Well, it's totally like, you know, my opinion?

No need for the butthurt.

@mikeyman64 You must be quite young it is only fairly recently (And hopefully temporarily) that Nintendo didn't make any games with completely new ideas / characters / settings every now and then.

At the moment they seem to only be doing reiterations of things they have done before. There is also the issue of them rushing them out (especially if they don't intend to do another in the lifetime of the system.) I would rather have them waited until New Super Mario U had been bugfixed and play-tested for about 3 years and launched with great iterations of the less popular games and more interesting stuff from the back catalog.

(As long as the new games are at least as good as the best entry in the series I don't really have a problem. Don't care for stupid stuff for the sake of it like shaking the wiimote and I think all the New Super Mario Bros games except perhaps the 1st DS one have been nothing more than a cash grab without anywhere near enough effort put in).

@unrandomsam If I were "quite young" wouldn't I have thought the opposite having only seen the more recent releases? My comment is one of an long-time fan, and also of someone who likes fresh ideas as much as the next person.

My point is simple. Over the past, oh lets say 12 years to make it easy, Nintendo has made both new characters and gameplay styles as well as embellished upon old ones. While there have been new ideas, some successful, like Pikmin or Animal Crossing, and some unsuccessful (marginally) like Battalion Wars or Chibi Robo, they have always had fall-back games, if you will, such as Zelda, Mario (and his plethora of activities) and Metroid, to name a few, that stood on their own little pedestals.

What appears to be happening these days, at least in my eyes, is Nintendo has merged a lot of their new ideas with old faces. They may be doing this intentionally, or they may not even realize it.They could have made "Mario Vs DK" with brand new characters, but they didn't, and the result is, over several years, the watered-down feeling we get with all the new Mario releases. It removes the special feeling of a "new" Mario game coming out, because it's most likely the 4th similar release that quarter.

The best example I can think of is what Aonuma said here:
"...every time I come up with some good new ideas, they end up being used in a Zelda game!"

Another potential problem is the innovative direction they have been taking their hardware. All of these new ideas, like the Wii and Wii U have caused Nintendo to make games that either totally surround the new hardware or are the same with a couple of differences (read: NSMB). This could have been partially to blame for the surplus of stale-feeling IPs over the past 7 years. This isn't to say that Nintendo's hardware design is bad (I've been enjoying my Wii U), but it is potentially the reason many fans are getting this infamous feeling of stagnicity (made-up word).

A solution to all of this would be have Nintendo isolate their ideas more, which would probably make them work harder on the main-series games to make them better while having fun with "new IPs" and fresh ideas in other areas. Or they could just keep doing what they're doing and tone down on the Mario Bros releases a bit.

They are rehashing what used to be their filets into burgers. Eventually it'll all just be meatloaf.

@Sceptic LMAO couldn't have put it better myself.

Ah well, December may become their wake-up call! Because Mario 3D world could totally flop! I think there is some Mario-fatigue all around!

It's easy too make Mario games because Mario got so many Franshises like Mario sports and Mario 3D. When Zelda, Metroid, Kirby and Pikmin only got one. Mario is an allrounder and works well in almost all sorts of game. But Metroid and the other Nintendo characters only works in one. It's like Nintendo making an "Zelda Tennis". And thats just wierd. Nintendo making Mario games so often because it's so much ideas and you can always bring something totaly new and it works well just like Sunshine. The other Nintendo characters like Metroid tou cant change to much and it's hard to find something new that needs too be similar too older games.. I Love Nintendo and i will always suport theme but if they want to succes they need new franshises with maybe old Nintendo characters or maybe titaly new ones.. (Have you heard Nintendo making a totaly new hardcore Franshise like Zelda or Mario)

It's easy too make Mario games because Mario got so many Franshises like Mario sports and Mario 3D. When Zelda, Metroid, Kirby and Pikmin only got one. Mario is an allrounder and works well in almost all sorts of game. But Metroid and the other Nintendo characters only works in one. It's like Nintendo making an "Zelda Tennis". And thats just wierd. Nintendo making Mario games so often because it's so much ideas and you can always bring something totaly new and it works well just like Sunshine. The other Nintendo characters like Metroid tou cant change to much and it's hard to find something new that needs too be similar too older games.. I Love Nintendo and i will always suport theme but if they want to succes they need new franshises with maybe old Nintendo characters or maybe titaly new ones.. (Have you heard Nintendo making a totaly new hardcore Franshise like Zelda or Mario)

It's easy too make Mario games because Mario got so many Franshises like Mario sports and Mario 3D. When Zelda, Metroid, Kirby and Pikmin only got one. Mario is an allrounder and works well in almost all sorts of game. But Metroid and the other Nintendo characters only works in one. It's like Nintendo making an "Zelda Tennis". And thats just wierd. Nintendo making Mario games so often because it's so much ideas and you can always bring something totaly new and it works well just like Sunshine. The other Nintendo characters like Metroid tou cant change to much and it's hard to find something new that needs too be similar too older games.. I Love Nintendo and i will always suport theme but if they want to succes they need new franshises with maybe old Nintendo characters or maybe titaly new ones.. (Have you heard Nintendo making a totaly new hardcore Franshise like Zelda or Mario)

It's easy too make Mario games because Mario got so many Franshises like Mario sports and Mario 3D. When Zelda, Metroid, Kirby and Pikmin only got one. Mario is an allrounder and works well in almost all sorts of game. But Metroid and the other Nintendo characters only works in one. It's like Nintendo making an "Zelda Tennis". And thats just wierd. Nintendo making Mario games so often because it's so much ideas and you can always bring something totaly new and it works well just like Sunshine. The other Nintendo characters like Metroid tou cant change to much and it's hard to find something new that needs too be similar too older games.. I Love Nintendo and i will always suport theme but if they want to succes they need new franshises with maybe old Nintendo characters or maybe titaly new ones.. (Have you heard Nintendo making a totaly new hardcore Franshise like Zelda or Mario)

Wtf.. Why did THAT hapend.. Sorry..