Mario is not a worn out franchise, and I hope that it will never be over.

[Aprilgold]

I haven't liked the new Mario games for quite some time now, I find their portable counterparts to be much more fun. I don't think the franchise should go away though, Mario is the Mickey Mouse of gaming, doesn't matter how many years pass, kids should still see him.

Which is a ironic statement, since Mickey Mouse stopped appearing in his own, stand alone TV shows for years now. That just saddens me. Image for my post.

*I mean like the ones good ol' Walt used to do. Where they were appealing to everyone, not just to kids.

Personally, Metroid is FINE, it is the type of gameplay, as long as you keep adding new stuff, never gets old.

Zelda is sorta... Done. By this I mean that Zelda has retraced its steps so many times now that it kinda fell into a hole. My suggestion, keep the formula, but change the characters and mythology to fit a new cast.

Mario is like Metroid, its so classic that as long as you keep adding new twists, it'll stay young. Of course its the Mickey Mouse of gaming, but its just that you can't rehash it, as long as theres something NEW to it every time, people will still like him.

Have you heard of Yahtzee Croshaw? I think he might be inclinded to disagree with you.

Yeah, I don't think I would agree with anything that person says. In fact, everything he says seems like a joke and I have a hard time taking it seriously.

Does that guy actually mean what he says? Because it all seems like one of those "hating things just to hate things" jokes.

He exaggerates EVERYTHING he says to try and make it funny, like comedians do. Try reading his written... Thingies a-bobbers, they are defiantly different and are easier to tell opinions of his on things.

 

[StrixMaxima]

I frankly never cared much for Mario. Maybe it was because when his game first hit the NES (Not counting Donkey Kong and handheld mini-games, here, obviously), I wasn't exactly a child. I found the game entertaining and challenging, but not endearing. I had a much stronger affinity with the Ninja Gaiden series than Mario's.

The game was out in 1985, 26 years ago. The cartoony style, while refreshing, never did it for me. And, I'm not saying it is 'childish' (I think the overall tone is much more childish nowadays than back then), I'm saying it didn't resonate. The same feel carried over to the subsequent games.

I am not a Mario person. Never was, never will be.

I like cartoony, stylized graphics. I loved Folklore for the PS3, I loved Outland, and several other titles. It is a matter of preference that I cannot quite put my hand on it. Maybe it was the total overhype that Nintendo professed over the years around the Mario brand. This kind of image hammering tends to annoy me.

One thing, though, that I cannot understand is why some people have to link 'game nostalgia' immediately to Mario. Gaming is, was and will be much more than one single image. Several older games have no emotional bonds towards Mario. And, most certainly, Mario is NOT the face of gaming, no matter how much Nintendo tried to brainwash you.

Everyone has the right to dislike whatever they want. Personally, I'd rather scratch my ear Joker-style than play any of the recent Mario titles. I've seen them way too many times to say with confidence that I hate them, and that I think this brand has been milked and marketed down our collective throats way too many times, for way too long.

 

[rvbnut]

I'm sorry but a game franchise that has been going on for 30 years needs to politely except the fact that it is now old. I loved playing mario when I was younger but it really needs to stop. Sonic, Zelda and it pains me to say this but the Final Fantasy franchises all need to end. I love square enix for their amazing games but they need to move onto newer and more innovative IPs.

Anyway back to mario. Just stop nintendo. Please

 

[mega48man]

nah, i think it's run into the ground. video games are commonly known to be sold to kids (which we all know isn't true, i mean look in the mirror people) so mario games are supposed to be for kids. and sure i can imagine a 6, 7, or 8 year old having a blast with mario kart wii or mario super strikers (was that baseball or soccer?) but honestly, other than sales statistics, i've never seen or heard of a kid that age being a fan of mario. i've seen them going nuts over Ben 10 and adventure time (looks like cartoon networks doing something right, as they always do, other than that toonami cancelation).

so when something for kids isn't popular with kids, there's usually a reason. i think the reason's pretty clear; it's right in front of us. kids love what: cartoon animals, super power heros, ben 10 i guess, aliens and monsters having silly fun adventures, god damn pokemon because POKEMON IS IMMORTAL SOMEHOW, and hot wheels.

what is mario: a character who somewhat resembles a random guy on the street they say when theiy mom took them with her when she went shopping. mustache, big nose, plumber, italian accent, etc. but don't worry, nintendo fixed that by hinting on the kids love talking animals and gave mario a raccoon suit, and i know just how much you nintendo fan boys are going nucking FUTS over that. i've pre-ordered gears of war 3 with full down payment and can't fcking wait 5 more days, and i'm 18. it's all about target audience people.

 

[LilithSlave]

He exaggerates EVERYTHING he says to try and make it funny, like comedians do. Try reading his written... Thingies a-bobbers, they are defiantly different and are easier to tell opinions of his on things.

I appreciate it... but I think I'll pass. No offense, but he rather annoys me and I still doubt we would have much in common about video gaming. At even the slightest. And even less so do I respect him if he's anti-Mario.

I came here for Extra Credits.

I can't say I like how many people here seem to think this way, either. I'm sorry you all feel this way about something so wonderful. I guess to each their own, I'm a little disappointed, though.

 

[Corven]

I love the legend of Zelda series, my first ever game experience on the N64 was ocarina of time, one that I think has aged well, but that does not stop me from seeing what the "Big 3" of Nintendo really stand for, and what they stand for is a fallback plan, the overall safe bet for securing easy sales.

Nintendo can completely ignore its core base of customers for almost an entire console generation pursuing a new and lucrative casual market(I'm referring to the Wii) and Nintendo can do this solely because it knows even though their plans may fall through they have a few choice franchises to soften the blow of any pratfalls they may commit.

That's what annoys me, not that the games are for the most part formulaic (don't fix what ain't broke and all that) but that I'm buying a game that insures that no matter what stupid mistakes Nintendo does it can always rely on the sales figures of these titles to insure that they are never truly hurt by their mistakes.

 

[Aprilgold]

He exaggerates EVERYTHING he says to try and make it funny, like comedians do. Try reading his written... Thingies a-bobbers, they are defiantly different and are easier to tell opinions of his on things.

I appreciate it... but I think I'll pass. No offense, but he rather annoys me and I still doubt we would have much in common about video gaming. At even the slightest. And even less so do I respect him if he's anti-Mario.

I came here for Extra Credits.

I can't say I like how many people here seem to think this way, either. I'm sorry you all feel this way about something so wonderful. I guess to each their own, I'm a little disappointed, though.

I was never a fan of Zelda, since that, I can't really overlook its flaws, which, trust me, saddens me too. Also saddens me Extra Credits is not here, BUT ON PENNY ARCADE TV! *whistles go off*
Not everyone has to like the same things, and I'm cool with that. I like Yahtzee because he isn't afraid to say that Publishers are, in the long run, DOUCHE-NOZZLES and is not afraid to say that a game is shit. Read anything about the downsides of reviewers on anything, the downside is they won't get a free copy / pass to review a movie or game, because they have to be in good standing with the company / person to be ABLE to do their job. And to be in good standing, they have to get above average reviews, and then you can understand where I'm going with this.
I don't know why, but I strangely respect your avatar now... Its weird. O__O

Its not a good thing to put Mario in the corner. Just have to say that Mario Galaxy was one of the best damn platformers that I have ever sat down to enjoy. Oh man did that game blow me away and it didn't need blood, boobs, or foul language, go figure. Everything about the controls was good, the gravity mechanics were a blast. Can keep a character around as long as he stars in good games. oh course the character that needs to go away is Sonic because the development team just doesn't care anymore. Kind of hoping that Sonic Generations is good though. Kind of always looked at Mario as a shining beacon of what games are missing. Colorful vibrant worlds, cool enemies, epic music, thats what its about. Really can't imagine a world without my favorite goomba stomping plumber. All these people saying he should go away can go to hell. Nobody puts Mario in the corner.

Spoiler

Your opinion is null and void, its a great game, go back to playing your Call of Duty,

AMEN TO THAT OTHER FORUM MEMBER!

Place hand ON color hand to recieve Interenet High Five.

 

[lacktheknack]

He exaggerates EVERYTHING he says to try and make it funny, like comedians do. Try reading his written... Thingies a-bobbers, they are defiantly different and are easier to tell opinions of his on things.

I appreciate it... but I think I'll pass. No offense, but he rather annoys me and I still doubt we would have much in common about video gaming. At even the slightest. And even less so do I respect him if he's anti-Mario.

I came here for Extra Credits.

I can't say I like how many people here seem to think this way, either. I'm sorry you all feel this way about something so wonderful. I guess to each their own, I'm a little disappointed, though.

Pffffffft. You think YOU'RE disappointed that people hate something so great? Find me three people who knows that "Myst Online" is a thing, it's free, and its utterly fantastic. And yet the one person I've talked to who've played it think it's trash (which I can't comprehend), and pretty much everyone who's heard of it yet not played thinks it sounds like a horrible idea.

Anyways, it's worth reading a COUPLE Extra Punctuation articles, if only to say that you did. Yahtzee's a good deal more reasonable than he is in-video, and it's about the closest thing we have to Extra Credits right now.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

I'm surprised by all the hate (Hahahaha, no I'm not...), I don't even really like 3D Platformers and find the Galaxy games amazing. I can't wait for Super Mario 3D Land, it takes the best of classic Mario gameplay with the new stuff. Plus, the new stuff has actual 3D so I can actually gauge my jumps properly. Then there's the brilliant satire of the series that are the Mario RPG's, hopefully Paper Mario continues the trend of quality.

The only real blemish on Mario's record is the pointless spin-offs (Safely ignored) and maybe the New Super Mario Bros. games, I like them well enough, but they aren't that perfect Mario platforming I've come to expect. I did love New Super Mario Bros. Wii's co-op, though.

Also, no one should listen to my opinion as my favorite NES Mario is Super Mario Bros. 2, I also have Yoshi in my screen name and own tons of random Mario junk (Plushies, trading cards, a thermos, action figures, t-shirts, etc.). So, I'm not only a fanboy, but a weird one...

 

[SixWingedAsura]

God, there is a LOT of Nintendo hate on these forums...

Makes me sad to be a Nintendo fan.

 

[That_Sneaky_Camper]

Mario is a timeless franchise. It encompasses the magic of adventure and exploration of a larger and beautiful world, and Mario is such a pure and innocent character that he never gets old for me. Also the gameplay has always been solid and has never really gotten boring for me, and the story is colorful and has potential for depth.

This also aptly describes the Legend of Zelda games, I hope that both of these franchises never die.

 

[Korten12]

Meh, I haven't enjoyed a mario game since the gamecube, Super Mario Sunshine was awesome. Then I got the Wii and played Galaxy. It literally bored me to the point where I never picked up the game again. And hell, I LOVE platformers, it just felt... Stale, mundane, and just bad...

 

[DustyDrB]

I don't hate any series, even the ones that I used to like that turned sour (Fable, though it went sour on just the second game). Just because I don't like a game doesn't mean it needs to die.

So I agree with the OP.

I'm still a massive Zelda fan, and Twilight Princess is my favorite in the series so far (and I've been playing these games since the early 90s).

 

[Jessta]

Mario has starred in like what fifty games? he still kind of feels like a stale slap stick kind of character with no real personality to me... like the guy from N game or pacman... I mean people compare him to mickey mouse but mickey mouse has a personality... kind of... Mario just feels lazy to me, sorry I don't really play allot of mario games but to me it feels like an excuse to not write new stories or create new characters.

Don't get me wrong, the game play seems to be top notch and what the sacrifice of character they make up for in the engine and design of the world about them. To me, Mario, as a franchise, has been alright, interesting little games based on moving from point A to B over coming thousands of obstacles all liable to kill you, simple but the options are limitless with that basic overall theme. Mario as a character on the other hand? we don't really know allot about him other than he's a plumber who seems to get caught up saving a princess a lot. I mean sure we know he has a brother, he lives in mushroom kingdom, but I mean details like, is he brave, or perhaps just reckless? what drives him to save the princess? how would he respond to any sort of social reaction... ever? he's a blank slate in most regards, we know all the whats but seriously, WHO is Mario?

 

[Electrogecko]

I'm seeing so many disagreeable comments that I don't even know which one to quote and respond (bash) to.

First off, that video was incredible. I don't know whether it's a collaboration or mix or the OP made the whole thing, but it was impressive as hell.

OT......and, obviously, this is all my opinion:

I can understand if you don't like the amount of exposure Mario gets. He's Nintendo's go-to-guy; applied to platforming, racing, RPG, fighting, party, and puzzle games. I can't even guess how many games he's appeared in.

The problem is Nintendo has been making games for a long time and asking them to come up with a new IP for every game they make seems unfair to me. They have more distinguishable OC's than any other dev I can name. So where do you draw the line? It is a business, and slapping on a name like Mario adds to sales more than not.

But when people say that they dislike (or....gasp*...hate) Mario or his games, it confounds me. What Mario games do I even consider subpar? The Mario Party series is definitely up there. 8 especially was a disaster, but the concept was unique when it first appeared and has been relatively unchallenged since. Sunshine was, IMO, his worst 3d platformer. I consider Galaxy 2 to be better than the first and much less of an "expansion pack" than most sequels nowadays. It's filled with ingenious level design, fluid controls, vibrant and colorful environments, and loads of replay value. The RPGs? All amazing. The racers? Double Dash arguably not very good but I've always been a fan. I guess some of his sport outings have been meh, but even Super Sluggers has it's fans.

My point is Mario games have always maintained quality. He's always been about flat out fun for the whole family. Even in his more story driven games, it would be very difficult or impossible to justify the gameplay with a serious or meaningful narrative. Would it be ok if the characters appeared different and the stars were replaced with anything else?

To me, Mario has been a source of some of the most inspired games of this generation. Where 50% of games coming out need to distinguish themselves through narrative to make up for the fact that they're the same shooter that everyone and their mother has played 14 times, Mario has distinguished himself through original and unique gameplay. Mario may always be about simply "getting to the end of the level," (which, incidentally, is what nearly all games are about be they in the form of checkpoints, savepoints, boss battles, or whatever) but there's always a fresh way to do it. It's the differences in gameplay that matter to me.

 

[Neon Jackal]

All your opinions are stupid.
If you don't like a series of games or characters or whatever then instead of bitching aobut them holding back gaming or not doing it right how about getting out there and making your own games and try to move gaming in the direction you want to see it in.
You know what Nintendo games are? Fun. All you cynical people and your "Ugh, cash-grab blah blah blah" are annoying, I for one hope Nintendo keep making Mario and Zelda games because I really enjoy playing them and I will keep buying them.
If you look at Nintendo's first party developed titles you'd realise they're more diverse than most. They've made successful platformers, adventure games, puzzle games, strategy games, racing games, sports games(not just Mario ones, I'm talking about Wave Race and 1080 as well), sim games, fighting games and RPGs.
If you look at it that way what has a company like Valve made? A bunch of First Person Shooters, how come nobody is complaining about that?

Let's look at pizza for a minute, have you ever not eaten a pizza just because that kind of pizza hasn't really changed much over the years? I doubt it

 

[EzraPound]

Kind of funny because people on these forums seem to broadly disdain Super Mario Galaxy--which was hugely innovative--and yet have been singing the praises of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which is a remake of an eleven year-old game that adds a cover system and third-person latter climbing. That anyone envisions games like Human Revolution to be more "adult" is equally humorous: it's a piece of deviantart cyperpunk fan-fiction, basically, and there's truly nothing more childish than games which aspire to mature themes but fall agonizingly short of realizing their potential (or gamers that feel the need to latch on to 17+ titles as if it genuinely demonstrates their maturity).


That having been said, I thought Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a bit of a misstep--too derivative of the first--and it'd be nice if Nintendo reinstated their old approach of ensuring that when they released home console sequels, they innovated considerably in relation to the their predecessors. Then again, no one else does it--if anything, it seems like Nintendo has just assimilated themselves more and more to the yearly IP release cycle à la the Call of Duty or the NHL series.

 

[Supertegwyn]

All your opinions are stupid.
If you don't like a series of games or characters or whatever then instead of bitching aobut them holding back gaming or not doing it right how about getting out there and making your own games and try to move gaming in the direction you want to see it in.
You know what Nintendo games are? Fun. All you cynical people and your "Ugh, cash-grab blah blah blah" are annoying, I for one hope Nintendo keep making Mario and Zelda games because I really enjoy playing them and I will keep buying them.
If you look at Nintendo's first party developed titles you'd realise they're more diverse than most. They've made successful platformers, adventure games, puzzle games, strategy games, racing games, sports games(not just Mario ones, I'm talking about Wave Race and 1080 as well), sim games, fighting games and RPGs.
If you look at it that way what has a company like Valve made? A bunch of First Person Shooters, how come nobody is complaining about that?

Let's look at pizza for a minute, have you ever not eaten a pizza just because that kind of pizza hasn't really changed much over the years? I doubt it

I can criticize whatever the damn well I want to. I am not a game developer so I cannot make games. Does that strip away my right to say that I personally do not like a game?

NO!

Is Yahtzee a game developer? No. Are other video game critics game developers? No. People have the right to criticize a work of art released to the public. You can't just say "Well you can't make any better" This isn't about me! This is about a work of art that a company (or person) has released, and is put under scrutiny. I am no director, but I know that Avatar: The Last Airbender was a bad film. Does that mean I could make a better film? Probably not.



P.S. How DARE you insult Valve.