the end of mario is now

[Numb1lp]

Looks like someone watches a lot of Zero Punctuation...

 

[internutt]

Unlike Sonic, Mario is still relevant to the gaming industry. The franchise makes a lot of profit as well. Mario is still Nintendo's mascot. Why should they stop their consoles main buying point? Each game gets good reviews as well. Galaxy proved to be a very popular game, as did Mario Kart Wii which has sold 27 million worldwide.

The only 'problem' with Mario is that it was never meant to be taken seriously. Its just a game series. There is no storyline, the main draw is always the game play.

 

[Vrex360]

I find it unfair to criticise Mario games for lack of story given that was never really the point of them.... it's like criticising a fish for being unable to fly.
I honestly do see your point, Mario has been around for a long time and to be fair really is a media cash cow but he is also the face of gaming and even if the games has regressed in quality and Nintendo could look to find a new franchise... the games are still essentially fun so why change that. Granted I still love the 2D Mario's more than the modern games but at least they try new things with him enough times.

 

[Valiance]

Well, they seem to have run out of ideas with galaxy 2, but I liked the first one, so...

I don't mind.

I just hope sonic's return is 100x better than both of them.

 

[Frankydee]

I haven't played a "proper" mario game since Sunshine which I thoroughly enjoyed. From what I understand, Galaxies is supposedly really good. My only argument here is provided that Nintendo keeps the franchise "proper," then why not? I'm curious to see how the new platformer will turn out.

 

[Rob Sharona]

At the end of the day, every Mario platformer on every format has been a brilliantly designed, polished and balanced experience. There are no better platform games. There just isn't. The controls are always spot on and they are always imaginative. To say that Super Mario Sunshine was a weak game is a testament to the series, because this is still a great game in it's own right. If it had different character other than Mario, say a brand new hero, people would be declaring it a rival to Mario.

While the various Mario franchises are a little grating (Mario Tennis, Golf, Party etc.) even these have their moments. The Mario RPG series in particular is something new and executed extremely well. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga/Partners in Time are also genuinely funny in places, and often pokes fun at the 'princess gets captured, rescue the princess' format. Mario Strikers is also a really fun game because they flip the soccer format on its head and make it more about an entertaining multiplayer experience. And of course there is Mario Kart, which even though has got noticeably weaker with each iteration is still unrivaled in the multiplayer carting arena.

Sure Nintendo milk the crap out of Mario, and indeed their other franchises (Zelda, Metroid, etc.), but I can happily forgive them when they are consistently some of the best gaming experiences out there. When there is a severe drop in quality in these titles, and the gameplay suffers, the I think there is cause for concern. However while third party support for Nintendo's systems is generally weak, I say Mario is more important than ever.

 

[Gigaguy64]

Mario shouldn't end, because I still find the games fun.

So there.

OH SNAP!!!
Mario has his moments, there hasent been one amazing game recently, but they are still enjoyable.
and like others have said, they sell.

 

[blankedboy]

I say, stop making remakes althogether. Perhaps a SEQUEL, with NO PRINCESS and NO BOWSER and INNOVATIVE CHARACTERS and of course FLYING PIGS.

Because Super Mario Galaxy is exactly like the first one.

But seriously, I think you have no idea of how a franchise works. A franchise needs multiple recogniseable characters, and I am dumbstruck by the ignorance of your post.

Because there isn't a guy called Bowser or a retarded princess called Peach and platforming and terrible dialogue and THE SAME FUCKING STORYLINE. Watch ZP's review of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, he explains it really well.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Because they continue to sell and there core core gameplay is fun. Also, not all Mario games are the same. They all focus on platforming but comparing super mario bros. to super mario sunshine shows a major difference. Galaxy resembles 64 a bit too much but a negative backlash of sunshine hate caused that. The games are still fun, they may not be original story wise, but that is not the focus and never was. If you focus on the variety of platforming and gameplay that is presented then you can see how varied the games really are.

 

[Icehearted]

I think the word is stagnant. The last one I played was New Super Mario Bros. or whatever it was called on the DS, and it was short, extremely easy, and full of the same trappings we've been seeing since I was in grade school. IMHO the last truly inventive mario(?) title to come out was Yoshi's Island.

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

I say, stop making remakes althogether. Perhaps a SEQUEL, with NO PRINCESS and NO BOWSER and INNOVATIVE CHARACTERS and of course FLYING PIGS.

Because Super Mario Galaxy is exactly like the first one.

But seriously, I think you have no idea of how a franchise works. A franchise needs multiple recogniseable characters, and I am dumbstruck by the ignorance of your post.

Because there isn't a guy called Bowser or a retarded princess called Peach and platforming and terrible dialogue and THE SAME FUCKING STORYLINE. Watch ZP's review of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, he explains it really well.

I think I will, because you're doing a frankly shit job of explaining your point.

Because Star Wars doesn't have a guy called Darth Vader or a retarded princess called Leia and star-fighting and terrible graphics and THE SAME FUCKING STORYLINE?

Again, your ignorance is incredible. You really don't ave any idea how a series works, do you?

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Dear escapist mabye it's because i have never played the first mario games,but i think the mario games should stop. Every one of them are boring and repetive, they also always have a horrid story line-princess get captured go rescue her.

So my question to you is how come they keep making them and why do people alway's insist that there good games where there way more better and more original games out there that never get noticed.This also goes for sonic.

Disscuss and enjoy

STORYLINE?! you want mario to have a STORYLINE?! its all about the platforming challenge.

and NO ONE says sonic games are any good.

[sarcasm]go play halo, bro[/sarcasm]

 

[Harlemura]

I think it's still going for the sae reason as Sonic. As long as some people enjoy the games, they're going to make some more.
Besides, Sonic and Mario are both aimed at little kids really. Most of the people who say the old games are better have an invalid opinion really.

 

[Podunk]

Oh, hey, some random forumite has declared the end to the Mario franchise. Guess we better get Shigeru Miyamoto on the line and tell him the jig is up. We've already tried calling Sonic team a couple times but they haven't been answering their phone.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

Dear escapist mabye it's because i have never played the first mario games,but i think the mario games should stop. Every one of them are boring and repetive, they also always have a horrid story line-princess get captured go rescue her.

Dear knight steel, while you are of course entitled to your opinion, it is MY measured opinion that you wouldn't know finely tuned and exciting gameplay if it swam upriver and bit the ass out of your swimsuit. I bet you think Mario games would be less "boring and repetative" if Mario had guns and enemies exploded in showers of blood.

So my question to you is how come they keep making them and why do people alway's insist that there good games where there way more better and more original games out there that never get noticed.

Maybe because no-one agrees with you? And maybe that's because you're wrong? Well maybe there are SOME games out there that never get noticed that are better than some Mario games (ICO anyone?), but not many and not by much.

This also goes for sonic.

Comparing Sonic and Mario is like comparing a top-class meal from a 3-star restaurant with another top-class meal from a 3-star restaurant that has been dumped in the bin out the back and left there for 2 weeks. They were both once fine meals but sadly one has long since gone off. So no, anything you say about Mario does NOT also go for Sonic.

I personally resent people who present their opinions as though they're facts. The OP's OPINION was that Nintendo should stop making Mario games. That's fine, albeit stupid since they're still selling like crazy. However he argued his REASON for this opinion is that every Mario game sucks. That is even stupider, as well as being wrong.

Understand one thing, folks- everyone is entitled to an opinion, but that doesn't mean every opinion is equally valid. Opinions can be plain WRONG. You're entitled to love a piece of shit as much as you like, but bad is bad. And equally so, good is good. The Mario games may not all be genius (there have been some shitty spin-offs not handled by Nintendo) but the main games (as well as many of the spin-offs such as the Mario RPG on SNES) tend to vary from very good to brilliant. This is NOT an opinion, this is an established FACT. And because it is FACT it also, coincidentally, happens to be my opinion.

 

[Emilin_Rose]

Go play super mario sunshine.

It is win.

I respectfully disagree. for the love of god and all that is holy, i'd rather have navi than the stupid Fludd. At least navi doesn't retell every shitty little thing that's happened if you don't press c^. with fludd you can't make it shut up. and the shooting water at things wasn't much fun either.

 

[theultimateend]

Haave you played the lastest installments from the actual Mario series. Other than the spin offs. Yea, they were fucking amazing

So I'm not the only one that thought Super Mario Galaxy was amazing?

It was one of the main reasons I'm still happy with my Wii.

I think the word is stagnant. The last one I played was New Super Mario Bros. or whatever it was called on the DS, and it was short, extremely easy, and full of the same trappings we've been seeing since I was in grade school. IMHO the last truly inventive mario(?) title to come out was Yoshi's Island.

Yes because the entire point of New Super Mario Bros wasn't to return to the original and reintroduce it to a new market. It wasn't like that was the entire marketing point of it . Oh wait >_>.

If you think that Galaxy was stagnant I'm not sure what to tell you.

But you did say in your opinion, I strongly disagree but that's just me.

Mario 64 was an amazing break from the norm, mario RPG was refreshing, mario sunshine was odd (I didn't like it but I respected the difficulty it had at times), Luigi's Mansion (which falls under Mario titles) was freaking awesome, but I'll also recognize that Yoshi's Island was fantastic and much like Mansion was a great offshoot. I just strongly disagree that Mario has been stagnant.

Of all the repeat genres out there Mario has been the most refreshing that I can think of. I'm glad to be wrong and if someone can name an equally long one that has changed as much as Mario I'd be glad to recant.

Yes the basic formula is very similar in each title, but that was always the point. He is a lovesick relatively average joe that is trying to save the beautiful girl and be a hero. He has tools (not unlike batman) and he's very relateable. While I think Luigi has far more character I can't help but relate with Mario's struggle against a villain (that I can only assume is actually mating with Peach).

That's my theory as to why he keeps having new kids each time he kidnaps her.

I noticed I said refreshing a lot, but it really is. When I played Galaxy's it was such an intense feeling to play a well made game again (which I'm currently feeling over and over with Arkham Asylum).