Topic: Nintendo Preparing New 2D Mario for 3DS

[Penguin_Of_Thyme]

A new 2D platformer starring Super Mario will debut before the next fiscal year is complete. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/29092

A brand new Mario side-scroller for 3DS is in development and is set for release in the next fiscal year, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata announced at the company's third quarter earnings briefing.

Iwata explained that the new Mario game will be a key title for Nintendo in the upcoming fiscal year that begins in April. He divulged little information about the platformer, but did describe it as being "totally new."

Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming Mario adventure, which will arrive before Nintendo's next fiscal year concludes on March 31, 2013.

[noname2200]

I'm so excited! I hope it changes artstyle from the New Super Mario Bros. games, though; much as I liked the Wii game, the visuals should have been more attractive. Otherwise, yay!

[TrueNerd]

And what team, pray tell, is developing this? I'd prefer Tokyo EAD, but good Lord, they're gonna get burned out on Mario. Those two teams have cranked out 3 (admittedly amazing) Mario games in the last 4 years. Let's take it easy, yeah?

[motang]

Hmm interesting, one of the fist game I bought on the DS was New Super Mario Bros.  Picked it up with the DS Lite on it's launch day.  I will be looking forward to this game for sure.

[broodwars]

*sigh*  I'm getting really sick of seeing new Mario games these past few years, but it is one of the few franchises that seems to sell regardless of...well...anything, so I guess I can't blame Nintendo for milking it.

[Luigi Dude]

*sigh*  I'm getting really sick of seeing new Mario games these past few years, but it is one of the few franchises that seems to sell regardless of...well...anything, so I guess I can't blame Nintendo for milking it.

Oh give me a break.  The last 2D Mario came out in 2009 and the one before that in 2006.  That makes it one new 2D Mario every 3 years.  How in the hell is a new game every 3 years milking?

[Tanookisuit]

I'm with Luigi Dude.  It's been awhile.  And as long as the games are good, that's all that matters.  I also agree with noname, a different art syle would be nice.  The NSMB style can feel a little plasticy and stale. 

[broodwars]

*sigh*  I'm getting really sick of seeing new Mario games these past few years, but it is one of the few franchises that seems to sell regardless of...well...anything, so I guess I can't blame Nintendo for milking it.

Oh give me a break.  The last 2D Mario came out in 2009 and the one before that in 2006.  That makes it one new 2D Mario every 3 years.  How in the hell is a new game every 3 years milking?

Do you even bother reading before you post?  I said "Mario" in general (including spinoffs), not 2D Mario specifically.  I'm sick of seeing games from that franchise every year (and since the 3DS just had a Mario platformer in Super Mario 3D Land, this announcement feels superfluous to me), and think it would be nice for Nintendo to take a break from it for a while and let me start missing these characters.  I'm sure saying this ruffles some feathers around here, but it's like Call of Duty in many ways: pure comfort food, especially the platformers (and especially among those the 2D platformers).  People buy them because they know exactly what they're going to get and little else.

Good for you if you still enjoy that, but I'd like to see Nintendo put their focus into something new, even a new 2D platforming franchise would be great.  I've been particularly underwhelmed by both of the New Super Mario Bros. games, so I don't feel particularly psyched about another 2D Mario game that probably won't be that different in the end.  But hey, Nintendo's posting losses; they need sure-fire hits; and Mario sells for some odd reason regardless of the situation, so I guess I can't blame them.

[KDR_11k]

Those may be the same franchise to you but the sales clearly show that they sell to different people.


I hope they take the 2D game seriously, the NSMB games weren't up to the standard of previous 2D Mario games. Seems they've been putting all their creative heads on the 3D Marios or simply been ordering the 2D teams to stay very close to the old formulas.

[Crimm]

Those may be the same franchise to you but the sales clearly show that they sell to different people.

No they don't. Sales show numbers. Hard numbers. They don't show who bought what, just how many.

[Ceric]

Super Princess Peach 2: Umbrella's in 3D Land.

Believe.

[TrueNerd]

I'm sure saying this ruffles some feathers around here, but it's like Call of Duty in many ways: pure comfort food, especially the platformers (and especially among those the 2D platformers).  People buy them because they know exactly what they're going to get and little else.

I buy Mario games because Mario games are constantly pushing the boundaries of the platformer genre, if not just completely reinventing it. Tokyo EAD's recent output is no exception to that.

[Ian Sane]

Nintendo used to be quite good at avoiding the law of diminishing returns by simply not milking the hell out of their franchises.  Remember the five year gap between Link's Awakening and Ocarina of Time?  It was like Nintendo knew that doing too many sequels too fast will kill a series so they spaced things out to avoid that.

But that sure as hell is not the case anymore.  Mario, and I mean the "real" Mario, the platformer Mario, is going to be Mega Man within five years at the rate they're going.  They can't keep this series interesting or exceptional forever.  Eventually it will become stale and formulaic.  At one point they used to space these things out to keep it going forever but now they just crank them out and the end is going to come sooner than later.

Of course Nintendo also used to be a very creative and original developer and I now associate them as a cookie-cutter franchise assembly line (with less concern with quality to boot).  This is disappointing but totally expected.  Look at what is happening here.  Nintendo is announcing a new Mario platformer and I DON'T GIVE A ****!  This used to be a big deal but now it's routine and uninteresting.

And is this different than the New Super Mario Bros. game they demoed for the Wii U?  When is that coming out?  Are we getting TWO new Mario platformers in one year?

It will all be unessential product within five years just like Mega Man, Sonic, Bomberman and all the other videogame franchises that were driven into the ground by being over-milked.

[King of Twitch]

Oh give me a break.  The last 2D Mario came out in 2009 and the one before that in 2006.  That makes it one new 2D Mario every 3 years.  How in the hell is a new game every 3 years milking?

Look at what is happening here.  Nintendo is announcing a new Mario platformer and I DON'T GIVE A ****!  This used to be a big deal but now it's routine and uninteresting.

Maybe it's because you're a cold, dead person inside.

[Shaymin]

There is one 2D Mario platformer per platform since the DS. They print money. Mario will get a break after the WiiU one hits.

[Adrock]

How can anyone turn this into a bad thing? If this new game is anywhere near as amazing as Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo can keep "milking" the franchise as far as I'm concerned. It would only become a problem if Nintendo started making poorly made games.

[AV]

I'm worried that Nintendo of Japan refuses to accept 3D mario games as the way to go. 3D land and Galaxy are amazing games, and are more creative and inspired than either NEw Super Mario Brothers DS/Wii games.


That being said, I hope they include the e-reader levels 

[Mop it up]

This could be interesting. I wonder if the "totally new" thing means it'll be something radically different, rather than an homage to the past like NSMB. Nintendo folk usually choose their words carefully.

[noname2200]

Nintendo used to be quite good at avoiding the law of diminishing returns by simply not milking the hell out of their franchises.  Remember the five year gap between Link's Awakening and Ocarina of Time?  It was like Nintendo knew that doing too many sequels too fast will kill a series so they spaced things out to avoid that.

But that sure as hell is not the case anymore.  Mario, and I mean the "real" Mario, the platformer Mario, is going to be Mega Man within five years at the rate they're going.  They can't keep this series interesting or exceptional forever.  Eventually it will become stale and formulaic.  At one point they used to space these things out to keep it going forever but now they just crank them out and the end is going to come sooner than later.

I do remember that. I also remember them releasing six original Mario platformers in the span of seven years.*  Either you're young, or you're memory's just plain off.

Sorry you're not excited. Not sure why you're not, since your given reason's historically innaccurate. But fear not, I'm excited enough for both of us.

*Super Mario Bros. - 1985
Super Mario Bros. 2 - 1988
Super Mario Land - 1989
Super Mario Bros. 3 - 1990
Super Mario World - 1991
Super Mario Land 2 - 1992

Annual sequels oh no! Super Mario All-Stars also released the next year, in 1993, and the version that included Mario World came out in 1994. Two years later, Mario 64 came out.

[Guitar Smasher]

I will never say no to another 2d Mario.  They are simply fundamental to gaming.  Ideally each new console would launch with one.

That said, I hope a little more polish goes into these games, as opposed to the two NSMB games.  I didn't mind the backgrounds, but the character models looked like they could be dated to the N64 era.

[Mr.Nintendofanatico]

I'l have to say i'm with broodwars on this one, even tho i love mario games i think we can give him a little break and bring something new to the table.

[Sarail]

I just want the next big Mario game to bring back world maps ala Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World (I prefer SMW's!). Please oh please oh please.

[Mop it up]

I imagine you like Super Mario World's map because everything was connected, there weren't really "worlds." But how are SMB3's world maps different from New Super Mario Brothers/Wii?

[syrindigo]

I don't know if we would actually get it because its REALLY 2D... But Id like to see a game done in the art style that Mario is drawn on the AR card! I think that would be fun! 

[Chozo Ghost]

How can anyone turn this into a bad thing? If this new game is anywhere near as amazing as Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo can keep "milking" the franchise as far as I'm concerned. It would only become a problem if Nintendo started making poorly made games.

Ian has a point in that the more of these Nintendo keeps pumping out the more people will take it for granted and the less impressed by it they will be. That's not to say these games are getting worse in quality by any means, it just means with less time in between releases we haven't really done without it long enough to hunger for it. Its like how if you eat a meal you look forward to it more if you were starving than you do if you had just eaten an hour ago. Its for Nintendo's own benefit really, because the sales of a Mario game will be higher if people have been suffering from withdrawal from the franchise for a long time.

To be fair though, this is the first 2D Mario platformer released on the 3DS (so far), so I don't think there is a problem. But if Nintendo releases a sequel year after year, then it will be a problem. That's what wrecked Mega Man and Guitar Hero.