Ah where would we as people who play video games be without the most famous video game icon in the world? Mario and his friend and enemies pretty much made my fondness for video games what it is, as I'm pretty sure is the same for a lot of people.

Mario is the only one that can completely get away with the tired old cliche of rescuing a princess. Even Legend of Zelda has been making a trend of defying the cliche, having Zelda only kidnapped late on in some games, having her take part in the final battle, things like that. But with Mario, saving the world doesn't seem to be the ultimate goal as much as saving Peach herself.

We're okay with this because firstly, these games are fun. It's easy to forget you're even supposed to rescue a princess when you're running and jumping through stages, collecting various power-ups and dodging obstacles. There's never that feeling of "I have to save her!" because you know she's just gonna stay put in that castle (or any others) until the end.

Second, these characters are endearing as all heck. Even Bowser has his fans and I don't think it would be quite the same if he was completely involved in a main Mario title. I'd rather watch/play Mario rescuing Peach a thousand times than some gritty Liam Neeson character stabbing and shooting people to save a character who is just about as lacking in likable traits as himself.

And third the Mario series has what on TV Tropes as a Grandfather Clause. What would normally be tired and stale is not so mainly because it's what made this work famous. It would be weird if there was a Mario game where they DIDN'T rescue the princess at the end. 3D World had these fairy things and Peach was playable, but still. Defeating Bowser isn't the goal here so much as rescuing the princess/fairy.

But is too much tradition a bad thing? One of the main points Arin of Game Grumps fame makes about why newer Mario Games are "soulless" is that they don't do enough to make newer ones innovative. They reuse a lot of the same conventions, same enemies, same power-ups and so on. 

I can kinda understand where he's coming from, but the thing is, those weren't "new features" back in Mario 3. That was the first time we had a Tanooki Suit and could ride in a wind-up shoe. Plus, not only are a lot of those enemies pretty iconic, but they also do introduce new power-ups every now and again.

The most understandable argument imo is against the "New" Mario series of platformers. According to Jon at least, they're all the same game essentially. They have occasional different features like the penguin suit, but otherwise they're pretty identical and essentially modern takes on the original NES title.

But honestly, I would take a thousand "Soulless" Mario games over half the crap that the Sonic Franchise does. At the end of the day, Mario's worst game is some obscure rpg or something. Even Galaxy 2, which frustrated me to no end, was a worthwhile experience.

I never did play the Paper Mario series though...

That RPG game do you mean Super Mario RPG? I actually own it on my Wii. I got it through Nintendo Club. I have yet to play it, but I heard great things about it. I know a lot people loved that game and I heard it's a great introduction to RPG games. 

Because of that game we got the Paper Mario series which is my favorite series. I love the N64 game and its sequel The Thousand Year Old Door for the GC. The sequel is my favorite. As for the Wii and 3DS Paper Mario games meh. I loved the cast of characters in the Wii game, but they took the RPG battle system out of it. Instead you attack enemies like any other Mario game. They brought back the RPG battle system in the 3DS, but you use stickers. The game is cute, but I wish they brought back the system from Thousand Year Old Door. It perfected system.

I played Thousand Year Old the door over and over. Sadly I have never beaten it. The final boss is crazy hard.  Someday I will beat it.

Mew Ami wrote:

That RPG game do you mean Super Mario RPG?

Nah, I was specifically thinking of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Really an unenjoyable experience that one was.

Oh that series! I've heard mix things about that series.

Mew Ami wrote:

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That RPG game do you mean Super Mario RPG?

Awesome game, awesome modes, awesome attacks...just one thing...CULEX. As a gamer I've fought in countless battlefields, from epic to hearrtwarming, and I have to say THAT IS ONE TOUGH BATTLE, and I MEAN TOUGH almost as difficult as playing Zelda II for the NES.

Mario is not only a childhood Icon but it puts, even today a healthy challenge with no gore or blood and it is still fun. Its music, its themes, levels and enemies are ICONS that are still revered today, it is speculated very little humans have not heard the theme of the franchise, though it was one of those fan magazines so you know...

1,2 and 3 were amazing, the music, the endings, Mario 2 especially.

World was amazing too, when you got to the funky levels and read "You are amazing!" and then Koopas with mario headed shells.

64...so cool, to me that is the best movement mario has ever had, hands down. You could easily reach heights never thought and that triple jump with Yoshi's bonus, also this game solidified my MarioxPeach view.

Sunshine, a bit hard, I had my GC controller destroyed due to smash and my friends overusing those tricks of theirs, but I managed to get all shines, good music and the tropical vibe, I'd still wish I got to go to Gelato Beach.

Galaxy, many say mario began downhill from there but...3 words. ORCHESTRATED MARIO SONGS. Man, the leverls had amazing visuals and the music. Those remixes were amazing! And the battles were sometimes Shallow but they had the mario feeling to it, and those green stars from Galaxy 1...ugh...

The "New" series is cool but meant for multiplayer more than solo, which may be one of the "Souless arguments" also, sometimes it is too predictable, but still Mario lives in our hearts. Though they never really were clear on this relation with Peach, she always kisses his cheeks, in 64 and in many sports game and Melee says "Daisy became Luigi's answer to Mario's Peach" but who knows?

They're showing off Mario Maker at E3. It looks so much fun! I really want to troll my friend.