Is it time for Nintendo to give Mario a break?

with the exception of galaxy 2, they've only released one main 3d platforming mario title per console. I doubt we're gonna see another mario platformer like 3D Land for a while. But this is where DLC can come in. If we had DLC and extra levels to play, I would gladly give nintendo my money and put the cd back in. Make it happen Nintendo. Oh and make Mario Sunshine 2 happen, please.

Keep Mario to platforming for a while and leave spin-offs alone for a while (with the exception of smash bros. of course). That's my opinion at least.

Here's my take on the matter. It doesn't matter what face is put to a game - that doesn't change what the game is. If Super Mario Galaxy starred any other character, it would still be the same game. What matters isn't the face of the star character, what matters is how the game plays. Mario games continue to be both fun and innovative - whether or not they actually star Mario is irrelevant. So no, I don't think Ninty need to retire Mario at all.

Absolutely not. The Super Mario Galaxies are hands down my favorite games from this console generation. Nintendo can make as many spin-offs as they want as long as the core titles are as fresh and creative as ever.

Yes, for two reasons: 1) Likely will force Nintendo invest in a new IP 2) Gives us plenty of time to miss Mario games, making an eventual return that much sweeter

But we BARELY have any Core Mario titles, Galaxy 2 is the ONLY exception, Its already bad enough we have to usually wait 4-5 years.

I say a reluctant yes, but only because I feel that Nintendo depends so heavily on him that they rather just keep churning out another game with him in it, then trying to create a new IP with which to grab our attention.

I love core Mario games, I love most Mario Kart and sports games (except Golf), I love the first five Mario Party games, so...yeah, I love Mario games, and see no reason for them to stop making them. This isn't something I can consider from a financial standpoint or from an industry point of view. This is something that I can only see from my point of view, so if it appears I'm not analyzing this very well, then congratulations, you get a cookie, detective.

mario is the little wayne of video games.

And thus the Nintendo trolling continues... personally I CANT WAIT for Paper Mario 3DS and what ever other Mario titles pop up on the 3DS and Wii U! If it wasn't for Nintendo I would have given up gaming years ago... in fact I never would have started.

I might be the only person in the world that thinks that 3D Mario sucks in general. The last one I enjoyed was Super Mario Sunshine and I have played all of them. The level to level system is very repetitive and I think if you are going to do platformer, it should be 2D.

As long as the games are good, there shouldn't be a reason to stop.

Put his face on and I shall pay lol...I don't mind being blindly loyal cus they're always high quality fun to play games.

In a period of 25 years through 5 system, there has been what? 8 games in the main series. 9 if you're counting Yoshi's Island. They are regularly genre defining games. How about Sony's top platformer: Ratchet and Clank? Has it really brought anything new between the 7 games in 10 years through 2 systems? Other IPs get so much more games than Mario, or Zelda for that matter. The difference is that these ones came out in the 80s, while most others are about 10 years old. Having said that, how will other developers be able to copy Nintendo if Nintendo shelves their best IPs?

There may be only 8/9 main games, but look at all the different spin-offs, and you can see why people believe Nintendo should give Mario a break. I, for one, think they should stop with all the damn spin-offs, as that is probably what's making people believe Mario needs a break. The core games have never stopped being excellent (even the under-rated Sunshine), but the spin-offs need a break.

Mario 3d land and mario kart 7 are huge parts of why the 3ds was able to pull out of its slump. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Ninty just needs to find a healthy balance. It seems like whenever they want to sell a game that isn't a guaranteed hit, they slap Mario on it and call it gold. We've seen that Nintendo has the capacity to create deep, rich worlds with characters everyone loves. I think Nintendo is too scared to take a lot of risks, opting to just try out new ideas within the safe zone of their established roster. Let's move away from Pokemon, Link and Mario and try to come up with something new! Add to the universe you've created! If there's no danger of them going under anytime soon, I don't see why Nintendo is so hesitant to create a new first-party experience that's unlike anything we've seen. Of COURSE there's going to be some failures, but I'd love to see Nintendo come up with a new franchise that ends up being successful and popular without anyone from the back catalog to carry it. And at the same time, let's show a little more love to the franchises that haven't seen nearly as much limelight as the plumber? More F-Zero! More Kirby! Other M may have been a much-maligned installment, but it was a risk that needed to be taken for Metroid. It piqued my interest because it was a huge change for the series, not just another 3d platformer with a different control scheme or gameplay mechanic. It seems to me like the people making these games aren't having fun anymore, they're just doing it because it's a job now. And it's not just Nintendo, it's EVERYBODY. I hate how a property becomes big and then it's just assumed we need more and more and more. From here on out, it's safe to assume we can see either a Halo, COD or Gears game per year, simply because they've become money-printing franchises. Then fantastic games with less polish like Alan Wake, Prototype and Enslaved fall through the cracks because we're convinced the heavy hitters will just be better. Meanwhile, the big franchise titles slowly dip in quality and fun every time we buy them. Look at how fast Guitar Hero and Rock band were killed once they reached their "peak." Can you imagine what it would be like if Valve pumped out a Half-Life game every two years? Or if there were a new Elder Scrolls every year? The point is, if you've got gold, don't make it so available it's not rare anymore. It may glitter, but if it's everywhere you look it's not as sought-after. Good Lord, I just wrote a novel.

I didn't read that only because you called them "Ninty." I shudder every time I read that nickname.

I'm really desperately horribly sorry. No really.

People are in arms about Sackboy Kart (Please dont call it that Sony) because Mario has hogged all the limelight and made too many games. Sonic Tried to get into Marios teritory with Sonic Racers (which was good) and that is "just a Mario Kart clone". I know Mario is an icon, more so than most real people, but one day if they keep pushing his name on titles one will be a massive dud. Sonic was considered marios nearest rival and look at how sonics reputation plummeted after a few duds. Mario doesnt deserve that.