User blog:Moon Snail/Top 10 ways to make Mario games original again! (Mostly the NSMB series)

MArio. One of the most notable characters around! He's been running for almost a good 30 years! But... As you may expect, this long-runner isn't going too good anymore.

Let's take four recent Mario titles:

New Super Mario Bros. U

Super Mario 3D World

Mario Kart 8

NSMB2

Notice something? They're all too similar to their predecessors.

NSMBU is basically NSMBW with the Tanooki Leaf and a new powerup.

NSMB2 is NSMBw... but with COINS!

SM3Dw is basically SM3DL with more characters, levels, and a new powerup.

Mario Kart 8 is the worst offender. There is very, VERY little difference between MK8 and MK7. Not counting powerups, stages, parts and characters, we have a whopping ONE new feature/change from MK7. Anti-gravity is just regualr driving, but on walls. Also, It isn't even original. MKDS did it first! If the Anti-gravity and powerups were removed, you'd see it the same way I do.

Before this becomes a Mario Kart 8 rant, time to get to the main point:

Top 10 ways to make Mario original again!

10. Make Yoshi playable on his own!
Not counting spinoffs and Yoshi's island and sequels, We haven't been able to play as Yoshi by himself since SM64DS. Why not? Couldn't you imagine seeing yoshi gulping down Goombas and fluttering above hazards, but without that fat plumber putting pressure on his back? That would be cool, right?

9. More environments!
Every NSMB game has been this:

Grass --> Desert --> Beach/Snow --> Jungle/Beach --> Snow/Jungle --> Cliff --> Cloud --> Volcanic

There's also SM3DW's blandly-colored world that you see I think three times.

Why not add more? We could get something like this:

Grass --> Beach --> Desert --> Cliff --> Snow --> Underwater --> Jungle --> Cavern --> City --> Cloud --> Inside something --> Volcanic --> Shadowish world

That'd be a good change of pace. It'd also increase the game's length.

8. Make the games harder before the special world
If you weren't going for star coins, you'd notice the games are hilariously easy.

NSMB is a cakewalk, since it does not have a special world.

NSMBW, the only problem you'd run into is ONE level in World 8.

NSMB2, GOLD FLOWER, BREAKS, EVERYTHING!

Can't say much about NSMBU, since I never played it.

I know a number of ways to make the game harder: I'm not saying make the game Kaizo-hard. Putting in stuff like "Fire Flower no longer adds a second hit point" would make the game furiating to literally impossible.
 * More hard-to-kill enemies, or place already hard-to-kill enemies more often.
 * Less broken items (Propeller, Gold Flower, Blue Shell)
 * BUFF THE SLEDGE BRO. That guy is easier than the Hammer Bro. Either give him a faster recovery time after ground-pounding, or make him throw better.
 * Make progressing through the game require Star Coins (This is one thing SM3DW did right. Some levels needed green stars.)
 * NO MORE LIFE GRINDING! Every NSMB game had one way to get tons of lives early in the game. This made the game a walk in the park, even if you trip plenty of times. Make the players put EFFORT into gaining 1-ups.

(To be finished)