Super Mario Maker shows the franchise is showing signs of strain.
Super Mario Maker shows the franchise is showing signs of strain.
It must be difficult being the most successful video game franchise of all time.
For more than 30 years, Mario and his friends have been entertaining generations the world over, and have made hundreds of millions in the process.
But as Nintendo's flagship game, and with all that pressure toremain at the top of the pack, it seems developers felt the need to keep the brand alive - no matter the quality.
Super Mario Maker is the latest instalment in the franchise, and feels a lot like someone got bored and decided fans could design the game themselves.
That literally is what you do. You travel through old courses, unlock various parts of the Mario world, and then create your own courses to share with the world.
A love of this game depends strongly on how much you like Mario. If you love that crazy Italian plumber to bits, then there will be a lot to love here, with elements from its history making this a largely nostalgic trip.
However, for the uninitiated in the Mushroom Kingdom, it's a confusing mish-mash of graphics, and the course-building elements are not as interesting or simple as they would like you to think.
Here's hoping that, in the next games, Mario gets the opportunity to switch things up and not rely on nostalgia to get a sale.
