Post
Nintendo brought 2D Mario back as a mainstream event and made it feel obvious in retrospect.
New Super Mario Bros. is not revolutionary in the same way the earliest games were, but it did something equally important commercially: it reminded the market that classic side-scrolling Mario still had enormous blockbuster power. The art leans 3D, the feel stays familiar, and the whole package radiates tactical conservatism executed at a very high level.
Example
The Mega Mushroom power fantasy and mini-Mario scale gimmicks gave the DS entry a few strong visual hooks without overcomplicating the return-to-basics pitch.
Why it matters
It matters because it restarted 2D Mario as a modern mass-market line. Everything from New Super Mario Bros. Wii to Wonder builds partly on this revival.
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