Fair enough, Mario games are a bit hackneyed - but I don't think it's fair to claim that Meat Boy is a better game, it's not - just because it's an indi game and liking an indi game is somehow edgy and unique, it doesn't change the fact that Meat Boy is just an average platformer. Seriously, I've played mario games a lot more than Meat Boy, and I'd rather play any Mario game than Meat Boy.
I'm not saying Meat Boy is a bad game, but it's damn over-rated... it's a hunk of meat, the gameplay mechanics are entirely unoriginal, we've seen everything in Meat Boy several times before. For me, Mario games are about the mechanics, the unique platforms for instance than rotate, or move, or desintigrate, or do anything more clever than just stand there. Mario games always try to be more than just platform games, Meat Boy is just a platform game. Rayman, is a well animated platform game. Neither Rayman nor Meat Boy has really brought anything new, it seems that in that marketplace, it's only Nintendo that get anywhere close to innovation. These games have a lot of polish, game mechanics that go beyond the standard 2D game, and that started with Mario. Look at Kirby as well for example - vastly under-rated platform games that have so many unique features, but most gamers dismiss Kirby games as shallow and aimed at children. In terms of game mechanics and complexity - Meat Boy is retarded compared to even Mario 2, it's no more complex than N+, it's a fluid and enjoyable game, but it's not gonna influence a whole industry.
Frankly I'm just glad that we don't already live in the grey and brown FPS world that AAA titles have created - I'm glad that we still have Mario games and the Wii and Nintendo to bring some colour to gaming. I'm especially looking forward to Pikmin3, which some people might dismiss as being aimed at kids, but actually it's about the most interesting, strategic, nostalgic, and challenging game series you'll come across. The gaming world needs Nintendo and Mario and all the influence that they bring - if it wasn't for Mario, then people might not even like platform games as much as they do - without Mario, platform games might never have evolved past Manic Miner.
I'm not saying Meat Boy is a bad game, but it's damn over-rated... it's a hunk of meat, the gameplay mechanics are entirely unoriginal, we've seen everything in Meat Boy several times before. For me, Mario games are about the mechanics, the unique platforms for instance than rotate, or move, or desintigrate, or do anything more clever than just stand there. Mario games always try to be more than just platform games, Meat Boy is just a platform game. Rayman, is a well animated platform game. Neither Rayman nor Meat Boy has really brought anything new, it seems that in that marketplace, it's only Nintendo that get anywhere close to innovation. These games have a lot of polish, game mechanics that go beyond the standard 2D game, and that started with Mario. Look at Kirby as well for example - vastly under-rated platform games that have so many unique features, but most gamers dismiss Kirby games as shallow and aimed at children. In terms of game mechanics and complexity - Meat Boy is retarded compared to even Mario 2, it's no more complex than N+, it's a fluid and enjoyable game, but it's not gonna influence a whole industry.
Frankly I'm just glad that we don't already live in the grey and brown FPS world that AAA titles have created - I'm glad that we still have Mario games and the Wii and Nintendo to bring some colour to gaming. I'm especially looking forward to Pikmin3, which some people might dismiss as being aimed at kids, but actually it's about the most interesting, strategic, nostalgic, and challenging game series you'll come across. The gaming world needs Nintendo and Mario and all the influence that they bring - if it wasn't for Mario, then people might not even like platform games as much as they do - without Mario, platform games might never have evolved past Manic Miner.