Splatoon Dev: It Couldn't Have Been Mario

[orangeapples]

I mean, why bother with original IPs at all, right?

You're conflating Character Intellectual Property with Game Play Intellectual Property.

Nintendo has always focused on Game Play IP first, and if existing characters don't fit then they create new character IP. You're concept of IP would only result in Nintendo making Mario clones of itself. Leave the clones to the indies, and 3rd parties.

For example, if Nintendo made a game that had the look, feel, and similar enough game play to Metroid, and didn't use the existing Metroid Character IP I'd feel cheated out of a Metroid game.

Spoiler

(around 3:23)

Didn't stop them before

 

[MrHide-Patten]

They do look a lot like the Bloopers (had to look it up) on ecstasy and stretch training. Although it's nice to see more new characters added to the Nintendo roster. Once he reach the Galaxy that was as far as Mario was ever going to get with me.

 

[Ieyke]

Being new characters is fine. They could be Bloopers mutated and given crazy rainbow ink powers by the ink of the magic brush.
Illithid-style mutant Bloopers (Bloopids) would be the way to go - mutated by the power of Gooper Blooper's newly acquired magic brush.