Nintendo says "innovation is important" for 2D Mario games

As many critics have noted, Nintendo is currently relying heavily on Mario games, especially the New Super Mario Bros. series. Last year, New Super Mario Bros. 2 was released on the 3DS, and just months later, the Wii U launched alongside New Super Mario Bros. U. Director Masataka Takemoto and producer Takashi Tezuka recently spoke to IGN about the games, and they explained that when it comes to 2D Mario, they are always trying to find a balance of innovation and tradition.

Takemoto: "When we finished [New Super Mario Bros. Wii] up, we thought,"It's gonna be hard to add any new features to this." Once we started fleshing out the next concept, though, we realized that we could still come up with new ideas for [New Super Mario Bro. U]. Right now, I can't really say what might come next, but I think we'll still manage to find new stuff for the series. I think that innovation is important, but it can't be something that destroys the core fun that defines Mario in 2D. We need innovation that retains 2D Mario's play sensation."

Tezuka: "Of course we devote resources on measures to take advantage of a platform's features and capabilities, but with a 2D Mario, we don’t want to lose the foundation that so many players already know and love. I think that sense of security helps the team feel like they've got some breathing room to work with as they come up with ideas."

"Players keep on playing Mario, after all, precisely because it's easily understandable in a very unique way. That's a strength that's hard to imitate for games with shorter heritages, and it's something I think we need to keep cherishing."

Later this year, Nintendo will expand New Super Mario Bros. U with the substantial New Super Luigi U  DLC, which will provide players with more challenging stages.

Source: IGN