They all look so HD!

I think this is Nintendo's way of budget control -- the bump to 720p is the "upgrade", then the teams get to bump the poly count and background effects a bit, but not a full on engine/asset reworking.

Smash and DKC look like Wii engines bumped to 720p with some added polys. Mario 3D World doesn't look much better than Mario Galaxy 1/2 running in HD on the Dolphin either.

it's not a nintendo topic without your hater negativity around. what took you so long?

Its so weird that Mario Kart 8 is more impressive than smash bros and the new Mario. that team deserves a raise.

I really couldn't tell which one was newer.

Props to the OP for putting together the screenshots and you did a great job of finding matching shots but we really need some better samples.  I've been listening now for 7 years how Wii games always looked crap because of the resolution yet now when we are doing a side by side we have Wii U screens that are sub 480p!  If i posted Last of Us screens at that resolution in a thread discussing the game's graphical merits I know I'd hear about it. A comparison has to be fair before we can draw any conclusions.

Smash Brothers has had very good models going back to the Gamecube days but the impressive thing about the game has rarely been in the the very small details but rather the ridiculous amount of stuff flying around while retaining a rock solid framerate.  I expect this tradition to continue.

Some higher resolution screens (from a game that isn't due out for about a year)

I'm excited for Kirby to actually be round instead of a tetradecagon lol

LOL I hear ya...