After watching the gameplay from the Treehouse and such, I require no explanation lol; those sections look super fun, and they and their transitions are implemented amazingly well. :)

You can't steal from yourself. Also it's been in various forms in games since the 80s. Mega Man,Giarares and others.

Mario possesses, Kirby absorbs. Its similar but not exactly the same.

Mario is the universal character in the gaming industry, he can be anything.

This

Your point is really REALLY weak because where as Kirby's idea of taking power from enemies is a more literal, very defined and linear idea, Mario literally becomes what he wants. Your point about how this is just an evolution of the Kirby formula doesn't make much sense, not only because it's just a wild leap in logic, but Kirby's whole schtick is that he eats enemies and looks cute doing it. Mario's idea is non linear. Plus if Kirby became an enemy there would be no trademark to recognize him as Kirby.


This is just so far fetched especially because taking enemies power has been in many games since the NES, whereas becoming an enemy is relatively unexplored

Space Station Silicon Valley on N64 did this too.

The core of the game was implanting your AI chip into other robots on the space station to solve puzzles.

In essence, Mario is not "Mario" anymore. He's like the embodiment of Nintendo themselves.

literally aside from the power swapping (from enemies) it has very little in common.

Almost every iteration of Kirby has been a sidescroller.... And Kirby eating enemies is notably different than putting a hat on enemies to control them. Kirby literally devours his enemies and takes EVERYTHING they have.

Mario seems like he is just temporarily posessing his enemies like a spirit or demon.

god I just realized Nintendo's franchises can be kind of dark in their own way...... ...

Nintendo needs to sue Nintendo so that Nintendo will pay for stealing from Nintendo and Nintendo will never steal from Nintendo ever again.