why do people/game journelists keep calling mario a casual game?

[Opa-Opa]

I just feel that categorizing a game as "casual" has this polarizing effect on the so-called "hardcore" gamer audience. I think both the terms are intentionally misleading and simply a marketing ploy by which video game critics fuel on. IMO, "casual" in gaming has a much more negative connotation by today's standards whereas "hardcore" almost means "limited to genuine gamers," which in itself, is a fallacy.