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RolStoppable said:
Khuutra said:
All right, then, for the sake of the discussion:

I think classification in terms of genre is quick, easy, and useful to the average person. 2D Mario, 3D Mario, Mario Kart, Smash Bros., all of these things need to be divided and identified according to common traits that identify them in concrete (but sometimes broad) ways.

More specific designations, like that between 2D Mario and the 2D Yoshi games, are also useful. It represents the depth and texture of the genre in a way that will still be easy to understand (though not so easy as when comparing to something like Mega Man or Sonic).

I'm not entirely convinced of the utility of dividing 2D Mario games from other 2D Mario games, though. There comes a certain point after which the only discourse it adds to is the discussion about the discourse. Now maybe I don't remember Super Mario Land very well, but outside of its setting I seem to remember it being more or less like the NES games, albeit more simplistic.

The main reason to separate SML from SMB is because it is like a sidestory. I cannot say much more than it feels right to separate it from SMB. It's a common relationship that many home console/handheld games share. The home console entries are the real deal while the handheld versions are sidestories. This may be in large part due to the technological limitations of handhelds compared to their home console counterparts in the same generation. Also, if the handheld entry doesn't get a number assigned to it, it only strengthens the impression that it is indeed a sidestory. In SML's case, there's also SML2. This just adds to the impression that it should be seen as a separate series of Mario games. Just like Super Mario World (a.k.a. Super Mario Bros. 4 in Japan) suggests that SML is a separate series. (SMW was released after SML.)

On the other hand, NSMB is so close to SMB that it should be counted towards SMB. What speaks against it is basically only the tradition of separating home console and handheld games, even though occasionally a handheld game has been an official sequel. For example, Metroid 2: Return of Samus. But that's the exception to the rule.

Neither NSMB or NSMB Wii have an official number assigned to them, so it's basically impossible to come to a final judgment whether NSMB should be discounted or not. It fulfills all requirements, but it's on a handheld. That's its only "fault".

I can respect that, but... I guess I just don't see games that way. Mechanically, SML and SMB feel the same to me, so they're not able to be split along those lines just because of the platform they're on.