What is it that makes Mario so brilliant?

[theRepublic]

Euphoria14 said:
Great controls, level design and gameplay are definitely a plus, but I do not think it is the only reason because that doesn't help everyone else.

One can not discount the fact that Mario is pretty much a household name. There is a good chance that even people who do not play video games know who "Super Mario" is.

I do think that the Nintendo and Mario brands help sell the games.  But the fact remains that they are still the highest quality platformers out there, and consistently so.  No one else lives up to that standard time and time again, so that is why it can't help everyone else.