This isn't a recent thing only for Mario 3D World -- Pikmin 3, Luigi's Mansion, Lego City, the Wii U launch ads, NSMB2 are all much more "kiddie-centric" from NOA versus their European and Japanese counterparts.
Pikmin 3 Japanese commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcAi0uTHr-Y
Pikmin 3 UK commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zknrphvsil0
Pikmin 3 North American commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSmCv7hrPy4
Can you guess which is the only spot that has a kid as the central marketing figure? Why is it that NOA is the only Nintendo division that refuses to advertise to anyone over the age of 14?
It seems like ever since Metroid: Other M did not sell to their expectations that Reggie and company at NOA said "screw it" and started marketing to the kids market pretty much exclusively (while also trying to deny the US market things like Xenoblade and Last Story, only reneging when pressed by the gaming press/petitions).
Next time you guys are stomping your feet at someone saying Nintendo is for kids ... maybe some of the blame should be pointed NOA's way ... they are very definitely perpuating that image.
Don't hold your breath that this crap division has any idea how to market something like Bayonetta 2 or X.
