Would you want an "open world" Mario game? (Updated OP for elaboration.)

[invertedzero]

I've been saying and hoping for something like this for the good part of a decade. 

Think the Mario 3 Map, only made into  a large world like Zelda Majora's Mask or OoT. You'd have open areas connected by 'routes' which in effect would be like turning of Termina field to go down the path to Snowhead. Only that each part of that route would be a Mario A-B style level. 

The screen would go black and load the path like in the Zelda games, but then 'Route 2-1' or something to that effect would be displayed while loading through. Of course the whole route designed in a hybrid adventure/mario level style manner. Perhaps the route is traversible one way by jumping through giant mushrooms, but the other way is only traversible down a cliff/beach area. There could be secret routes to find too. Going one way the route/level could be labelled 2-1(Up Arrow) and traversing back the other way 2-1(Down Arrow)

In the open / town-like areas, it would be more of a hub, like mario 64/sunshine, but as an adventure game it could have bits of plot scattered through, like you return to the area at some point in the game and find it's been invaded by two of the Koopalings. Characters could give you small missions to do like in Adventure-RPGs that take the style of a 64-Sunshine-Galaxy-like mission.

Think Mario 3's Map made into a Pokemon/Zelda/Metroid style map in 3d with the connector routes representing traditional levels disgused in an 'free-flowing' world. In fact think a bit like the impression some of Mario Kart's levels give too, but obviously not a racing track and designed around platforming.