Imo Mario64>Galaxy=Galaxy2>SM3DL>Sunshine.
Anyway I think they may try to make a new Mario like 64, but in the end it won't have the same spirit.
Mario64 was so good and original imo because it was one of the first open world 3d games, and designers were experimenting a lot in terms of what was possile to create in 3D that was't possible before. This is the reason why Mario64 had so many elements not really in common with other platform games, in fact I'd say Mario64 was more of a 3D sandbox platform game rather than an exploration platform game.
If Nintendo decides to make a new Mario64 game now, they would most probably try to make it feel like a platform ad like a Mario game, so the result could probably be just a Mario Galaxy game with unnecessarily wide and empty levels.

Sorry this doesn't make sense. You're implicitly assuming that Wii's demographic is = to Gamecube's demographic and both have the same gaming tastes.

You are completely forgetting the bundled sales in your 'analysis'.

You guys are also forgetting that NSMBW SOLD Wii!!!!

NSMBW SOLD more games than GAMECUBE consoles!!! HELLO??? Don't be blind to that fact. Sunshine was clearly a game that people did not want as much as nsmbw by proof of the amount of hardware sold. The sell through rate theory is bs if you take this simple fact into account.

Hope I don't come off too rude but When one game sells more than an entire console you have to ask yourself how relevant a sell through perspective is. Not only that, but nsmbw sold more than the highest selling Mario exploration games, the Galaxy games. There is not a lot of evidence to support the business sense of selling mario exploration games.

Yes please. Nothing has ever matched the feeling of jumping into that first painting and seeing Bobomb Battlefield for the first time.

So much space, so much to do. *sigh* 

I want to agree with all of this, but the only exploration in Super Mario Galaxy was to check if there was gravity on the other side of the planets.

I agree, as much as the Galaxy games were fun, I was disappointed in the tiny bite sized planetoids that made up most of the game. That's not what I call exploration.

There will be a 3D mario game for the Wii U. The question is will it be more like M60, M Sunshine, M Galaxy, or go in a different direction. I'm surprised Nintendo hasn't reduced Galaxy 2's price to a Nintendo Select level yet. That should be able to boost it's sales one more time.

Nintendo still produces sequels to games and franchises that regularly do under 1 million sale,. so it doesn't seem like too bad of an idea. Especially considering Mario is just as popular than ever and considering Sunshine could do 6 million on a console that sold roughly 20 million units. Even with bundles, that's pretty good. I agree though, that you can't just extrapolate the numbers like some claim. I think Galaxy and Galaxy 2 proves there still is a viable market for 3d mario games.

I'm almost positive they will release another Mario Party