Nintendo really did go back to square 1 with games like Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. and it worked great for them. Then they got drunk, watched some Duck Tales and got inspired by the money baths. Needless to say they hit their heads pretty bad that night.

Well he says "probably not a good creator", so he's absolutely right. Exceptions exist, such as Miyamoto himself who obviously didn't play Mario before making Mario, but they are pretty rare.

I would agree with this.  The first Mario game was very important when it comes to platformers.  However, that's just one of many genres.  I would be willing to say that Zelda is much more important in terms of overall influence than Mario.

It would be hard to become a fantasy novelist without reading Tolkien but it certainly isn't a required read for someone who aims to become a writer of mystery novels.

Mario games are very underrated in my opinion. The new ones are equally amazing as the old ones but most gamers live their hobby vicariously and form 3rd tier opinions by watching youtube footage instead of actually playing the games. So in my opinion they don't know what they are talking about.

Cool.

The level design in NSMBU is still top notch, and no other platformer I've played yet has managed to get it as right with the physics as Mario did.

I would argue that using old ford designs as a recipe for making a modern car is just asking for a disaster. Why not use a successful modern car then as some of the tech used back then is obsolete or downright outlawed nowadays. NES did not necessarily get people to play because it was that good IMO. I played the original mario too and now, I just couldn't go back as it bores me to tears. At some point, NES was pretty much the only meaningful player in the industry so if you wanted to try videogames, there was no other option. Similar situation to madden if you want to use that argument about football sims. Lots prefer FIFA to other "soccer" offerins if you think EA flatout sucks. Any "mystical hold" you think Mario had is just imaginative. i'd make the argument that the negative outlook of women in games started from mario as well and Miyamoto's characters have no development whatsoever, just walking stereotypes i.e problematic direction for people to be emulating when joining the industry.

You argue that these early games got people into gaming but they really only got your generation into gaming not "everyone". I know people who got into gaming thanks to the games we all love to hate like COD. So is it then wrong for a developer to study COD instead to figure out why it's so popular? Why does it have to be the old school stuff? Does Justin Bieber need to study Beethoven to make better music? I'd argue that he's doing plenty fine without doing that .

How do we decide what game "contributes" to the industry and what doesn't. Is it by first to get there or who is most popular?

In other words, if you want to make a better little big planet, consider playing Mario? I'd agree to an extent because copying successful formulas instead of creating yours also comes with it's own problems. But you guys IMO are saying: in order to make any game, play mario first and I have to vehemently disagree. I can't fathom how playing Mario helps bethesda devs make a better ES game.

Now you're specifying genres which was never done initially. It was simply suggested that anyone who wants to make games should probably play Mario first when it really depends on what game you're trying to make.

Off topic, nice sig. I see you appreciate the cold hard truth from "Johann" like myself.

Its funny how the designers at id Software whom made Castle Wolfenstein, learned how to create games by actually copying super mario bros. and submitting it to Nintendo so they could get a job there? They didn't, so they reworked it and made a Mario ripoff for PC. Later, someone at id said: What if this was in first person perspective?

Did you know that the lead designer of Doom states Miyamoto games as his greatest inspiration? Wonder if Mario was one of those games he had in mind.

there is quite a few people in this thread, whom need to realize wether they want too or not that mario games and ( miyamoto ) . are why the video game industry is where its at today and thriving, because games like mario which a good game designer should play because all the areas u can learn from in the game. also ask almost of the designers in the video game industry whom they hold the most respect for and what game they credit there interest in the industry and they will say mario, that is a statement i know i have heard repeated too many damn times too count. i think most of the people whom have gotten into the gaming industry since say the ps1 days, are the ones whom dont have the respect for the games/people who have done so much for the industry. because dont have the creative mind or imagnation like the ones before them did.