huh, In FE:Radiant Dawn, if you get a level up, you have random chance of getting more attack or more health points or whatever. Sometimes you get 1 stat boosted, other times 10 stats boosted. It isn't pre-determined. And in games where your stats aren't random you typically get to choose which stats to boost.

The game mechanic is a platformer. 

The new Need for Speed game allows you to "upgrade" various stats on your driver.  There are also cut scenes.  Does that make it an RPG?  It's no more an RPG than Super Paper Mario.

People are complaining that they can't find games like Super Paper Mario and then refuse to even try it, but they also insist on knowing what the game is about based on previously released Paper Mario games (which were RPGs).

Did you not play like any RPG from the NES/SNES era?

I agree it is a Platformer at heart, but even Nintendo calls it an RPG. Its like Zelda, which people call an Action/RPG. I would call Zelda an Action/Adventure, but I accept people calling it a Action/RPG. I would call Super Paper Mario a Platfomer/RPG, even if it is WAY more platformer than RPG. I also thought it was a great platfomer too, with enough challenges, and really cool gameplay mechanics.

I did, but my memory is hazy. However, Zelda I & II were RPGs so I really don't know what we define as an RPG nowadays compared to back then. I'm not a huge RPG fan, but most the ones I've played recently you either get random stat boosts, or you get to choose which stat to boost.

In many older console RPGs, you have no control over stats nor what happens when you level-up.  To say "isn't like most RPG leveling" considering that a lot (a majority I would say) of older RPGs did random stat leveling seems wrong to me.

I understood your original point, but it was worth pointing out that we've gained more control over leveling than we had once upon a time.

I would not consider Zelda 1 an RPG.  It didn't have experience or levels.

Zelda 1 and Zelda 2 were completely different.  Zelda 1 was an overhead action game where you got more hearts as you progressed.  There was no experience, no level ups, etc.  Many games are like this -- you get more guns in doom as you progress, for example.  You get more guns and energy in Metroid as you progress.

Zelda 2 was closer to an RPG where you had an overworld and when you hit an enemy or went into a town/castle, it switched to a side-scroller.  There were also levels (1-9) for life, magic and attack.  You could choose which one to level up.  There was also experience and an experience meter.

By most of the definitions here Need for Speed: Undercover would be considered an RPG as you can level up your driver as you get more experience racing.

I'd say that there already is a semi-sequel to SMB 3:  the eReader levels for Super Mario Advance 4.  If you are a Mario 3 fan and have not yet played through all 32 of those levels (both the US and Japanese cards), you are truly missing out.  They are all Mario 3 - like levels in their charm and creativity, yet also combine items and enemies from Mario 2 USA and SMW.  I enjoyed these levels far more than the entire NSMB.

Below is a video of one of the Japanese levels, which were once very hard to acquire in any format, but I put together a .SAV file with all 32 levels opened a while back which can be used on either an emulator or a flash cart for the full experience; let me know if anyone wants it (moderators:  it is not a ROM but a save file, so offering it here should be fine, yes?).

Here's what Nintendo should do:  put all these levels together as a package on WiiWare, then also create a simple-to-use, visual level editor with an online feature so that anyone can create a Mario level using combined elements from all the old games and post it online for others to enjoy.  Feature an exceptional level every week, etc, and make it a great community.  Fantastic work has been done in the world of SMW Rom-hacking for ages, but downloading IPS patches and all that is too much of a barrier for everyone to participate.

How can anyone, especially in this forum, hate NSMB or SMG? NSMB is an incredible tribute to the NES Mario games, and SMG is the only Wii game that makes me regret trading in my Wii. How can you be a Nintendo fan and not like these games?  I know this is purely my opinion, but I'm just incapable of understanding how anyone that claims to be a Mario fan could not be in love with these games.

The talking thing is true, though.  Mario needs to STFU and jump.