Well again, I never claimed it was "main" sales driver either, I'm saying there is no "main" sales driver but nostalgic appeal is central to NSMB in pretty much all respects (design, sales, etc).  I don't get exactly what you're disagreeing with, we seem to agree here then?

Not crucial. That's my point. The point is that it has the same gameplay that made the past 2D games hits. That is not nostalgia. That's repeating something that worked big time before. It's the solid pick up and play action that you can't do in the 3D Mario games.

Actually, featuring "the same gameplay that made the past 2D games hits" is fundamentally tied into nostalgia.  What do you think nostalgia is exactly?

You're not seeing the difference. Nostalgia is thinking fondly of something in the past. It's actually nostaglia that makes some think this kind of game is archaic, since they are thinking of what they liked before and seeing this negatively through that filter.

You're attaching a negative connotation that isn't inherent though.  Nostalgia is simply positive reflection on the past, nothing more.  New Mario playing like Old Mario applies pretty directly in terms of appeal (and undoubtedly sales) here...

Nostalgia can have a negative affect, like reactionary-ism. I guess Nostalgia isn't the word for what I mean about thinking this is archaic.

But nostalgia with a game means it was awesome then, not so much now. The point is that this kind of gameplay is still awesome, just that too many gamers and developers refuse to see that, no matter how these games are selling.

But with the sales of NSMBWii, and not costing loads of money that other hit series do, it could likely lead to another side scrolling boom, NOT because of nostalgia, but because there was a smash hit.

And before you point out the others, those were treated like niche titles, especially with marketing.