It is no secret that since the NES, MArio and Luigi have been a force to be reckoned with when it comes to platformers. With each installment, the series has managed to remain fresh. It is one of the few series that gets away with having little to no storyline (exception being the rpg's which were surprisingly good).

My question would be: Has this series sold so well, especially currently, based on tradition and loooong history? Think about this question for a second. Some will see it as trolling, while others will dismiss it with "well, NES revived console gaming and Super Mario Bros. was crucial to this success." In part this is true. We owe our thanks to NES, and Mario is also included in that thanks. However throughout many years playing games (I was born in 81 and got my NES when I was around 7 or 8 from a store called Woolworth in NYC) I can't help but noticing other platformers that I would consider as...*gasp...BETTER (omg, I will so get ripped for this). Now please note that this reflects my personal opinions as well as many people throughout my life that I have encountered, but obviously, not the rest of the world.

When I owned a Sega Genesis I had a gem of a game called Kid Chameleon. Now THAT was a game that made my old Super Mario Bros. 3(perhaps my fav Mario title) cartridge collect dust. The story was somewhat cheesy but not bad. As a matter of fact, today it reminds me of Viewtiful Joe. Anyways back on topic, Kid Chameleon had good graphics at the time, a decent storyline (somewhat refreshing), but amazing gameplay. Wearing many different helmets which completely altered gameplay. The controls were also tight. Marketed right, and perhaps remakes or sequels with improvements here and there would clearly make this game stand over any Mario game.

Another game I found myself enjoying is what I will call a Mario ripoff. Yes, it took many elements from Super Mario Bros. 1,2 and 3, as well as some Megaman elements as well. The game is called Blue's Journey. Yes I know that some will say that the end of each stage were copied off SMB1, how the picking and throwing enemies were sooo SMB2, graphics comparable to SMB3 or better in some cases. But in the end, almost every game does take something from previous ones ie Bayonetta from DMC series, DI from GOW, Dark Cloud from Zelda (although in personal taste, I saw Dark Cloud 1 and especially 2 as superior games in all aspects). Just to refresh my memory on Blue's Journey I replayed it today and realized how much fun I had (same cannot be said when I tried SMB series again, with the exception of 3 which remains fresh to me). Some boss fights even reminded me of Megaman, and in some instances were clever (especially the final boss). It also has rpg elements which adds some replayability, such as being able to go through different stages to beat the game, also shops to boost speed, avoidance, etc. Honestly I urge people to beat that game, it is interesting.

The blue bomber is also a game I found as more fun than anything in the Mario series, especially the X games (yes I am talking about Megaman). I honestly think that due to Mario being the Nintendo face, has almost EVERYTHING to do with its success. Say what you want but NSMBW could have been much better as opposed to making such huge nods to the older games as opposed to reinventing itself just like SMB3 redefined the series. Who knows, maybe I am too old school and prefered when Mario was always redefining itself. Mario 1 to 2 were completely different in NA (japanese 2 was like 1 kinda but harder), but SMB3 just redefined it. First Mario to have you fly, rpgish element allowing you to go several paths, the minigames where you picked chests, the introduction of the koopalings,etc. Perhaps I am too demanding. Anyways I would like some thoughts from other gamers, thank you in advance.

Top 3 overlooked platformers due to mario, lack of marketing or small system userbase are:

1. Alex Kid in miracle castle (Master system)
2. Kid Chameleon (Genesis)
3. Bonk (Turbo graphix)

thats how its done! bada bim bada boom! :D

While I can't comment on the main topic as I have not played any of those games; I can comment on the following part.

"Say what you want but NSMBW could have been much better as opposed to making such huge nods to the older games as opposed to reinventing itself just like SMB3 redefined the series."

I believe you are implying that NSMBW doesn't reinvent itself amongst other 2D mario games and with that I 100% disagree. Sure its Mario w/ a SMB3-esque overworld style and basic handling. However, the multiplayer system ads a level of playability that dramatically changes the core of Mario Bros. Playing single is completely different than playing with buddies.

That is the new benchmark of a quality platformer which will be copied by others. (Yes I know LBP did it first)

You are partially right and I failed to mention the multiplayer aspect of it, however I am comparing apples to apples by talking about the single player aspect in all these games. The multiplayer is an added and welcome layer, however I still feel they didn't go all the way, as online multiplayer. I am well aware about the communication issue and feel Ninty should have added voicechat support in the system since it isn't that hard. Implementing it in this game would definitely have added more for those nights where you don't have your friends over, guess what? You can call them up and tell them to hop on (diablo 2 style, make a game and have them join that game). That's where my criticism falls in. SMB3 redefined Mario in many aspects, not to mention that even graphically it was a huge jump. I will go as far as to say that Mario 64 did an amazing job at making a TRUE 3D game with tight controls and solid gameplay without hindering itself. I can't stress enough how many 2D games have trouble making it to 3D while retaining that amazing gameplay (Castlevania is an example, although I liked Lament of Innocence, SOTN still cannot be topped).

Back on topic, the multiplayer aspect felt like it was done halfway, as the online component would have added much more for those lonely nights (that is if you really care and like the multiplayer aspect, some prefer singleplayer). I know some will come to this board and mention lag being an issue, which should not really be. If RE5, KZ2, Uncharted2, SFIV, Tekken6 (notice various genres mentioned) are able to do it without problems, I am sure ninty would be able to as well considering that NSMBW is not graphically demanding and has great gameplay with tight controls.

Final note: wouldn't be a bad idea if say, you and your wife or roomate hop on and could have 2 other friends that live a few miles away join in.

I never played Alex Kid, but wow Bonk, I can't believe I failed to mention such a fun game lol.

I remember Bonk on the original Game Boy when I was way younger. Good times, great food.......

Klonoa
Rocket Knight
While the 90's were full of platform furries (thanks to Sonic) these two were actually great but only got a cult following and never really took off in mainstream.
Thankfully Klonoa got a remake on Wii and Rocket Knight is being brought back on XBLA.

Yumi's Odd Odyssey(umihara kawase). So fun and so flexible. I may not be near as good as the people i see on youtube but i was rather surprised with the amount of variety possible in getting to the same destinations. I would love another sequel but with more of a focus on adventure and exploration and no time limits so you can enjoy exploring.

Doki Doki Panic

crash bandicoot in teh psx era, is so much betther than mario for me,