>>149150401 (OP)The part where it lost me was the Mario vs Donkey Kong fight. No, it wasn't the licensed music. No, it wasn't Seth Rogan.
It was the mini-mushroom.
Its use in the fight was all wrong. It's played as a skit to laugh at Mario for a few minutes while he scrambles for a better power-up that makes it easy to outplay DK. It should have been the tool he won the fight with.
Mario has three iconic traits as a hero: brave, hearty, and resourceful. Most people who play the games will agree on that. Being shrunk down to the size of a pea against a strong ape would have been the greatest test of that. Yes, the mini mushroom is the weakest power-up, and should remain so, but subverting the rules is what makes a hero charismatic. It's easy to win when you have the power star carrying you. It's hard to win when you have to make the most of a bad hand.
Mini Mario could have been testing DK's patience. He could have been making leaps and surviving falls that no other power-up could. He could have gotten under DK's skin, luring the ape into hitting himself or breaking the rails he stood on, and triumphing in an upset that leaves the cynical crowd unable to deny his worth.
Yes, Cat Mario wins the fight normally, but that's not enough. It tells us that Mario when in a bad situation is just going to let himself be a punching bag. That's not what heroes do, so Mario shouldn't have either. Let the flea beat Goliath.