>>716248034
Here's the problem. Nintendo wants to reap the benefits of continuity and nostalgia without actually having to commit to the bit and keep track of everything the way the fans do. They want the artistic "freedom" to do whatever they want without being shackled to the past. But they still want the brownie point from including things like K. Rool, Cranky, and other obvious references to things that people enjoy. The same thing happened with Pikmin 4, where they tried to have their cake and eat it to, by making the game an apparent reboot, but still alluding to the plots and discoveries of the past games. It makes everything feel cynical and manipulative.