It's all the more upsetting that there is a foundation for a much better mode that would have taken less development time and would have probably satisfied people more.
Take the top 10% or so of P Switches (that's 39 missions. The special test of skill set, the trick around Bazaar one, all the retro homages, most of the ones involving vehicles).
Add a rank system, divide the content into worlds, and each completed world gives you the unlock for one of the minions (Keep the Kamek method for kiddies who cant beat the missions).
Bam, you've made something that respects your time and has appropriate reward. Chasing the high you felt exploring the castle in Royal Raceway from MK64 is something you maybe think you want, but you don't. Newer generations play games with more constant feedback & rewards, older generations don't want their time wasted, it's a lose/lose.
I didn't even include boss battles but again, the foundation for them is there. Chill Bully, Boom Boom, Porkpuffer among others are all fairly big enemies that could easily be repurposed into bosses by just making them interact with items differently, changing movement speed. It really would not take them much effort.
t. 100%'d the game (394 P Switches/200 Medalions/150 ? Panels)