>>715129896In this era of asset utilization (See Echoes of Wisdom for lack of a better term), it's a shame we don't get unique designs like hers anymore. Even in the SNES era, you had a strong attempt at fleshing out the Mario world and we got so many games and series from it. From 1992 to around 2008, the Mario world was growing and growing and branching out in so many ways, from Wario Land, to DKC and even as far Banjo-Kazooie and Conker. After Mario Super Sluggers and Shake It!, all that creativity and growth came to a screeching halt. They actually go out their way to stifle the series now to where Diddy Kong can't even appear in the Mario spinoffs anymore.
Say what you want about that 'mandate', but there are guidelines that companies make with their IP's and Mario was going through a guideline after 2009 and especially when NSMB blew up after NSMBWii.