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I would agree with everything you said if I thought I was getting a "real" Super Mario Bros game. I think if you go in the the mindset that you are buying a Mario themed Crossy Road / Temple Run, etc type game you won't be let down.

This is something very simple that non-gamers can play and compete with you. I have many friends who would never step in to a CSGO/Overwatch, SC2, or LoL/HoTS game with me but simple games like this can work. I personally don't find it rewarding alone, but I enjoy being able to compete with friends on something they feel comfortable playing.

Not everyone is a "true gamer". I look forward to exploring Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but a majority of the population won't. There will no doubt be more Mario games, perhaps even on phone, which has more depth. For now however, I see nothing wrong with trying to be more inclusive. In the days before 1 finger mobile games those kind of people really had little choice in what they could play, and more importantly for me, I could never compete with them :)

That's a fair point. I definitely had the wrong expectations going into the game, but that's part of the frustration. It looks, sounds, and moves so much like the Mario games I've enjoyed in the past that my mind naturally expects the gameplay to be similar. If it were themed any differently, I probably wouldn't be as critical - it'd just feel like another Geometry Dash-style game (not necessarily a bad thing, but not a favorite either).

I love your description of the game, and felt the same way. But what interests me more, as an occasional Nintendo system-owner, is that this game provides a nostalgic, but limited on-ramp to full-fledged console or mobile games. If this game does its job, I suspect it will remind folks of Mario and their fond memories of their first platforming experience, and draw them to purchase a 3DS, Wii U, or (more likely) Switch. I'm kind of thumb-upping Nintendo for not releasing previous games on iOS because this approach mines nostalgia while providing a better baseline for gameplay amongst folks willing to seek out a solid mobile/TV experience.

> My favorite games are the ones that embody some sense of freedom, and I just don't get that here (at least not from the first 3 levels). I completely understand Nintendo's decision to go with the single-finger jump-only game mechanic for a touchscreen device (I've never been a fan of virtual D-pads). But unfortunately, that decision has transformed Mario from a game about discovery and freedom into a game where you're - quite literally - not allowed to stop and take a second look at something.

> no, I'm not really motivated to repeat levels for coins - but I would be inclined to explore new paths through the game if I weren't always forced to be on the run).

These two statements are almost completely incompatible. Discovery and exploration in Super Mario Run is all about finding where the coins are hidden, discovering the path through the level that gets them, and mastering the mechanics in order to actually reach them. Making it to the flagpoles is only the first stage of the game, the heart of the game is about mastering the mechanics and levels in order to reach the pink, purple, and black challenge coins.

> we only care about what's immediately at hand in our myopic view of the world because, let's face it, this is 2016 and we're too lazy to flip our phones around to landscape mode, let alone to confront the harrowing idea of plotting our own course through life.

I think the myopic view on display here is coming into it with a preconceived notion of what you want it to be, failing to experience what it actually is and judge it on its own merits and how well it achieves what it set out to do, instead judging it based on what you decided you wanted it to be.

> My favorite games are the ones that embody some sense of freedom

I think in this case they've expressly designed for a different group, the speedrunners, and those of us who want a leisurely exploration experience will look elsewhere. Exploration and a small screen can be uncomfortable bedfellows.

I'm in a similar boat. I wanted to enjoy this, I love Mario games, but I don't like it. The gameplay is annoying because it's all about executing jumps properly, but when you mess one up you have to start the whole level over. That's not fun for me.

Ever play Super Mario Land 2 for the Gameboy? It felt like a full-fledged Super Mario World and it was achieved with only 160x144 resolution. The lack of a D-pad really did ruin immersion for me. All it would need is a Left, Right, and A button touch zones at the bottom.

For a long time, I've said that Super Mario Bros 3 was my favorite video game of all time. Lately though, when I think back on the hours I spent playing Super Mario Land 2 on my original Game Boy, it may take the crown. Amazing game! First appearance of Wario! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Land_2:_6_Golden_C...