How Nintendo fixed 2D Mario

In 2012, Nintendo released two new Mario games: New Super Mario Bros. 2, and U. Both games were fine, but totally bland. This was the culmination of a slow downward slide in quality for 2D Mario. And so, Nintendo took a 11 year break from the series before returning with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the most creative 2D Mario platformer in decades.

So how did the 2D Mario series go so wrong? Why did Nintendo start making "New" Super Mario bros. games in the first place? And how did they fix the series?

PATREON -   / thomasgamedocs  
BLUESKY - https://thomasgamedocs.bsky.social

SOURCES
https://shmuplations.com/mariosunshine/ Miyamoto discusses his worry that 3D Mario is becoming too complex
https://web.archive.org/web/200608140... NSMB developer interview
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interv... Miyamoto discusses NSMB and NSMBW
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interv... NSMB2 developer interview
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interv... NSMBU developer interview
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/miyamot... Miyamoto discusses difficulty of HD game dev
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2... Wonder developer interview
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202312/2... Wonder developer interview 2

CREDITS
   • Longplay of New Super Mario Bros. Wii   New Super Mario Bros Wii longplay
   • New Super Mario Bros Mii (Wii U) - E3 2011...   New Super Mario Bros Mii footage
   • New Super Mario Bros. Mii - Wii U (E3 2011...   New Super Mario Bros Mii footage 2

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:16 Part 1: Mario is too complicated
3:39 Part 2: A "new" Mario
7:11 Part 3: Too much Mario
13:05 Part 4: The hiatus
16:38 Part 5: A sense of wonder
22:44 Outro