The Superstar Saga
Cheep Cheep
You could try to argue that but boy oh boy would you be wrong.
As for what makes a story good to me, depends on what we are talking about, for me a "good" Mario story would be something light hearted and humorous with an emphasis on adventure and whimsy. But no matter what it would have to be simplistic as thats all Mario is capable of being (and all it should be) which is why I don't hold any Mario stories in high regard.
Thanks for taking me up on the discussion! This splits into two premises:
- Why is simplicity a necessity for a story to be a good Mario story?
- Would you agree there could be a Mario game with a good story, even while not being a good Mario story?
For example, you've stated you don't think Super Paper Mario is a good Mario story, but would you acknowledge it as a good story on it's own merits?