So what's the awkward restriction against main cast in RPGs again?

[Dorayakiss]

Yep, not a fresh topic today, definitely, but this rat in the room keeps getting fatter and fatter whenever a new RPG title is announced.

Back to the oldschool discussion.... we can agree about Waluigi not getting any spotlight because Nintendo obviously overlook him. But when it comes to some very prominent Nintendo icons like Donkey and Yoshi, it's..... really surprising to know they never take any main charge in stories despite of their high regard and popularity. Random people who don't play games might even think DKC RPG was already a thing.

Warioware would be the most awkward case of all. This line is now taken by Intelligent Systems, who is famous for RPGs and also happens to be the maker of Paper Mario. If Paper DKC cannot be made because Intellegent has to cooperate with Rare, now it makes no sense for Warioware to never have a RPG type title following the Paper Mario experience, or just have a collaboration in the Paper titles.

There was Partner in Time that took quite many references from Yoshi series and it managed to compose a very convincing story for Mario series prequel, which was a very appreciable job. But for now it seems like M&L trying to dedicate to Paper's routine of independent & original story that would care less about references, I think that is a loss for past M&L fans who also adore various Mario games.

Obviously, we're smart enough to notice Nintendo did set some untold restriction. But the weird thing is just that main cast participation used to be the selling point of spinoffs (which reflects on the sales for Mario Kart and Smash bros), and ironically, mainline games now give more focus on main cast fanservice contents than RPGs can offer, despite RPGs are supposed to have more room for such thing.

Do you think restriction / mandate still exist today, and is there a valid reason for it?

 

[Waluigi Time]

There isn't a restriction, the RPG developers obviously just like making their own characters and developing their own spin on the Mario world. Sticker Star/Color Splash/Paper Jam had much less of that and those games did feature a lot of returning characters who hadn't been in RPGs before - Bowser Jr., Gooper Blooper, Kamek proper, King Boo, not to mention all the mainstay and NSMB enemies they added. Birdo, the Koopalings, and Petey Piranha made their first Paper Mario appearances in that period. Yoshi(s) and references to the Yoshi games have been in several RPGs already, even if there hasn't been an RPG solely dedicated to that series. Donkey Kong references in the rest of the Mario franchise are pretty sparing already, and Wario gets almost nothing. So there's really no reason to think that there's some restriction in place here.

Keep in mind that the RPGs already sell a lot less compared to the big hitters like the platformers, Mario Party, and Mario Kart. Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Wario already sell a lot less than Mario to begin with. Nintendo has all the numbers. Could they make an RPG starring Yoshi, Donkey Kong, or Wario if they wanted to? Yeah. But that's not necessarily the best economical decision when you can effectively guarantee selling more copies by taking advantage of brand recognition and putting Mario's face on the game cover and name in the title of the game. If they did want to invest resources into making an RPG that wasn't Mario or a series already based on being an RPG (e.g. Pokemon, Fire Emblem) it would make a lot more sense to do Zelda or maybe Kirby.

 

[Daniel Dyce]

Donkey Kong is too.stulod to understand turn based combat.

 

[Koopa con Carne]

If Paper DKC cannot be made because Intellegent has to cooperate with Rare

has to cooperate with Rare

stop parroting this. Nintendo fully owns and controls the DK IP with the exceptions of the arcade game's code and the occasional Rareware-specific elements such as the logo, Banjo, Conker (in Diddy Kong Racing), and the Jetpac minigame in DK64

 

[Ray Trace]

This practically applies to all Mario games, not just Mario RPGs, and not just characters. In Mario Kart, rather than take existing locales, developers are usually more interested in making their own ideas and own tracks that are married to the entire gimmick of the game (like anti-gravity in 8's case), hence why you see the likes of Sunshine Airport or Coconut Mall over a Mario Party-themed track or Beanbean Kingdom. Mario Party does have wholly unique minigames most of the time, even if I do want to see more minigames based off the contemporary minigames from the platformers at the time (I've always wanted a minigame off flying the Fluzzard or riding the Mantas from Galaxy, at least we DID eventually got a minigame based off the Star Ball rolling alongside the pulling the face from Super Mario 64.

 

[Dorayakiss]

did feature a lot of returning characters who hadn't been in RPGs before

I do like Koopalings story in early M&L, however there are several issues with them.

One is they're usually considered secondary to the top tier main cast in general games beside certain mainline (and I have to clarify I don't like it personally, since I would also like Koopalings in more spinoffs), this also results in the fact the general main cast are more popular than them.

Second is, as Bowser's minions, they don't get to either expand the perspective of stories. Their roles are usually fixed unlike the absent main cast who'd represent other regions and roles entirely outside Bowser's troop.

appearances in that period. Yoshi(s) and references to the Yoshi games have been in several

Which is why I highlight to be main role. I know he's mentioned along with others, but you sure cannot say Yoshi is a selling point for all the RPGs so far.

But that's not necessarily the best economical decision when you can effectively guarantee selling more copies by taking advantage of brand recognition and putting Mario's face

Um.... don't agree. I mention selling point so I don't think choking me with more Mario face would make me want to buy his games for sure. Like what would even be the need to create a main cast if you only want to sell Mario.