>>153445516why is 'bringing something new to the table' so important? a lot of the best games aren't about INNOVATIONLOL but about simply executing a tried-and-true concept really well. and that's precisely what SMB does.
some parts of the game annoy me (memes & unfunny references that Edmund shouldn't have to resort to, the programmer being a bit of a dick), but it has nothing to do with the gameplay. the gameplay is really polished and well thought-out, and there's more than enough variety in the levels. the reason SMB is good is that it simply works very well; there are very few, if any, cheap deaths, and it manages to be challenging without shitting in the player's face. not setting you back 5 minutes every time you die and limiting your lives might seem like 'casualization' but in reality, older 2D games were designed that way to extend their lifespan, not to give you this totally awesome hardcore gamer challenge. the main difference between SMB's 'forgiving, casual' gameplay and the 'truly hardcore sidescrollers of old' is that the latter takes more time. not more skill, just more time.