Opinion: Mario has run his course. How can Nintendo revive its fallen mascot?

There's been an air of fatigue around the Mario brand lately, and it has come into focus with the portly plumber's latest outing, New Super Mario Bros. 2 (NSMB2).

In his review, Peter praised the game for its quality and polish, but also noted that there's a distinct feeling of been here, done that, done that, and done that, too. Where has this apathy regarding Mario come from and what can Nintendo do to turn things around?

Obviously, there's no pressing need for Nintendo to turn it around at all. Mario sells. Pipefuls. In fact, Nintendo's last 2D Mario title, New Super Mario Bros. (NSMB), became the biggest seller for DS, with The Big N shifting nearly 30 million copies of it.

But, there's restlessness among the fanbase. Mario's always been a critical success (though we won't mention Mario Teaches Typing), but the tide's turning, with NSMB2 averaging 'just' 77 per cent on GameRankings.

Many who try NSMB2 experience an acute sense of déjà vu - precious little has changed since the last instalment, you see, which was released a whopping six years ago. Time flies.

The changing face of Super Mario (clockwise: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Land 2)

In its simplest terms, NSMB2 is a cash grab. A hugely playable, eminently enjoyable cash grab. Which, ironically enough, is what you'll spend a lot of your time doing in the game itself, trying to achieve the target of 1,000,000 coins set by Nintendo.

Nintendo needs to reinvent the 2D Marios, and the most frustrating part is it obviously knows how. Watching the evolution from Super Mario Bros. 1 to 3 on the NES is fascinating, because they are all so different.

The Western version of Super Mario Bros. 2 is one that's divided opinion for years. While it may have been a reskinned version of original Japanese game Doki Doki Panic, at least it took Mario in new directions.

Nintendo was known throughout the Mario series for incredible playfulness and creativity, and the player rarely knew what was around the corner.

That feeling of freedom when you first put on the red cape in Super Mario World and soared through the skies was unparalleled, and it's moments like this that have defined the series.

The pastel style of Yoshi's Island was gorgeous and flipped Mario's universe on its head. Gone was the original template of Mushroom Land, Goombas, and Koopa Troopas, who were relegated to minor appearances. In came Shy Guys and Kamek.

These were firm fan favourites and still are to this day, but we haven't seen anything as startlingly original or daring from Nintendo since.

The Super Mario Land series on Game Boy went off on a whole zany new tangent, with alien spaceships, underwater shooter sections, and the mustachioed miser Wario.

We expect more, though. Why haven't we seen driveable vehicles to alter progression, or new characters to play as that can be controlled in a different manner?

Mario's spring suit from Super Mario 3D Land would be well suited to a 2D plane, for example. Or perhaps a surfboard for the tropical levels that sees you riding a wave that crashes across the screen.

The non-changing face of New Super Mario (clockwise: New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, New Super Mario Bros. Wii)

Nothing beat looking up at the sunbeam in the entrance hall in Super Mario 64 and finding Mario doffing his winged red cap, soaring above the clouds and Princess Peach's castle.

How about bringing the Wing Cap to 2D games and having Mario fly through levels using air currents? The over-reliance on the racoon tail in recent games is already dismaying many. The well of power-ups, suits, and hats looks like it's beginning to dry up.

From Super Mario Bros. 3 to Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, drastic changes are evident in art style and gameplay - these kept the series fresh and intriguing.

Little things like using Baby Mario in Super Mario World 2 or giant Mario in NSMB kept the audience that had grown up with the Italian plumber interested and engaged.

Looking at NSMB and its sequel, however, the only thing that's visually different about the game is the sheer plethora of coins. You can't help but feel like Cyril Sneer half the time.

Nintendo likes the 2D and 3D Mario games to stay separate, but wouldn't it be great to include large branching 2D levels that encouraged exploration and multiple playthroughs to see everything that's on offer? That feeling of discovery's been lost through the years, as we trudge through Bowser's Castle once again.

Some of my favourite parts in Super Mario Galaxy were the 2D gravity-shifting levels, which were unlike anything actually seen in a 2D Mario. We know this works, so why not try it?

Off the back of all this, NSMB2 appears lazy and repetitive. Shouldn't we expect more from such a beloved franchise? Recent handheld platform games like Rayman Origins and Sound Shapes have injected freshness into the genre, while the grandfather of the platformer is as stale as months-old bread.

Mario's not going anywhere any time soon, but let's hope that he at least evolves over the coming years, and that next time he brings something truly new and exciting to the table - which is what we really remember Mario for.