A typical mario platformer offering, and therein probably lies the problem. The game is solid in the usual areas of tight control, wacky environments, and subtley good graphics (great water refractions). But it is just more of the same when it comes down to it. It seemed like another take on the same old platformer. I did finish the game, but toward the end it was mostly out of loyalty to the franchise. I don't want to think of a world without mario-based platforming, but I do thing it's time for another step up in gameplay.