I'll probably look like an idiot for posting this, but here goes.

When co-op was first announced at E3, I kind of forgot about it shortly after, threw it in the back of my mind. Then, I looked at GiantBomb's quick-look and see what happens to whoever is playing with Luigi.

So, for what feels like the millionth time, I say... WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

I didn't think about it much after E3, but there's really no reason why player 2 should be locked to player 1's screen. It's common sense; You have two players, and two different screens. This isn't the early 90s with Sonic 2 and 3.

And that's the thing. This isn't the first time a potentially good game, console or idea (not to say that NSMB2 is a bad game) with the Nintendo brand name on it, and find a way to create one major flaw. It's a trend that's spiraling out of control:

Kid Icarus: Uprising's awkward control scheme? A game that's a winner aside from that one problem. Heck, they had to develop a stand for that to ease complaints from QA testers. And even that could have been solved with better circle pad pro support. The whole control scheme was a big gaffe, though it wasn't enough to tarnish it as a good game.

The Wii as a whole? Admit it. The idea behind the Wii is brilliant! It had so much potential... that is, until you realized that the tech behind it was inferior to the 360 and PS3, to the point where it didn't even have HD support. What does that do? Take a console that had the ability to please both casual and core gamers alike, and completely alienate core gamers because developers don't want to dumb their games down for the Wii's specs. That and Nintendo has always been behind the curve in console tech since the N64. Great ideas, mediocre execution.

And the decision to lease out their IPs to other devs? Look what comes out of it:

Star Fox: Let Namco create a game, put most of the game outside the arwing with awkward controls.

Metroid: Let Team Ninja create a game that would've been perfect if the story hadn't turned Samus into an pussy-ass bitch that takes orders from people.

Mario & Zelda: Let a third party develop it for a console that isn't even theirs and... I hope she made lots of spaghetti!

(There have been some good instances though. I dunno if anyone agrees with me but I loved what Sega did with F-Zero.)

Who's the guy thinking up all this stuff? It's like (for at least their first and second party titles) that they hire someone specifically to think up ways to put a gaffe that badly stands out in just about every game Nintendo makes, and so that even their best games will be remembered for this. And now they wonder why core gamers are losing trust in Nintendo? (Okay, there's much much bigger reasons.)

I really just wish Nintendo would start thinking this shit through. I'll probably still buy the game, because I probably won't even touch co-op anyway, but come on Nintendo. Get your head into the game.

But, let's be serious. Gaffe or not, NSMB2 is either a rehash or an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of game, depending on what side of the fence you're on.

Nintendo operates like a crazy, old, befuddled, genius inventor.

Comparing poor co-op to the CD-i games? Let's not get too crazy. The extent at which Nintendo is set in its ways when it pertains to very certain, specific things is pretty humorous.

I love Nintendo but not everything they do I'd describe as a smart move.

all comes down to $$$

Nintendo loves them to save them some $$$$

But... But Coin Rush. I need more GODDAMN COINS.

Also there was nothing wrong with Kid Icarus's control scheme, it was perfect.

Yeah this game seems oddly mediocre. Especially in comparison to the fantastic Super Mario 3D Land.

@MariachiMacabre said:

Yeah this game seems oddly mediocre. Especially in comparison to the fantastic Super Mario 3D Land.

It was supposedly developed by a Mario B team who are newer devs learning how to make Mario levels. Apparently all the experienced guys are working on the WiiU version.

I feel like Nintendo has some good ideas, but is just having trouble executing it. I wish they'd expand their horizons and maybe scoop up a 2nd party developer in the west for them (Like Retro) and get some serious cross-pollination going on. Cause I'm starting to think Nintendo's been stuck too far up it's own ass for a while.

Let's think about this for a  second. You're programming an engine for a Mario game. You want to have the best visuals possible while maintaining a steady framerate. Now, I'm not a video game programmer, but I assume that the game doesn't keep track of what's off your screen when you get too far away, in the interest of keeping things moving smoothly. So you make this engine, and then you add in two player mode. Player 1 speedruns the level while player 2 walks. Now the game has to keep track of what's on both players screens at once, send the info to the other system over the network, and not crash and burn. Again, I'm not a game developer, but I think there might be some technical issues with that. They didn't do it to piss off the OP. Oh, what's that? The multiplayer mode in New Super Mario Bros on the DS allowed this? Yeah, it did... on tiny specially made levels that looped around so you could never get too far away from the other player.
 
Also the handheld games after LInk's Awakening were developed by Capcom/Flagship Studios and are all good.