I still like the Mario cast of characters, but I do get some feeling of uniformity/blandness from them these days. Starting with the GameCube, the 3D models got a little too realistic for my tastes, making the characters less cute, and then starting with the Wii, it seemed like they were almost always portrayed in the same kinds of ways. I don't really care about those things if the games are still fun to play, since it's not like I'm playing Mario games for the characters and stories, not even the RPGs, really, but it does put me off of related stuff. For example, for the last couple years, when the new year starts, I look into video game calendars, and most of the options seem to come from Nintendo. There's always a Mario calendar, but the designs are so samey and dull that I always scrap the idea and just get a calendar of wildlife or something instead. I still have a Nintendo calendar from the late 80s that's full of Mario, Zelda, and Metroid art, and the designs there are so weird, in a good way, and varied. I kinda wish Nintendo would commission fan artists to do a Mario calendar and have every month in a totally different style.