Sheep are obsessed with their characters!!!  They develop an attachment to them as a child and ninty play to this buy releasing remake upon remake of games based on the same characters over and over.  The only change is when they collaberate the characters to "zany-ize" another respectable sport of activity e.g. smash bros, mario tennis etc.

Sheep are very annoyed if you insult their characters, and fair enough, for what they lack in any sort of narrative/plot/character development they make up for in their cult status and zany looks.  But the defense of their characters extends beyond the games to the people who make the games!  Miyamoto is like the Dali Lama to Sheep, for example..... in this thread someone disses Miyamoto and the Sheep go ape ****.

Its another case with Cows and Lemmings.  I haven't seen a  Cow or Lemming defend Phil Harisson or Bill Gates.  Maybe because there is hardly any history behing the companies, or maybe because they couldn't care less as long as the games are good.

I don't have a problem with the "zany-ness" of nintendo characters but to be honest there is nothing new.  After the Wii I don't think Ninty could get anymore innovative unless they make some new iconic characters (that still keep that specail Nintendo style :D).

PS: watch thesehttp://uk.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24719788&page=0