Since when has the story been one of the most important aspects of a Mario? As far as I know, there hasn't been much of a semblance of a storyline since the last several or so incarnations, which was why I was turned off to Mario games for quite a long time since Super Mario RPG. I'm actually struggling to beat SMG not because it's hard or anything, but it's a bit duller than I expected. Though the music is definitely revived through the orchestra Koji Kondo has in his disposal.