Too much text? Its an RPG, what the hell were they expecting? You're right, they are pretty lazy. I loved this game. I liked the simplicity in the gameplay, and like most Mario games, I was pleased with the overall tone and style of the game. It wasn't that long, especially in comparison with some other RPGs, but I think it was long enough to have a full and well rounded story, and it is a Mario game, after all. Mario is Nintendo's mascot, and they use him to make games that appeal to all generations of gamers, including younger ones who are less likely to want to play a game with a long, complicated story. I give the game a high score out of ten, around an 8 or 9, the docking of points comes from small annoyances with some of the characters, and because I don't feel good about giving anything a perfect score unless it really blows me away.