I'll usually defend Color Splash because I did think the game was at least clever and I enjoyed it, but something that bothers me is people saying they really liked the art style and presentation and hopes that it carries into future games. But that's something I really, really don't want.
Don't get me wrong, Color Splash has a great look and aesthetic for the type of game it is, which is largely based on self aware humor. But in the older games, the world wasn't supposed to be made of crafting materials, it was just an art style meant to emulate illustrations in a storybook, and that's what the series needs to go back to. Sure, the older games would poke fun at the character flatness like with the curse abilities in TTYD or flipping mechanic in SPM, but the world itself was always treated as genuine. The world can have a cartoony art style without having to justify it to the player, like Link's Awakening.
So while I do admire what Color Splash did with creating level dioramas, I really want them to go back to the storybook illustration style. No clouds held up by string, no cardboard sheeting grass, just a world that stands on its own.
