Before you get offended, I must ask: have you ever actually played this game at length? I won't deny Popo and Nana's placement amongst other beloved Nintendo characters based on likability, but let us not rewrite history. Ice Climber was not the best game on the NES. Their presence in the Super Smash Bros series is great, but that doesn't change the stiff controls of the original. In fact, I'd argue that controlling them in the Smash Bros adventure sequences based on their original game is more interesting and fun, considering that you control them simultaneously. No one's claiming that Popo and Nana need to "go." In fact, I'd be curious to see if Nintendo can work up a game that involves the ice climbers in a logical manner. It's one thing for Miyamoto to dream up a wonderful game out of scratch, but it's similarly admirable to be able to work with a given situation and squeeze blood from stone. No matter what happens to the parka'd pair, let's not allow ourselves to retroactively validate their first effort.
