Super Duper Mario! (A Really Super Mario Adventure!)

[NICKtendo DS]

I don't know, I kinda liked Mario better than this one, because this new guy here looks out of place. Maybe it's a step on the right direction though, I can't tell.

Maybe if you make him like a cool Mario rip-off, then it could work?

Kinda had the same idea. You could make a character that parodies Mario. You could give the new character a hat.

I have 2 Mario parody characters. One of them is Lou the Custodian (named after Lou Albano), which is a blue cat with a red cap and overalls and a moustache, though a different one than Mario's. Physically, he and Mario are nothing alike, yet he clearly parodies him.
The other is Baron van Oldskool, which looks absolutely nothing like Mario. He even lacks the cap and moustache. He wears a blue, striped shirt and red overalls, but what makes him clearly reference Mario is his stance and ability to shoot bouncing fireballs.
I hope this gives you ideas.

The enviroment is perfect the way it is. I'd keep it like that.