games you dislike that everyone likes and vice versa

[Kriven]

Should we have a discussion about having discussions now?

Maybe I'm reading into it too much, like you've said, but I'm replaying it recently on the Wii U and I still get all these vibes. Without a doubt Giygas is manipulating peopele's minds (although not so sure about the animals, at least not all of them. I always got the impression that the dogs were literally rabid), but I feel like he's only able to do so because their minds were either vacant or dark to begin with.

Games Leading to Discussion: I think a lot of games can lead to discussion, but it seems like generally the kind of discussion most games lead to is more routed in surface level stuff or game design. There's a lot of talking about graphics, sound, programming, business, but a lot less into dissecting the themes the game's present in their narrative. I'm not saying that's not out there, I think you (at least, Koopaul) know I know there are places and people who discuss those elements day and night. But I also feel like the Mother franchise is more likely to provoke that kind of critical thought in more people than is, say, New Super Mario Bros.