Nintendo demi-god Shigeru Miyamoto refuses to rule out online multiplayer for future Super Mario Bros. titles...

We loved it, but there's no escaping the one recurring niggle a small portion of people have with New Super Mario Bros. Wii: lack of online multiplayer.

Those who believe the multiplayer experience is never as fun with players confined to the same room may have reason to be hopeful for the future, though. Speaking with ONM, veteran designer Shigeru Miyamoto addressed the subject of online co-op:

"Well, it's not for purely technological issues that it wasn't included. After all, as you know, we already have online play in Smash Bros., and technologically speaking, I don't think it's creating a high amount of lag. It's just a matter of our priorities when it comes to the creation of a game. We just prioritised on making a multiplayer mode where four players can sit together and play while seeing each other's faces.

"We thought that this was more important as far as this New Super Mario Bros. was concerned, but we don't know about the future. Because network environments are getting better and better every day, it may be possible in a future edition to incorporate that type of multiplayer online mode for a real-time action game. But I am just talking about the technological aspect here. What's more important, of course, is if it's going to add to the fun aspect of the game."

Was a lack of online multiplayer in New Super Mario Bros. Wii a deal-breaker for you? Is it a feature you feel is important for the franchise in the future? Drop a comment below...