These small things show why Nintendo is where it is today. Very subtle decisions which improve the gameplay experience a lot.
This is similar to the momentum in Super Mario Bros. A simple idea and yet it made the game much more playable compared to other platformers at the time.
They are as deep down there as possible. Which can be a good thing if you take it as a sign that we're almost at the maximum.
Still seeing the trailers I'm not sure how I'm supposed to sympathise with them. Also the story doesn't seem overly interesting either. I guess we will see.