Why is Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Rated E10+?

[The Wanderer]

I made a similar thread a long time ago about the Halo series. Something's struck me as a little odd with the latest Mario and Luigi installment. Mario has always been a cheerful, happy-go-lucky series. No matter the game he's appeared in - even Super Smash Bros. - things never got too mature or intense. In spite of this, ESRB has given Dream Team the rating of E10+ for the singular reason of "Mild Cartoon Violence." ...Mild cartoon violence? Really? I think Super Mario Sunshine was rated for more than that, and it was still E. How much gritty violence can there really be from a couple of Italian plumbers bonking evil turtles on the head with hammers?

I haven't played the game yet, so I'm wondering if anyone who has can give me a clear explanation as to why it's been given a higher rating and if it deserves it. Beyond that, has any Mario game (not just a game he's starred in, but an actual Mario game) had a rating higher than E prior to this? Are there legitimate concerns about Dream Team, or is ESRB just being paranoid?

 

[Ventus]

The art style of Mario and Luigi, while similar to the first three Mario & Luigi games, does look convincing at times when in motion. That said, a lot of the Bros. Attacks are more violent in nature than any of the past three titles, including whacking Luiginoids with a hammer and kicking shells into giant Bob-omb–robots. Mario also gets the luck of suffering burns from ye olde Bowser.

This is the official description provided by the ESRB:

In this action role-playing game, players assume the role of Mario and Luigi on a quest to stop an evil creature from stealing a wish-granting stone. From a 3/4–overhead perspective, players explore an island, solve environmental puzzles, and engage in turn-based combat against enemy creatures. Players can jump on enemies or use turtle shells and hammers to defeat them. Enemies cry out and disappear amid bursts of coins and small explosions. During some sequences, players transform into a giant and battle large boss characters in one-on-one combat; players follow on-screen prompts to perform various attacks (e.g., hammer strikes and jump attacks) and engage in mini-games to deliver finishing blows.

 

[The Wanderer]

Such may be true, and I have read the ESRB description to get some basic info. That said...I wasn't aware simple slapstick warranted any real concern. Overt slapstick can leave negative impressions on the littler ones (possibly instilling in them that causing pain in others in real life is funny), but Mario and Luigi tends to be of an unrealistic caliber. I would find it hard to translate kicking a big turtle shell into a walking bomb into my everyday life, since I have no access to big turtle shells nor walking bombs, and I doubt the average six-year-old would have the problem either. Keeping negative influences from children is a valid concern, but I'm still not sure it warrants somewhat reducing the audience of Dream Team. But again, I haven't played the game, so perhaps there's content within that brings it up to that level that I don't know about.