Super Paper Mario
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Posted April 30th, 2007 at 1:18pm
by Kit Pierce
Let’s get this right out of the way. I’ve never played any Paper Mario game before this title, so I’m going into this review with a clean slate. The idea of a Mario-based RPG has long intrigued me, but something in my heart says that Super Paper Mario is not that RPG I was looking forward to. In fact, the game’s mashup of genres and styles renders it nearly unclassifiable in any tidy little compartments. No matter what you may end up calling it, though, what you end up with Super Paper Mario is a singularly enjoyable gaming experience.
A Story of Epic Proportions
One thing about Super Paper Mario that can’t be denied is that it’s a novel waiting to be played right off the page. Tying in a couple of major story lines with a number of smaller, level-specific stories, the game plays like a book.
From the first play, there’s a ton of reading to be done as well. Sure they could have done it all with voice acting, but you’ll be grateful they didn’t — there’s so much content to wade through, and if you’re a fast reader you’ll be mashing the buttons to fly right through it. I’ll admit that the game would have been well-served by some judicious editing, but the story would not be. Always clever, often surprising, filled alternately with touching moments and cartoon bravado, the story of Super Paper Mario is entertaining all by itself.
(I’m being purposefully vague here. There’s too much you’ll want to discover for yourself, so this will remain a spoiler-free review.)
Redeeming the existence of the volume of text you have to get through to advance the plot, is that the writing is so well done. Whatever group did the English localization is just brutal with their wit and rhythm, so much so that I found myself wondering out loud if the Japanese version of this game is this much fun. I like to think I’m a pretty hard sell on a good book, but this story had me laughing out loud with some of the references and twists thrown down. Yet even with all of the up front humor, there’s a mystery at the core of the story presented in brief excerpts throughout the game. And then you find out that… See? I got you there. You thought I was going to do the spoiler thing. I’ll leave it at this: The strong story is worth the time investment.
Beyond the writing skill, it’s clear that Super Paper Mario team is fully aware of its 8-bit roots. Homage to various aspects of Mario’s and Nintendo’s history and impact on culture can be found all over this game. From pixel-prefect representations of Mario past to recreations of levels from Super Mario Bros. to the four-stage-per-chapter level construction, this game is a fantastic tribute to its own heritage. Super Paper Mario hits all the right notes for anyone who’s grown up in the video game culture — especially those old enough to have owned a NES.
You Got RPG on my Platformer
Super Paper Mario is unlike any RPG I’ve ever played. Yes, there are in-game items you can use in battle, and there is something like a party system in the game, but really, there’s not much to this RPG thing. Playing Super Paper Mario reminded me more of Super Metroid than any RPG, and it’s a standout example of an adventure platformer.
Centering on the town of Flipside as your home base, Mario gains abilities in the form of “Pixls,” little critters with special powers who tag along to help you out, and new party members with their own unique talents. Taking cues from Super Mario Bros. 2, Princess Peach uses her parasol to help you float across wide expanses. Usually your enemy, Bowser moves at half speed but can produce a devastating fireball attack. Again from SMB2, Luigi has a super jump. But the player you’ll spend the most time with is Mario with his ability to flip between a 2D perspective and a 3D world.
The puzzles of this game come in two main flavors: those that require the use of a pixl’s or secondary character’s special abilities, and those that require a flip to the 3D perspective. Secrets are revealed, hints are given, new worlds are discovered, all with a simple tap of the A button. After mere moments, the perspective shift becomes second nature, and you start marveling at just how well this game is put together, leading you by the hand through the first few levels to teach you all you need to know to play without beating it over your head to let you go and explore on your own.
At almost any point of the game, you can return to Flipside to pick up a side quest or kill some time exploring the town or any level you previously finished. Secrets await those who explore, and many diversions can be found. If you’re especially into exploration, Super Paper Mario features a card system where a player can gain advantage over enemies or just find souvenirs of their adventure with collectable cards of enemies and special characters alike. An enemy card in your possession will increase your attack power against that particular enemy. These cards can be found or created with a special spell, the Capture Card. Exploring and collecting the cards of the enemies can quickly turn the tide of most encounters wildly to your advantage.
One thing I love about Super Paper Mario is that the points, once the realm of bragging rights in previous Mario platformers, actually count for something with this game. As you stomp on goombas, turtles, and their ilk, you gain points. At certain milestones, you level up gaining either attack power or hit points. So points turn into XP, and XP turns into characters who can take a significant licking and keep on ticking. The XP system is augmented by one of the few uses of the Wii motion sensing capabilities: Stylish Points. After you stomp on a enemy, while you’re in the air, you can jiggle the Wiimote to perform show-off moves midair, resulting in a bonus to your XP, and quicker levels for the motivated player.
Actually, this will be a nice lead-in to…
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