When you think of Nintendo, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Even better, who’s the first person to come to mind? I think of the short, pudgy, mustached, sunburnt, blonde loving, Italian plumber, ex-nay the crack spackle! This is the game review on a strange but all so familiar game: Super Paper Mario.
You’re still playing in the 2-D world of RPG’s, but now it does come with an extra dimension that will help you get out of jams. You start off with the all too familiar 2-D world, where the chubby little plumber jumps on Goomba’s and collects those shiny gold coins. You get a little further into the game, and you come to a point where you can push a button and unveil a whole new dimension with new challenges, new rewards, and new mis-haps.
The Visuals
Now, time to get down to the nitty gritty. There’s not much to say about the visuals of the game except they’re pretty good for only a single ATI video chip. But if you decide to compare to the PS3 or maybe even the XBOX 360, you’d be in a completely different playing field.
The visuals of Super Paper Mario are very interesting. You get the cartoony look, like you do with almost all the Mario games, but you also get the nice serene (and sometimes bizarre) back drop to every single world you must face in advancing in the game. The 3-D world adds more to the game play than the visual appeal, and it doesn’t cause system lag like some other more graphically based games.
The characters of Mario, Luigi, Princess, and Bowser all look very well done with sharp contours, and rounded edges, to give those fun-loving cartoon characters their great appearance. Each one of them have cute and funny poses that keeps your attention even when there is nothing going on in the game. However, the same can’t be said of the different types of civilians that you encounter throughout the game. The enemies all look great and some look too funny to even stomp on. But if you didn’t stomp on the baddies, then there really is no point to the Mario genre of games!
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The Sound
Now, as a true Mario Bros. fan, you gotta love the “ding” sound when a precious coin is added to your ever growing stash. The only problem, in my opinion, is that you don’t hear enough of that. Over the years in the Mario Bros. genre, it has moved away from the basics of collecting coins, getting more lives, and saving the smokin’ Princess Peach.
The voice-overs in Super Paper Mario are few and far between, but the whimsical actions of your characters will hold your interest. The only character that actually has a voice and speaks during the game would be Mario. He doesn’t really talk, but he makes funny noises that make me laugh. But, don’t be too disappointed, Mario is not the only character that makes noises. One of them passes gas loudly in order to escape, which definitely adds to the humour of the game for those immature adults like me. Even Bowser’s heavy footsteps bring a smile to my face as he lumbers past the screen.
All-in-all; what more can you ask for from a game that has been around since before I was born? Crisp sounds, interesting background music that suits each level you play and each area you’re in, funny tid-bits, and quirky expressions are the make-up of the audio plethora that you will find with the game. But, enough about the sound, let’s move onto the meat!
The Gameplay
This game has EVERYTHING. You have the basic jump attack. More often then not, this attack will work. But if that fails, each one of your characters has an extra ability that you can utilize to upset the baddies. Now if that fails, you have “super” friends that give your characters the ability to pick up baddies and throw them at another, or butt stomp them (my fav!), or many other abilities and powers that help you progress through the game. Again, if that fails, there are a TON of power-ups that you can employ that will help weaken the baddie or make you invincible, and by invincible I mean turning you into a giant original 8-bit Mario Brother that can bust thru anything just by walking through it, or by giving you a bunch of smaller 8-bit plumbers that surround you like a protective shield.
Each level in this game is designed to be challenging yet simple enough that you’ll want to smack yourself for not thinking of it the first time. You start the game with a single Pixl buddy and as you progress through the game you’ll encounter more friends that will help you find new treasure or solve puzzles. The puzzles aren’t too difficult which allows all ages to play. Even my 50+ year old father can get the hang of the game without losing interest in it, and my 8 year old cousin is just laughing because he can do things that his uncle can’t!
Although, I do find that with all the Mario Bros. RPG style games get a little repetitive after a while, this game does have some re-playability. As you progress through the game you begin unlocking “secret” areas within the cities where you can play mini-games. Some of the mini-games are similar to what you would find in the Mario Party game series.
Super Paper Mario does not utilize the functionality of the Wii-mote and nunchuk like I thought it would. The nunchuk isn’t used at all which disappointed me a little, and you turn the controller horizontal so that it feels like you’re holding the original two button controller, but you do require the pointing ability of the Wii-mote now and then, and the motion sensing capabilities.
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Overall
The game lost points from me because of the un-original use of the new technology that came with the Wii. When I first read reviews on the Wii and the revolutionary controllers that were accompanying the counsel, I couldn’t stop thinking up endless ideas of how they can use the controllers in a Mario Bros. type game. Clearly, I was disappointed, and I could have waited.
However, the whimsical expressions that add to the game, and the familiar jumping, stomping, and coin collecting made this game quite comforting to play. The story-line was interesting to follow, and the side games gave you enough time to re-focus your attention on the main goal. But, come on, a Nintendo console would not be a Nintendo console if it didn’t continue the tradition with a Mario RPG, and now I’ll be impatiently awaiting the release of Super Mario Galaxies.
The Pros
- C’mon, it’s a him, Mario!
- The story had me gripping at my seat, waiting for the next baddy
- Good continuation of the Paper Mario spin-off.
- The splendid back-drops.
- The 2-D/3-D capability of the game
- Multiple mini-games that keep this game enjoyable and provide re-playability
- Princess Peach, dare I say more?
The Cons
- Unimaginative use of the Wii-mote
- Sometimes I had to grip at my seat WAY too long waiting for the next baddy
- Felt like Nintendo wanted to rush this out for the Wii
- Lack of requirement to use the special weapons
Overall Rating: 7.0 / 10.0
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