Paper Mario

"It's Great to Read Books..."

Foreword: As the era of the N64 was slowly coming to an end, support for the system dwindled to a minimum. Desperate to give the systems long time advocates one final bang of fresh air, Nintendo released what could have been one of the most innovative titles to ever hit the system, or the market in general for that matter. Paper Mario took one of the most influential franchises in history and gave it a meaning of its own, turning what could possibly be a farewell to a great system a happy one. It not only reminded us of what the system could accomplish, but it also set forth in our heads that Mario wasn't just about stomping enemies continuously trying to get from one point to another. Granted, this may not be a terribly complex RPG, but it put enough elements in the game to install a firm foundation from which a game could be built. By doing this, I think that Nintendo was trying to allow access to the game from a younger audience. Humor definitely made this story a memorable one, and I think that it truly made this game special to all who bothered to see it in the first place. There is one shameful thing though, but it doesn't have anything to do with the game at all. It stems from the fact that because it was released towards the systems death, sales just weren't really there for a long time. Whether or not you've experienced it really depends on when you made the switch from the N64 to the cube. Other than that, this game truly gives out a vibrant cast of characters that truly give life to the wonderful world that makes Paper Mario what it is.

Story: 10/10
Starting off with one of the series most clichéd plot points really gave my first impressions a good knock in the head, as they almost did exactly what I thought that they were going to do, make Bowser kidnap Peach. What really happened though was something completely different. Sure, he did kidnap her, but it fit into something that actually took me by surprise. Taking heed from the massive success of Legend of the Seven Stars, they actually gave the game more of a story than just recycled elements. You see, Bowser gets control of the star rod, and with it he traps the star spirits into little cards prisons. After that, he gives them to his main baddies that you'll eventually wind up fighting in order to save the spirits. The depth is there, and my words can't really give justice to it all. The one thing that I thought really drove the story home was the amount of humor that was included. I liked how they included just enough to make the story what it was without taking the route of over-abusing it as some other games seem to do quite often. They kept it at a consistent pace throughout the story, while also managing to hit some awesomely dramatic scenes at the same time. I think that's what really makes a story, and through it you can really captivate an audience into thinking what you want them to think in such a way that you accomplish your ends while still hitting your means. That being said, you'll be seeing a bunch of character development throughout your adventure, and it primarily takes place within your partner circle. I think that they could have actually developed Mario to a certain extent in this, as that would have probably been interesting to see for the first time. Not to say that that is required, but it's always a nice additive that really could have added to the overall story.

Throughout your adventure, you'll encounter a vast amount of characters that will not necessarily be dynamic, as they really fit more into the static department, but give more meaning to the overall story as a whole. You'll meet these characters in a myriad of locations that offer unique plot points that drive the overall theme of the story home. So you may think by now, “Well, what is the theme?” I can tell you after playing this game that it revolves around friendship, friendship that can conquer into even the deepest of trials in your quest to save your friends.

Game Play: 8/10
While not being terribly complex, Paper Mario still manages to hit all of the points in which it needs to in order to be a successful game. I think that's really important, as while a lot of games have some amount of good things that hey do, they either fail in having too complex of a system, or fail in the fact that they are too hard for there own good. In this game they took a well known character world and put a paper spin on it, and while they may not fully use this to it's advantage until the sequel, they still show that the innovation is there and ripe to be taken advantage of. Innovation is something that Nintendo has always excelled at, as while they may not always have the best games, they still put them together so that they are hits. Innovation is what they thrive on, and while they probably could have made a lot more money off of this as a Gamecube game, they gave the n64 diehards one last big gift to thank them for all of the years of support that were previously given to them. I think that's a really important fact, as without it you really are showing that you could care less about your fans. Needless to say, they could have probably done so much more with this game on that level, but they didn't. Still, they laid a good, firm foundation for its sequel. Now the thing I like about the whole battle system is that it really isn't all that hard to figure out, you really just have a couple of menus to choose from, and even then they are not really that crowded at all. Items, hammer, jump, and star are your main menus for battle, with run as an extraneous little thing that the game wouldn't be complete without. Once you pick what form of attack you want, you simply just pick if you want either a special or regular attack. Special runs off of flower points, the game's form of magic power. As you can see, the complexity really isn't there, and while you may think that's bad, it really isn't. You see it really accomplishes something that makes Nintendo what it is. It appears to every gaming community, whether it is young or old. By not adding to much difficulty to it, they make it accessible to a younger audience, but by making it just hard enough, they allow seasoned vets to come in and enjoy the game as well. That's what makes this game so successful, and I think that above all else that should be a companies primary focus when developing a game, make it accessible for all to play. Your special moves come from the star system, which is accessed after you save your first star spirit. After that, they give you the ability to use star points to unleash the fury of the spirit. Again, this wasn't that hard to figure out as they even go to the length to explain it as if they already didn't know it themselves. That's also what makes this game so special, they go to a length to explain things to its players, and I think that's important. Your journeys will take you to a wide variety of locations that range from a desert to a snowy mountain, and within those locations are dungeons that house the spirits. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out the small puzzles that they sprinkled within the game, as it is really easy when you look at it. Bosses aren't really that hard until the end of the game, and even then they are still very easy to beat if you know what you are doing. With all that being said, I can truly say that this isn't a game to be missed, even if it isn't that deep to its player, it still provides what's needed.

Graphics: 10/10
I'm sorry; I'm a sucker for these types of games. The graphics are so innovative in the way they are formed, and I think that that is really important when you go to the length of putting together a game. Nintendo chose to take a character's world and turn it to paper, and it really opens up excellent possibilities for the graphics. Just imagine the pages turning of a book, or a character as he turns to greet someone and appears paper thin. I think that that is what makes this game special. Innovation, and I know I'm probably blabbering on and on about it, but the colors are just so saturated with life, and looking at the world in such a perspective really makes me think back to when the original super Mario 64 was created. They to did exactly the same thing, they created something truly special that pushes what should have been pushed all along, good, vibrant shading that puts the player inside a coloring book. They hit it perfectly, and I think that that is really important to any game's workings. Putting together something that sticks in the head of its viewer is what is vitally important.

Music: 8/10
Nice bouncy tunes that add to the overall feel of the game. They tend to push the humor to new heights, as when they hit a perfectly good note on a funny moment it only furthers my ever present laughing. My mom must have thought I was psychotic as I was laughing on and on. Just one good example is the abrupt pauses that get put out as Bowser makes a fool out of himself . That's what makes these special, putting funny things into an already funny game. By allowing the music to carry out their jokes, they can really turn something only a little funny into something hilarious.

Guide or No Guide: No Guide
Needing a guide for this game would be pretty sad, as it's pretty simple at its core. You simply go from one place to another, and if for some reason you do get lost there's always someone to point you in the right direction. That's something that was put in to help the younger audience that will likely be playing this game. Not to say it's overly easy, as it can be hard at parts, but by using a guide you're ruining any feeling of difficulty that could possibly come up as you play.

Difficulty: 4/10
You should really have no problems with this game. If you find that going from one place to another is a challenge to you, then by all means I think your gaming base should be restricted to Elmo's world. Joking .

Replay: 6/10
Pretty good to go over again if your interested in a good joke, and even to experience the game play again would be a good idea if your board.

Family Friendly: 10/10
I absolutely had no problems with this game, as nothing in it is bad at all for kids. I probably didn't even find one bad thing in this entire game, and it definitely deserves the E rating.

Overall Opinions: This game provided an excellent farewell to a dieing system, and I think by pushing the innovation aspect of the game they truly accomplished something special. And by special I don't mean just a good game, I mean something that stuck in my head throughout the years. By doing that, Nintendo unlocked possibly the secret to good gaming. A solid story laden with humor, a system that is accessible to all ages, good difficulty, and innovation. If developers in general would pay more attention to this aspect, then they could possibly make the whole industry better as a whole. They spawned a sequel to this game a couple of years back, but it didn't hit the caliber of this game, as they really just added a few things but kept the same overall layout. Sure, you had a new world, but it just didn't do justice to the series. Current gaming is great, but nothing beats the classics.

Score Bracket

Story: 10/10
Solid in every respect.

Game Play: 8/10
A good example for future companies to take note of, as it truly is spectacular in its designs.

Music: 8/10
Bouncy notes hit right when needed to make the humor better.

Guide or No Guide: No Guide
Elmo's world is calling if you need one XD.

Difficulty: 4/10
Appeals to all ages in what it does.

Replay: 6/10
Good for a quick spin if you need something to play.

Family Friendly: 10/10
Nothing gets much friendlier then this, except maybe something else……..

Overall Score: 9.2
Excellent game for all who dare to pay it, I would recommend it to anyone.
Kratos215

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/05/07