"Super Paper Mario - Flippin' Sweet!"

Super Paper Mario began its life as a Gamecube title. Supposedly, it was going to be the Gamecube's swan song, right after Twilight Princess. This wasn't entirely the case, but not because the game was bad - rather, because the game was "quietly ported" to the Wii shortly after Nintendo realized that the Gamecube was done for, and that even a killer app like this wasn't going to generate as much sales as it could. Though the switch to Wii was mostly done to increase the sales of the product, and it sometimes shows. In any case, though Super Paper Mario has some problems, the game is still flippin' sweet.

Super Paper Mario is a mix of platforming action gameplay and RPG mechanics. Though the game looks and plays like a classic Super Mario Bros. game (in fact, there are multiple references to the games of old in SPM. Classic gamers will find them genuinely entertaining and funny), the game still retains RPG elements that were present in past Paper Marios. Though the turn-by-turn battle system is gone, leveling-up is still a key factor in the game, but instead of going with a traditional experience points system, Intelligent Systems decided to combine the classic "points" system from classic Mario games and combine that with leveling up. It all works extremely well, and gamers will oftentimes just stop playing and will gaze at the game, wondering how the developers managed to combine platforming and RPG gaming so incredibly well.

The gameplay is accompanied by spectacular graphics - though by no means a technical feat, it is still difficult to imagine that we will at one point in the future consider these type of graphics "dated". They work extremely well, and the paper effect adds a lot to the "cool" factor. Not only that, but Intelligent Systems uses the paper aspect of the game throughout - definitely not as much as in Thousand Year Door, which was for the Gamecube, but that's completely understandable. The paper aspect isn't the only innovative mechanic in this game. Remember when I said that this game was "flippin' sweet"? Well, it is literally so. Intelligent Systems decided to go all out with this game - it's not just a two dimensional platforming game. No, it's 5D! How is that even possible, you ask?

By using the "A" button to flip to the third dimension, and back again to the second. This gameplay mechanic does wonders for the various puzzles possible, but sadly, the third dimension isn't really utilized as much as it could have been. Though the existing puzzles are great, it's obvious that Intelligent Systems had to rush this game so that it would hit the market in time - basically so that there wouldn't be a drought. And 'tis a shame, really. It would have been better to wait and receive a better product than get a rushed one. It's not immediately obvious that Super Paper Mario was slightly rushed. It does become obvious after one reaches some of the last worlds, and there really aren't any new puzzles. It's basically the same - when in doubt, flip dimensions, and you'll definitely figure it out in no time.

While on the subject of gripes, Super Paper Mario is also too easy for its own good. Though not the kind of game where one can exclaim "I can breeze through this game with my hands tied behind my back and blindfolded", it's still too easy. This is especially obvious with bosses. They take no time at all to defeat, and you sometimes wonder why Intelligent Systems didn't give the bosses and regular enemies more HP. It would've made the game a lot harder, and better. Another gripe is the lack of Wii Controller function. Some of the Pixls (Mario's helper characters) would have benefited from Wii Controller usage, for example. This specific issue shows that the game was indeed "quickly ported" just for the sake of having another Wii game out there. The software was definitely needed, or otherwise gamers would complain of a "drought". Another extremely slight gripe is the uninspired level design at times. This isn't always the case, though. Chapters 3 and 6, for example, are so clever in their level design that it's astounding. Other Chapters, though, aren't, and it's a shame.

In any case, though, talking about gripes and not mentioning the good qualities of this game would be preposterous, and it also wouldn't justify my final score. Super Paper Mario's best quality, other than the gameplay, is the sense of humor and the writing. Though other reviewers have complained that there was too much text, and that it though it was well written, it got mundane at times, I did not find that to be the case. The reading - gameplay ratio is perfect, and NOA's localization team has done an absolutely stunning job with this game. From the geeky iguana who can only think about anime, videogames, and hot babes, to the Japanese themed dojos, to the space toilet paper, it's all gut-splittingly funny. Intelligent Systems also managed to capitalize on this humor and spice up the gameplay - for example, when Peach enters the lair of Lord Francis (the nerdy iguana), Francis takes out his trust laptop and initiates "Swoon.exe"... He can't talk to Peach without it, or else he starts sweating like nuts!

The great writing and humor is found everywhere - from the bosses, to the main characters (Bowser especially!), to the Pixls, to even the regular denizens of Flipside and Flopside (the two main locales of the game)! For example, a youngster asks his grandmother, "Grandma, what does it take to live as long as you do?" She answers, "Why, exercise, going to bed early, and eating healthy." The boy replies, "Perfect! I exercise my eyes and fingers by playing games, fall asleep in school by noon, and eat from all the candy food groups!" It's impossible not to laugh once throughout this game - I laughed dozens of time, quite heartily at times.

The humor isn't only limited to the text, either. The game has tons of retro flashbacks that will definitely bring a smile to faces of classic gamers. When you grab a Star, for example, your character turns into an 8-bit version of himself, and becomes gigantic. It's extremely fun to stomp your way through the world (albeit for a limited time) as a huge 8-bit version of Bowser, for instance! There are also cameos and references to games and systems of old, so classic gamers will find themselves right at home. Well, actually, the whole game is a platformer and resembles games of old, so references or not, old school gamers will still find themselves right at home!

Another standout feature in the game is the music. Though some have complained that it is nothing special, I have not found that to be the case - most, if not all, of the tunes in the game are "hummable", and if they aren't that, then they at least fit the atmosphere of that specific level. I also found that the music resembles that in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and it fits the Paper Mario world more than the music in Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door. The sound effects are also quite great, some of which are exactly the same as in the old school games. My only problem with the sound department is lack of voice acting - if you're going to make a game with such a huge amount of text, then voice acting would definitely be appreciated. It's not a series problem, though, and in no way does it detract from the experience.

Overall, Super Paper Mario is truly the "next big Wii game", hot on the heels of Twilight Princess. The only question in gamers' minds should be "What next Wii game will be just as amazingly awesome as Super Paper Mario?". Well, gamers might have to wait a long time, because it will take a while for developers, third or first party, to top such an amazing endeavor... a game that successfully mixes two completely different genres effortlessly and extremely well. Kudos to Intelligent Systems for making such a game... Truly!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/17/07