"Minor errors, but an otherwise good grade for this paper"

Nintendo has thrown out many a memorable character since its debut. Characters such as Link, Samus, Pikachu, Donkey Kong, and Fox McCloud have captured many gamers' attention throughout the generations. But no character even comes close to the aura of the one and only Mario. He is the first character that comes to mind whenever I think of the company. 20 plus years in the business, and Mario is still going strong. Now, he makes his debut on the Nintendo Wii, in his paper thin form. Super Paper Mario mixes classic Mario games with the RPG element of the previous Paper Marios to get a game that, while not groundbreaking, is still a good amount of fun.

The story for Paper Mario, as you'd expect, isn't exactly a strong RPG storyline, as Peach is kidnapped AGAIN. Fortunately, it's not by Bowser this time, so the game gets credit for that. This time, Mario's nemesis is Count Bleck, a strange creature who speaks in 2nd person 99% of the time. He wishes to end all worlds by using the Chaos Heart from a prophecy in a book known as the Dark Prognosticus. Bleck kidnaps Peach AND Bowser and forces them to marry in order to send the prophecy into action (yeah...weird). However, a book known as the Light Prognosticus speaks of a man in red with blue overalls who can save the day. Gee, who could that be? Along the way, Mario will find Peach and Bowser, and it's up to them to stop Bleck and save all of the worlds from destruction.

As you may expect from Mario, the game is not very serious at all. There's quite a bit of humor in this game, as the characters seem to know they're in a video game (instead of saying that someone dies, they say that their "game is over"). In addition, the characters break the 4th wall sometimes, referring to you as a greater power when control functions are displayed. There's a lot of light-hearted, corny jokes in this game, but they're still good for a chuckle or two.

As you may expect, the game has paper thin artwork. All the characters are flat, similar to...well...paper. If you liked the earlier Paper Marios, this won't be a problem.

I do however wish the music was better. You'll hear some classic Mario tunes here and there, but it doesn't happen very often and what is there is kinda boring. The quality isn't exactly top notch either.

The game itself plays as if you take the old 2-D Mario games and the Paper Mario games for the 64 and Gamecube and mix them together. The game has RPG elements such as hit points and levels, but the game plays similar to a platformer. The extra feature that Super Paper Mario hypes is the ability to go 3-D. With just a simple press of the A button, Mario will turn and you'll see the area in 3-D. This allows you to see pathways that are otherwise invisible, hidden items and enemies, and secrets that don't appear in the 2-D realm. It's a decent feature, but only Mario can use it, and there's a limit to how long you can use it at one time. Take too long, and Mario will take some damage. Considering there are many parts in the game that force you to go 3-D, this feature is very annoying, as you'll have to go back to 2-D for a second to recover. Other times when you go 3-D, you won't be on the platform, and you have to quickly jump onto the platform, or you might not see anything right away.

You'll be able to play as Peach and Bowser in this game, and both of them have their own special abilities. Peach can use her parasol to get over large gaps, and Bowser can breath fire. In addition to these partners, you have a helpful little butterfly named Tippi, who can help you see enemy weaknesses, give you hints on what to do, and even reveal secret areas. You'll also have special little helpers known as Pixls that have special abilities to allow you to proceed. One of them gives you a ground pound move, while another turns you sideways, and makes you invisible while standing still. The one problem that I have is that you'll be constantly going into the menus changing characters and Pixls. This can slow down the game considerably, especially if you get stuck. Other than that, the way each Pixl is used in the game is executed pretty well. You won't find yourself using a Pixl one or two times, then never touching it again.

If you're looking for innovative ways to use the Wii Remote...look elsewhere. Super Paper Mario uses the Wii remote as if it was an NES controller. The controls are simple, 2 jumps, 1 activates Pixl abilities, hitting both activates the menu. By turning the Wii remote towards the screen like a remote, you can use Tippi to find those weaknesses, get a hint, or find secret areas. You won't move the controller much outside of healing status ailments, using stylish moves to level up, or using attack items. Regardless, the control is great. It's exactly what you'd expect from a Mario game.

Super Paper Mario is clearly made for children, because it is very easy. Rarely will you ever feel threatened by any enemies in the game, and there's plenty of healing items should you be. The only difficulty is with the exploration. Too often I found myself thinking I found the right way, only to find that the route led to a coin room or something. Once you find out where you are going, the game is easy.

Despite all this, Super Paper Mario is still a lot of fun. It's not as much of a chore as one would believe going from 2-D to 3-D, and finding these areas is actually kind of cool. It's not Twilight Princess, but it's still a decent title that I'd say is worth a purchase. Mario's still got it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/07