Super Paper Mario

"Another Good Paper Mario Game"

The third installment for the Paper Mario series is out and one of the best Wii games out so far. This game is a lot different than the first two Paper Marios and will give you a good 30+ hours of enjoyment. It is a combination of an RPG and platformer, but more of a platformer than an RPG like the first two. The game does have RPG elements with platforming gameplay. Also, Nintendo introduces something new that has never happened in a Mario game. Mario can flip between the 2 and 3 dimensional worlds. Before I begin, I just wanted to point out a couple of things that will be explained better in the paragraphs that follow. First off, if you are a Paper Mario fan, don't get this game just because you think it is like the first two. The game is something completely different, and you'll see what I mean by that later. Secondly, the battle system is a lot different than the first two. There are no more turn based battles in Super Paper Mario. Third, this game is similar to Super Mario Brothers. There are 8 worlds and each of them are broken into 4 subsections just like the original Super Mario Brothers game. Finally, this game may appear to be aimed at kids, but don't judge a book by it's cover. There are a lot of things in this game that aren't kiddy and more of adult matters should I say.

Story 10/10
A very good story that is both similar and different than the original. Mario must find 7 objects and fight a boss who is trying to pull off an evil plot. There are technically 8 objects, but you only have to find 7 which gives you the feel of the first two games. There are also new characters, objectives, worlds, and things to get. There are points in the game where the story becomes a little confusing. one minute they're talking about one thing, and the next minute there's a whole other story. If you get confused by the story, don't worry because everything will be cleared up by the end of the game. There is also a really good scene that is connected to the story. When you load the game, don't do anything, and you'll be able to watch the scene that starts the events of the story. I would recommend doing this so you can understand the story a bit better.

Controls 10/10
The controls for this game are easy to work with and not hard. One holds the Wii Mote sideways like a classic NES controller. You basically just push the buttons like you would on a Gamecube controller, but there are also parts where you must wiggle the Wii Mote to snap out of something or to use an item. It's a combination of Gamecube classic button pushing and shaking Wii style. I don't see how anybody can hate the controls. The safety strap isn't really needed, but I would recommend wearing it because like I said, there are parts where you have to shake the Wii Mote. We don't want anything to get broken. The top of the Wii Mote should be facing left. Your main button is the 2 button. This button is going to be your jumping and scrolling through text button. It is basically like a second A button for this game. Each playable character has their separate controls, and they can be displayed by pressing the - button at anytime during the game except when someone is talking.

Graphics 9/10
The graphics of this game are pretty cool. The 2 dimensional world is very beautiful and scenic. Some of the graphics may appear cartoonish or kiddy because of all of the pretty colors or the residence of the major town, but they are still pretty cool. My major gripe about the graphics is you have this beautiful scenic 2-D world, and then you flip to 3-D and everything is flat and boring. I wish they would have made the 3 dimensional world a little alive instead of bland and boring. 3-D was cool with how things looked, but the background was flat against the side of the screen. There are a couple of chapters where the graphics are the same thing and after looking at it for so long, it starts to get a bit tedious and boring all together. Some environments are colorful and well drawn out and creative while others are dull, boring, and not so creative.

Tunes 10/10
There weren't that many classic Mario tunes which I think makes the game even better. It gets a bit old having to hear the same music again and again all of the time. Each of the tunes selected for the worlds is very appropriate and fits the scene or environment well. The boss music is also appropriate for each boss that you have to face. A lot of people like the classic tunes, but I liked how they added newer ones to give the game a variety. As much as I like classic tunes, I actually preferred the newer ones because they were cool. I think a lot of people will enjoy the newer tunes over the classic ones, and some people will find the tunes boring because they don't have the classic ones that are loved by many. The tunes are all about preference really, and you'll learn to judge for yourself how you choose to interpret them.

Game Play 9/10
This is where the best part of the game comes. This game will take you a good 15-20 hours to complete the story, kind of the same time for the first Paper Mario. There are a lot of puzzles to solve and places to explore. The bosses are a little easy and the overall difficulty is a joke, but it is still a good game. The dialogue is really funny and there is a part that deals with emotions. The story is very deep and touching as you progress through the game. You do not have the turn based battle system like you did in the first two. You have to use your own jumping skills to attack an enemy rather than taking turns hitting each other and not dodging. You still have your leveling up and gaining experience features. When you earn enough experience, you go up a level and either your attack or HP stats increase. There is also another 30+ hours of extras. You have two Pit of 100 Trials to look for, cards to collect instead of badges, 96 recipes to try, a duel of 100, an arcade, and maxing out your level. Don't think you won't have anything to do after you beat the game. Trust me, you'll have a lot of stuff to do.

Overall 9/10
To sum it up, Super Paper Mario is a very good game and one of the top 10 Wii games out there. If you are a Paper Mario fan and need a good game to play, I would definitely recommend purchasing a copy of this game. Even if you aren't a Mario fan, you should still give this game a shot. I bet that this game could turn any non Paper Mario fan into a major fan. This game does have that effect on people. One thing I will say that either makes the game great or annoying, is it has too much dialogue. That is not necessarily a bad thing because the dialogue is funny and rather enjoyable. A lot of people think this is one of the best parts of the game. However, if you are a person who hates dialogue and just skips it and doesn't read it, this game is unfortunately not for you. If you have small children, this probably wouldn't be a good game for them because a lot of kids like to skip the dialogue and just play the game. There are lots of times in the game where you may just want the characters to shut up so you can play the game. Not reading the dialogue of this game is bad because if you don't, the story won't make sense. Don't get it for little kids unless they enjoy reading a lot of dialogue. To wrap it up, Super Paper Mario is definitely worth the 50 bucks that it costs. If you are unsure whether to get this game or not, I would recommend a rental to see if you like it. A lot of Paper Mario fans who wish to buy this game because you think it will be a lot like the first two, don't because you are wrong on that. Super Paper Mario is nothing like the first two, but a great game nonetheless. Don't let the game not being like the first two be the deciding factor of playing this wonderful game. Definitely recommended for all ages except maybe real little kids. A five year old could beat this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/07