"What happens when good games GO BAD?"

The Mari RPG series is one of the best ones around. Each game in the series (Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, Mario and Luigi, Paper Mario 2, and of course this) all share a few things in common. For instance, all are focused on Mario trying to find some stars, or parts of a star, and all of them are funny. However, this game is quite lacking compared to the rest of the series. (Though it's not as "beany" as the first Mario and Luigi, but isn't that a good thing?)

Story: 5/10
The story involves and alien race called the Shroobs who take over the mushroom kingdom of the past. So, the story involves time travel. However, the actual time elements of the story are confusing, and full of plot holes. Professor E. Gad invented a time machine, and Princess Peach used it to go back in time. However, she for some reason goes back to when the kingdom was invaded by the Shroobs. Why did she do this? And why aren't there any records of the shroom invasion? Why doesn't anyone remember it happened? See, complete nonsense. But, the ending actually does pick up quite a bit. Aside from the time aspects of the story, it's actually ok. There's also quite a nice plot twist near the end of the game that you won't be expecting.

Gameplay: 8/10
The gameplay is very innovative for an RPG. You can jump and split your team up and stuff. The battles are interesting. You can dodge hits, and time attacks and all that jazz. Plus, the Bros. Items are fun to use. And some of them look really cool. However, the adding of the bros. items means they took out the bros. attacks from the previous game. Also, the out of battle abilities have been changed drastically. Now, gaining levels is kind of, well, odd. You gain levels normally just like any other RPG, but your stats usually come out pretty low. Also, for the first 20 levels, it takes quite a while to gain that much experience, but for the next 5-10 levels, you'll go by pretty quickly. After that it's not only long and tedius, but also a waste of time, as you'll probably beat it at level 25-27. The battles don't really feel like battles either. They're more like minigames, as there is non-stop action. You have to hit the enemy, and then you have to figure out how to dodge the enemy's attack. Pretty simple, but fun, and challenging. But not too challenging. The game is extremly easy. This probably isn't a game that Hardcore RPG fans will like. If you more of an action gamer, or a novice RPG player, this will appeal to you more.

Graphics 7/10
The games graphics are nothing special. Contrary to popular belief, they are not a direct copy from the previous game. They do look a little better. And the last boos looks amazingly 3-D. Though the graphics are pretty good, there is some room for improvement. Some of the places look kind of fuzzy. A couple of the graphics look kinda good. Like the bosses blowing up, and the Bros. Items, Other than that, they're no big woop. Oh, and the Mario and Luigi walking graphics look.... odd. So, if they had gone just a little further and polished them up a bit, it would have been great.

Music and Sound 7/10
The games music is a mix of old and new songs, and a couple remixes of old Mario songs. The sound effects on the other hand, are pretty neat. The talking effects sound hilarious. Luigi's crying, and Mario's mumbling will make you laugh. So will the phrases "Babies!" and "Thank you very much!".

Replayability 4/10
The game is short, but I don't think it's a game you will want to replay. The game just feels empty, and rushed. A good example of that is that you are looking for 5 pieces of the Cobalt Star. It takes about 3/4ths of the game to get the first 3, and then you get the last 2 one right after the other. What's up with that? Also, every level is almost like a complete copy of the previous one. All you do is go through some puzzle you've already done 5 times, and then face a 20 minute boss battle. But don't get me wrong the bosses are still fun. Most of the levels look pretty bland too. It's just not a game you'll want to replay.

Anyway, the game is good for one 14 hour play through. But after that, you might not want to touch if for a while. Everything except for the last 4 bosses of the game just feels completely rushed. This is a big let down for the Mario RPG series. If you're looking for a handheld Mario RPG, stick with the original Mario and Luigi. But if you really want to, rent this one. It'll be ok for one play through, but after that you won't really care about it anymore.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/16/06