Wii has updated Mario with the new Super Paper Mario!!! Hip-hip hurray!!!
Though Mario usually only wears one literal hat -- the red cap with his initial on it -- he's sported infinite figurative hats in his video game career. The Paper Mario series (and Mario vs. Luigi on handheld) has poked fun at the plumber's roots while offering a more in-depth, role-playing affair. In the first Wii appearance for Nintendo's main man, it continues this path while also paying homage to the 2D platforming that made Mario such a superstar in the first place.
At first, it's tough to distinguish Super Paper Mario from the NES Super Mario Bros.: Hold the remote in traditional controller fashion, and find yourself running to the right, jumping on Goombas and going down pipes. Sure, that was one of the greatest games of all time, but it may make those of lesser Nintendo faith think, "This is next-gen?" After all, you can buy the original game on Virtual Console for $5. Quickly, you find out that this world that looks so natural, so historic in flat, two dimension hides a shocking 3D perspective: At the push of a button, Mario immerses himself in the Mushroom Kingdom in a way that is simultaneously old and new.
After hours upon hours of gameplay, this little shift will still trip you out. It plays with your mind in a way that few games ever have. Imagine if your favorite book all of a sudden started reading itself to you, or if your family dog spontaneously started throwing the ball back to you during a game of fetch. You'll use the 3D flip to explore previously invisible areas of a level, or dodge imposing enemies. But worry not, as this is not the only trick up Super Paper Mario's sleeve.
Mario's offense may be limited to the oldest of moves -- save for the ability to grow massive, like in New Super Mario Bros. for the DS -- but he gets plenty of help. Other famous faces from this universe join in and become playable, and a slew of Pixl fairies bring about new powers. Pixl pals function as information sources, portable exploding devices, and weights to allow you to finally hop on the head of those darn squids while underwater. Both characters and fairies can be swapped out at will via the menu, but finding a way to swap in real-time would've been appreciated.
Levels are designed with all the care and creativity you'd expect from a game with "Mario" in the title. Every power you get is immediately used to find new treasure or solve puzzles. You'll welcome the return of the World 1-2 underground stage, but also marvel at new areas such as the graph-paper area and a slave-filled castle. Bosses require some thought but never lead to frustration. As usual, Mario deftly walks the fine line between too easy and too hard, allowing us all to have a good time.
Though Mario usually only wears one literal hat -- the red cap with his initial on it -- he's sported infinite figurative hats in his video game career. The Paper Mario series (and Mario vs. Luigi on handheld) has poked fun at the plumber's roots while offering a more in-depth, role-playing affair. In the first Wii appearance for Nintendo's main man, it continues this path while also paying homage to the 2D platforming that made Mario such a superstar in the first place.
At first, it's tough to distinguish Super Paper Mario from the NES Super Mario Bros.: Hold the remote in traditional controller fashion, and find yourself running to the right, jumping on Goombas and going down pipes. Sure, that was one of the greatest games of all time, but it may make those of lesser Nintendo faith think, "This is next-gen?" After all, you can buy the original game on Virtual Console for $5. Quickly, you find out that this world that looks so natural, so historic in flat, two dimension hides a shocking 3D perspective: At the push of a button, Mario immerses himself in the Mushroom Kingdom in a way that is simultaneously old and new.
After hours upon hours of gameplay, this little shift will still trip you out. It plays with your mind in a way that few games ever have. Imagine if your favorite book all of a sudden started reading itself to you, or if your family dog spontaneously started throwing the ball back to you during a game of fetch. You'll use the 3D flip to explore previously invisible areas of a level, or dodge imposing enemies. But worry not, as this is not the only trick up Super Paper Mario's sleeve.
Mario's offense may be limited to the oldest of moves -- save for the ability to grow massive, like in New Super Mario Bros. for the DS -- but he gets plenty of help. Other famous faces from this universe join in and become playable, and a slew of Pixl fairies bring about new powers. Pixl pals function as information sources, portable exploding devices, and weights to allow you to finally hop on the head of those darn squids while underwater. Both characters and fairies can be swapped out at will via the menu, but finding a way to swap in real-time would've been appreciated.
Levels are designed with all the care and creativity you'd expect from a game with "Mario" in the title. Every power you get is immediately used to find new treasure or solve puzzles. You'll welcome the return of the World 1-2 underground stage, but also marvel at new areas such as the graph-paper area and a slave-filled castle. Bosses require some thought but never lead to frustration. As usual, Mario deftly walks the fine line between too easy and too hard, allowing us all to have a good time.
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we would get along well....