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'Playstation 3 media launch with Oracle' Podcast
by Matt

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If there's one series that's always been "there" but not "it", it's the Paper Mario series. While I'll always rush out to buy the latest full-fledged Mario platformer, Paper Mario games have always fallen into obscurity, at least in Australia. I didn't even know the original Paper Mario existed until my brother rented it from some ghetto video store, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was always stuck with a $99 price tag for some reason - no sight nor sound of a discount. I just never got around to any of them. The series has always been about role-playing, and the GBA/DS Mario and Luigi games also stuck to a turn-based combat system. Never mind all that, though. SUPER Paper Mario is out now, and it's available on the highly successful Wii console to boot. This means Nintendo can expect decent sales, and more players can enjoy a superb game from an excellent series.

Like its predecessors, Super Paper Mario is fitted with a paper storybook theme, in which characters and locations can literally peel themselves away from the page (or, in this case, the screen) and fold themselves all over the place. At heart Super Paper Mario is a platformer, which features Mario and a host of unlockable heroes jetting around to eight different worlds in order to recover Pure Hearts. It's a chapter-based level system and works extremely well. In addition to the worlds, a quirky town called Flipside will act as your home base, filled with unique characters, shops and side quests. Mario is granted the ability to travel back to Flipside at any time during gameplay, which will most assuredly come in handy after receiving a hearty beat-down during the more devastating battles.




The point of collecting the Pure Hearts was lost on me. A sharp criticism of previous Paper Mario games was an excessive amount of text, which is quite odd considering Mario games have always been a bit lacking in the story department - but that's the way we like it. Ordinarily an interesting story would have been a welcome addition, but for some reason it's almost impossible to care or react in any way to these tired attempts at shoving a new narrative to mold around such familiar characters. This time around, some evil guy known as Count Bleck is doing something evil, and Mario quite literally jumps to the task of defeating him. That's all we really need to know, and the dull, lengthy conversations about nothing much in particular are a real drag. There's some occasionally funny dialogue to be found, but it doesn't make up for the fact that we would rather be running and jumping instead of reading.

However.

This is the most important paragraph of the entire review: Any Mario fan should not let the dialogue stand in the way of a purchase. The superb gameplay is worth the price of admission alone. Why is that so important? Because the text is the biggest criticism, and yet should not act as a deterrent for interested gamers.

As mentioned, Super Paper Mario is a platformer. At first glance, it's even a 2D platformer. This isn't exactly acceptable for a next-gen console, but therein lies the surprise. Nintendo have taken the "paper" aspect to heart, and asked the question: What happens when we view the level from a 3D perspective? Very early on, Mario gains the ability to "flip" between dimensions, and traverse his 2D platform from a 3D perspective. The concept is actually very hard to explain, and it's best learnt while playing. Just imagine a traditional green warp pipe, found in almost every Mario game. Previously, Mario could only jump over or slide down - but what goodies might be lying in wait BEHIND the pipe? Flip to 3D and find out. It most certainly isn't a case of "when in trouble, flip to 3D and solve the puzzle". The 3D perspective can simply be considered the second half of the world, with just as many secrets, enemies and tasks to complete as those found in 2D.




RPG elements are subtle yet effective. Mario gains levels after defeating enemies and collecting experience points, but the upgrades are usually only HP and damage bonuses. You'll talk to many characters in both Flipside and each world, with different world chapters featuring more RPG puzzle-solving than others. It's a good mix of traditional frantic platforming and quirky ingenuity. Mario-style. Items can be collected for health recovery and special attacks, and even though the attack items looks cool and deal excellent damage, running and jumping is usually quite sufficient for dispatching almost any enemy.

Being a Wii platformer, the Wii Remote is held sideways with the D-pad controlling movements and the 1 and 2 buttons controllings Pixls and jumping respectively. Pixls are mysterious floating shapes that aid Mario in his quest, and are almost always an absolute blast to use. For example, Boomer allows infinite use of explosive attacks, while Slim will turn Mario sideways to become paper-thin, granting invincibility when stationary and the ability to sidle through thin gaps. You'll discover many Pixls, each with unique abilities and each with a significant role to play in level progression.

Motion control is limited, but works very well. The Wii Remote can be given a slight shake when jumping on enemies, which nets a small amount of bonus experience points - although these can be chained for rather significant numbers. Several attacks items will also require specific motions to execute correctly, and Mario's travelling Pixl companion, Tippi, will highlight specific areas of the screen when pointed to provide detailed information and even discover hidden objects. Every motion control is fluid and responsive, exactly what we want in a Wii game.

There's no denying this game could easily have been made for the GameCube, at least from a technical standpoint. However, there is a limit on how impressive the quality of graphics can be when adopting an eccentric art style such as this. Animations are smooth, and often downright hilarious. It's especially satisfying to encounter an enemy - namely, one of the many gigantic bosses - on the 2D plane, when only a few seconds later he (or she - those women are evil) will animate and react in such a way that all the gorgeous 3D rendering will spring forth, bursting out of the screen just like a pop-up book. It's a special sensation, and what's even more exciting is that you'll encounter many of these surprising graphical and gameplay quirks throughout the entire adventure.




Some of the levels may grate on the nerves. In a situation where a developer has the opportunity to explore a wide variety of level "themes" - namely ground, water and flying-type environments, this doesn't necessarily mean that they should. A long-winded and confusing stretch flying through space is a little too obtuse to be wholly enjoyable, and you're often left wondering - why can't they all be block-bashing, ground-pounding levels of a similar style? Still, I suppose this repetition would attract its share of critics, despite the fact that traditional Mario gameplay has always found its strongest moments on dry land.

An early criticism would have been that of the fiddly camera and controls from a 3D perspective. While initially a bit awkward, I found the entire process to become second-nature as soon as the first level was over. The D-pad on the Wii Remote is perhaps a little too small to be controlling what is, in many circumstances, a 3D platformer. This is a minor negative which again should not deter any interested fans from giving Super Paper Mario a committed playthrough.

At the end of the day, this is a game absolutely any Wii gamer should play. It's one of the best for the system - a lengthy, challenging adventure featuring everyone's favourite plumber with a unique dimensional twist. At a bargain price compared to other high-profile releases, Super Paper Mario is a must-buy. Chunks away!

Final Verdict

A winner. Nintendo have managed to maintain the paper Mario legacy in fine form, with just enough difference in unique RPG gameplay to warrant a very, very close look.

Pros
Unprecedented dimension-flipping concept, long and challenging, superb style and dynamic gameplay. Everything a Mario game should be.
Cons
Excessive text, a wayward 3D camera and some obscure levels shouldn't influence the purchase of this game.