Paper Mario
Reviewed by Danielle L.
The long awaited sequel to Super Mario RPG is here at last, and
well worth the wait! This game combines avant-garde graphics
with an awesome storyline, original bosses and many battle
partners to meet along the way. With incredible level design and
awesome badges and power-ups, this game couldn't be better! You
are Mario, and on your way to a party at Princess Peach's house, the
evil King Bowser decides to crash the party (natch). He crashes his
own castle up through Peach's and suspends the two in midair. Now
Mario, with the help of the seven star spirits and his new friends,
must rescue Peach yet again!
Graphics: 10 out of 10
These graphics are certainly inspired! While the backgrounds, items,
etc. Are all in 3D, the characters are paper-thin (hence the title,
"Paper Mario") They flutter and flap through their adventures. It
really is an interesting sight to see. The colors are also very bright
and cheerful looking. The characters are designed with incredible
detail and the graphical effects are great. A definite thumbs-up
for this category.
Music and Sound: 10 out of 10
This music is perfect. The music changes according to level, and
matches the mood and environment perfectly. The battle music is
also very catchy, and I love Bowser's music and the music that plays
when you get to control Princess Peach. The music can change from
cheerful to dramatic in an instant! The effects are great as well,
from crackling flame to splashing water, they're right on the mark!
Game Challenge: 10 out of 10
Not too easy, not too hard. There are some bosses that may take
several tries, and some puzzles take some head-scratching, but
there is nothing too frustrating about this game. The main thing
that might be a little frustrating is trying to collect all of the badges
and recipes. This game is perfect as far as challenge goes. Easy
enough to keep you playing, but hard enough to last you awhile.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
This is one of the funniest games I have ever played, and extremely
addictive as well! I rented it for the weekend and put over 20 hours
into it, that's how addictive it is! There are lots of things in the game
that change the pace a little bit. Maybe you just defeated a really
hard boss, well, now you have to take control of Peach and try to
sneak out of her room. Or maybe you have to solve another puzzle.
You never do the same thing over and over in this game... its great.
I also like the cinema scenes where you can see what Bowser is
plotting etc. They add a lot of enjoyment to the game.
Frustration
Not very. There are only a few places that are extremely frustrating.
My biggest peeve was this one part where you have to rescue Yoshi's.
I couldn't save, and I ended up dying before getting to the last one...
twice. Other than that, not much frustration.
Replayability: 10 out of 10
I put more than 20 hours into it, and I still wasn't done. Even after
you beat this game, you still have to go back and collect all of the
badges, partners, recipes, etc. This game will probably last you at
least 30 hours, and even after that, its so fun that you'll want to
play with it again.
Game Value: 10 out of 10
I bought mine for $30 on ebay, brand-new. It will cost you about $50
in stores (or $35 at dragon.ca, am I allowed to put that in?), but I'd
pay $100 for it. It is so worth it! For one thing, it will keep you
occupied for a very long time, but you'll also be having a lot of fun
while its occupying you. Its not like other games that take forever
and are dull at some points; this game kicks butt from start to finish!
Battle Partners: 10 out of 10
You get many different partners to accompany you on this trip, and
each has their special attacks and weaknesses. Goombario can do
some damage with a head butt, but not on spiky-shelled enemies, he'll
get hurt. Kooper can slide into enemies, but ones holding swords to
their fronts will hurt him. Bombette can blow up enemies, but not
all the time. Lady Bow can hide Mario from attacks, but she's not good
for much anything else. Sparky can shock people, Sushie can throw
water on people, Parakarry dive bombs people, and Lakilester throws
stuff. But their attacks are sometimes not as effective as another
partner's attack. Since you can only have one partner go with you into
battles, you really have to strategize. The partners also help you
outside of battle. They can slide into switches, carry you, blow things
up, let you swim, etc. They really add something to the game and make
the puzzles a little more interesting.
Bosses: 10 out of 10
These bosses are great! They all have weaknesses and resistances and
some are actually very clever (like the Koopa Troopa brothers, who are
dressed as Ninja Turtles). No cooki-cutter bosses for this game! Each
boss is unique and difficult, but not frustrating. Very excellent character
design in this department.
Overall: 10 out of 10
This game rocks! It has really weird but cool graphics, great music,
awesome puzzles, and excellent characters. You will definitely get a
lot of bang for your buck when you buy this game. It had a lot to live up
to, being a sequel to a great game like Super Mario RPG, but it definitely
fills those shoes superbly. Paper Mario is a game that should be on every
kid's wish list this Christmas!