The "Nintendo Games" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Wow!! - This game has been getting rave reviews from America!! Any idea when its released over here??
mattyboy wrote:
> Wow!! - This game has been getting rave reviews from America!! Any
> idea when its released over here??
ya beat me to it matty!
It's supposed to be released in april, but thats not definate.
Here is a reveiw of the game coming from an underground American Games Magazine.
Paper Mario
Don't let Paper Mario's flat look fool you –
this is easily the deepest RPG for N64. Full
review.
February 5, 2001
The history surrounding Nintendo 64's Paper Mario is a
long one, dating nearly back to the beginning of the
console itself. The game, a semi-sequel to the
Square-developed Super NES title Super Mario RPG,
borrows the best elements from its predecessor and brings
all sorts of new goodies to the table, including an
exceptionally enhanced battle system and, for better or
worse, its own uniquely cute and cuddly 2D cartoon
cut-out look. And whether you enjoy the stylized
presentation or not, there is a fantastically entertaining,
well conceived RPG hiding underneath Mario's paper-thin
exterior that we assure you is far from flat.
The Facts
Challenging quest spanning seven different lands
RPG style gameplay with enhanced turn-based
fighting mechanics
Party building structure that allows for up to
seven group characters
Classicly styled platformer action
Unique 2D cartoon look mixes with polygonal
3D backdrops
Single-player adventure only
Saves to cartridge
Gameplay
While Paper Mario borrows much from the
Square-created Super Mario RPG, its storyline is hardly
on par with Square's current role-playing offerings for
Sony PlayStation. In fact, it does nothing to advance the
traditional plot lines, or lack thereof, found in most of
Miyamoto's platformers. The game begins as Mario sets
out to – get this – save the Princess from the evil Bowser,
who has stolen a magical artifact called the Star Rod and
made himself invincible. Jealous of Mario's popularity
and wanting desperately to be favored by the Princess,
Bowser has kidnapped her against her will and taken her
to his floating castle high in the skies above the land.
Mario quickly finds that the only way he can beat Bowser
and rescue his main girl is to retrieve seven Star Spirits,
magical entities that grant wishes, and use them against his
evil foe. As is often the case, the Spirits just so happen to
be scattered across seven different lands, all of which
Mario must travel to if he's to have any chance of
restoring order. And so goes the story that is the
backbone for Paper Mario. It's not particularly thrilling –
or even original, but it's at least familiar to fans of Mario's
many adventures, and it's cleverly cute at times too.
The game itself, luckily, is far deeper and more captivating
than its standard storyline. Paper Mario is probably best
described as an RPG platformer, as there are elements of
both genres wrapped together to make up the title. Mario
travels through various lands, from desert to rainforest, on
land, water and air, platformer style. That is to say, he
jumps on objects, breaks blocks, uncovers hidden items,
and so forth. But he interacts with characters, enemies, and
storyline development RPG style. For example, once
Mario comes into contact with an enemy, the game
interface immediately switches to accommodate a
turn-based RPG battle. The battle system Paper Mario
employs is refreshingly interactive, despite being
turn-based. Mario and his party of characters take turns
fighting off foes via a menu-driven interface, utilizing
standard moves such as jumps (on the heads of enemies),
as well as magical fire-balls, bomb explosions, lightning
bolts, and so on. After an action is performed, as per
standard, the enemy has a chance to react and deliver their
own deadly blow. The design, however, is slightly
enhanced over the traditional turn-based fight because
players can execute additional moves within an action to
inflict more damage upon enemies – and to protect
themselves from oncoming enemy attacks. For example,
Mario can, in addition to the standard jump blow, use a
special badge to inflict as many damage points as
possible. This is done in real-time as an action is executed
by pressing the A button as Mario lands on an enemy's
head. Mario can continue to jump on the head of his foe
until the character is defeated, but the procedure requires
calculated timing on the part of the player. Similarly,
Mario can successfully block the attack of an enemy if the
player presses the A button at exactly the right time. It's a
seemingly miniscule addition to an otherwise copied battle
system formula, but it goes an incredibly long way to the
enjoyment of the experience, and it comes as a welcomed
surprise.
At the core of this RPG formula are three different point
systems that determine what Mario can and cannot do:
Heart Points (HP), Flower Points (FP) and Badge Points
(BP). Heart points are Mario's life force; if he runs out of
them, he dies. Flower Points are used for magical attacks
and special items. And Badge Points determine how many
power-enhancing badges Mario can wear. As in any RPG, the more points, the better. Our hero
can up the level of each by winning combat battles with enemies, as Star Points are awarded for
each successful interaction (the number varies depending on the difficulty of the enemy battle).
When Mario acquires 100 Star Points, he has the option of adding five Points to his HP, FP or
BP and there's quite a bit of strategy to the whole affair. While one might initially think that
upping their Heart Points to the maximum would guarantee success, certain enemy encounters,
especially late into the game, can still whip right through Mario's life force without much
difficulty. But with special badges and life restoring magical items, gained only by equipping
Mario with more FP and BP, the character can still exit each encounter as the victor. The setup,
like everything else in the title, is simplified, but still solidly engineered and rewardingly
intuitive.
Mario's overall quest requires that he travel through seven different lands in a decidedly linear
fashion, and amass a party of seven characters. Along the way our hero will team up with the
most unlikely of individuals, including a Bob-Omb, a Koopa, a Ghost, a Fish and more. Each
character possesses unique abilities that not only lend themselves to turn-based battles, but also
the lands that Mario explores too. For example, there are certain water environments that Mario
cannot travel across without the help of the fish. Other areas feature gaps that can only be
manipulated without the help of the winged Koopa; stone walls that must be exploded with the
Bob-Omb, triggers that must be executed with the land Koopa and so on. In short, it's brilliant
design, and really enhances the value of each party member while throwing in a few extra
puzzles for the player to figure out.
While there are a few twists and turns here and there, it shouldn't take the experienced RPG
player a great deal of time to finish. And don't let that fool you, the title is still wonderfully
satisfying to play and irreversibly engrossing while it lasts. Also, considering that every facet of
Paper Mario is designed to simplify the RPG experience while remaining true to the formula, it
serves as the perfect introductory game to any person hoping to explore the genre.
Graphics
The graphic design of Paper Mario is, for good or bad, unarguably unique. Mario and all of the
characters in the game, from townspeople to simple foe and Bowser himself, are created of flat
2D sprites. Interestingly, though, they turn and fold as if they are made of paper, hence the
name of the game. When Mario lays down for sleep, for example, he doesn't lift the covers off
his bed, but rather floats down underneath them. All of the backgrounds and objects in the
game, however, are constructed of 3D polygons. Mario can walk left, right, up and down within
the world, as opposed to the isometric view found in Super Mario RPG. You can imagine the
clash of styles.
Looking at the colorful, flat 2D sprite characters and blocky 3D backgrounds, one can't help but
wonder if developer Intelligent Systems decided to go the route because of its inexperience with
fully polygonal games at the time. Probably though it just wanted to remain visually true to the
storybook-like worlds Mario explores. Players who never liked the style of the typical
Nintendo platformer won't like what Paper Mario has to offer visually (it's not Final Fantasy),
but the rest of us won't mind it. In a strange way, in fact, it all works quite nicely. When Mario
enters a house and it folds in half like a piece of paper so that we can see the inside, one realizes
the amount of detail put into the cart to bring the cartoon world to life.
There are limits to 2D sprites, however, and Intelligent Systems would have been wise to realize
them before zooming the camera up close to characters in specific situations, whereupon they
transform into a pixelated mass of colors. Still, considering how critical we were of this game's
look back when we were previewing it, we're more than happy to walk away from the experience
with such a small complaint.
Sound
The sound effects and music in Paper Mario are right out of a Nintendo platformer. Cheery,
smile-inducing, and admittedly well composed music that one could easily imagine Miyamoto
dancing to, mixed with a never-ending supply of odd character noises including boings, dings,
crunches, smashes, and other indecipherable effects exclusive to Nintendo. Most characters
have no speech sound effects, let alone actual speech, which is slightly disappointing.
Otherwise, though, the listening experience is probably exactly as you might expect:
Nintendo-like.
> Wow!! - This game has been getting rave reviews from America!! Any
> idea when its released over here??
ya beat me to it matty!
It's supposed to be released in april, but thats not definate.
Here is a reveiw of the game coming from an underground American Games Magazine.
Paper Mario
Don't let Paper Mario's flat look fool you –
this is easily the deepest RPG for N64. Full
review.
February 5, 2001
The history surrounding Nintendo 64's Paper Mario is a
long one, dating nearly back to the beginning of the
console itself. The game, a semi-sequel to the
Square-developed Super NES title Super Mario RPG,
borrows the best elements from its predecessor and brings
all sorts of new goodies to the table, including an
exceptionally enhanced battle system and, for better or
worse, its own uniquely cute and cuddly 2D cartoon
cut-out look. And whether you enjoy the stylized
presentation or not, there is a fantastically entertaining,
well conceived RPG hiding underneath Mario's paper-thin
exterior that we assure you is far from flat.
The Facts
Challenging quest spanning seven different lands
RPG style gameplay with enhanced turn-based
fighting mechanics
Party building structure that allows for up to
seven group characters
Classicly styled platformer action
Unique 2D cartoon look mixes with polygonal
3D backdrops
Single-player adventure only
Saves to cartridge
Gameplay
While Paper Mario borrows much from the
Square-created Super Mario RPG, its storyline is hardly
on par with Square's current role-playing offerings for
Sony PlayStation. In fact, it does nothing to advance the
traditional plot lines, or lack thereof, found in most of
Miyamoto's platformers. The game begins as Mario sets
out to – get this – save the Princess from the evil Bowser,
who has stolen a magical artifact called the Star Rod and
made himself invincible. Jealous of Mario's popularity
and wanting desperately to be favored by the Princess,
Bowser has kidnapped her against her will and taken her
to his floating castle high in the skies above the land.
Mario quickly finds that the only way he can beat Bowser
and rescue his main girl is to retrieve seven Star Spirits,
magical entities that grant wishes, and use them against his
evil foe. As is often the case, the Spirits just so happen to
be scattered across seven different lands, all of which
Mario must travel to if he's to have any chance of
restoring order. And so goes the story that is the
backbone for Paper Mario. It's not particularly thrilling –
or even original, but it's at least familiar to fans of Mario's
many adventures, and it's cleverly cute at times too.
The game itself, luckily, is far deeper and more captivating
than its standard storyline. Paper Mario is probably best
described as an RPG platformer, as there are elements of
both genres wrapped together to make up the title. Mario
travels through various lands, from desert to rainforest, on
land, water and air, platformer style. That is to say, he
jumps on objects, breaks blocks, uncovers hidden items,
and so forth. But he interacts with characters, enemies, and
storyline development RPG style. For example, once
Mario comes into contact with an enemy, the game
interface immediately switches to accommodate a
turn-based RPG battle. The battle system Paper Mario
employs is refreshingly interactive, despite being
turn-based. Mario and his party of characters take turns
fighting off foes via a menu-driven interface, utilizing
standard moves such as jumps (on the heads of enemies),
as well as magical fire-balls, bomb explosions, lightning
bolts, and so on. After an action is performed, as per
standard, the enemy has a chance to react and deliver their
own deadly blow. The design, however, is slightly
enhanced over the traditional turn-based fight because
players can execute additional moves within an action to
inflict more damage upon enemies – and to protect
themselves from oncoming enemy attacks. For example,
Mario can, in addition to the standard jump blow, use a
special badge to inflict as many damage points as
possible. This is done in real-time as an action is executed
by pressing the A button as Mario lands on an enemy's
head. Mario can continue to jump on the head of his foe
until the character is defeated, but the procedure requires
calculated timing on the part of the player. Similarly,
Mario can successfully block the attack of an enemy if the
player presses the A button at exactly the right time. It's a
seemingly miniscule addition to an otherwise copied battle
system formula, but it goes an incredibly long way to the
enjoyment of the experience, and it comes as a welcomed
surprise.
At the core of this RPG formula are three different point
systems that determine what Mario can and cannot do:
Heart Points (HP), Flower Points (FP) and Badge Points
(BP). Heart points are Mario's life force; if he runs out of
them, he dies. Flower Points are used for magical attacks
and special items. And Badge Points determine how many
power-enhancing badges Mario can wear. As in any RPG, the more points, the better. Our hero
can up the level of each by winning combat battles with enemies, as Star Points are awarded for
each successful interaction (the number varies depending on the difficulty of the enemy battle).
When Mario acquires 100 Star Points, he has the option of adding five Points to his HP, FP or
BP and there's quite a bit of strategy to the whole affair. While one might initially think that
upping their Heart Points to the maximum would guarantee success, certain enemy encounters,
especially late into the game, can still whip right through Mario's life force without much
difficulty. But with special badges and life restoring magical items, gained only by equipping
Mario with more FP and BP, the character can still exit each encounter as the victor. The setup,
like everything else in the title, is simplified, but still solidly engineered and rewardingly
intuitive.
Mario's overall quest requires that he travel through seven different lands in a decidedly linear
fashion, and amass a party of seven characters. Along the way our hero will team up with the
most unlikely of individuals, including a Bob-Omb, a Koopa, a Ghost, a Fish and more. Each
character possesses unique abilities that not only lend themselves to turn-based battles, but also
the lands that Mario explores too. For example, there are certain water environments that Mario
cannot travel across without the help of the fish. Other areas feature gaps that can only be
manipulated without the help of the winged Koopa; stone walls that must be exploded with the
Bob-Omb, triggers that must be executed with the land Koopa and so on. In short, it's brilliant
design, and really enhances the value of each party member while throwing in a few extra
puzzles for the player to figure out.
While there are a few twists and turns here and there, it shouldn't take the experienced RPG
player a great deal of time to finish. And don't let that fool you, the title is still wonderfully
satisfying to play and irreversibly engrossing while it lasts. Also, considering that every facet of
Paper Mario is designed to simplify the RPG experience while remaining true to the formula, it
serves as the perfect introductory game to any person hoping to explore the genre.
Graphics
The graphic design of Paper Mario is, for good or bad, unarguably unique. Mario and all of the
characters in the game, from townspeople to simple foe and Bowser himself, are created of flat
2D sprites. Interestingly, though, they turn and fold as if they are made of paper, hence the
name of the game. When Mario lays down for sleep, for example, he doesn't lift the covers off
his bed, but rather floats down underneath them. All of the backgrounds and objects in the
game, however, are constructed of 3D polygons. Mario can walk left, right, up and down within
the world, as opposed to the isometric view found in Super Mario RPG. You can imagine the
clash of styles.
Looking at the colorful, flat 2D sprite characters and blocky 3D backgrounds, one can't help but
wonder if developer Intelligent Systems decided to go the route because of its inexperience with
fully polygonal games at the time. Probably though it just wanted to remain visually true to the
storybook-like worlds Mario explores. Players who never liked the style of the typical
Nintendo platformer won't like what Paper Mario has to offer visually (it's not Final Fantasy),
but the rest of us won't mind it. In a strange way, in fact, it all works quite nicely. When Mario
enters a house and it folds in half like a piece of paper so that we can see the inside, one realizes
the amount of detail put into the cart to bring the cartoon world to life.
There are limits to 2D sprites, however, and Intelligent Systems would have been wise to realize
them before zooming the camera up close to characters in specific situations, whereupon they
transform into a pixelated mass of colors. Still, considering how critical we were of this game's
look back when we were previewing it, we're more than happy to walk away from the experience
with such a small complaint.
Sound
The sound effects and music in Paper Mario are right out of a Nintendo platformer. Cheery,
smile-inducing, and admittedly well composed music that one could easily imagine Miyamoto
dancing to, mixed with a never-ending supply of odd character noises including boings, dings,
crunches, smashes, and other indecipherable effects exclusive to Nintendo. Most characters
have no speech sound effects, let alone actual speech, which is slightly disappointing.
Otherwise, though, the listening experience is probably exactly as you might expect:
Nintendo-like.
Wow!! - This game has been getting rave reviews from America!! Any idea when its released over here??