Super Paper Mario

A near-perfect blend of old, new and RPG chattiness

Words: on March 30, 2007
How is it that the GameCube and Wii both launched without a Mario game? Somehow it happened, and here we are, months after Wii took the world by surprise and we're just now seeing the iconic mascot appear on the system. To make things even weirder, it's not a 3D platformer or sports game debut, either. Nope, it's a new entry in the RPG-lite Paper Mario series, the last of which landed in 2004. But in order to make the game more digestible to the non-RPG fan, Super Paper Mario plays more like a traditional side-scrolling Mario title than a straight-up RPG.

Sure, there's quite a bit of story, and you do gain levels as your score increases throughout the game, but instead of a big world ready to be explored, you're ushered from Chapter 1-1 to 1-2, 1-3 and then for a boss fight in 1-4. Repeat through 8-4, just like the good ol' NES days. The end of each world gives you a bit more of the story, introduces a new ability or two and maybe even throws in a new playable character - Peach, Bowser and eventually Luigi all become part of your heroic quartet.

Even the Wii Remote gets in on the old school action - it's held sideways, so everything handles like a true '80s Nintendo game. It's a great sensation to run through locales like Hell (aka the "Underwhere") with an uncomfortable rectangle mashed in your palms. Ah, the joys of pre-ergonomics ergonomics.

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Super Paper Mario (Wii)

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5 Comments
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  • Darkhawk

    Darkhawk  - 5 months ago  - Report

    "it's easy to get 75% through this and call it a day".

    How appropriate! I'm 75% of the way through the game, and I just came here seeking the GR verdict to see if I wasn't alone in getting tired of this game.
  • nick-101

    nick-101  - 3 years, 4 months ago  - Report

    i love this game...i was a bit sceptical buying it at first after not liking the turn based rpg version on the game cube, but i was amazed when i was playing it, the only flaw i can find is the sound text makes when it scrolls down gets damn annoying...and on a completely differtent note I LOVE KARL PILKINGTON
  • adrenaguy

    adrenaguy  - 3 years, 2 months ago  - Report

    first paper mario game for me, freaking loved it, working towards finishing the 100 battle place with the chinese dudes, and true, SHUT THE F**K UP ALREADY AND LET ME PWN YOU!
  • Trapped_In_Hiskool

    Trapped_In_Hiskool  - 3 years, 3 months ago  - Report

    I own all three of the papare mario games for their respective systems, and I have to say this game really isn't the same. first you can't use a hammer for the first 13 individual chapters. The flipping is cool but loses its fun after a couple minutes, making you flip just for the sake of slowing you down. Finally you dont have to waste a partner with a stupid tattle ability, but the backup partners from the old games were loveable, unlike the new Pixls. All in all, this game is fun to play but just doesn't feel like Paper Mario.
  • secretsearcher

    secretsearcher  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    I like the turn based paper marios better actually. But I still love this game :)
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