first impressions: super paper mario

Nintendo has been the Apple, Inc. of gaming companies, in my opinion, for quiet some time because of their innovative ideas and creative, appealing and slick style. At a young age, my father introduced me to the classic brothers, Mario and Luigi. This duo has been the backbone of Nintendo as a company. They’ve become a symbol used to define Nintendo. Mario especially has been through it all. Mario has also been in it all, in that he’s been a part of every Nintendo hardware release (e.g. NES, Game Cube, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo DS, etc.). He’s spent time on an island in Mario Sunshine. He’s played countless sports, including tennis, baseball, golf and basketball. He’s traveled through time, rocked out mini games with his friends, competed in the Olympics and even been as thin as a piece of paper.

The world was introduced to Paper Mario in 2001. At the time, I was an avid Nintendo 64 user and really got into the game. With the next release in the series, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, I skipped the opportunity to play merely because it seemed repetitive. Nintendo seems to have succeeded in capturing the hearts of original Paper Mario fans, however, with the release of Super Paper Mario for the Nintendo Wii. This member of the Paper Mario series adds new, creative gameplay, making the game fresh, yet still recognizing the classic ways of the Paper Mario saga.

GAMEPLAY
Reincarnating the warm feel of a paper world, Super Paper Mario includes some new ways to remind us as the player, that we’re in a futuristic 2-D world. The transitions between scenes or when new things appear are much more visually appealing in that a black line accompanies these events, outlining the soon-to-be object, just before it appears. It gives an entirely new vibe to the player about the world. You feel less like you are in a paper world, and more like you are in a world of drawn out lines.

Most gameplay is completed holding the WiiMote in a horizontal position, with your left thumb over the arrow pad and your right thumb over the 1 and 2 buttons. As the game progresses, however, you will find reasons to switch the position in which you hold your WiiMote. On some occasions, to use items during battle, you’ll need to shake your WiiMote gently up and down to power up. In other instances, you’ll want to point the WiiMote directly at your screen in search for hidden items, using one of your sidekick’s powers.

MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS
The most significant and fresh change in Super Paper Mario is the ability to change between the 2-D and 3-D dimension. Early on in the game, you earn this ability after paying a psychic-like man to give you the power. From then on, simply press the A button to switch back and forth between 2-D and 3-D gameplay. This new feature, to me, was the most creative and impressive when playing the game for the first time. Multiple dimensions makes gameplay more challenging and interesting, as you’re always thinking about what entering the other dimension could possibly do for the situation you’re in. The game becomes something like a puzzle you need to solve with obstacles you need to overcome. In my opinion, gameplay became less frustrating because of the ability to change between 2-D and 3-D dimensions. When you cannot find the answer in one, moving to the other dimension almost always finds you what you’re looking for. For example, while swimming in the ocean (as one always does at least once in a truly classic Mario game), to avoid running into HP damaging fish, switch to 3-D mode and you’ll remember that these fish are paper thin. Simply swim behind the fish in 3-D mode and you’re past them in no time. No need to wait for an obstacle or potentially harmful creature to steer out of your path when they’re ravor thin.

SOUNDTRACK
Though this isn’t the most obvious observation one makes while playing a video game, I think the soundtrack to a game creates the overall feel for a particular scene. For example, in terms of Nintendo, most fans can immediately recall the difference in music when you are running through your classic Mario Brothers scene, jumping up and shattering bricks, as opposed to when you are dodging fireballs in Bowser’s castle. In Super Paper Mario, Nintendo definitely created a pleasant, relaxing soundtrack, which throughout the game leaves the player calm, with the exception of battle scenes of course. However, usually, each game has a unique sound or instrument associated with it. In Mario Sunshine, the soundtrack reminded you of a summery, island atmosphere. In Super Paper Mario, there is not a memorable, original song that can be associated solely with this game.

CHANGES & SIMILARITIES
Overall, Super Paper Mario, as a game, is very charming, not only because of its remembered similarities, proving to the gaming community that it is definitely a unique Mario game, but also due to its welcome, fresh changes. In this version of the Paper Mario series, Nintendo has shied away from using sidekicks to Mario that would be expected (e.g. a friendly Koopa). In Super Paper Mario, we are introduced to Pixls, which are basically colorful, 2-D stencil-like drawings, that remind you, in a way, of fairies. You are originally placed with Tippi, a Pixl resembling a butterfly. Each Pixl has a specific power which you will progressively need as the game goes on. For example, Tippi’s power is the ability to find and reveal hidden or invisible things; in most cases, these are doors.

Another change in Super Paper Mario, is that gameplay has somewhat steered away from battling and raising your HP. As you move throughout the worlds with Mario and jump on creatures, they are KOed right there, instead of requiring a battle, like in the original game. However, Mario does still level up after knocking out enough creatures on his quests and the player is notified of this. Also, at the end of most major chapters, Mario does battle a follower of Count Bleck and as this takes place, you are restored to the classic Paper Mario style of battle, using your own attacks as well as those of your sidekicks’.

This brings me to my next topic. For the first time in a long time, Mario is not in search of a kidnapped friend (in most cases this would be Princess Peach), being held captive by King Bowser. This time, a new creature named Count Bleck, who appears to be Pixl-esque himself, is threatening to destroy the world. In Super Paper Mario, as the game progresses, you gain the option to play as not only Paper Mario, but Paper Luigi, Paper Princess Peach and Paper King Bowser. Each character owns their own abilities which will be necessary in different situations throughout gameplay.

Don’t worry, though. Nintendo hasn’t changed Paper Mario entirely. There are still many familiar things throughout the game that remind you that you are playing not only a Mario game, but a Paper Mario game. In the first chapter of the entire game (Chapter 1-1), the world you are in is the exact dynamic of the classic Super Mario Brothers opening scene. In this case, it is just presented in a 2-D, paper manner with more modern colors. The Save cube that Mario must hit to save is exactly the same as the original. What I found most interesting is that when Mario catches a mushroom that has been released from a box, he now has the ability to become insanely large, like in New Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo DS. I thought this was a welcome addition because it was somewhat comforting for Nintendo to connect both the DS and Wii’s current generation of Mario.

So, what is the final verdict? I’d have to say that the verdict is Super Paper Mario is most definitely a welcome addition to the Paper Mario series. It conserves original concepts and themes, yet takes them to a newer, creative level with multiple dimensions and new forms of gameplay. Super Paper Mario truly embraces the next generation of Nintendo and the Wii console. I’d say that any long time Paper Mario, or even Mario Brothers, fan will not only enjoy but appreciate what this game has to offer to gamers today. Its challenging, yet relaxing; a tough combination to find in harmony these days.

What did you think of Super Paper Mario? What are some of your other favorite Wii games? If you’re not a Nintendo fan, share your story as to why not. I’d love to hear from you in the comments.