Paper Mario 2: The Thousand-Year Door

Today Mario takes on his most unusual form yet: paper. 

As flat as cardboard, as thin as a sheet, Paper Mario is the unexplained form Mario takes in his newest RPG adventure.  Why is he so thin?  Why are all the characters comprised of paper cutouts that look like something small children would play with?  The only answer I can come up with is that it looks cool.

It might sound strange to hear an adult say that, but stop a minute and think about what we see and experience each year: polygons, real-time lighting, and for a while, way too much cel-shading.  We don't get many games that look like this: 

Mario was rendered to look like one sheet with a few overlapping pieces.  That's why when he appears to be super-thin whenever he turns sideways.

The dragon, however, is made up of dozens of individual sheets, creating a unique 3D image that looks full from all sides.

It's as if Mario has been transformed into a storybook world, where everything unfolds in a unique and interesting way.  Images that appear to be 3D and made of polys can suddenly become flat and turn over like a sheet of paper.  The few screenshots Nintendo has released tell you what to expect.  Seeing it all happen in the game – nothing can compare to that.  Anyone who appreciates the Mario series like I do, and anyone who loves graphic art will be amazed at what Nintendo has done.

Most Square fans love the Final Fantasy series because of its dark and emotional storylines.  Mario can't (and shouldn't) go that route, leaving one option: write a kid-friendly story about saving Princess Peach.  But – oh darn – that's already been done!  Time for hidden option number-three: write a story that mocks the genre and pokes fun at the Super Mario Bros. series. 

Bowser loves fried eggs, but he doesn't have time for picnics. 

You'll laugh your butt off at this one.

"Wow!  Crazy!  We just started and already there's intrigue!"—Goombella

Never before has a developer crammed so many hilarious jokes into one RPG.  Kudos to the team at Nintendo of America – I have no idea what the Japanese version was like, but they had their work cut out for them in translating the story and making it funny for English-speaking gamers.  They did it perfectly, capturing the essence of Mario with the wit of a classic Warner Brothers cartoon.

In journeying to save Peach, Mario works with some unlikely creatures, including a Goomba (Goombella) and a Koopa (Koops).  These new friends of Mario may have been seen as enemies in his previous adventures, but he'll have to set aside all differences if he wants to save his beloved princess.

Before a battle begins, Mario can change who he wants to use in and outside of combat.  Koops is great at retrieving items.  Solve puzzles using his shell.  Kick it away from an object, hold the X button to keep it in place, and move Mario to the necessary location.  When the X button is released, Koops will fly at the object, activating a switch or a moving platform.

This type of out-of-battle interactivity is rarely seen in turn-based RPGs.  You know that hammer Mario's using in most of the screenshots?  It's available outside of the battle mode as well.  Use it to reveal items or to bust through boxes.

That's just the beginning.  Mario isn't the only character you'll control. 

When Mario comes across a key and a locked chest that can talk, it makes perfect sense that you should open it.  Then the chest laughs, gives you a curse, and you feel like an idiot.

Of course, what some may consider a curse, others might consider a helpful tool... 

One of Mario's curses turns him into a paper airplane.  Mario can't very high in this game, so being a plane is the only way to cross large gaps.

The comedy that follows is priceless.  The consecutive chests will beg and plead and insist they're not going to curse you.  But sure enough, they've got their fingers crossed every time. 

Square taught us that an RPG is more fun without random battles.  Paper Mario follows their lead, placing all enemies on the screen before combat ensues.  Mario can strike first by jumping on the enemy or by hitting it with his hammer.  Doing so gives Mario an extra strike before his turn is up.  If they strike Mario before battle, they get an extra strike.

Running away from a battle is not always easy, but it's not something I like to do anyway.  Mario earns star points for defeating enemies, and it takes 100 of them to level up.  The amount of star points needed to level up never changes, but the amount of points earned for defeating weak enemies decreases with every level.

Upon reaching a new level Mario has three options: increase his HP (heart points) by 5 points; his FP (flower points) by 5 points; or his BP (badge points) by 3.  Flower Points are Paper Mario's version of MP.  FP is drained whenever Mario or his comrade uses a special attack.

Badge Points signify the amount of space Mario has for equipping badges.  Badges can increase Mario's max HP, heal him in battle, or give him a new attack move.  There are other ways that badges can help, if you can find them... 

The mushroom-shaped heads you see on the screen come from the same people you encountered in the Mushroom Kingdom.  They've come to watch you battle.  Goombas may also attend the fight.  Since your battles take place on a stage, Mario must do whatever he can to please his audience.  He'll be rewarded greatly for doing so with star points, which are needed to perform other special moves in Mario's arsenal.  Mario may also earn valuable items for appeasing his audience, or get whacked on the head by a sneaky enemy.  They attend the fights, too.

All attacks have two degrees of damage that can be dealt.  You decide the degree of damage by successfully (or unsuccessfully) hitting the attack button at the appropriate time.  Mario and Goombella can jump on their foes twice in a row; Koops can hit with a harder shell attack. 

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door lives up to its legacy.  The gameplay is unlike any RPG you've experienced on the console.  Graphically the game is one of the most unique-looking titles you will ever lay your eyes on.  The soundtrack has new, quirky tracks, and remixed classics from Mario's past. 

Gameplay: 9.2
Side-scrolling, Goomba-stomping, RPG adventuring.  Paper Mario isn't among the best GameCube RPGs; it is the best.  By writing a story that's funny, but not always happy, Nintendo has created an RPG that's suitable for all ages.

You won't shed tears over someone's emotional death, but you might shoot milk out of your nose at all the hilarious jokes.  The depressed Bob-omb is classic!  He's a bomb who lives alone...get it?  Subtle things like that, coupled with hilarious dialogue between characters and several interesting puzzles make this the best Mario game since Super Mario 64.

Graphics: 9.5
Based on originality alone, Paper Mario deserves a perfect 10.  The game unfolds like a storybook, changing scenes as if they were pages.  You won't believe your eyes.  But the smile that this game puts on your face – you'll definitely believe that.

Sound: 8
Original music mixed with remixes of Mario's past adventures.  The sound effects are very recognizable, as are the characters and scenarios.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Hardcore RPG players will probably laugh at the difficulty.  Paper Mario has some hard points, but with the exception of the puzzles it isn't a very challenging game.

Concept: 9.2
Brilliant.  If you came to me and said, "I want to make a new Mario game.  But instead of 3D gameplay I want 2D levels and turn-based battles.  And the graphics will look like a child's story book," I would have rolled my eyes and walked away.  Sometimes you have to play the final the game before the concept becomes interesting.

Overall: 9.2
A lot of great, must-play games are released each year, but Paper Mario is something special.  The mixture of action/adventure elements with RPG gameplay is only something that Nintendo would attempt.  Nintendo, the same developer that brought you Pikmin and Advance Wars.  With GameCube and the Game Boy Advance Nintendo has tried to create games the world has never experienced before.  Paper Mario is a prime example.