Under The Knife: Super Paper Mario Review (Wii)

A Review by FBIRobby
(who knew Dr. Light liked this kind of game?)

You know, paper isn’t really a new invention (/captain obvious). We’ve used it since the Chinese; a jot down to remember something, an essay for school, spitballs. All these things. But I don’t think a video game used the idea until 2001, and of course, the Chinese didn’t make the paper this time. 6 years later, they made Super Paper Mario, and boy is it super. Just, well, not as super as the original (definitely arguable. PM me, and i’ll be happy to make you cry). However, Super Paper Mario still gives one of the best experiences on the Wii with its unique way of pulling you in.

The story is actually relatively good. Well actually, its more the writing than the story itself. The story consists of a guy named Count Bleck, who is the actual antagonist for once. Can you believe it’s not Bowser?! O_O Anyways, him and his minions are trying to completely obliterate the world and create it for the “better.” Mario needs to gather the eight Pure Hearts (always eight–come ON, Nintendo) and then totally kick Bleck’s Big Butt. The writing is very, very good. Some conversations are very lengthy, and you might notice it if you’re impatient, but it’s still very enjoyable to read. The yelling is also shown in the writing, as well as whispering and the like by how the font moves, or the size of it.

The levels in the game are still very Mario-Esque. They each have their own theme to them, and all of them are about four “chapters” long. They do have their own feel to them, to be fair, and they all have quite unique puzzles that’ll mess with your mind every once in a while. The game can get difficult, but it’s still considered extremely easy. However, it’s lengthy: about twenty hours total.

Mario has partners throughout the game, known as Pixls, and they will lend you an ability of theirs to make your life easier. You get a Pixl in every level, so the Pixl can be somewhat themed to the level. You can switch the Pixls out at any time. Oh, and you can also play not only as Mario, but as Bowser and Peach too! They’re also very unique characters.

If there’s one thing that stands out, its the gameplay. Instead of it being an amazing RPG like Paper Mario or Paper Mario: TTYD or Super Mario RPG: LOTSS or any of the other GBA/DS games like this, they made it a platformer. Don’t cry yet, guys, because it’s not necessarily a bad decision the big N made. You get to jump on your enemies, which causes damage. You can find cards that double your power towards that one character. You also level up at a consistent rate–the more Goombas you kill, the faster you’ll level up! Did I mention you get to go into 3D?!?!?! Yes, that’s right. You go 3D. When you do, you’re able to solve puzzles, kill hidden bad guys, and find other little goodies! The camera, surprisingly, manages to maintain itself the whole way through.

You control the game NES-style! You have the controller turned on it’s side, and you move mario around that way. When you want to spot something on the screen, you point the Wiimote at the thing you want to know about. It’s a cool little thing, but it’s gimmicky sometimes.

The audio is alright. This is one of the things I kind of felt they slacked off on. It does slightly detract from the game, but it’s not something I’m gonna cry over.

The graphics are good, but it’s more the execution of them than the actual graphical power itself. When you go into a level, everything is quickly drawn up before Mario comes into the scene. Speaking of the characters, they still look somewhat similar to their N64 counterparts–they just look more colored up, for lack of a better term.

Overall, the game is great, but it’s not comparable to a game like Mario Galaxy. Not because it’s not nearly as good, but because it feels like you’re trying to compare apples and oranges. This game deserves it’s own category, and I say, if you haven’t tried it, it’s worth a buy. Go for it.

Overall, it’s a 9 out of 10.

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