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Super Paper Mario

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Super Paper Mario
Developer(s)Intelligent Systems
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)
  • Ryota Kawade Edit this on Wikidata
Producer(s)
  • Ryouichi Kitanishi Edit this on Wikidata
Programmer(s)
  • Tadao Nakayama Edit this on Wikidata
Composer(s)
  • Chika Sekigawa
  • Naoko Mitome Edit this on Wikidata
Platform(s)Wii
ReleaseNA April 9, 2007[1]
JPN April 19, 2007[2]
EUR TBA
AUS TBA
Genre(s)Platformer/RPG
Mode(s)Single player

Template:Nihongo title is a platform/role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems, a division of Nintendo. Originally developed for the Nintendo GameCube, it was released for the Wii on April 9 2007 in North America. It will be released in Japan on April 19 2007, but there has been no confirmed release date for Australia or Europe yet.

It is a combination of the previous Paper Mario titles and Super Mario Bros. titles. Unlike the RPG-style gameplay of previous Paper Mario games, the game combines platforming gameplay and RPG elements.[3]

Development

Super Paper Mario was created out of a desire to combine the familiar look of the Paper Mario series with a new style of gameplay.[4] Chief director Ryota Kawade was on a train thinking about ways to adapt a subgame from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door in which the player controls a large Bowser in a short side-scrolling stage; he noticed that the other end of the train looked like a stage in a Mario game and envisioned switching between two and three dimensions.[5] When producer Kensuke Tanabe was told about the idea, he decided to make the sequel an action-adventure game,[4] but retained some role-playing elements to establish the game in the Paper Mario franchise.[6] Kawade and Tanabe also felt that these elements, as well as the ability to switch between two and three dimensions, would make the game more accessible to players unaccustomed to action games.[7] The team played side-scrolling Mario titles for inspiration, envisioning how the levels would look in 3D.[6]

Super Paper Mario was announced by Nintendo on May 11 2006 at E3 for the Nintendo GameCube.[8] On May 30 2006, Nintendo set a release date of October 9 2006.[9] That summer, the game was "quietly moved" to the Wii.[10]

Storyline

Template:Spoiler

File:Superpapermariowedding.jpg
Count Bleck overlooks the wedding of Princess Peach and Bowser during the intro.

One day, the Mario Bros. are at home drinking coffee, when Luigi tells Mario that they should go and visit Princess Peach, since they have not seen her in a while. Toad suddenly appears, announcing that Princess Peach has been kidnapped again. Mario and Luigi quickly set off to Bowser's Castle. However, when they arrive, they find that Bowser is only getting ready to kidnap her, not aware that she had already disappeared. Count Bleck then appears, knocking Mario out and taking away everyone else.

Princess Peach wakes up to find herself at a wedding altar with Bowser. Count Bleck and his toady Nastasia had been plotting to force Peach to marry Bowser; a book called the Dark Prognosticus predicts that the marriage will open a dimensional rift that will engulf the universe. Nastasia casts a spell to force Peach to say "I do". When this happens, the Chaos Heart appears. Luigi, who was nearby, wakes up and realizes what's happening. He tries to stop Count Bleck, but he escapes with the Chaos Heart.

Meanwhile, Tippi, the informative Pixl, appears and wakes Mario up, explaining that she was sent to find him. Then, Mario is transported to the town of Flipside, where he meets Merlon, who tells him that the Light Prognosticus states that a hero matching Mario's description can close the rift. To accomplish this, Mario must find the eight items called Pure Hearts; the first of which is given to him by Merlon. Mario travels through 8 chapters collecting pure hearts, whilst the void grows larger.

Count Bleck wants to destroy every world because he was angry for something that happened long ago. Count Bleck was once Blumiere, and his dear Timpani was taken away from him. Blumiere was so angry that he opened the dark prognisticus, wanting to destroy everything that took her away form him. His soul was consumed by the book and turned him into Count Bleck.Count Bleck used his new powers to detroy his own world out of thirst for revenge. The people sent Timpani to another dimension, and her body was clearly not able to withstand the process. Merlon found her hurt, so he had no choice but to turn her into a pixl. At the end of the game, Count Bleck realizes all the suffering he caused everyone and realizs the only way to stop the chaos heart and the void was to show it true love, so he approaches the heart with Timpani and they both say their feelings. The void closes and Timpani and Blumiere dissappear, but it is known that she is happy with blumiere.

In chapter 8, when count bleck is defeated, Dimentio appears and tells the group his plans. He hypnotizes Luigi and merges with the him and the chaos heart. Dimentio wanted to build a new world after all of the others were destroyed, whilst Count Bleck just planned on destroying them. This set Dimentio on fire with rage, and turned on him.

Gameplay

Unlike previous Paper Mario games, there is no turn-based fighting in Super Paper Mario; the game is predominately a side-scrolling platformer. Some RPG elements have been added; for example, the traditional scoring system doubles as an experience point system.[11] After jumping on an enemy, the player can shake the controller for extra points. Characters are controlled by holding the Wii Remote sideways like a NES controller.[12] The game is also confirmed to have two Pits of 100 Trials (One in Flipside and One in Flopside), similar to the one found in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but without the turn-based play. There is a third area that has a similar concept, located in Chapter 6. It is only available when the player beats the game.

While the concept of a "paper" Mario (existing in only 2 dimensions) still continues through the game, a frequently used power obtained early in the game allows Mario to flip into three dimensions at nearly any point in the game. When this occurs, the current 2D level is rotated to become a 3D; obstacles that may have blocked progress in 2D can simply be walked around in 3D, or hidden blocks or enemies may become visible. There are also numerous secrets to the 3D version of the level, however, Mario can only spend a short amount of time in this form before taking damage.

File:SPM 3D.jpg
Beta version of underground area from Chapter 3-1, both normal, and 3-D.

Power-ups

The E3 trailer showcased new abilities and power-ups, including a space helmet: Mario is seen floating in mid-air, shooting enemies with a ray gun, and running sideways down a wall. Alluding to Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros., one power up in the game causes the player to grow to epic proportions and resembles an 8-bit, sprite-like form from previous games. Newer videos and information reveal more items available in the game, some of which have appeared in preceding Paper Mario games. Badges are confirmed to not appear, but badge-like items called Catch Cards are available. Additionally, there are two hidden items in the game which act like badges, permanently increasing attack power or HP. The player can collect up to 256 catch cards referring to the enemies in the game, which increase attack power toward the enemies in question. For example if the player has the Koopa Card, he will be able to double his damage on all Koopas in the game. There are also recipe cards, 96 in all. Also, maps can be bought and treasures and be found throughout all the realms. Also, there are creatures that follow Mario around called "Pixls" that give him abilities, similar to the partners from earlier Paper Mario games. Other in game power ups include mushrooms that restore health, flowers that slow or speed up time, and a power up that creates small, eight bit versions of the character to follow the player and attack enemies. [13]

Chapters

Super Paper Mario is divided into eight chapters. Each chapter contains four sub-chapters. Flipside is the hub of the game, much like Toad Town in Paper Mario and Rogueport in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The town consists on several elevators and a large tower. Chapters 1-7 can be accessed in Flipside Tower, while Chapter 8 is available only in Flopside Tower. At the start of the game, the player is given an escape pipe. They can use this to return to Flipside Tower at any time.

Chapter 6 only has 2 areas in the main storyline, but the player can play all four as a sidequest.

Main Characters

There are four playable characters and each of them have different traits and a character-specific ability.[14] The player only controls one character but can switch between them at any time through the in-game menus.

  • Mario: His ability allows the player to view the two-dimensional world from the side, along a third dimension. This allows Mario to bypass obstacles that appear impassable when viewed in two dimensions. Staying in this mode causes Mario to gradually lose power from his ability meter, and then eventually health, at the same time restoring his power gauge.[11]
  • Peach: Her ability is using a parasol to float long distances and also ducking under her parasol for protection, somewhat similar to her gameplay in Super Princess Peach. The player can start using her in Chapter 2.
  • Bowser: His ability is to breathe fire, dealing more damage than a normal attack. When he jumps on an enemy, it also does double damage. His gameplay is nearly identical to his gameplay during Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The player can start using him in Chapter 3.
  • Luigi: He is able to jump a bit higher than the other characters, and can super jump by holding down, than releasing down on the D-pad. This allows him to reach high ledges and attack enemies above him, and is similar to Mario's Spring Jump in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The player fights him as Mr. L in Chapter 4-4 and again in Chapter 6-1 and 8-4. The player can start using him in Chapter 7.

Main Villains

  • Count Bleck: The main villain of the game, he wishes to obliterate all worlds with the help of the Dark Prognosticus by fulfilling its prophecy. Refers to himself in the third person.
  • Nastasia: More officious then evil, she stands loyally by Count Bleck's side as his secretary. Seems to have skill at hypnotical magic. She also when not alone with Count Bleck speaks in the manner of, and using many quotes from Bill Lumbergh, of the movie Office Space.
  • Dimentio: A sinister court jester who serves Count Bleck. Dimentio's name comes from the words "dimentia", referring to his twisted personality, and "dimension", because he has the power to control various dimensions. He created his own miniature world called Dimension D, and works behind the scenes over the course of the game to ensure Count Bleck's defeat, so he can obtain the Chaos Heart. Dimentio uses the Chaos Heart to merge with Luigi, becoming Super Dimensio, a gigantic clown monster. He is killed by Mario and his friends later, freeing Luigi and the Chaos Heart. Dimentio has a unique manner of speech. He creats various long-winded similes with his sentences and, when departing, often says "Ciao!"
  • O'Chunks: A man with lots of brawn but little to no brains thats totally dedicated to Bleck. He speaks with a Scottish accent.
  • Mimi: Shapeshifting young girl that uses her doppelganger powers to get close to her enemies and attack when least expected. Has an affinity for Rubees and changes outfits often.

Main Bosses

  • Fracktail: The boss of chapter 1, this robotic dragon was turned evil by Dimentio, forcing him to fight.
  • Mimi: The little shapeshifter shows her true form in chapter 2, where she chased the player through rooms in the basement. See above for more info.
  • Francis: The geeky lizard boss of chapter 3, he held Tippi prisioner untill Mario and co. defeated him.
  • Mr. L / Brobot: The hypnotized Luigi attacks Mario in chapter 4 in the Woah Zone. The Brobot battle had Mario floating through space shooting at him with Squirps.
  • Floro Sapien king: The flower king of chapter 5 was driven crazy by the polluted water, and started attacking the crag villagers.
  • Brobot: The Brobot makes a return in chapter 6, with legs.
  • Bone Chill: This mysterious dragon appears as the boss of chapter 7. The dragon was killed by freezing to death, and his remains escapes from the underwhere
  • Count Bleck: This showdown took place at the end of chapter 8, where mario was forced to face him alone, with no avail. Peach, Bowser and Luigi appear to help mario, breaking Count Bleck's barrier. See above for more info.
  • Super Dimentio: The final boss appeared after defeating Count Bleck. This beast is a mix of Luigi, Dimentio, and the Chaos Heart. The true final battle.

Pixls

There are various creatures known as Pixls that the player could use to peform special abilities; beyond Tippi, only one other Pixl can be used at any time though the player may switch freely between them through in-game menus.

  • Tippi allows the player to point the Wii Remote at the screen like a spotlight. This spotlight can give more information about enemies, allies, items, and surroundings, and reveal hidden objects.[15] Unlike the other Pixls, Tippi does not need to "switch out", rather, she is always present alongside the current party member and another Pixl.
  • Thoreau gives the power to pick up and throw enemies and can be interchanged with other Pixls. This can be compared to the koopa partners' abilities in past games to get items.
  • Boomer can be placed like a bomb that leaves behind pixelated fire and dust. He blows up everything in his path. This is identical to the bomb partners in past Paper Mario games
  • Slim allows the character to turn sideways and become paper thin, making it possible to slip between bars or other narrow places. Also if the player stands still they turn invisible. This power is identical to the one in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
  • Thudley enables a powerful ground-pound, which is useful for activating certain triggers.[16]
  • Carrie acts as a floating platform that can carry the player across certain hazards and also protects the character from jumping on spiked enemies. This is quite similar to Lakilester's ability from the original Paper Mario game.[15]
  • Fleep exacts a frame around patches of space, revealing hidden items or switches.
  • Cudge allows the character to use a hammer similar to the past Paper Mario games.[17]
  • Dottie shrinks the character to a smaller size to fit through passageways and visit the Itty-Bitty Food shops.[18]
  • Barry is an optional Pixl. He protects the character using a shield and attacks enemies that touch it.[19]
  • Piccolo can play music from any of the realms. She is optional, but will help the player take down a certain boss. She is also used to dissolve certain blocks in order to gain Mario a special or rare item, and can be used to remove curses.
  • Dashell is the third optional Pixl. He will make Mario run a little over twice his normal speed. This could be considered a dash as it uses the same button as in the Virtual Console Super Mario Bros.
File:Spmgiantmario.jpg
Super Paper Mario alludes to Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. by giving each character a giant, 8-bit, sprite-like form
  • Tiptron is a robotic version of Tippi. Tiptron becomes available for purchase for 999 coins at Fort Francis in the end of the game, when Tippi leaves the party forever. Note that Tiptron is technically a robot, not a Pixl in its own right.

Easter Eggs

Super Paper Mario contains numerous Nintendo in-jokes, including the following:

  • In the scene where O'Chunks, Dimentio, and Mimi are introduced, Mimi turns into Bowser and says, "Hey! Dimentio! Have you been reading my diary? I mean... Umm... Never mind." This is a reference to the fact that Bowser keeps a diary in the original Paper Mario.
  • Just before fighting the boss of Chapter 1, Fracktail, his eye "searches his databanks" and turns into the Wii Shop Channel "loading" icon.
  • When going berserk, Fracktail says "I AM ERROR", a reference to a line from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the NES. He also says several references to standard computer phrases, such as "please insert disc" and "CTRL ALT DEL", among others.
  • When the player finally defeats Fracktail, he dies similar to Volvagia, also a dragon boss from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
  • The super nerd chameleon, Francis, frequently talks about a TV show involving Grodus and the X-Nauts from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
  • In Fort Francis, in the room with the code 2828, the player can find "action figures" for the Yoshi in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The color in the game varied, so Francis collected the whole set of colors. There is also a poster of Bow from the original Paper Mario, and a poster of Petuni, the young female Puni from The Thousand-Year Door, and there are also plush dolls of Vivian and Pennington from the same game.
  • Also in Francis' private room, above his computer is a Virtual Boy, a NES, a SNES, a GameCube, and a Nintendo 64 sitting on the shelf. Also, flipping into 3-D reveals a Wii next to the monitor. Among the items on his to-buy list in the same room is a Survival Horror Dating Sim titled Larry Koopa: Zombie Heartbreaker.
  • Sections of a number of different levels bear close resemblance to a number of classic Super Mario Bros. levels, such as World 1-1, 1-2, and 2-1.
  • Rubees as currency may be a reference to the currency Rupees from Zelda games.
  • During Luigi's attempted escape, the Goombas who he is escaping with call him the great Luigi, referring to the adventure Luigi supposedly had during Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
  • To talk to Peach, Francis goes into a dating sim parody.
  • When talking to Peach, Francis offers her a poster of a character called "Pink Princess". This is probably a reference to the TV show character in the Nintendo DS game "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney"
  • In the "The Underwhere", an inhabitant refers to the area as "also known as World -1", a reference to the "Minus World" glitch in the original Super Mario Bros.
  • In 7-2, when talking to Dorguy the Second, he plays a few mini-games with the player. After it is finished he then says that the player has a very young brain, in reference to Brain Age.
  • In 7-2, the Dorguy the Third battle is against the Underchomp and is set up like a Dragon Quest-type RPG.
  • A machine that is used to store recipes looks exactly like a Nintendo DS Lite.
  • In the optional side quest for the Pixl Piccolo, a "Training Machine," which is part of the quest, looks like a Nintendo DS. The "training" is said to be for the brain, and is a reference to Brain Age.
  • Mario's party members from the previous Paper Mario games are depicted on Catch Cards 241 through 255, available in either the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials or the Duel of 100 (revisit Chapter 6 after beating the game).
  • In Francis' castle. The room with the code 2828 on one of Francis' lists he wants to buy a Tanooki Suit with "real tanooki fur"
  • When Mimi is being chased by the Gnaw, it is a reference to Tutankoopa being chased by a Chain Chomp in Paper Mario.

Template:Endspoiler

Reception

A few magazines and websites have rated this game so far.

Generally, the reviews of Super Paper Mario have been highly positive, ranging from 8 to 10. The primary recurring complaints are the lack of a run button which detracts from the "old-school" platforming feel, the 3d backgrounds being very bland, and the excessive amount of dialog between characters, especially at the beginning introduction of the game.

References

  1. ^ "Super Paper Mario". Nintendo.
  2. ^ Patrick Klepek (February 21, 2007). "Nintendo Japan Outlines 2007 DS, Wii Schedule". 1UP.
  3. ^ "Super Paper Mario release notes". Joystiq. Retrieved 2006-05-19.
  4. ^ a b Williams, p. 76.
  5. ^ Williams, p. 78.
  6. ^ a b Williams, p. 77.
  7. ^ Williams, pp. 76-77.
  8. ^ JKR (2006-05-11). "E3 2006: Super Paper Mario". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Harris, Craig (2006-05-30). "Nintendo's Latest Line-up". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Hatfield, Daemon (2007-01-22). "Paper Mario Unfolding in April?". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b Thomason, p. 46.
  12. ^ Thomason, p. 45.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chapter 1 preview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "E3 Preview: Super Paper Mario Impressions". N-sider. Retrieved 2006-05-20.
  15. ^ a b Thomason, p. 47.
  16. ^ [1]
  17. ^ [2]
  18. ^ [3]
  19. ^ [4]
  20. ^ Game Informer – Super Paper Mario
  21. ^ Shane Bettenhausen, Andrew Pfister, Bryan Inithar (May 2007). "Super Paper Mario review". Electronic Gaming Monthly (215): 76–78.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ http://wii.ign.com/articles/778/778606p1.html
  23. ^ Cole, Michael. "Super Paper Mario review". Retrieved 2007-04-08.
  24. ^ http://www.cheatcc.com/wii/rev/superpapermarioreview.html
  25. ^ Schreier, Jason. "Super Paper Mario - Staff Review". RPGamer. Retrieved 2007-04-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ GameSpot – Super Paper Mario for Wii review
  • Thomason, Steve (April 2007), "A Matter of Perspective", Nintendo Power, vol. 214, pp. 44–48, ISSN: 1041-9551
  • Williams, Drew (May 2007), "Super Paper Mario: The Interview", Nintendo Power, vol. 215, pp. 76–78, ISSN: 1041-9551
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