Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario | |
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Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Director(s) | |
Producer(s) | |
Programmer(s) | |
Composer(s) | |
Platform(s) | Wii |
Release | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
Genre(s) | Platform/RPG |
Mode(s) | Single player |
Super Paper Mario (スーパーペーパーマリオ, Sūpā Pēpā Mario) 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. 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, RPG, and puzzle elements.[5] It is the third game in the Paper Mario series.
Gameplay
The player controls the characters by holding the Wii Remote sideways like an NES controller.[6] With the Tippi or Tiptron Pixl, the player can also point to the screen with the remote to identify features on the screen as well as hidden objects.
Super Paper Mario, like other Paper Mario games, borrows both RPG and platforming elements in its gameplay. A main hub city called "Flipside" provides a location for Mario and his party to talk to residents, shop, and rest, as well as to open doorways to other worlds. There also exists a mirror version of Flipside called "Flopside" that becomes available in the last half of the game with improved items and shops. Unlike previous Paper Mario games, there is no turn-based fighting; instead the player faces foes directly on screen as in a usual Mario platforming game, and through experience gains and special items, the amount of damage dealt can be increased; the player also must watch the party's health taken as damage from foes, though this can be restored with special health items. The traditional scoring system used in most platforming games doubles as an experience point system.[7] After jumping on an enemy, the player can shake the controller for extra points. The player can also collect Catch Cards for all the major characters and enemies; possessing an enemy card will double damage dealt for that enemy.
While the concept of a "paper" Mario (existing in only two dimensions) still continues through the game, a frequently used power obtained early in the game allows the player to "flip" Mario into the third dimension at nearly any point in the game. When this occurs, the current 2D level is rotated to become 3D in a third-person view; 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. The game takes account for players fliping into 3D into midair (where there was a solid platform for them to be on in 2D Mode) by alowing the player to make a single jump in an attempt to hit solid ground. In the game, this is represented by Mario flaping his arms about franticly and a speech ballon with the graphic for the "2" button presented above Mario's head. Generally, Mario can only spend a short amount of time in this 3D form before taking damage (normaly 1 hp per time Mario exhausts his 3d mode gauge, the guage refills instantly when exhausted and gradualy whilst he is in 2D mode), though some side-quests eliminate this penalty.
Mario and his party also gain powers through creatures called "Pixls" within the game. These give the current character an additional ability such as turning sideways to slip through cracks, hammering down large blocks, or planting bombs to defeat foes. In addition to Mario, the player will eventually control three other characters: Princess Peach, Luigi, and Bowser. Both the current character and Pixl can be switched out at any time during the game. Note that there are times when certain characters and Pixls are not available due to separation.
There are total of 8 chapters in the game, all split into 4 sections, with the second and final level culminating in a boss fight. For all but the last chapter, the goal is to collect a "Pure Heart" which is then used somewhere in Flipside or Flopside to unlock the door to the next chapter. Save points are located strategically throughout Flipside and through and between sections; if the character's health points drop to 0, the player must restart at the last save point, though the player can escape to Flipside at nearly any point in the game, at the cost of having to restart the entire unfinished chapter when they return. The player can, however, return to any section of a finished chapter.
Additional side quests also can be performed once the player can access these areas through the use of the Pixls and new characters.
Plot
In light of a recent kidnapping of Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi head to King Bowser's castle to retrieve her, only to find that Bowser wasn't responsible for it. It is then realized that the true kidnapper is Count Bleck, a dastardly earl who wields an ancient, prophetical tome called the Dark Prognosticus. In addition to Princess Peach, he kidnaps Luigi and Bowser, along with all of Bowser's army. The evil count then forces the marriage of Princess Peach to Bowser in order to, which as the Dark Prognosticus foretells, unleash an unholy object called the Chaos Heart. Count Bleck uses the Chaos Heart to open an interdimensional rift known as "The Void", which will eventually grow large enough to engulf the entire universe.
Mario then meets a Pixl, a type of fairy, named Tippi who comes in search of Mario for he matches the hero, described in another occult book called the Light Prognosticus, who is able to halt the impeding doom of The Void. In order to banish the Chaos Heart and reverse the destruction, the hero requires the eight Pure Hearts, artifacts created from genuine love. Mario then sets out on his quest with Tippi at his side to gather the Pure Hearts, team up with Peach, Luigi, and even Bowser, and stop Count Bleck and his minions from obliterating all existence.
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.[8] 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.[9] When producer Kensuke Tanabe was told about the idea, he decided to make the sequel an action-adventure game,[8] but retained some role-playing elements to establish the game in the Paper Mario franchise.[10] 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.[11] The team played side-scrolling Mario titles for inspiration, envisioning how the levels would look in 3D.[10]
Super Paper Mario was announced by Nintendo on May 11 2006 at E3 for the Nintendo GameCube.[12] On May 30 2006, Nintendo set a release date of October 9 2006.[13] That summer, the game was "quietly moved" to the Wii.[14]
PAL copies of the game contain a glitch if the language is set to UK English, German, or Spanish. In Chapter 2-2, after Mario finds a key, the game will freeze if Mario speaks to the character Mimi without first picking up the key. Nintendo of Europe is replacing the game disc for no charge with a version that does not contain the glitch.[15]
Reception
Publication | Score | |
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Edge | 7 out of 10[16] | |
VG Resource Center | 9 out of 10[17] | |
GameSpot | 8.8/10[18] | |
IGN | 8.9/10[19] | |
RPGamer | 5/5[20] | |
Nintendo World Report | 9/10[21] | |
Nintendo Power | 9.5 out of 10[22] | |
Game Informer | 9.5/10[23] | |
Offical Nintendo Magazine | 81%[24] | |
GameCentral | 8/10 | |
Review compilations | ||
Game Rankings | 86% (based on 54 reviews)[25] | |
GameStats | 8.6 out of 10 (based on 47 reviews)[26] |
Reviews for Super Paper Mario were generally very positive. As of July 28 2007, the game has sold 1.25 million copies.[27]
Issues
An issue has been reported in the European (PAL) version of the game that causes the Wii to crash. The bug which occurs at the start of chapter 2-2, when you speak to Mimi for a second time, cause the console to crash and requires the user to reboot the console. Nintendo of Europe have accepted that there is a bug in the software and have said that they will replace any game with the glitch for one without and have also provided a way of avoiding it so you can contine with the game. The following is a list of instructions on how to avoid the problem:
At the start of Chapter 2-2, you will come across a character called Mimi. She will tell you to go to the farthest room on the first floor to meet a character called Merlee.
Enter that room and press the green switch. A trap will be triggered, and a spiked ceiling will descend upon Mario. Before the ceiling reaches him, flip into 3D and jump on it to find a key.
If you pick up the key, you won't run into any problems. Use it to open the locked door to Mimi's right. However, if you talk to Mimi without picking up the key, the game will freeze. You will then have to turn off your Wii console and start again from your last save point.
References
- ^ "Super Paper Mario". Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick (2007-02-21). "Nintendo Japan Outlines 2007 DS, Wii Schedule". 1UP. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
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(help) - ^ "Summer Loving from Nintendo". Nintendo of Europe. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- ^ http://games.nintendo.com.au/title.php?id=1146 Nintendo Australia's official Super Paper Mario page
- ^ "Super Paper Mario release notes". Joystiq. Retrieved 2006-05-19.
- ^ Thomason, p. 45.
- ^ Thomason, p. 46.
- ^ a b Williams, p. 76.
- ^ Williams, p. 78.
- ^ a b Williams, p. 77.
- ^ Williams, pp. 76–77.
- ^ JKR (2006-05-11). "E3 2006: Super Paper Mario". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
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(help) - ^ Harris, Craig (2006-05-30). "Nintendo's Latest Line-up". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
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(help) - ^ Hatfield, Daemon (2007-01-22). "Paper Mario Unfolding in April?". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
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(help) - ^ "Super Paper Mario announcement". Nintendo. 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
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(help) - ^ "Super Paper Mario review", Edge, vol. 176, pp. 84–85, June 2007.
- ^ Schwarz, Eric. "Super Paper Mario review". VGRC. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ Torres, Ricardo (2007-04-09). "Super Paper Mario for Wii Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
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(help) - ^ Casamassina, Matt (2007-04-05). "Super Paper Mario Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
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(help) - ^ Schreier, Jason. "Super Paper Mario - Staff Review". RPGamer. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ Cole, Michael. "Super Paper Mario review". Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ "Reviews: What's Playing Now", Nintendo Power, vol. 216, p. 100.
- ^ Vore, Bryan. "Super Paper Mario review". Game Informer. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
- ^ "Review: Super Paper Mario". Official Nintendo Magazine. 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
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(help) - ^ "Super Paper Mario Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ "Super Paper Mario Reviews". GameStats. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ Riley, Adam (2007-07-28). "Nintendo Wii News". Cubed³. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
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(help); Text "Super Paper Mario Hits 1.25 Million!" ignored (help)
- 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