| |
REVIEWS - Paper Mario ::
 |
| Can't wait for next gen's Origami Mario... |
 |
| Game Info. |
Genre
RPG |
Publisher/Developer
Nintendo/Intelligent Systems |
|
Peripherals
Rumble Pak |
Release
2/01 |
Media
(none) |
Paper Mario
Another look at the pulp with a punch.
Reviewed by Sam - March 7th, 2001
Rewritten May 4th, 2002
RPGs for N64; there are none. So, to sum things up before I get started, get this game if you're an N64 and RPG fan. It will be your last chance. With that said, Paper Mario is a cool, inventive, and exciting game. Finally, Miyamoto builds upon the characters we've grown to love forever, bringing forth the age of his ideal "more mature" Mario. Ironically enough, this game has a lot of depth packed into such a flat game. ^_^ Get it? Cause it's made out of paper? Hahaha... [**no, Sam, now is not the time to hang yourself...**]
I'm excited to write this review, not only because I have some conflicting opinions with Alex's review, but also because it is clearly the dawn of a new era in video gaming; one with brighter, more exciting gameplay. I can't wait.
Gameplay
Nintendo took the soul of an RPG and fused it with the action-packed gameplay of games like Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island; in fewer words, it's incredible. There's so much to explain, it's hard to know where to begin. Just understand that there are a WHOLE lot of new and intense ways to play through the basic RPG mechanics. But frequently, in battle, these new strategies are just hard to follow. Even at the end of the game, it's still very tedious trying to get timed hits (an integral part of the game) just right. Maybe this was done on purpose, but even with enemies you will never fight more than once, they made timed hits very difficult.
But this is really only a tough spot on what else is pretty much an easy game. The impressive interface is so much more of a plus than the sometimes annoying challenges. In all, it turns out to be a fun, enthralling experience.
9/10
Graphics
This is where I tend to disagree with Alex's and other reviews on the internet. Looking at the big picture, the paper graphics are very cool and definately new. 2D characters in a 3D world has never been done (or if it has, done correctly), and it's nothing like 3D characters in a 2D world (like in Yoshi's Story), as you may have expected. All the neat ways they go about doing things with 2D bodies are FUN, but... the graphics suffer by getting super pixelly a whole lot of the time. I can't stand pixelly graphics on any system, and it's especially ugly on the N64. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who doesn't dig Mario in paper, but rough, edgy sprites are just gross, no matter what.
7/10
Sound
Music is great, and impressive at times. As with most Miyamoto games, every score is done with intense care. But sometimes it's hard to listen to the sound effects over and over again, despite their valiant efforts (you can collect certain "badges" that change certain sound effects a bit, but really the alternatives are even more irritating than the originals).
9/10
Replay Value
Progressing through the game can be a pain. At times there are bosses coming up that you just know you can't beat. Y'know, it's just best to force yourself to keep playing, and be sure that after the battle the game will reward you with some kind of fun Mario qwirkiness to make the experience worth while. Sugary Nintendo lovin'.
Repeat playing is enjoyable, as the game doesn't seem to last too long, but just long enough to feel complete. This is a major plus, since far too many RPGs just go on and on forever.
8/10
Overall
This game is very very fun. Bright, colorful, inventive, and consistently brimming with glee. It's like a glorious bright beacon for the future of gaming - yes, the Nintendo you love will soon return. I can't wait. Carefree RPG gameplay is really nice for a change. Maybe future FF games should lighten up a bit. I just can't see players enjoying this dark serious moody crap for too much longer.
FINAL SCORE: 9/10
=Amazing=
Send feedback to: sam@ngeb.net
|
|
 |
|
