Video Game Review: Paper Mario (N64)

Paper thin plot with a colorful world

Mario is the mascot of one of the biggest, if not the biggest video game companies in the world: Nintendo. As such, Mario is not limited to simply appearing in games which involve platforming and has been used in many other genres. One of these games is Paper Mario, a role playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It uses a unique paper like art style, making everything look like a pop-out book.

The game revolves around Mario, who must once again save Princess Peach from King Bowser. However, Bowser has stolen the star rod, an item that grants him any wish he desires, which now makes him invincible (though not smarter). After receiving a can of good old whooping from Bowser, Mario sets out to retrieve all of the kidnapped star spirits so that they can help him defeat Bowser and restore peace to the kingdom. Along the way, he will gather many many sidekicks, all of which help in their own special way. These teammates include a goomba with a baseball cap, a tomboyish pink bomb-omb, a clumsy Para-trooper, a tsundere rich girl Boo, a baby electric spark(who also happens to be the strongest ally), a overly protective mother fish called Sushi and even a 90′s kid Lakkitu.

lolclumsy…okay, moving on!

The story isn’t anything new as it’s, quite literally, a “gather the items of magic whatever and save the princess” type deal. However, the characters more than make up for it by being colorful and full of life, which is what I have come to expect from most Mario games. May it be the hilariously incompetent enemies or simply the funny comments that some characters tend to have, you will definitely not find yourself hating any of them, even the ones you tend to ignore(I’m looking at you, Para-Clumsy).

The graphics, as stated above, are based around that of a pop-up book backed with backgrounds that look like paintings. The world you walk around in is made to react like paper and the idea is played with almost constantly. Bridges will be hidden in near impossible places and literally unfold before your eyes, objects will tilt over when pushed out of the way and items(as well as enemies) will be lying flat on some blocks until you break it.

It’s your fault for making a paper gate!

The combination of style and clever use of the rules the world provides makes for a unique style never before seen and adds to game’s charm. If anything, my only issue with the graphics is that it did seem to cause some slowdowns, though they only happened outside of battle and could be considered barely even noticeable at times. As far as the music for the game is concerned, it’s great as well, giving a new life to many Mario songs we’ve grown to love and easily recognize. I especially like the level up song, which is cheerful and up beat, as well as a good send back to Super Mario Bros 3.

Game play wise, I find myself undecided as to what I think of the game. Paper Mario implements an anti-grinding mechanic that involves reducing the amount of experience you gain instead of increasing the amount of experience needed to level up. While I honestly don’t mind this, it ended up getting on my nerves as it never gave me a feeling that I was progressing through levels and getting stronger. When you gain a level, you are allowed to increase one stat out of three( Health, Flower Power or Badge Points) but are never given any type of attack or defense increase. While badges that do increase your strength and defense are available, the lack of said stat increase makes you feel as though you aren’t getting any stronger.

At this point, mario does 2-4 damage with his hammer if his enemy has a defense of 0 while his enemies can do 2-3 damage each even if you block them. This is halfway through the game!

Yes, with more HP, you can take more damage, but it does little to the fact that you can only deal a max of 2 damage to most enemies for a good chunk of the game, not to mention that you will be most likely be taking damage no matter what, sometimes even when you block the attack. I will say that the game play made for more satisfying boss battles, though getting through the dungeon was a chore considering the fact that Mario is weaker than at least half of the enemies in the game, if not more. On a side note, the affectionately nicknamed ”Peach gear solid” parts where surprisingly fun. Maybe it was because I had recently played all of the main MGS games, but I found it fun to play as peach and try to avoid detection.

Overall, the game is great and a definite must play for anyone who has a N64 or a Wii. It’s charming and fun, even with it’s slightly frustrating mechanics. It’s also a good game for younger kids, as it’s relatively easy and the world is fun, colorful and full of life.

Final Verdict: 9/10

Pros:
+Great graphics and music add to the game’s charm
+Great characters that are full of life
+Fun for players of all ages
+”Peach Gear Solid” is quite fun.
Cons:
-Leveling up lacks a sense of growth due to the lack of Offense/Defense stats.
-Occasionally slows down in some areas(barely noticeable)

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