Video Game Series Review: Paper Mario

Possibly the most simplest and most child friendly series of RPGs ever made, Paper Mario is a great series of games. It shows how 2D and 3D can combine to create 2D characters and items in a 3D world. They are great, fun and often humorous games that are worth checking out. But what do I think of them? let's find out:

Paper Mario

First game in the series was also the last N64 game to have Mario in it. So Bowser has once again kidnapped Peach, but rather than take her and be done with it, he takes her entire castle as a party is going on. He also manages to acquire the star rod. A powerful object that allows one individual to become invincible and with the combined forces of his assistant, Kammy Koopa, Bowser makes short work of Mario and throws him out of the castle. Mario now ventures out to find the 7 star spirits that are said to allow one individual to wish for things, but with Bowser in control, that isn't possible. Mario of course isn't alone and gets the help of various companions that for the most part, resemble a lot of his enemies. The game is just your basic RPG with everything simplified for anyone who is new to RPGs. This includes basic strategies for bosses, very simple puzzles and so on. The game has you play the role of Mario for the most part, but at certain points in the game, cuts to Peach who allied with a star called Twink, does all she can to help Mario during the game. The game is overall great. It stays true to the franchise, keeps everything fresh, but is far too simple of an RPG. For me, I could finish it in just a day. It's a no brainier, but anyone new to this genre, should pick it up if they need to understand it. 8/10

The Thousand Year Door

Serving as a direct sequel to the last game, Mario is invited by Peach to go to Rougeport, a seaside town which is said to have buried treasure underneath it (but I think the name of the game, gives it away). Mario goes there, only to discover that Peach is yet again, kidnapped, but not by Bowser this time. Mario discovers the door and the only way to open it, is to find the 7 crystal stars scattered in Rougeport and it's surroundings, but like before, Mario gets assistance from companions that join him on his adventure. As Mario travels to find the Crystal Stars, Peach does all she can to help him, with the assistance of the computer TEC. Bowser also gets in on the action by attempting to find the Crystal Stars before Mario with the help of his army and Kammy Koopa. But what about Luigi? Well he gets his own adventure that is parallel to Marios' but isn't playable like the others. The game has many elements taken from the last game, with some improvements made. The visuals look stunning, 3D and 2D merge when battling enemies (the bosses in particular are great). The battles I feel, while having the same elements as before, are considered the best bit of the game, especially with audience participation throughout. It's a great game that gives us more stuff to play with than what the first game had, and it works well. Not sure if it will be released on Wii U as a Virtual Console title, but if you have an old Wii, you can buy and play this game on it. It's worth getting if you  want more Paper Mario like me. 9/10

Super Paper Mario

SPM is a completely different experience from before as it has more platforming elements than RPG ones. However, despite that, it throws in a lot of new stuff which I'll get to shortly. The game starts with Mario and Luigi venturing to Bowser's castle to once again, rescue the princess. However, an evil sorcerer captures and kidnaps Bowser, Peach and Luigi and sends them all to his castle through The Void. Mario awakens only to discover that he was abandoned and along with a butterfly called Tippi (who can talk), the 2 journey to Flipside, a world the is set in between dimensions and is on the brink of extinction, thanks to the ever growing Void. According to a legend in Flipside (as told by the reoccurring character, Merlon), the legend says that four heroes will come and find the eight pure hearts and stop the void as well as putting an end to the evil sorcerer's ways. But as the story progresses, there will be more to it. The game is more of a platforming game than before and takes away many of the elements from past games, and throws in some new ones. Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Peach are all playable and once the final world is completed, can be played without any fixed time in the game. The game has you go into each world and complete them as if they were stages. You do of course, get a hub world which you can visit to do side quests, buy stuff and other things as well. The game has many references to other video games and the plot is the funniest we've had in the series to date. Overall, while it's a different direction to take unlike before, it works well, the visuals are great, the plot is very funny and its a fresh and new experience for any platforming and RPG gamers like myself. 9/10

Sticker Star

Returning to the RPG format and being so far, the only portable title in the series, Mario once again has to rescue Peach from Bowser, when a sticker festival goes wrong. Allied with a sticker fairy called Kersti, Mario ventures out in the world to find the six royal stickers and stop Bowser from going insane with power with one of the stickers. The whole game has you travel across the world in a NSMB styled map to find stickers which can help in battles and in the stages themselves using the ability known as Papersize. There is limited space for the items and unlike before, once your out of stickers, you can't attack anymore. In addition to stickers, you will also come across "things" which resemble real life objects and can be used in the same way as stickers (but the things themselves will need to be stickers in order to be used). The game has a number of setbacks which include no partners, Mario is the only playable character, limited amount of actions in a fight, can only heal yourself in battles and using the hearts that are scattered in the stages and some enemies can be really annoying. However, despite those flaws, the game uses the 3D effect of the 3DS very well as expected, when a enemy attacks you using it's powers or weapons it doesn't start the battle off (like before) and the game is surprisingly easy and at times, predictable. Not the greatest in the series, but OK otherwise. 7/10

Overall, the games are just simple RPGs that do their very best to give you an idea of how the RPG genre works and are very fun to play. Still, it could've been better. 8/10