Paper Mario

Paper Mario
North American box art
Developer(s)	Intelligent Systems
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Composer(s)	Yuka Tsujiyoko
Series	Paper Mario
Native resolution	480i
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64 iQue Player Virtual Console
Release date(s)	JP August 11, 2000 NA February 5, 2001 PAL October 5, 2000 Virtual Console JP July 10, 2007 PAL July 13, 2007 NA July 16, 2007
Genre(s)	Console role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 3+ ESRB: E OFLC: G PEGI: 3+ (Wii)
Media	320 Mbit (40 MB) N64 cartridge
Input methods	Nintendo 64 controller Nintendo GameCube controller, Classic controller (Wii)

Paper Mario, known in Japan as Mario Story (マリオストーリー^?), is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in Europe on October 5, 2000, and in North America on February 5, 2001. Paper Mario was re-released for Nintendo's Virtual Console in 2007.

Paper Mario is set in the Mushroom Kingdom as the protagonist Mario tries to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. To do so, he must locate seven "Star Spirits" to negate the effects of the captured Star Rod, which grants invincibility to Bowser. The player controls Mario and a number of partners to solve puzzles in the game's overworld and defeat enemies in a turn-based battle system. The battles are unique in that the player can influence the effectiveness of attacks by performing required controller inputs known as "action commands."

Paper Mario is the first installment for the Paper Mario series and is the predecessor to the GameCube game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and the Wii game Super Paper Mario. The game received a positive reaction from the media, attaining an aggregate score of 88% from Game Rankings and 93% from Metacritic.^[1][2] It was rated the 63rd best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's "Top 200 Games" list in 2006.^[3]

Gameplay

The game's visuals feature two-dimensional character cut-out designs contained within three-dimensional backgrounds.

Paper Mario combines traditional role-playing game (RPG) elements with concepts and features from the Mario series.^[4][5] The player controls Mario for the majority of the game, who can jump and use his hammer to overcome physical obstacles placed in the game's overworld. Many of the game's puzzles and boundaries are based upon the abilities of Mario's partners, who each have a specialised skill required for progression in the game.^[6] The player accumulates partners as they advance into different locations; only one partner can accompany Mario in the overworld, although the player can interchange between them at any time. These characters also assist Mario in the game's turn-based battles, where damage inflicted against them results in temporary paralysis as the characters do not have individual HP statistics.^[7] Attacks in the game are similar to those in traditional RPGs, although the player can influence the power of a move when attacking or defending by timing a button-press accurately or performing some other action command as required.^[8] Mario and his partners have a finite capacity to perform special moves, with each of these consuming a particular number of flower points (FP) when performed. Such statistics can be increased by earning Star Points (experience points) in combat to level up.^[5] There is also an on-screen gauge to display Star Energy, which is required to perform another type of move that accumulate in number as the player advances through the game. The player can locate hidden battle upgrades in the game's overworld, which promotes one partner character to a new rank at a time.^[7]

Progression through Paper Mario depends upon interaction with the game's non-player characters (NPCs), who will often offer clues or detail the next event in the storyline. As in other RPG games, the player can find or purchase items from NPCs to help in and outside of combat.^[5] Badges can also be obtained that yield bonuses ranging from added moves to gradual health restoration during combat; each consumes a set number of Badge Points (BP), meaning Mario can only equip a limited number of badges at a time.^[8] Princess Peach is playable at particular points in the game as a recurring side quest.^[5] The objectives and actions of each transition to Peach vary, although most are stealth-based.

Plot and setting

Bowser's castle with Princess Peach's castle perched atop it

The game is set in Mushroom Kingdom, beginning as Mario and Luigi are relaxing in their house when suddenly the mail Koopa arrives with a letter. Mario sends Luigi to fetch the mail, which turns out to be an invitation from Peach to a party. Mario and Luigi then head to the castle, and as Mario is about to have some quiet time with Peach, Bowser appears. After Bowser's invasion and victory over Mario, the Castle becomes attached to Bowser's Fortress, which serves as the location for playable side quests of the kidnapped Peach. In the main quest, Mario tries to retrieve all of the Star Spirits on land,^[8] where most of the locations are linked to the central Toad Town, which acts as the game's hub area. The story's main conflict arises when Bowser invades Star Haven, the residence for the seven Star Spirits, and steals the Star Rod.

Story and characters

The game's story centres on Mario as he tries to reclaim the seven Star Spirits, who have been incarcerated in playing cards by Bowser and Kammy Koopa.^[7] Their combined power is required to negate the effects of the Star Rod, which makes Bowser invincible. Once Mario rescues all of them, he uses their assistance to defeat Bowser and rescue Peach. In the middle of the story, Luigi sneaks into the scene, complaining that Bowser has stolen his father's ruby. You are given this mission in Chapter 2 of the game. The story is presented in the context of a novel, with each adventure involving the rescue of a Star Spirit denoted as a single chapter. Peach is playable between chapters, where she allies with a star named Twink in the castle to relay vital information to Mario regarding his quest.^[5] During the final boss scene, Peach gives Twink a wish to defeat Bowser's assistant, Kammy Koopa.

Mario allies with eight partners in total, each of whom represents a different type of enemy from the Mario series. There is Goombario the Goomba; Kooper the Koopa; Bombette the Bob-omb; Parakarry the Paratroopa; Lady Bow the Boo; Watt the L'il Sparky; Sushie the Cheep-Cheep, and Lakilester the Lakitu. Near the end of the game, Mario recounts his tale to Luigi, who had remained at home while Mario went on the adventure.

Development

Paper Mario was developed by Intelligent Systems. The directors were Toshitaka Muramatsu, Takahiro Ohgi, and Hironobu Suzuki. Kumiko Takeda and Kaori Aoki wrote the game's script and Naohiko Aoyama was the art director responsible for the game's distinctive graphical style.^[9] The game was initially called Super Mario RPG 2, and was first revealed at Nintendo Space World '97, a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo. Critics compared the game's 2D character style to PaRappa the Rapper. Shigeru Miyamoto, who consulted on the project, stated that the game was being developed with beginning and amateur gamers in mind.^[10] He had earlier revealed at E3 that around twenty developers were actively involved with the project.^[11] Paper Mario was re-released on the Virtual Console in 2007;^[12] the game was also released for the iQue Player.^[13] Yuka Tsujiyoko composed the game's musical score.^[14]

Reception

Paper Mario received a positive reaction from the media. IGN's Matt Casamassina praised the game's accessibility, commenting that "it serves as the perfect introductory game to any person hoping to explore the genre".^[8] Despite this, other reviewers complained about the "brain-dead easy" puzzles and bosses requiring "basic strategy at best".^[6] The game's nostalgic value was lauded, with reviewers noting the sense of familiarity with the Mario series present in the game's settings and characters.^[5][8] The game has often been compared to the previous Mario RPG title, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell judged that "Paper Mario is a vastly superior game to SMRPG",^[4] while IGN compared the game's simple plot unfavourably with the SNES game and RPGFan claimed that some of Paper Mario's story was copied from it.^[8] RPGFan also questioned the name of Paper Mario, as there were, in their opinion, insufficient gameplay features or aspects which used the paper theme to justify the name.^[7]

Critics lauded the game's blend of RPG and platforming aspects.^[4][5] GameSpot noted the "exciting and somewhat strategic" battle system, which requires the player exploit the enemies' weak points.^[5] The "refreshing" action command features was praised in particular for adding originality to a battle formula that was present in many games of the same genre.^[8] Despite this, enemy design itself was bemoaned for being "corny and generic", with notable exceptions to some of the Paper Mario's original boss characters.^[7] Eurogamer noted how "Of the various characters you meet, none is of less import than any other", welcoming the partner characters and their relating puzzles.^[4] GameSpot praised the game's use of humour and side quests, with references to the control of Peach in particular.^[5]

The reaction to the game's visuals was generally positive. IGN noted some paper-based visual effects such as when Mario folds in a bed to sleep, but complained about character zoom-ins, which revealed "a pixelated mass of colors".^[8] Although reviewers claimed that the novel graphical style was initially confusing, most welcomed the style eventually,^[4] with GameSpot claiming that it was "extremely well done".^[5] The audio was also mainly praised, although reviewers criticised the lack of voice acting and character-specific sound effects.^[5][8] RPGFan were particularly critical of the game's "generic filler music", despite enjoying use of multiple songs simultaneously.^[7] The game was also well received in general upon release for the Virtual Console, with IGN's Lucas M. Thomas stating "it's held up very well even placed into context against its GameCube and Wii era sequels, and it's an RPG for goodness sakes".^[14] Paper Mario proved popular on the Virtual Console, reaching a high of 'Second most downloaded game' in the US in August 2007.^[15]

Paper Mario was the top selling game in Japan on the week of its release, selling more than 276,000 copies.^[16] It was also the eighth best selling game from January to June 2001 in the US.^[17] It was voted one of the top 100 games of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly. Paper Mario was rated the 63rd best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's "Top 200 Games" list,^[3] and the 13th greatest Nintendo 64 game of all time by the same magazine.^[18]

References

External links

• Paper Mario guide at StrategyWiki
• Paper Mario at RPGClassics