When Nintendo started ramping up its advertising before the Wii was released, they made the point that this new system was aimed increasing the number of gamers; getting people who would never think about playing a videogame to pick up a controller and give it a try.  If the anecdotal evidence I’ve come across is any indication, this aspect of the system has been a rousing success.  I know of more than one septuagenarian who uses the system on a regular basis and number people who expressed an interest in purchasing a setup after playing with the one at my house has been pretty amazing.

These new players need to have a steady stream of top notch games to hold their interest however.  Wii Sports, which is included with the system, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are both top notch offerings that were available at launch.  Now the next must-have game has recently hit the shelves:  Super Paper Mario.

Many Nintendo fans bemoaned the fact that there wouldn’t be a Mario game available for the Wii on day one.  Nintendo, in cooperation with Intelligent Systems, was working on a new Mario game, (which was originally intended for the Gamecube) but they decided not to rush the product onto the market.  This turned out to be a wise decision and Super Paper Mario is well worth the wait.  The game is well polished, with excellent graphics, outstanding play, and a unique mixture of game genres and styles that is sure to impress a wide range of gamers.  This is a game that all Wii owners should run out and purchase.

Gameplay:

The game doesn’t get off to an auspicious start.  Players have to first navigate about 20 minutes of written narrative and cut scenes that set up the story.  After that things pick up considerably.  As told in the introduction, Princess Peach is getting married, and the groom is none other that the dastardly turtle Bowser.  A new villain in Mario’s Rogue’s Gallery, Count Bleck, has managed to hypnotize the princess into saying “I do” in order to bring about the destruction of the universe.  It turns out that when she marries Bowser, a ‘chaos heart’ is created which the Count uses to start the end of everything.

Of course, Mario isn’t having any of this.  He sets out to stop Bleck, but the only way to do that is to collect the eight ‘pure hearts’ which in turn will form the ‘purity heart’, the only object can reverse the Count’s plans.  Each ‘pure heart’ can be found in a different world, and the doors to these worlds are conveniently opened with pure hearts.  Mario doesn’t have to do this all by himself however.  Along the way he’s joined by Luigi, Peach, and Bowser each of which have unique abilities and who help the plumber get through the various worlds.

As Mario defeats villains and accomplishes tasks his score rises and when it reaches a certain point, he levels up.  Along the way there are shops where Mario can purchase healing potions, one use weapons, and other various objects that will help him on his quest.  Talking with the locals is useful too, since it can yield clues to get past puzzles or give you hints as to what needs to be accomplished next.  Sounds like a regular RPG, right?

Well it’s not exactly.  Each world (which is broken into four parts) plays like a platformer, with a series of two dimensional levels to jump, run, and fight your way through.  These levels don’t play like a straight forward platform game either.  They’ve added some innovative twists that breathes new life into the game.  Soon into the game Mario acquires the ability to flip:  to turn the 2D screen into a 3D world.  This not only helps the character get past obstacles, but it also opens up new areas to explore and reveals hidden objects.  This also is used to create some pretty ingenious puzzles that are both fun and inventive and add a lot to the enjoyment of the game.  Mario can’t just stay in the 3D world all of the time though.  There’s a timer that starts running when he flips, and if it runs out he loses a life point.  Flipping doesn’t solve every problem either.  Sometimes a screen is more difficult to transverse in 3D mode.  A single block in 2D can turn into an entire wall after Mario flips, and a single enemy in the flat mode may turn out to be just part of a small army when in 3D.

In addition to Mario’s pals over the course of his travels he collects various ‘Pixls’.  These creatures each have a unique ability that can be called up with the push of a button.  These let you lay bombs, grab distant objects, become invisible (but only while standing still), or shrink to microscopic size.  They are instrumental in finishing some areas and are also used to solve some of the creative puzzles that are sprinkled through the game.

The game isn’t just deciding which character or Pixl to use of course.  Mario and company have to battle the various enemies and monsters that are spread across the different worlds.  These battles take place in real time, unlike the previous Paper Mario games, and they rely on the tried and true head slam that Mario has served our mustached hero so well over the years.  One added bonus in this game is that players can (eventually) switch to Bowser for the battles.  The spiked turtle can breathe fire and has twice the power as the other characters.

This game is just a blast to play, both for experienced gamers and those new to the button pushing scene.  One of the things that make this game so enjoyable is the intuitive and simple control layout.  The Wii Remote is held sideways making it very similar to the NES controller of yore.   The D pad moves the character through the levels, and button two is used to jump.  The currently selected Pixl can be activated with a push of button one, and the A button causes Mario to ‘flip’ into the 3D world.  Pressing buttons one and two together brings up a simple menu that allows players to switch characters, select different Pixls, and use items.  This simple yet effective controller layout has a very short learning curve so even novice players will get the hang of it in no time.

What about the Wii Remote’s motion sensor ability?  That is used, but only sparingly which is a good thing.  This game was originally designed for the Nintendo Gamecube, and when they switched it over to the Wii, the creators could have included a lot of superfluous motion sensor sections but they didn’t.  I’m very glad that they resisted the temptation.  The Wii Remote is a great thing, but the motion sensor aspect should only be used if it accents or enhances the game and that’s what it does with this game.   In dark rooms the remote can be used like a flashlight.  Pointing it at the screen creates a circle of light that can be moved around to reveal hidden objects and doors.  The remote is also used to wake up the characters by shaking it vigorously.  Both of these are fun activities and work well in the context of the game without going overboard.  The controller can also be used to get extra points when attacking an enemy.  If it is jiggled at the right moment as the character is attacking a villain, extra points are earned.  Beginning players can get through the game without ever using this aspect of the game, but experienced people will enjoy seeing how many bonus points they can score with the jump-and-shake technique.

Graphics:

The title's 480p graphics, which are enhanced for 16 X 9 displays, look great.  The characters are detailed and smooth, and are animated very well.  Even small motions are graphically displayed and that adds a lot to the feel of the game.  The different worlds boast a variety of different art styles too, so the images never get boring or trite.

The 2D backgrounds are fantastic as well.  Particularly enjoyable are the scenes that were inspired by classic Mario games.  It’s a blast playing “where did that come from” with these backdrops and the fact that they are highly pixilated and pay homage to their low-res origins is delightful too.  The 3D backgrounds in comparison are a bit sparse and don’t have the same “gee this is neat” feel that the 2D world has.  Since most of the game is spent in 2D mode, this isn’t a significant problem.

Audio:

The audio wasn’t nearly as fun as the graphics.  While each world did have its own solid soundtrack, which kept the music from getting too commonplace, few of the songs are memorable.  Voices are used sparingly too, but that isn’t really a disadvantage especially given the history of the franchise.  Each character does have their own set of sound effects however and these work very well all throughout the game.  Many of the noises are silly and they add to the humor of the game.

Conclusion:

Super Paper Mario is a game that will appeal to a wide range of players.  It’s retro, it’s new, it’s a platformer, it’s a RPG.  Easy for the new gamers that the Wii is recruiting to enjoy but challenging enough for people who have been playing Mario games since the days of the NES.  The game has tight controls that are easy to learn, a fun and humorous storyline (though it’s not too original) and some innovative and challenging puzzles.  Though the game is a bit heavy on the text, it is still a blast to play and a must buy for Wii owners.  Highly Recommended.