Paper Mario
August 15, 2001
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, on the SNES, is my favorite Role Playing Game of all time. The humor, storytelling, characters and length packed into that little cartridge is astounding and I loved every minute of it. Then, 3 years ago, I hear a sequel of sorts is coming out for Nintendo 64. Oh joy, oh rapture! After an eternity in development, we are given Paper Mario, a pseudo-Mario RPG 2. If one can look past the childish storybook look, can a noteworthy RPG be found?
The game opens very similar to Mario RPG, as Mario heads to the castle, but Princess is kidnapped. Mario attempts to rescue her, but only gets himself in over his head. This time around, Bowser has stolen the Star Rod that grants wishes to make himself invincible from the Seven Star Spirits, and hides the spirits in secret locales. In order to have enough power to reckon with Bowser’s Star Rod, Mario must find the Seven Star Spirits and add their might to his own.
Along the way, Mario will meet friends to aid his quest with unique abilities in and out of battle. Only one friend can be used at a time, however, that friend can be swapped for another at any time. The battle system is unique, albeit simplistic. Mario’s health is governed by HP (no other friend can be hurt in battle other than Mario) and his special moves are fueled through FP (all friends share FP, though). New special moves and effects can be used with Badges. The amount of Badges you can use is determined through your BP. You have a choice of raising your HP, FP, or BP after growing a level, but no more than one. The rest of the gameplay is your standard RPG fare…traversing the land, talking to people in each new town, solving puzzles and taking time out in side-quests and mini-games. Paper Mario has everything. The graphics are cutesy, with 2D, paper-thin characters in 3D polygonal worlds. The result is a little disorienting at first, but then becomes part of the game. The music is nothing memorable, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Many of the sound effects are traditional Mario.
Does Paper Mario live up to Super Mario RPG? Well, yes and no. The story lacks depth and the game is simplistic, however it delivers a fun RPG experience that isn’t too frustrating, but is still challenging. To tell you the truth, I really like this little gem. Don’t let the kiddy look fool you. This is also a good “starter RPG” for young gamers.
CVG Report CardPaper Mario
Rating: B+
Platform: Nintendo 64
E-Mail This Article 
Print This Article