I\'m glad to see an opinion from someone who doesn\'t love the first three games. It allows for a clearer view since you\'re not a huge fan of the \"classic\" Paper Mario games, and allows for a review that isn\'t just bashing the game for not being TTYD.
That said, nice review.
"Come on! Let's get this show on the road."
Thanks. I realize game series can change and try very different things, and sometimes people hate the direction it goes in with a major change.
Like, while lots of people are praising Zelda: Breath of the Wild for going back to the free-form spirit of exploration and surprises around every corner found in the first game, other people said \"it feels nothing like Zelda\" and \"how is this even the same series?\" Others are praising it for being so different.
Anyway, I think in order to stay fresh, a game series should evolve. It should also, I think, harken back to older games from time to time if those had good ideas that worked. Look at Super Mario 64. Totally different game from previous Marios. Look at Super Mario 3D World. Back to basics, but in 3D and with multiplayer. A series can evolve in many directions, and some will enjoy the new direction, some will dislike it, and some will start liking the games only when they go in that new direction - as is apparently the case with me and Paper Mario.
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I have to read this review a few times to make sure I\'m getting this right. Your statement that Color Splash and even Sticker Star are the closes to being similar to Super Mario RPG; sorry, but I don\'t agree with that. While Color Splash has its merits, it\'s still missing what makes a Paper Mario game a \"Mario\'s Story\". Paper Mario 64 and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (and maybe Partners in Time) have more canonical tie-ins of it\'s cameos and references related to Super Mario RPG.
Paper Mario has always been known for its Stories, it\'s Characters, and it\'s Writing. That\'s what a Mario Story is about, even Super Mario RPG did the same thing. Sorry, but it\'s hard for me to take lightly of your review when you completely missed the overall purpose of a Mario Story driven game when you yourself claimed you didn\'t enjoy the first 3 games for having that exact purpose.
Paper or Plastic...(go with the plastic)
Different people take away different things from a product. For me personally, Super Mario RPG, the original, didn\'t have much of a story, but it was playful and upbeat and fun. This game brings that feel back for me. It\'s playful and upbeat and fun and doesn\'t have much of a story. It, to me personally, evoked similar feelings.
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...hmm. Okay, by that stance of point-of-view I can understand that. Although, I feel as if you really have to go out your way to not considered an \"RPG\" game such as Super Mario RPG to be less story driven...
Well, anyways, to each their own I guess.
Paper or Plastic...(go with the plastic)
Almost all the complaint about this game comes from its impact on the series. Gotta love being able to see the game for what it really is. Add an actual level-grinding system and a few tweaks to the battle system and this kind of Paper Mario game might be able to make a name for itself.
On a side note, be glad you haven't gone through Sticker Star. God, that game sucked. I threw the cartridge against a wall after beating it because of how big of a slap in the face the climax and ending were.
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Brings back the upbeat, silly spirit of Super Mario RPG, as I see it
There has never been a true sequel to the original Super Mario RPG. Instead, Mario RPGs split in two directions: the Paper Mario series and the Mario and Luigi series. And not only did the gameplay go in two directions, so did the mood and theme.
I was never a Paper Mario fan, and I'd played the first three games. Everyone said Sticker Star sucked, but have more positive views about this one. After watching a good amount of gameplay footage, I decided to buy it. 3 weeks later, I'd beaten it.
To me, this game is as close to a true successor to Super Mario RPG as we're likely to get. The world map is divided into "courses" as the game calls them, some with alternate exits ala Super Mario World. Each "course" is its own area with its own little story. It could be the story of a struggling cafe owner in the middle of nowhere dealing with evil customers, or the story of a circus visited by Toads, Shy Guys and with captive Yoshis who break free. You visit a restaurant, fix a broken train, and much more.
The combat is based around consumable cards. The cards are pretty easy to earn, find or purchase, so running out isn't much of a problem, especially with the "roulette" feature where you exchange coins for the chance to try to win another card. Fighting has decent strategy due to the nature of different attacks - some attacks hit multiple enemies, some attacks can damage the player (like jumping on enemies who have spikes or are made of fire), and some attacks are especially useful for specific situations. You're rewarded for defeating all enemies without getting hit once, adding an incentive to being efficient with your cards. XP leads to carrying more paint (which keeps cards from being weak), and also increases attack power.
While some have complained - understandably - about the lack of characters outside the main Mario universe (heck, couldn't they bring back the penguins, bees and robots from Super Mario Galaxy?), I personally like seeing characters I know from the main Mario series being portrayed in a livable world. While it moves towards the more binary "good people/bad people" setup of the "normal" Mario games, it still has some wiggle room for nuance: not all Shy Guys and Snifits are bad, and some may chat with you during their off time, before fighting you later in another course.
Indeed, the world in many ways feels much like an RPG-ish take on the main Mario series, as areas mostly feel like the sort we'd expect from regular Mario games, along with the characters. No, it's not expanding the world. Instead, it's portraying the main Mario world in a different light.
And the humor. It's hilarious at times. The story is totally nonserious, no real Nightmare Fuel, and while some decry the lack of plot depth, I like the light-hearted mood a lot, along with the upbeat music. And for one major throwback to Super Mario RPG... just watch the ending.