Today's game: Super Paper Mario
Note: Because I haven't actually finished this one yet(though I think I will by tomorrow), these are more like first impressions, but my opinions will probably be the same by the end. Besides that, I've already spoiled the ending of the game for myself anyway.
Now, onto the review.
Gameplay - Because this is less of an RPG and more of a platformer, it certianly plays different than the first two Paper Mario games. However, it still does retain a lot of elements from them, such as Mushrooms that heal you and coins that buy you Sleepy Sheep or Boo's Sheets, etc. and let you stay at the inn. There are differences, though, such as no more turn based battles, your partners are quite different, and you don't only have to play as Mario(but I won't spoil any of that).
The puzzles that have to do with the flipping are great, imo, but other than that, I'm not too sure. The Pizls don't feel as near as useful as any of the partners in the past PM games, but at least they aren't characters who are actually supposed to be enemies. Since when did Goombas and Koopas ever decide that Mario is a bad guy?
A bad thing to me is that most of the gameplay could have happened on the Gamecube except for pointing at the screen to get info. Pressing a series of buttons to use the Showstopper or pressing the A button at the right time to blow away enemies was far deeper thank shaking the Wiimote could ever be.
I think it could have made for a better game if it wasn't only 10% gameplay and 90% walls of text. If it's supposed to be a platformer with RPG elements, I don't want to have to sit through a story that takes up the majority of the game. I want much longer levels wherein you jump and defeat enemies more than you talk to people. With that said, though, the gameplay that there is, is awesome. And, at least to me, it's not as easy as it looks. I found myself close to dieing plenty of times.
Graphics - Uusually I don't care whether the graphics are good or not, but it'd be stupid to say that the stuff in Super Paper Mario isn't spectacular. This is the best art style I've seen in any game, ever. Well, except for the design of some of those npcs, but the rest makes up for it. I especialy like that place that looks like it's pixelated, and not just because there are a few X-Naut references.
Music - There isn't much memorable music, sadly, and none of it is too impressive. I don't really care, though.
Story - So far it's good, but I would rather have it in a Paper Mario game hwere it is necassary to have a story, rather than a spin-off platformer. I guess that's part of the reason why I'm not liking it as much as I loved the story in The Thousand-Year Door. Besides that, I don't find Dimentio to be as good of a villian as Grodus. I do think the idea of Luigi being a villian rather than an ally should be expanded though. Not permanantly for the series, but perhaps there could be more of a rivalry going on between him and Mario.
Overall score: 7.5/10, otherwise known as good. I'm impressed by a lot of what the game has to offer, but not in the fields that are most important to me.
