It had been a long, long time since I played a single-player Mario game when I decided to pick up Super Paper Mario and give it a spin. I mean, how could a simple game like Super Paper Mario compete with all of the inventive and interactive Wii games that I generally enjoy? But, having played most of my collection to death, I wanted to try something different, and had heard good things about the title, and therefor, it found its way home with me.

Super Paper Mario for Wii didn’t begin well for this gamer. It opens with a very lengthy dialog scene, which the player is forced to read through. I was ready to play and almost fifteen minutes of intro, was, in my opinion, far too much. However, after getting through the dreadfully long opening sequence, I was finally in the action and ready to boogie.

One thing that I was immediately impressed me was the toggling between 2-d and 3-d modes, at the press of a button. The 3-d mode can only be played in short bursts (or Mario’s health begins to decline), but its graphically rich and shows off paths and items that the player would normally miss in 2-d mode. Sometimes 3-d mode is needed in order to pass a level, or find a door, but often I like to use it just to see any hidden gems (or coins in this case), I could be missing.

Also, in this Super Mario installment, our hero is given a little fairy pixel friend, who helps Mario to find otherwise invisible doors and items. To use her you need to point the controller at the screen, and then you’ll see any hidden secrets which are uncovered through her abilities. It’s kind of a neat touch which further helps to differentiate this Mario game from past versions.

Now, the actual premise and game sequences are pretty much what you would expect in any Super Mario game (saving the world/princess and whatnot), so don’t go expecting too much a riveting plot. However, the new touches and improvements certainly make Super Paper Mario a must play for any fan of the franchise, and should at least be given a strong consideration by casual fans who want to enjoy some nostalgic fun.

Also, I should mention that it took me many days to really get into the game, as I had been having strong flu-like symptoms. Thankfully, I came across an excellent resource which provided me with information on Treatment for Symptoms. For more ideas on treatment for symptoms and other related concerns, head over to the blogger profile of Dan Neumeister. Also, Dan Neumeister can be found here on Scribd.

2 Comments »

So I was supposed to be gracing you all with a few Wii titles this week.  And, time permitting, my first X-Box review as well.

Then I plugged in my DVD encoder and found one, small, problem with that plan.  The damn thing isn’t working.  I can get sound, but no video.  So this has put a wee bit of a kybosh on my plans.  Fear not however, the reveiws will still come.  But, alas, there shall be no videos and only stock photos for the time being.  However, one a new encoder has found it’s way into my posession, I assure you all that I will be backtracking and fixing that.

Arses.

No Comments Yet »