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zimmi88's Paper Mario (N64)
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| [February 9, 2008 01:54:07 AM]
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WARNING! This entry contains spoilers! This Game Log covers through Chapter 1 of Paper Mario, so if you haven’t played that far, your game experience may be spoiled a bit if you read this.
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GAMEPLAY
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I am very happy with how the pacing of “Paper Mario” has picked up quite a bit since my last Game Log. Previously, I had played through the Prologue, which, while it wasn’t boring, was a tad slow-going. For this game log, I played through Chapter 1 (the Koopa Bros. Fortress).
While the Prologue had its comedic moments, this first Chapter gave me what I expected I would see in terms of humor, based on the reviews and recommendations I had received. Quite simply, the dysfunctional nature of the Koopa Bros. creates comedy that is charming and simply hilarious. For instance, the first portion of the boss fight between the Koopa Bros. has Mario and co. pitted against... some sort of sorry excuse for Bowser on wheels that the Koopa Bros. think is completely fool-proof.
Beyond this, though, things have really picked up for me because the game is turning over control of much of the game’s mechanics to me, including Action Commands, Badges, Abilities, and Allies. Through Chapter 1, I received a new ally (Kooper, an adventurous Koopa), many badges to decide between (Badges enable abilities. I only have a certain number of Badge Points – you need Badge Points to equip badges), new abilities that give me much more choice during battle than simply “attack,” and full control over the Action Commands available in battle. Overall, all these new choices bring out much more of the RPG elements in the game and give me more control over the resource management of my characters, which results in a much more fulfilling experience.
DESIGN
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Overall, “Paper Mario” is an interesting hybrid of the traditional Platformer and Role-Playing Game, creating an exploratory element where you must jump around and use skills in the overworld, but also a strategic battle element with traditional RPG mechanics infused with in-battle action elements that make turns a little less boring.
The Action Command is one of the more noteworthy elements in terms of design because they solve a traditional problem with turn-based RPGs – having to sit around between turns with no control over an action’s effectiveness. In “Paper Mario,” the Action Commands give you something to do both when you’re attacking and when your enemy is attacking. Also, it removes much, but not all, of the luck element associated with turn-based combat (I don’t know if this attack will be effective or not... are the fates on my side?).
Beyond this core gameplay mechanic, the presentation of “Paper Mario” is best described as charming. It’s funny, it’s happy, it’s saturated, it’s... well... cute paper cutouts that are fun and loveable. There’s even an affinity to the enemies, which also look like paper cutouts. Once again, referring to the Koopa Bros., they were a main enemy in the game, but they were still funny and charming, matching the overall tone of the game. Together, it creates for a pleasurable experience that invites fun.
Also, I must note the tutorial elements of the game. The entire Prologue section is pretty much the game’s tutorial, and for being that, it’s not that bad. There are a few moments that feel like tutorials, where an in-game character walks you through, for instance, Action Commands. Though, these experiences are kept to a minimum, reserved for the most unique elements of the game. Instead, the designers favored the option of putting the player in a relatively safe training environment and letting the player discover these elements through actual gameplay. This is a good decision on the designer’s part, seeing as players don’t typically like to sit through page after page of on-screen text tutorials.
In summary, “Paper Mario” is a fun game that still hasn’t lost its charm despite being many years old and lives up to its predecessor, “Super Mario RPG” (SNES). I look forward to playing much more of this intriguing game.
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| [February 8, 2008 03:57:46 AM]
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This entry is pretty much spoiler-free. I only discuss elements from the game’s Prologue – stuff that’s likely been discussed in reviews and previews, anyway.
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SUMMARY
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“Paper Mario” (2001 – Intelligent Systems/Nintendo – N64) is a Role-Playing Game based in the Mario universe that features a distinct artistic style. In “Paper Mario”, you play as Mario, who must travel across the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue seven elder stars in order to gain the power to defeat Bowser, who possesses the Star Rod – a rod with the power to grant wishes. This game, while it is a role-playing game, also features certain action/platforming elements both while travelling and in battle.
GAMEPLAY
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Once again, like before, I must clarify that this game is being played via the Wii Virtual Console. However, for this game, I went with a GameCube controller, as it more closely resembles the N64 controller.
Inevitably, while I am playing this game, I am reminiscing to other classic Mario RPGs that I have played, including the classic “Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars” (SNES) and more recent “Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga” (GBA). However, despite having played those RPGs and “Super Paper Mario” (Wii), I had not played “Paper Mario” before this GameLog. I had always been interested to see what all the fuss was about, but had never gotten the chance.
So far, I’ve been having an enjoyable time playing “Paper Mario.” For reference, I have played through most of the tutorial stuff, to Toad Town, up to Shooting Star Summit, and back to Toad Town. I think an inevitable aspect of games with a tutorial level is that the opening can be a bit slow. While I will say that the opening areas did drag a bit, this was by no means to the degree that I’ve experienced in other games.
I think what made the prologue items bearable for me, as well as what helps make this game distinct, is the certain level of charm everything has. The music is light and playful, the characters are fun and lively, and the overall presentation has this nearly cartoonish feel to it. Character reactions are more comic than realistic (example: Mario expresses surprise with a big exclamation mark over his head) and the allies you find early on in the game are slightly ironic. After all, Mario’s ally for the Prologue is Goombarino, a kid Goomba that know a lot about everything in the Mushroom Kingdom.
In terms of combat, it’s a lot like traditional turn-based RPGs. When you get attacked, you lose HP. When you attack enemies with special powers, you use Flower Points (FP – the equivalent of MP in the game). What makes this game distinct, however, is the action elements added into this combat. If you can time your button press just right when you attack an enemy, you’ll inflict more damage. The same holds true for defending against attacks. Also, when walking around in the world, you’ll gain the advantage of “First Strike” by attacking the enemy in the field. I guess what’s frustrating about this, though, is that you don’t learn how to use “action commands” – a.k.a. the timed button presses for extra damage – until towards the end of the Prologue. Having played “Super Mario RPG,” I was used to this mechanic and was expecting a reaction for my button presses early on. It was a tad frustrating, but not inexcusable.
I have enjoyed playing “Paper Mario” so far because it has a unique, comedic style that makes the world fun to explore. That said, I really look forward to the game picking up a bit as I move ahead into the first chapter.
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zimmi88's Paper Mario (N64)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 6 February, 2008
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