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Paper Mario
Intro:
Ah...Paper Mario, you're first impression would probably be "Bah! Just another RPG." Those people are wrong! Paper Mario is one of the greatest RPGs of all time! Paper Mario is an incredible game that was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Controls are simple, easy to understand, and the game is also available on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii. You control Mario and co. as flat 2D well...paper. The gameplay is in 3D while Mario is in 2D which actually makes the game even better.
Paper Mario (Opening)
The game starts out as Mario and Luigi get an invitation from Princess Peach via mail to come to the castle. When Mario and Luigi arrive, Mario goes to find Princess Peach. Right when you meet up with Princess Peach, guess what happens. That's right the evil Bowser shows up crashing through the window in his hover vehicle with his assistant Kami Koopa. Mario takes on Bowser, but is no match against Bowser's new weapon, the Star Rod! After getting zapped away, Mario ends up in Goomba Village where his journey begins. Mario will have to travel with partners he will gain along the way on his way back to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. Mario will need help from the Star Spirits first!
Overview:
The Star Spirits are the key to countering the power of the Star Rod which Bowser has stolen. There are 7 Star Spirits in the game and you have to go to each level, rescuing them, gaining more power each time you do.
These 7 Star Spitirs are necessary to beat the game. You get each one after beating the boss in that level. After you get the Star Spirit, the game switches over to Peach's mode where you actually play as Princess Peach for a little bit after each level. It's actually kind of cool.
In almost all the levels, you get a partner. Partners are extremely helpful and there are eight partners in all. You can only have one parnter in battle at one time, but you are allowed to switch partners during battle.
Goombario: A Goomba, who like most people, is Mario's biggest fan. After Goombario's family rescues Mario, his grandpa, Goompa suggests that Goombario goes with Mario. Goombario's main attack is Headbonk and he uses Tattle to get information on enemies which is very useful. He's the first of eight partners.
Kooper: A Koopa, that lives in Koopar Village, who had his shell stolen. He has a Blue Shell which is different from most Koopas. Once you get his shell back, he joins the party. Kooper's attacks include a Shell Toss and Power Shell. Kooper can be used to reach items, keys, switches, and attack enemies, by using his shell.
Bombette: You find this Bob-omb deep in the Koopa Bros. Fortress Prison. You can throw her to explode large cracks to explode walls and attack enemies. She joins your party after you escape the prison cell. She has very strong attacks in battle.
Parakarry: This Paratroopa who delivers mail around Mushroom Kingdom. He loses some of his letters and you find him on Mt. Rugged. Once you get back his lost letters, he joins the party. Parakarry can be used to carry you over short distances such as small gaps. His attacks are usually aiming attacks from the sky.
Lady Bow: She's a Boo, who resides in her mansion. She wants to stop Tubba Blubba from eating her native species. She joins the party after you solve the puzzles in her mansion. Bow has the ability to turn invisible which makes Mario invisible as well to dodge enemies. Most of her attacks involve smacking the crap out of the enemies and scaring the enemies.
Watt: A baby Li'l Sparky, Watt is trapped in a lantern in Shy Guy's Toy Box and once you defeat the boss, she joins the party. She can be used to light up paths that are too dark for Mario to see. Her attacks involve shocking the enemies.
Sushie: A Cheep-Cheep, who babysits for the local Yoshi children at Lavalava Island. She goes to find the missing Yoshi kids when she gets trapped. After you free her and find the missing Yoshi kids, she will join your party. Sushie can be used for swimming in water and going underwater. Her attacks involve hitting enemies with water or attacking with her stomach.
Lakilester: You find Lakilester, a Lakitu, on the way to Cloudy Climb. After you deafeat him in battle, he asks him why Mario is trying to save the world. Whatever you answer, Lakilester thinks you are cool and joins the party. He can be used to fly over spikes and lava, but cannot cross over gaps like Parakarry. His attacks involve throwing spikes and wind attacks. He is the eighth and final partner.
Paper Mario has excellent gameplay. You go around playing as a 2D figure in a 3D world. The controls are simple to understand and the battle system is very good. You have Heart Points (HP), Flower Points (FP), and Badge Power (BP). HP is your overall health and everytime your hit, you lose HP. FP is used for special moves. Each special move consumes some FP. BP is used to equip badges. Badges are used to get moves to get stronger in battle. Each badge acquires a certain amount of BP. Every time you level up (Collect 100 Star Bits gained from defeating enemies), you have a choice to increase either HP, FP, or BP.
There are 8 Chapters in Paper Mario which means there are 8 levels. In each level you will face at least one mini-boss and one boss.
Overall:
Graphics 5/5: Paper Mario has outstanding graphics for a N64 game. Playing as a 2D figure in a 3D world makes the graphics even better. The graphics look very cool and the paper effects are neat. The details of the game are done well and I cannot see any error with the graphics of this game for an N64 game.
Sound 5/5: Paper Mario has one of the best soundtracks for any RPG. I love this soundtrack so much. The intro music, town music, battle music, sound effects. Everything is so perfect about the music.
Paper Mario (Opening Theme)
Paper Mario (Regular Battle Music)
Paper Mario (Final Battle Music)
Paper Mario (Toad Town Theme)
Those are just some examples of the great music on Paper Mario.
Replay Value 5/5: I can play Paper Mario over and over again and would never get bored. I have played it at least 20 times. To beat the game, you have to get all the Star Pieces, Badges, and Recipes. It's extremely fun to get everything in the game. You also have to defeat every side boss and deliver every mail. A remarkable game like this deserves to be played over and over again. If you N64 version breaks, it's OK, because you can buy it on the Virtual Console for the Wii.
Challenge 3/5: As much fun as Paper Mario is, I gave Challenge a 3. This game is not that difficult especially if you know what you are doing. As long as you are stocked with items and have the right badges equipped, Paper Mario should be an easy game. Some bosses are difficult, but trust me after you play it as much as I have, it becomes really simple.
Tilt 5/5: I had to give the Tilt a 5/5 because this game may be my favorite game of all time. The story of this game is just so incredible. The battle system is amazing as well. It is definitely my favorite N64 game of all time.
Paper Mario was extremely popular after it's released and it still is today. Here is the Paper Mario commercial which is a little funny.
If you are looking for more games like Paper Mario, the series has two sequels. Paper Mario 2: The Thousand Year Door was released for the Nintendo Gamecube and Super Paper Mario was released for the Wii. There will be a new sequel for Paper Mario coming out in March or April 2011 (if there are no setbacks).
I hope you enjoyed my review of Paper Mario. I worked hard on it and it is my first review ever made! Hope you liked reading it and please leave any comments, questions, and opinions here 
Last edited by CrispyChicken; 09-26-2010 at 02:29 PM..
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