The Nintendo 64 is home to some of the most iconic games of all time. That’s not an understatement. Not just first party titles but many third parties have gained legendary status from the console. Super Mario 64 was always that defining title for me. And finally after 20+ years, I have a much better game to link to the system.
Paper Mario 64 was the revolutionizer for Super Mario RPGs. It’s no exaggeration to say that it was. It took a simple turn based combat system equipped with tools open to the disposal of its players and yet forced nothing upon them. Despite appearing simplistic in nature, it goes much deeper beyond what appears on the outside. While it may be true that player’s could rush past enemies and learn to time their defensive button presses fairly quickly, there is so much more to be explored in the world of Paper Mario.
This toolset comes in the form of badges. These range from small adjustments like improving the number of hearts/flowers received after battle to immobilizing enemies by shrinking their attack and defense in ways which render them useless. There are a plethora of ways to explore the game’s combat system which opens possibilities for multiple players to experience the game completely differently. Not to mention items which can assist in battle and most importantly, partners.
The side characters in this game are all a joy to follow along with and each of them proves their worth in battle. Strategically selecting who to use depending on the situation while also keeping in mind how many flower points you have is incredibly satisfying. Having a much smaller party makes defeating larger groups of enemies truly feel like you’ve improved over the course of the adventure. It’s simple yet extremely effective in showcasing how you have learned and adapted new tricks after each battle. Despite partners being limited by their low health and inability to take damage, this improvement was ironed out in TTYD so it’s hard for me to complain at this stage.
The music and compositions are all wonderful. Each location looks and sounds amazing, and I loved exploring every nook and cranny (especially in Dry Dry Desert) as I uncovered various badges that I could add to my collection. As the first installment into my favorite series, it’s clear as day that Intelligent Systems needs to return to this formula and revitalize it for future generations. It’s a shame that this formula was dropped after two games and I hope this recent resurgence in games from this era convinces them to bring the series back to its prime.
Paper Mario 64 was the revolutionizer for Super Mario RPGs. It’s no exaggeration to say that it was. It took a simple turn based combat system equipped with tools open to the disposal of its players and yet forced nothing upon them. Despite appearing simplistic in nature, it goes much deeper beyond what appears on the outside. While it may be true that player’s could rush past enemies and learn to time their defensive button presses fairly quickly, there is so much more to be explored in the world of Paper Mario.
This toolset comes in the form of badges. These range from small adjustments like improving the number of hearts/flowers received after battle to immobilizing enemies by shrinking their attack and defense in ways which render them useless. There are a plethora of ways to explore the game’s combat system which opens possibilities for multiple players to experience the game completely differently. Not to mention items which can assist in battle and most importantly, partners.
The side characters in this game are all a joy to follow along with and each of them proves their worth in battle. Strategically selecting who to use depending on the situation while also keeping in mind how many flower points you have is incredibly satisfying. Having a much smaller party makes defeating larger groups of enemies truly feel like you’ve improved over the course of the adventure. It’s simple yet extremely effective in showcasing how you have learned and adapted new tricks after each battle. Despite partners being limited by their low health and inability to take damage, this improvement was ironed out in TTYD so it’s hard for me to complain at this stage.
The music and compositions are all wonderful. Each location looks and sounds amazing, and I loved exploring every nook and cranny (especially in Dry Dry Desert) as I uncovered various badges that I could add to my collection. As the first installment into my favorite series, it’s clear as day that Intelligent Systems needs to return to this formula and revitalize it for future generations. It’s a shame that this formula was dropped after two games and I hope this recent resurgence in games from this era convinces them to bring the series back to its prime.