Seeing as how I’ve already played the original 3 Mario & Luigi games, it seemed only fitting I finally did likewise with the Paper Mario games, well that and I wanna prolong having to review Dream Team as much as humanly possible but I digress.
The story for this one is……….actually pretty good. Granted it’s the same Bowser kidnaps Peach trope that’s been frequently repeated in the main line games, however I think in the right hands you can make something good out of it with the right approach, Galaxy follows that plot line and it’s my favourite Mario game. As for this game I think it pulls it off pretty well. Having Bowser properly kick your ass right at the start in particular was a wise choice, both in establishing him as a credible threat and giving the player strong drive to take him down. Bowser in general is handled pretty well in this outing, much more than I actually expected to be honest. Going in I was worried that after 3 Mario & Luigi games, which generally cast him in a much more comedic light, Bowser wouldn’t work as a proper threat, however that fortunately wasn’t the case. The game does have a fair few comedic bits with him, but it knows when to hammer home that he’s a credible antagonist. It strikes a fine balance between having him as borderline comic relief while still filling the player with the urge to defecat-I MEAN defeat yeah, that’s what I meant. Anyways.
We also get a decent bit of focus on Peach’s side as Bowser’s prisoner over the course of the game, with the game cutting back to her at the end of each chapter. Whilst I wish these served more of a purpose than mostly just being a less boring form of exposition, I still appreciate trying to give her a more active role unlike the majority of Mario games and even the AlphaDream RPGs. I do also find that the general story structure can feel a little repetitive after a while. After the first few chapters, you’ll probably know the games number with how the story is gonna proceed, at least as far as pacing is concerned.
But what about our beloved moustachioed plumber? Well Mario’s mute the whole game, and Luigi doesn’t come along for the adventure, so the game substitutes this by having you pair up with various new characters that’ll join you as you continue on your journey. I’m a little split on this aspect, as on one hand I appreciate going for a more original approach, as well as modelling many of the characters after classic Mario enemies. Whether intentional or not this adds interesting layers to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom by showing not every Goomba or Koopa is solely subservient to Bowser. On the other hand I don’t find most of the party members get much development beyond their initial introductions, with them usually just becoming extensions to Mario’s arsenal in combat. I really wish that the various party members had contributed more to the plot, especially given the games attempts to play on your supposed investment in them towards the end.
As for the gameplay it, much like the story, is just ok. The combat system improves more and more as you unlock new party members and gain access to more badges, but it’s somewhat held back by the lower frame-rate of the N64, with dodging in particular often being a real pain in the ass. I definitely prefer the more snappier, fast pace of the Mario & Luigi series’ combat mechanics, but that was probably born out of those games being made for handheld systems, whereas this console game can get away with taking its time both in terms of pacing and gameplay.
So yeah overall not a bad start to this series. I don’t think it holds a candle to AlphaDream’s first trilogy, but it was still a fun time and that’s really what I think matters, especially with Mario games. So then, now it’s on to the next game, oh boy…
8/10
The story for this one is……….actually pretty good. Granted it’s the same Bowser kidnaps Peach trope that’s been frequently repeated in the main line games, however I think in the right hands you can make something good out of it with the right approach, Galaxy follows that plot line and it’s my favourite Mario game. As for this game I think it pulls it off pretty well. Having Bowser properly kick your ass right at the start in particular was a wise choice, both in establishing him as a credible threat and giving the player strong drive to take him down. Bowser in general is handled pretty well in this outing, much more than I actually expected to be honest. Going in I was worried that after 3 Mario & Luigi games, which generally cast him in a much more comedic light, Bowser wouldn’t work as a proper threat, however that fortunately wasn’t the case. The game does have a fair few comedic bits with him, but it knows when to hammer home that he’s a credible antagonist. It strikes a fine balance between having him as borderline comic relief while still filling the player with the urge to defecat-I MEAN defeat yeah, that’s what I meant. Anyways.
We also get a decent bit of focus on Peach’s side as Bowser’s prisoner over the course of the game, with the game cutting back to her at the end of each chapter. Whilst I wish these served more of a purpose than mostly just being a less boring form of exposition, I still appreciate trying to give her a more active role unlike the majority of Mario games and even the AlphaDream RPGs. I do also find that the general story structure can feel a little repetitive after a while. After the first few chapters, you’ll probably know the games number with how the story is gonna proceed, at least as far as pacing is concerned.
But what about our beloved moustachioed plumber? Well Mario’s mute the whole game, and Luigi doesn’t come along for the adventure, so the game substitutes this by having you pair up with various new characters that’ll join you as you continue on your journey. I’m a little split on this aspect, as on one hand I appreciate going for a more original approach, as well as modelling many of the characters after classic Mario enemies. Whether intentional or not this adds interesting layers to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom by showing not every Goomba or Koopa is solely subservient to Bowser. On the other hand I don’t find most of the party members get much development beyond their initial introductions, with them usually just becoming extensions to Mario’s arsenal in combat. I really wish that the various party members had contributed more to the plot, especially given the games attempts to play on your supposed investment in them towards the end.
As for the gameplay it, much like the story, is just ok. The combat system improves more and more as you unlock new party members and gain access to more badges, but it’s somewhat held back by the lower frame-rate of the N64, with dodging in particular often being a real pain in the ass. I definitely prefer the more snappier, fast pace of the Mario & Luigi series’ combat mechanics, but that was probably born out of those games being made for handheld systems, whereas this console game can get away with taking its time both in terms of pacing and gameplay.
So yeah overall not a bad start to this series. I don’t think it holds a candle to AlphaDream’s first trilogy, but it was still a fun time and that’s really what I think matters, especially with Mario games. So then, now it’s on to the next game, oh boy…
8/10