jRPG done right!
Ok, I admit it, I used to be a Nintendo fanboy. Whenever there was talk of PS2 or Dreamcast, I'd would tout the benefits of my crusty old N64 (no load times). However, when the Gamecube was released I quickly became disillusioned with Nintendo. I didn't want Luigi to vacuum up ghosts or for Mario to be spraying water on sludge. I didn't want Fox to leave his Arwing and I just wasn't into Pikmin or Animal Crossing. So by 2004, I was firmly in the Xbox's camp believing in Halo 2's hype hook, line & sinker.
So that's the reason I missed Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door the first time around. Boy, was I wrong, Paper Mario is not only one of the best games on the Gamecube, but was much more fun than Halo 2. I picked this up earlier this year for $20 and played it all the way through. I was hooked.
Paper Mario: TTYD first takes place in Rogueport, a kind of haven for pirates. Mario comes to this place at the request of Princess Peach, who finds an interesting artifact that she wants to show to Mario. It's not long before she gets her butt kidnapped, but instead of Bowser, she's swiped by the mysterious X-Nauts, a group of ruthless aliens. It's up to Mario to save her, the best way to do this however, is to beat the X-Nauts to the legendary Crystal Stars.
The gameplay of Paper Mario: TTYD is a lot like the first Paper Mario game for the N64. There are two types of gameplay, Free Roam mode is where Mario interacts with in game characters, explore villages, buy things at the store, rest at an inn etc. Unlike older jRPGs, Mario can see enemies in this world, there are no invisible threats. Mario can hit or be hit by enemies and the game will transfer to the Battle mode, where the fighting takes place.
The combat in Paper Mario is rather simple. You take control of Mario and one of his various partners and engage in turn-based combat with the enemy. Mario can attack with his Jump attack or Hammer Attack, use an item, defend or he can engage the crowd. The Jump and Hammer attacks can be up graded by 1) getting new boots and hammers or 2) getting new badges. Mario can find or buy new badges for himself which grants him better attacks/defense/etc. The new crowd system makes it's debut in this game as well, the crowd will either throw stuff TO you or AT you depending on how well you play, keep the crowd happy and they'll reward you!
Paper Mario is like other jRPGs in that is has Hit Points and Magic Points (in this game Flower Points) The more advanced techniques deplete FP. Every time Mario wins a battle, he receives star points, when 100 are collected, Mario levels up and can choose between upgrading his HP, FP or BP or his Badge Points, allowing Mario to use more badges. There are also hard to find Shine Sprites in the game that power up your partners, so they can use more powerful attacks. Unlike other jRPGs, Paper Mario doesn't have ridiculously high numbers for hit points. Instead of having 1000 HP, Mario has 10 HP and damage from enemies do 1 or 2 HP damage.
There are many worlds in Paper Mario: TTYD, but unlike many RPGs, they are not the standard lava, snowy generic worlds. The game takes place in boxing rings, on trains and even on the moon. The “home base” however will always be Rougeport and the massive tunnel complex underneath is where all of the worlds are connected. When Mario collects his Crystal Star at the end of each chapter, he must go back to The Thousand Year Door to figure out where to go next.
The plot is basic Mario, but it's the script and writng itself that is the real treat. The dialog is witty and self-referential and most of all, funny. There are more than a few laugh out loud moments in the game. It's cute, but not too cute that older players can't enjoy themselves.
The graphics are average, the 3D worlds look old and plain while the 2D sprites aren't particularly impressive. The audio is also old sounding, the music is purely MIDI but gets the job done. No one has any voices in the game and reading can get tedious.
That's the main complaint I have with this game, it just seems a bit...old, and it's not just because I bought the game in '08 rather than '04. Paper Mario: TTYD feels like it's from another era of games. There is the perfect example in the game, Mario gets a news letter every so often in his E-Mail, but late in the game, you get a FINAL issue. Why would there be a final issue? Just because Mario's quest is coming to an end? There is little playability after you finish the main game, some loose star pieces here, a decent 100-man battle area there, but nothing too huge.
Pros: Great Dialog, Lots of Stuff to Collect, Fun Battle System.
Cons: Looks and Sounds Old, Not much re-playability. The tunnels beneath Rogueport can get confusing and the 2 world aint that much fun.
I wholeheartedly recommend this game to owners of Gamecubes and Wiis. If you're in the mood for a light RPG, you can't go wrong with this one.
