Paper Mario (video game)

Paper Mario
Paper Mario
Developer(s)	Intelligent Systems
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64
Release	August 11, 2000 (JP); February 4, 2001 (NA); October 5, 2001 (EU)
Genre(s)	RPG
Mode(s)	Single player

Paper Mario, known in Japan as Mario Story (マリオストーリー), is a video game that was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and first released in 2000. The spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo, Paper Mario was the last major Mario game produced for the N64; it was also one of the system's few role-playing games. Its title comes from the fact that it has a unique graphical style, reminiscent of the older Mario titles, in which the characters are flat, two-dimensional-looking paper cutouts inhabiting a three-dimensional world, with a full range of 3D movement, as in Super Mario 64.

The game's story premise involves King Bowser Koopa and his assistant, Kammy Koopa, stealing the Star Rod and imprisoning the Seven Star Spirits. They then use their castle to steal Princess Peach's castle, with the Princess still in it. Mario and his eight new friends must now save the Star Spirits and Princess Peach. Paper Mario was scored by Yuka Tsujiyoko, the composer for the Fire Emblem series.

These new friends include Goombario (a young Goomba who is a big fan of Mario), Kooper (a Koopa Troopa who likes adventure), Bombette (a pink Bob-omb who was held captive by The Koopa Bros.), Parakarry (a Paratroopa who works as a postman), Lady Bow (a princess of Boos), Watt (a lil' Sparky who lights the way), Sushie (a Cheep-Cheep), and Lakilester (a Lakitu who used to work for Bowser).

The sequel to Paper Mario, called Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, was released in late 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube.

Gameplay Elements

Battle System

Much like in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the battles in Paper Mario relied on a cross between traditional turn-based RPG gameplay, and timed button presses (or other motions) for increased damage on enemies, or reduced damage taken from enemies; Paper Mario built on this concept, intruducing more moves, and actions to go with them. Unlike in Super Mario RPG, the size of a party in battle was reduced from 3 to 2, with Mario and one of the sidekick characters beating on enemies. However, partners were switchable, and it cost the partners their turn, unless equipped with a certain badge. Partners did not take damage like Mario did. Instead they were briefly incapacitated depending on the damage they received, although extremely few enemies (mostly bosses, the only minor enemies capable of doing this are Lava Bubbles and Embers (both fireballs) actually possessed the ability to damage them. If Mario ran out of HP, however, the game was immediately lost (unless a Life Shroom was in your inventory, in which case Mario was immediately revived.) Paper Mario also differed from its predecessor by implementing a more "common-sense" approach to battles. If you jumped or hammered an enemy in the area you were in, you would begin the battle by launching a preemptive strike (although many enemies had the ability to launch a first strike themselves). Also, hammers were ineffective against flying foes, and jumping on a spiked enemy would only result in damaging yourself. All this made for what many believe to be slightly more involving battles.

Heart Points, Flower Points, and Badge Points

Unlike many other RPGs, Paper Mario does not use large numbers of HP. The most Mario's HP can go up to is normally only 50 (although special badges can raise this total to 65), and enemies' HP tops out at 99 (for the final boss, Bowser, and an optional boss, the "Master"). Also unlike most RPGs, damage never exceeds two digits; in fact, an attack that does 10 points of damage can be considered lethal. The uniqueness of Paper Mario's battle system lies in both these small numbers and an addition/subtraction system for calculating damage and level-up increases. For instance, Mario using his basic hammer against an enemy with zero defense will do 1 damage, 2 if the Action Command is successfully executed. If the enemy has 1 defense, then the aforementioned attack would do no damage or 1 damage, respectively.

Flower Points, like in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, are a shared resource between all characters, used for pulling off special techniques and other miscellaneous functions. Mario's sepcial attacks require FP, as do party members'. Unlike Super Mario RPG, though, enemies do not need FP to perform special attacks, given that most enemies have only one or two attacks.

Badge Points were a method of limiting the amount of Badges Mario could equip. Different badges use up a different amount of Badge Points, which effectively limits the amount of badges that are able to be equipped and forces strategy to be used in different situations.

Similar to the levelling system in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a levelup allows the player to choose between raising HP, FP, and BP. Unlike in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, however, this was not a bonus to a set increase beforehand; this increase was the only method of raising the maximums. BP and FP could each be raised 9 times, to a maximum of 30 and 50, respectively, and HP only 8, placing Mario's maximum level at 27 (although it can reach higher, no stat increase takes place). It should also be noted that Mario's attack and defense could not be increased by leveling up, instead they can be increased by using badges (and, in the case of attack power, weapons).

Badges

Badges replace the traditional RPG staple of armor, accessories, and other such things being equipped on Mario. Badges provided a wide range of effects, such as bestowing powerful new abilities like the Ultra Smash or Mega Quake, allowing Mario to jump on enemies that would normally damage him when he did so, increasing attack or defense power, or temporarily increasing the maximum FP/HP. Different badges are effective in different situations, and many badges were hidden in hard to find places, providing a sidequest for completists who wanted to have all of the badges. There are 80 badges in all, many of which are hidden and very difficult to find.

Characters

Mario - The lead member of Mario's party. Mario is defeated by King Bowser, but he didn't lose completely. He goes around Mushroom Kingdom, gaining useful allies, to retrieve all the Stars in order to get the Star Rod back from Bowser, and to save all of the people kidnapped by Bowser and Kammy, including Princess Peach.

Princess Peach - The damsel in distress of the game. She often sneaks around the Castle to complete various tasks, and uses her Star friend, Twink, to send Mario messages. But she possesses an unimaginable power that might aid Mario later in the game...

King Bowser - The main villain of the game. Bowser and Kammy broke into the story, and stole the Star Rod from them, trapping all of the Stars. He uses the Star Rod to make himself stronger, and has all of the Castle's occupants, including Princess Peach, held captive.

Kammy Koopa - Bowser's right-hand Magikoopa and sister to Kamek (from Yoshi's Island). Often overconfident in herself, she prefers to let Bowser's flunkies deal with Mario, choosing to accompany Bowser everywhere he goes. Her magic blocks deal considerable damage, as the Goomba family discovers in the beginning of the game.

Twink - A small Star that appears when Princess Peach makes a wish. He helps all throughout the adventure, mostly for Princess Peach. He helps Peach by delivering messages to Mario.

Jr. Troopa - A young Koopa Troopa that is still stuck in his Egg. He seems to resent Mario for breaking into his "territory" at the start of the game, and chases him every which way. He has many upgrades. At first, all he has is his Egg Shell, but the more times you fight him, the more abilities he gets. He gets the ability to duck into his Shell, raising Defense, gains a Spike on his Shell, protecting him from Jumps, gains Wings to protect from Hammer attacks, gains the ability to use a Wand, and eventually, combines all of these abilities in the final stage of the game.

Luigi - The underdog of the two brothers. He is often bugged that he can't tag along, and wants to hear all about Mario's adventures. He has a diary underneath the floor in their house under a Spin Jump panel. You can read it throughout the adventure for humorous stories.

Merlon - Merlon is one of the wizards in the game. He helps Mario at various points in the game, and can be consulted anytime (for a price) for guidance as to what to do next.

Party Members

Goombario - The first member of Mario's party. When Mario is knocked out of the Castle, he loses consciousness, and wakes up in a Goomba Village, where several Goombas live, such as Goombario, Goompa, Gooma, etc. After some misadventures, he will join Mario's party. Out of battle, he has the ability to tell Mario about people and the area he's in and give him hints. In battle, he has the ability to tell you about the enemy.

Kooper - The second member of Mario's party. He is a Koopa Troopa with a Blue Shell, and he needs Mario's help in order to get it back from the Fuzzies for him. Once Mario defeats the Fuzzies and brings Kooper's Blue Shell back, he puts it on, and joins your party. He has the ability to hit switches or retrieve items that Mario can't reach.

Bombette - The third member of Mario's party. She is a Pink Bob-omb, modeled after Super Mario 64's Friendly Bob-ombs, and is being held captive in the Koopa Bros' Castle. Once Mario falls into her cage, he helps them all escape, and she joins your party. She has the ability to explode, destroying weak walls.

Parakarry - The fourth member of Mario's party. He's a mailman, the same mailman from the intro, and he's lost several letters, and needs Mario's help to find them. Once Mario gets them all, Parakarry joins your party. Parakarry can carry Mario and fly for a short period of time.

Lady Bow - The fifth member of Mario's party. A distinguished Boo, she has one of the Stars held captive, and refuses to give it to Mario unless he defeats Tubba Blubba. She joins Mario's party to assist in defeating him and his Heart. She has the ability to conceal Mario, to hide Mario from enemies. Her attacks possess the power to do more damage than other partners' regular attacks, but since she deals many blows at a time, she is not a good choice to attack enemies with Defense.

Watt - The sixth member of Mario's team. Watt is a young female Lil' Sparky, an enemy from Super Mario World. She is being held captive in the Big Lantern Ghost's Lantern. Defeat him, and she will join Mario's party. Watt has the ability to lighten up dark areas. Her basic attack ignores an enemy's Defense factor.

Sushie - The seventh member of Mario's team. She is the babysitter of several Baby Yoshis, but when they all run off, she joins Mario's party to find them. Mario can swim in water on her, and dive down in it too. She attacks with water, which is a good choice to take down Fire-based foes.

Lakilester - The final member of Mario's team. At first, he attacks Mario under the name Spike, but when he defeats him, his girlfriend, Lakilulu, flies down and inadvertently reveals his name. He joins Mario's team to defeat Huff N. Puff. Mario can hover safely across certain areas, such as spikes, without being hurt.

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