by Elton Gahr

Created on: May 31, 2009

If you've ever wondered why Mario didn't just walk around the pipes in earlier Mario games then Super Paper Mario is a game designed specifically for you. This game plays with the absurdities of two dimensional games by adding a third dimension but unlike other games with a three dimensional games it doesn't give up the old style platformer aspects that are so much fun, it simply adds new tools to that game.

The first thing you will notice about Super Paper Mario is the humor. This is a story that doesn't take itself serious and in that way it reflects the Wii in many ways, reminding us of the old days of video games when they didn't have to be intense third person shooters, scary horror games or ultra violent, it was simply enough for games to be fun. This humor manifests itself throughout the game with the interactions of with other characters, the names of your helpers, the look of the game and even the bosses.

This makes for a game that is completely acceptable for kids of any age while still entertaining adults. And as a family game that is what makes this so perfect. Large parts of the game are simple enough that kids could play it, though they are likely to fail on occasion but there are also puzzles that require real thought to work out and as the game progresses it becomes far more difficult.

The story of the game is that Count Bleck who is attempting to destroy all worlds. Mario is recognized as the hero of light because of his fantastic moustache and is given the ability to enter the third dimension for short periods of time in order gather together hearts so that he can go to more worlds.

As a fan of Mario 2, I especially appreciate the inclusion of many of the Mario 2 aspects that have been left out of Mario in the past while keeping the game play far closer to the odd numbered Marios. This includes having the princess float and Luigi being able to jump higher than Mario and the ability to pick up some enemies and throw them at others.

If you have ever found yourself wishing that they made more Mario games like you played on the old Nintendo Entertainment system then this is the game for you. It has been updated with dozens of new features from levels, multiple characters, numerous abilities and the third dimension but at its core this is the old style Mario platformer with all the jumping tricks and familiar enemies all held together more by the enjoyment of simple fun than any truly internal logic.

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