Paper Mario 2 is what I always wanted on a sequel: longer, more exciting and just more fun in general
GRAPHICS:
This game has an extremely polished look. The colors are much more vibrant than the previous game, and the intention to detail is really good. Also this game puts a bit more emphasis on the 'Paper' aspect, and it does so with good effect, implementing it creatively on the visuals and the gameplay in general. While it does look simple technicaly, the artistic level is quite high, and make for a memorable looking game. 5/5
SOUND:
I personaly prefer the soundtrack to the previous game, but TTYD still has a great soundtrack. It especially knows how to set a mood correctly, being eerie or happy, and some songs are just a lot of fun to listen to. Sound effects in general are also solid, fitting well and not being exagerated. 4/5
STORY:
Like the previous games in the Mario series, the main plot of TTYD is about Mario rescuing Princess Peach, who has been rescued again. In this case, it was a gang known as the X-Naut who did it, and they want to use her on their plan to rule the world.
While the premise is nothing new, it is a lot more creative than the previous game. Super Paper Mario would up the story to even better degrees, but this game is still good. The new enemies are creative and entertaining to watch, with their leader, Grodus, coming off as genuinely threatning.
But what really saves this game in this category is the writting. It is amazing, being extremely hilarious with well timed jokes, poking fun at the certain moments and never boring. Even with the minimalistic animations due to the characters being paper, since their dialogue is so lively and unique to one another, every character is fun on their own way. Again, I think the sequel is even better in terms of this, but Paper Mario 2 stands as one of the best written games I have ever played. It is a story that is surely a lot of fun to go through. 4/5
GAMEPLAY:
The game is a turn-based RPG. You play as Mario, who is always followed by a partner, on the quest to find all the Crytal Stars to save the Princess.
To get one thing out, the only big problem with the gameplay is that it is rather unoriginal. What I mean by that is that it follows the footsteps of its predecessor a bit too much. There are 7 stars to find, 8 chapter and the prologue, each star gives you a new ability, the stats are the same etc. But this game does the Paper Mario 1 formula remarkably well, refining these aspects to create a fun adventure.
Stats are HP, FP and BP. HP is normal hit points, FP is basicaly your mana/MP to cast badge abilities in this game and BP are badge points, to equip accesories that will either help you or give a new atribute to an attack. As you colect the Crystal Stars, you get special abilities, with their own cost. Again, they can be suportive to you or an attack. Besides that, items are also present, and you can thankfully upgrade your maximum items from 10 to 20, much better than the previous game. As you level up, you can upgrade one of your stats, and since the level cap is 30, you have to chose wisely what to upgrade.
The battle system is great. While not terribly diferent than the previous game, it is faster paced, and the variety of moves you can pull really make the game play as you wish. You can attack with either hammer or jump, each of which will recive two upgrades as the game progresses, and while you have to use both through the course of the game, you can use one more than the other depending on how you like to play.
From the previous RPGs are also timed hits, where if you press a button of do a specific action, your attack will do more damage or defend. New to this is a Stylish move, where if you press the A button in the middle or after the attack at a certain point, you will get stars that refill your special points. Stylish are a great adition, since waiting for the bars refill automaticaly in the last game took forever, and in this game the methods to refiling it are more efficient.
Partners play a little different in this game, since they now have their own health bar and can use items form the get go. This also makes the game a little deeper, as if you put them in front they will be the ones to take damage, so you have to be careful. You can also upgrade them twice, and there is even an optional secrete partner, being quite a nifty feature.
Two of the best advances of this game are that being made of paper now matters, since you get some moves that take advantage of that and roll you up in some way, which are creative and open many possibilities, and the fact that each different chapter has its own story. While in the preivous game that also existed, in this game the individual stories are deeper and more meaningfull, just being a lot of fun to see.
Also, after you beat the game (which will take around 20 or so hours), you get an endless play mode, where you can spend your time doing side quests on the Trouble Center, cooking for different recipies, playing minigames, filling your tattle log (this game's bestiary), going through the ranks up on a championship or enduring 100 concecutive battles on the Pit of 100 Trials. So, there is a LOT to do besides the main quest, which adds longevity which neither of the past two RPGs had.
So, all in all, this is a massive game, with a lot to do besides the main battling, which is already a lot of fun. Another downside is that this game is rather on the easy side, with very few bosses ever posing a thread. 5/5
OVERALL:
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year-Door is longer, more replayable and deeper experience than its predecessors. While easy, it is a lot of fun to play again and again and just mess around on it. Definitely an experience recomended for Mario fans and RPG fans in general.
The good:
-Looks really good
-Soundtrack is solid
-Story is pretty decent
-Amazing and funny writting
-Gameplay evolved really well
-Takes advantage of its setting in reallt great ways
-Lots to do besides the main quest
The bad:
-Structure is not that original
-A bit on the easy side