Paper Mario 2 is one of the most unique and innovative RPGs you'll ever play; this is a reason to get a Gamecube.
Released October 11, 2004
Only for the Gamecube
By the year 2004, many Mario fans across the world had already seen the Mario franchise experiment with all sorts of different game genres. Mario has made his mark on 2-D platformers, 3-D platformers, party games, racers, sports games, and even a few RPGs. But one thing is for sure; when it comes to the RPGs that Mario has starred in, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door showcases the absolute best of what Mario can do in the genre. With its unique story, unforgettable characters, great battle system, and interesting concepts, Paper Mario 2 is easily one of the best Mario games to date and one of the best games the Gamecube has to offer.
The game starts with a brief introductory sequence showing Princess Peach arriving in the ancient small town of Rogueport. Peach decides to sneak away from the watchful eyes of Toadsworth for a while to take a stroll around the town when she encounters a merchant with a strange treasure chest that no one has ever managed to open. At the request of the merchant, Peach attempts to open this chest and finds that not only is she able to pry it open, but the chest contains some sort of ancient treasure map that is hers to keep! Soon after this, Peach sends a letter to Mario asking him to come to Rogueport and search for the legendary "Crystal Stars" with her.
Not surprisingly, Peach gets kidnapped before Mario even gets to the town. But with the legendary treasure map in hand and the help of some new friends, Mario embarks on a journey to find the seven Crystal Stars, defeat the evil X-Naut organization, and to save Peach yet again.
While this is the basic start of the story of The Thousand-Year Door, the story will certainly keep you guessing throughout the lengthy adventure, and the story of the game is told through several different narratives. The game is broken up into eight chapters, with the main focus of each chapter being on Mario's journey, but in between each chapter you get to play as Peach and Bowser for a short time to see their side of the story, which really adds to the great storytelling of the game.
Now let's talk about the gameplay; I haven't personally played the first Paper Mario game, but from what I hear, the battle systems between the two games are pretty similar. Mario can do his normal jump and hammer attacks which involve pressing a button or using the joystick with good timing to score some extra damage. Mario's inventory is filled with both healing items and battle items, like most other Role-Playing Games. Mario can also be equipped with badges, which, among other things, can give Mario some other cool moves to be used in battle. With every Crystal Star that you collect throughout the adventure, Mario is given new Special attacks, which have effects ranging from massive damage to healing Mario and his partner.
Speaking of partners, Mario makes several good friends throughout the game, with a new party member joining the team in every chapter. I won't talk about each party member in detail, but each of them has their own unique set of attacks and a special ability to be used outside of battle. Each of these abilities really comes in handy when solving puzzles in the main adventure.
Mario also has a few special abilities of his own outside of battle.
To go with the paper theme of the series, Mario is granted a few unique powers of his own in different parts of the game. For example, in the prologue of the game, Mario is given the Paper Airplane form, which allows him to turn into a paper airplane and fly across gaps if he stands on a special panel. Later, Mario gets the Paper form, which lets him spin his two-dimensional body sideways to help him get through tight spaces. These abilities add a lot of innovation and variety into the game and are definitely one of the most memorable gimmicks of the game.
While Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door may not have the most detailed, flashy visuals that the Gamecube has to offer, the game more than makes up for it with the innovation put into the graphics. The game's paper-like visuals feature a lot of environments with an origami-figure type of design scheme, and a lot of animation sequences in the game will have some really cool paper-like effects, such as a wall peeling like paper to reveal a secret passage. This creative visual sty|e adds a lot more flare to the game and really immerses the player into the paper gimmick of the game.
The music of The Thousand-Year Door is also very well done. None of the tracks in the game are legendary by any means, but there are plenty of catchy tunes throughout the adventure that add to the atmosphere of the game; quick, upbeat music in the sunny fields but dark, creepy music in the haunted house level.
For those of you who don't want to read my nine paragraphs of in-depth discussion, let me just get to the point; Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is definitely one of the best games on the Gamecube (being my personal favorite), and if you're looking for a creative and unique Role-Playing experience, this is definitely the game for you. The Gamecube may not have had very many great RPGs, but this game in particular more than makes up for it.
Breakdown by Category:
Plot: 9/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Replay Value: 8/10
Fun Level: 9.5/10
Pros and Cons:
+ Great battle system
+ The paper abilities very innovative and add a lot to the gameplay
+ Unique graphics and animation
+ The game is 8 chapters long and can take about 20 hours to beat
+ Several great party members with their own abilities
- Some chapters feel more dull and empty than others
- There are a lot of extra things to do, but most of them are fetch quests
Overall score: 9.5/10