If you’ve been into gaming for a few decades, you’ll have fond memories of Saturday mornings diving into the latest releases on Nintendo 64. While the likelihood of you having a Nintendo 64 still available to play is slim,?? the Switch offers a limited numbe?r of titles from the iconic console. 

It’s been 28 years since the Nintendo 64 first hit TV units across the world, and 22 years since the final game was released for the console in North America (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, for those interested). That’s a long tim??e to go without playing some of the classics that were available during the console’s six-year tenure. 

However, if you’ve ??got a Nintendo Switch Online+ Expansion Pack membership, there are a few of those classics available to play. While some of them are definitely more niche, here are?? 10 of the best titles available to play. Apologies in advance if this list reminds you that we're aging up a little too fast...

Super Mario 64

I can’t begin this list without mentioning Super Mario 64. It was one of two games that were released alongside the launch of the N64 in North America (alongside Pilotwings 64), so it’s one of the first games that springs to mind whe?n I think back to queuing outside my local video game store to get?? the console on launch day in 1996. 

I don’t feel like I need to explain Super Mario 64 too much, but just in case you’ve ?been living under a rock for the last 39 years, let me give you the TLDR (which goes for most of the games): Mario is invited to visit Princess Peach, only to? find Bowser has infiltrated and kidnapped her. Cue a mad dash across the realm to locate and rescue the Princess, and take down Bowser. 

Pokémon Snap

If you want an updated version of this classic 1999 Pokémon title, then you can get New Pokémon Snap, which was released specifically for ??the Switch back in 2021. However, nothing quite touches the original in terms of nostalgia and classic design. There’s something really spe??cial about curling up and snapping shots of Pokémon as remembered from childhood. 

What tips the original over the successor, personally, is the lack of pressure to complete tasks. Admittedly there isn’t much i??n the new one either, but if you face a lot o??f pressure on a daily basis, being able to simply focus on taking photos rather than needing a reason to is actually really nice. 

Paper Mario

First reaching North America in 2001, Paper Mario is the first in a series of six games (or seven, if you count Paper Jam) to feature Mario and associated characters in their â€?.5Dâ€?forms. Again, the plot is familiar to all Mario fans - Bowser has Princess Peach, and Mario must battle through the Mushroom Kingdom to get her back and kick?? some overgrown turtle butt. 

What makes the Paper Mario series incredibly special, and es??pecially the first, is not only the art style but the puzzles and cooperation with other characters as well. The RPG elements and turn-based combat moments are tense, but not overly so. 

GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007 is an absolutely guaranteed memory for anyone who grew up in the 90s, whether you actually played or simply knew other people who did and desperately wanted to but your parents thought it was too graphic. Th??e idea of the latter is laughable now, considering the current gaming graphics we’ve become so used to, but the 90s were a different time. 

Regardless, the cover art of GoldenEye 007 is enough to trigger some childhood memories for most, featuring Pierce Brosnan as Bond and Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova. It’s based on the story from 1995’s GoldenEye, and as Bond, it’s up to the player to take down a criminal syndicate and prevent them from usin?g a satellite weapon. It also had multiplayer options, which would usually result in an argument or two. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Released in 1998, Ocarina of Time was the first of the Zelda game series to feature 3D graphics. It is, arguably, among the best and most iconic video games of all ?time, and at the time of release, it received far more pre-orders than any other game before it. 

As with most other Zelda titles, you take the role of Link and have all of his usual weapons in your arsenal, including the iconic sword and shield. The story is hard to explain if you’ve never played, but in short, Link must awaken ??the five Sages, defeat Ganondorf, and protect the kingdom of Hyrule. 

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was released in 2000, and as with the previous Ocarina of Time, The Crystal Shards was the first Kirby title to have 3D graphics. For most people of a certain age, Kirby is one of those games that invokes a huge amount of nostalgia and has come to many platforms in the time since it was first released, including the Wii, Wii U, and now the Ni??ntendo Switch. 

The story of The Crystal Shards involves Kirby having to reassemble a sacred crystal that has been shattered by Dark Matter. If you’ve ever played a Kirby game, you’ll know what to expect - explore 2.5D levels and devour your enemies to gain their powers. However, The Crystal Shards also introduced Power Combos, allowing you to mix and match powers to create new and much more powerf??ul ones. 

Banjo-Kazooie

As far as platformers go, Banjo-Kazooie borders on being wildly underappreciated. The first in a line of five titles, Banjo-Kazooie was released back in 1998. Banjo, the honey bear in fetching yellow shorts and always in possession of his trusty backpack, was first introduced in 1997 as part of the cast of Diddy Kong Racing. Kazooie, the Breegull wh?o can be found sheltering insid??e the aforementioned backpack, was introduced in this game and the pair became a beloved duo. 

Together, Banjo and Kazooie must track down Banjo’s ki??dnapped sister, Tooty, who has been k?idnapped by the evil witch Gruntilda. Gameplay is a mix of delightful (although often frustrating) platform levels, puzzles, and boss fights. There’s something incredibly satisfying about collecting music notes and Jiggies that open doors to new worlds. 

Yoshi’s Story

Yoshi’s Story was released in North America in 1998, and is a fruit-eating joy to play regardless of age. While most of the other titles on this list are adventuring games with someone to rescue, Yoshi’s Story provides something different: the endless frustration of trying ?to be better than you were before. T?here is an element of adventure and storytelling, but it arguably takes a back seat to beating your own high score.

There are two modes in Yoshi’s Story: Story Mode and Trial Mode. To unlock new levels in Trial Mode, you must first complete the? levels in Story Mode, and completing them requires the apparently simple task of eating 30 fruits. But of course, it’s not that simple. Each type of fruit is worth a different amount of points, with Melons giving the most, and there are also ?Lucky Fruits that offer a bonus. 

Perfect Dark

Perfect Dark is described as a “spiritual successor�to GoldenEye 007, runs on an upgraded version of the same game engine, and was developed and released three years later in 2000. Perfect Dark came not only with a solo campaign mode but also multiplayer options such as co-operative and deathmatch modes. It's making a comeback as well, but it rem??ains to be seen whether a remake can touch the nostalgia o?f the original.

As Joanna Dark, you must complete objectives while avoiding or eliminating opponents to eventually stop an extraterrestrial conspiracy by a corporation known as dataDyne. As with GoldenEye, there are many weapons to choose from, but now these weapons all have additional useful features. The K7 Avenger, for instance, will detect threats such a??s nearby explosives. 

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Released two years after Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask hit shelves and TV screens in 2000 and features the same 3D graphics that premiered in the previous title. Majora’s Mask is�Confusing, to say the least. The gameplay involv?es a 3-day cycle that must be replayed, using knowledge learned from previous cycles to perform better during subsequent ones. 

One of the best features of Majora’s Mask is the transformations provided by the core masks that Link can use - a Deku Scrub, a Goron, and a Zora. Each transformation provides Link with different, incredibly useful abilities, and you’ll need to think carefully about which form you take to complete puzzles and quests throughout the story. And ?did I mention that Link can control time and the moon is enough to give any kid nightmares for weeks?

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Reviews for the Nintendo Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door dropped earlier today (including our own), and they've unsurprisingly been overwhelmingly positive. What is surprising, though, is that among the game's quality-of-life updates includes a revised localization and scr??ipt, which unambiguously cements the character of Vivian as a transgender woman.

This was highlighted in Nintendo Life's own video review on the remake, which shows off this line from Vivi??an that wasn't present in the original Western release: "Truth is, it took me a while to realize I was their sister... not their brother. Now their ?usual bullying feels heavier."

For context, Vivian was always written as trans in the original The Thousand-Year Door, at least in the Japanese script. In fact, this was?? central to Vivian's character arc as she eventually joins Mario as a party member, having grown sick of her sister Beldam's insults whereas Mario treats her with kindness.

W?hen the game was localized and released in the West, this aspect ?was rewritten; Beldam was still a nasty bully who belittled Vivian's appearance and clumsiness, but any allusions to Vivian's gender were excised. For the remake, though, the updated script goes out of its way to ensure there's no room for debate or alternative reading; Vivian is unquestionably trans.

I'm honestly shocked this has even happened, but it's awesome nonetheless. Aside from allowing Vivian's character arc to be fully realized with no compromises, it's just nice to see more positive trans representation, particularly in a franchise as huge and popular as Super Mario. Fans of Vivian on Twitter are seeing this as an absolute win, though they also acknowledge this is going to invite the usual tired discourse and outrage. I must reiterate, this isn't 'forced diversity' on the part of the localization team; Vivian is trans in the original Japanese, so this ?is an accurate translation.

The remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was always going to be worth checking out if only for the pedigree of the original. It would've received praise for its combat, funny dialogue, pleasing visuals, and quality-of-life updates anyway, but this tiny clarification to the script is a big deal for a lot of people,? and one worth cel?ebrating.

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The weather's starting to heat up, and so is this month of video games. From the long-awaited Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 to a remake of a beloved Paper Mario classic, there's much to look fo??rward to in the May 2024 games lineup.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Ninja Theory
Price: $49.99
Release Date: May 21
Trailer

Creeping in with some psychological horror this month is Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. Xbox promises a "brutal journey of survival" as we experience the myths of Viking Iceland. Ninja Theory has showcased some gorgeous visuals, striking performances, and phenomenal sound in early trailers. The original impressed, so hopefully the sequel lives up to its pedigree. Launching on May 21, it will be available on day ??one on Xbox Ga?me Pass for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch)

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Price: $59.99
Release Date: May 23
Trailer

From a dark subdued atmosphere to a bright papercraft world, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door packs a dazzling amount of charm. While the game unfortunately runs at 30 frames per second (as opposed to the original's 60), the visuals reportedly po??p on screen and suit? a modern system.

Many will be reliving fond memories as they bounce on foes in time, find legendary treasure, and explore beautiful Mario environments. You should also expect funny dialogue from Bowser and others you know and love from the Mushroom Kingdom. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door's story unfolds o?n the Nintendo Switch on May 23.

MultiVersus (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: WB Games
Developer: Player First Games
Price: Free to play
Release Date: May 28
Trailer

Warner Bros-themed platform fighter MultiVersus is finally returning on May 28. Its open beta was popular, but was taken offline for quite some time. Similar to Super Smash Bros., the aim of the game is to knock your opponent out of the ring. Characters like Batman, Bugs Bunny, and Finn from Adventure Time battle it out for dominance in the arena.

The game, however, has a unique focus on team-based gameplay, with some heroes like Wonder Woman having team-support abilities. The Amazonian can use her lasso to save her ally, for example. Hopefully, the game succ?eeds with a? new server system and a transition to Unreal Engine 5.

Wuthering Waves (PC, iOS, Android)

Publisher: Kuro Game Studio
Developer: Kuro Game Studio
Price: Free to play
Release Date: May 22
Trailer

Those wanting an alternate take on the Genshin Impact formula may want to check out Wuthering Waves on May 22. Available for free for PC, Android, and iOS, this anime-inspired game features pretty visuals, well-designed characters to meet (and unlock through gacha mechanics), and fast-paced action gameplay. The combat system features counters and QTE elements, making it somewhat different to MiHoYo's Genshin Impact.

We'll see if this game can stand out in a competitive space with Zenless Zone Zero and other titles on the horizon.

The Rogue Prince of Persia (PC Early Access)

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Evil Empire
Price: Unknown currently
Release Date: May 14
Trailer

Lastly, there's The Rogue: Prince of Persia, a new roguelike developed by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire. Launching under Early Access on May 14, this platformer sparks with color as the Prince acrobatically moves across each level and strikes his opponents. There are all sorts of weapons to collect, and a selection of secondaries, such as bows, shields, and grappling hooks. Ubisoft says on t?he Steam page that we'll have to "Switch [our] loadout mid-run to adapt to new challenges."

Despite having an excellent Prince of Persia game already in 2024, a second mi??ght be a great dessert or perhaps even the main course.

Honorable Mentions

There are plenty other May 2024 games to choose from, including indie darlings like Braid Anniversary Edition and the fast-paced shooter XDefiant.

• Endless Ocean Luminous (Switch) - May 2
• Surmount (Switch, PC) - May 2
• V Rising (PC) - May 8
• Little Kitty, Big City (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch) - May 9
• Crow Country (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - May 9
• Homeworld 3 (PC) - May 13
• Braid Anniversary Edition (PS4, PS5, PC, Netflix, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 15 (16 for Xbox systems)
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut (PC) - May 16
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Switch, PC) - May 16
• Paper Trail (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
• XDefiant (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 21
• RKGK (PC) - May 22
• Pine Hearts (Switch, PC) - May 23
• Rocket Rumble (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - May 23
• World of Goo 2 (Switch) - May 23
• Songs of Silence (PC) - May 23
• Umbraclaw (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
• F1 24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - May 31
• Hypercharge: Unboxed (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 31
• Mutant Football League 2 (PC) - May 31

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With Mario Day 2024 at an end, it’s safe to say that weâ€?™ve had a very exciting day. F??rom release dates for two games, a list of Gameboy games coming to Switch Online, and even a new movie in the works, here’s what was revealed today.

A new Super Mario Bros movie is coming in 2026

Nintendo and Illumination are teaming up to bring the Mario Bros to the big? screen once again, with directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic returning to th?eir roles. Although not given much information about the plot aside from the intention to "expand Mario's world", we were told that storyboarding is well underway and animation will begin soon. 

The new movie won’t come as a surprise to anyone as the first movie turned out to be a Box Office hit?, making over 1.36 billion USD since its release back in April 2023.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake release date

The highly anticipate??d remake of the beloved? game, which was originally released on GameCube way back in 2004, is set to be released on May 23. 

Nintendo has commented that the new Switch ver??sion will have completely “revamped graphics, and a suite of additional chang?es that make the game easier than ever to enjoy� 

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD release date

Originally released back in 2013 on Nintendo 3DS, Luigi’s Mansion 2 (known as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon in?? North America) is finally getting a remaster and it’ll be available to play on June 27. 

Mario titles coming to Nintendo Switch Online

Three titles from the franc?hise will be added to Nintendo Switch Online’s Gam?eboy catalogue as of March 12:

• Dr. Mario
• Mario Tennis
• Mario Golf

More Mario LEGO sets are coming

We already know that we’re getting three new Mario LEGO sets this year:

• Battle with Roy at Peach's Castle
• King Boo’s Haunted Mansion 
• Bowser's Express Train

But Mario Day brought news of another set coming in 2025 �LEGO Mario Kart. 

Although we weren’t shown much, we d?id see a silhouette of a Kart and one glimpse of Mario himself in LEGO form. 

We’ve seen something similar in the past, although not by LEGO. Knex released Mario Kart sets back in 2011, including Karts and Tracks.?? Fans who remember this previous version are h??oping for something similar when the LEGO sets release next year.

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Paper Mario will be playable on December 10 with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack

As someone who has gotten decent mileage out of the Nintendo 64 launch lineup for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, I've been wondering when the next content drop would be and how many games we might get. As it turns out, my expectations were too high �again. Nintendo is bringing Paper Mario to Switch Online on December 10.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZU9sbtU0mc

That's all well and good �Paper Mario is one of the better N64 titles to this day and it'll suit the RPG crowd well on Switch �but I'm once again worried about Nintendo's glacial rollouts for its Switch Online retro libraries. We've gone from infrequent ??groups of out-of-nowhere oddball picks from the SNES days to now having a solo N64 addition.

Maybe it'll ramp up, though. We know for sure that Banjo-Kazooie, F-Zero X, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Mario Golf, Pokemon Snap, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask are coming to the Expansion Pack lineup �but there's also well-founded data-mined evidence suggesting at least 30 more N64 games are in the Switch Online pipeline.

Of the known-about games, Paper Mario would probably be my preferred pick for Nintendo Switch Online �and these visuals look pretty good �but I feel you if you were banking on Majora's Mask, F-Zero X, or Banjo-Kazooie. As a frequent renter in the N64 age, I?? never owned my own cartridge, so I'm excited to replay this game. The aesthetic was always so awesome, and I have a soft spot for those timed button presses during battles.

Speaking of which, I haven't felt too burned by the NSO's emulation latency, but I hope those timings aren't too tough. I don't want to keep lowering my expectations, y'know? Things could be so much better, and while I'm having fun with these old games for the time being, it's abs?olutely fair to expect better from Nintendo in this day and age.

All that said, if you've only played The Thousand-Year Door or the newer entries (and, big caveat, you're signed up for the Expansion Pack tier), don't skip the original Paper Mario.

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Maybe the real ?friends were the friends we made along the way!

[Destructoid reader TheBlondeBass has once again gathered folks from the community together for this edition of Destructoid Draws, which focuses on their favorite sidekicks in video games! �strong>Kevin]

So, I've been having a good time playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon these past few days. Great time, even, with the game having excellent characters, writing, minigames, the works. But, it took a little time to get there. Like many JRPGs, the game starts with a fairly slow opening?? with a party of one. A??nd, you know what? It made me appreciate just how important a strong supporting cast is.

Th?is time around for Destructoid Draws, members of the community were asked to draw their fav?orite sidekicks and allies. Because the real stars of the show are often just to the side of the spotlight, right?

It's time to fin?ally give?? these sidekicks the respect they truly deserve, I say!

DeScruff
Cremia from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

"Cremia is a very minor character, but she gives you one thing that I never thought I would ever want outside of a dating sim. A warm heartfelt hug. In a game as dark and depressing as Majora's Mask, that is the best reward one can get."

"See you... tomorrow... Ok?"

TriggerPigking
Nia from Xenoblade Chronicles 2

"Nia is one of my favorite characters in gaming, and I could talk about her at length. From a companion angle, she's essentially the only dedicated healer in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so she's almost always a necessity for the pa??rty. From a character angle, she acts as a very nice sarcastic foil to the rest of the party (including Rex's ??upbeat attitude), which is a lot of fun.

We need more sarcastic ??cynical white mages in games, and the rough welsh accent she has works surprisingly well for such a character."

NeoTurbo
Whacka from Paper Mario

"Whacka is everyone's favorite Paper Mario NPC for some reason or another. Whether? you want to protect that precious smile or protect your party from death at the cost of inflicting him serious head trauma.....Whacka has something for everyone!"

TheBlondeBass
Herlock Sholmes from The Great Ace Attorney

"The Great Ace Attorney is a fascinating duo of games. They manage to simultaneously raise the bar of what is possible in an Ace Attorney game, while also managing more subdued and, dare I say... realistic cases? They're not afraid to deal purposefully unsatisfying endings that wouldn't feel out of place in a court of law, free from the chains of Ku'rain channeling. I'll say it. They've outclassed Trials and Tribulations for me.

But, I digress. These games are sti??ll very much comedic, and this larger-than-life take on Sherlock Holmes takes the cake. Threading the line of genius and idiocy, you're never quite sure what's going ??to happen next with him, but you know you won't be disappointed!

I'm certainly not one to spoil story-rich games like this one, so let me just say this. After case 2-3, I was thinking "okay, that was the best Logic and Reasoning Spectacular." That's the name of a new mechanic where Sholmes and the main charac?ter try to piece together the clues at a crime scene, by the way. Anyway, then came cases 2-4 and 2-5, and they both blew me away back to back. That's a difficult feat!

Oh and the uh... the joke in my submission ??is 'The game is a foot!'. Sorry."

Vesalius
Glory from Shadowrun: Dragonfall

"It was a tie between her and Big Bo from Binary Domain, but she’s my favorite murderous medic sidekick! I always made my characters weak in combat, so ?it was nice having a sidekick who could shred people’s faces."

Inquisitive Raven
Fret from NEO: The World Ends With You

"Fret first comes across as your typical dudebro (and to a degree he is), but there's more to him than that. He has a surprising amount of emotional intelligence, of?ten knowing what to say to defuse a situation if possible. He presents himself as cheerful and easygoing to a fault, even when he has his own misgivings about what's going on. Later on in the game, Fret deals with the repercussions of this facade in a way that hit surprisingly close to hom??e and led to a good bit of growth for him.

I didn't expect to like him as much as I did. I already had ideas of some of my favorite characters, but Fret really grew on me. He's a good dude! And that's not even mentioning how he complements Rindo, who's way more passive most of the time. I like Fret as a "Sidekick" because he's leg??itimately his own character, and not tied to Rindo alone.

Also, I love hearing him yell, 'Galaxy Brain - ACTIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!' before a battle!"

That's it? for this edition of Destructoid Draws! While we're talking about favorite sidekicks, what are some of yours? As always, I'd love to see more stories and sketches in the comments! Want to check out the previous Destructoid Draws? Here are a f?ew handy links!

• Guilty Gear
• Favorite Franchises
• Villains
• Original Mega Man Robot Masters
• Indie Games
• White Whales
• Super Smash Bros
• ENCORE: Guilty Gear
• ENCORE: Dream Crossovers

The post Destructoid Draws ENCORE: Favorite Sidekicks appeared first on Destructoid.

'I want to keep developing Paper Mario games that are both innovative and unique'

Paper Mario: The Origami King came out very recently, and while a lot of people seemed to dig it; a lot of folks still did not appreciate the fact that that it was settling further into the "new" action-centric Paper style and less in the vein of?? the RPG classic entries. That's fine!

Nintendo even explained that this shift was because Mario & Luigi served as the "RPG" companion to the "new Paper Mario" style: but with the former seemingly out of commission for now, who knows what the future might bring. Series p??roducer Kensuke Tanabe is seemingly in the same boat.

Speaking to Eurogamer Germany (as translated by Nintendo Everything), Tanabe says that although the goal was to completely move away from the RPG genre with Sticker Star, it is possible that the series could go back to its roots, stating: "?Even though we’ve stuck to that decision so far [of being an adventure game with a focus on solving puzzles], we haven’t decided yet whether or not we will keep doing so in the future. Personally speaking, I want to keep developing Paper Mario games that are both innovative and unique."

Tanabe says that he isn't "opposed" to listening to fans on the matter, but subscribes to Shigeru Miyamoto's brand of game development, which puts "innovative and unique gameplay systems" at the forefront. This explains why all of the last three Paper Mario games have felt different, right or wrong, and Tanabe wants to k??eep "surprising?" fans, even if there's "no guarantee" that they'll succeed.

No matter how people feel about the shift, I admire Tanabe for being so candid about this series: at least, more so than a lot of other Nintendo developers. I liked Color Splash and Origami King just fine, but I also wouldn't say no to a true sequel to say, The Thousand-Year Door.

Paper Mario [Eurogamer.de via Nintendo Everything]

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'I aim to pick ideas that are understandable all around the world'

Nintendo's Kensuke Tanabe is kind of a legend. He's worked on Super Mario RPG's script, he's been involved in franchises from Donkey Kong Country to Pokemon and he even wrote Link to the Past. Quite the resume!

Although Intelligent Systems is responsible for a large part of recent Paper Mario games, Tanabe and several other developers at Nintendo also pitch in. VGC recently caught up with him to talk Paper Mario, and he provided some extra insight into why the recent games are the way they are, as well as his approach to the humorous tone that entries from Sticker Star on have leaned into.

Speaking to VGC, Tanabe gives us his core philosophy on comedy, explaining: "I don’t use any ideas that go against what’s considered appropriate for the times. I also don’t use ideas that are too much of a twist and so are difficult to understand. Instead, I aim to pick ideas that are understandable all around the world." He says that Miyamoto was a big influence on the team, especially as it pertains to Mario and the angle of? stories that aren't "too complicated."

As for the inherent nature of the new direction of Paper Mario (specifically Origami King), Tanabe notes: "I do think it’s difficult to satisfy certain fans with the adventure game direction if they think of Paper Mario games as simply being RPGs. ?I hope that everyone will play this game with an open mind."

He goes on to say: "I do look through the opinions of fans once a game is released. As there are cases where I can’t address those opinions exactly as fans want, I try to challenge myself to other new, fun ideas. What I always keep in mind though is to do as much as I can so that players can enjoy new and unique game experiences. I’m confident that if you play Paper Mario: The Origami King, you’ll understand just how many id?eas we’ve managed to pack ??into one game."

Tanabe also seems incredibly humble, accepting the fate that maybe, his co-creations might not make it into the annals of Nintendo history. He admits that the legacy of "all-time hit" characters isn't up to the development team, and hopes that "fans truly accept" those creations and that Origami King's c??haracters "will stay in players' memories," despite the fact that they might end their journey in this solo entry.

Well, there's always assist trophies in whatever the next iteration of Smash Bros. looks like! As for me, I'd love to see some of the origami charact?ers live on in the future.

Paper Mario's development team lays it all out [VGC]

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The next best thing to a Direct

[Update: Of all possible things, WayForward's game turned out to be Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia.]

The Nintendo Direct format may or may not be transforming – time will tell – but Treehouse lives.

During a just-announced Nintendo Treehouse: Live stream scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Pacific on July 10, 2020, Nintendo will debut a new WayForward game and preview Paper Mario: The Origami King.

Here's the curious part: the mystery game? is "a title in a franchise new to developer WayForward." Am I reading into that too much, or are ??the implications really exciting? I hope they're borrowing an IP.

[Update: Nintendo clarified? that WayForward's new game is "based on a ??third-party property."]

You could put WayForward on just about any series and I'd be stoked to check it out.

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Creepy lady!

Methinks there's something wrong here. Through slick deduction skills learned from games like Mario is Missing, I'??m able to surmise that a?ll is not as it should be in the Mushroom Kingdom. 

GameXplain uploaded the five-minute intro cinematic to the upcoming Paper Mario: The Origami King and someone has a lot of explaining to do! The Origami Festival is a ghost town and Princess Peach's castle is a prison. Then Peach comes stomping out of her lair asking creepy-ass questions like "??Shouldn't the Toads be silenced for all of eternity?"?? and "Will you crease yourself and be reborn?"

We already know the impetus for this adventure: King Olly has some sort of stranglehold on the castle. There's brainwashing at play or someone's in a disguise made of papier-m&aci?rc;ch&ea??cute;. Either way, sound the alarm! This is too culty to be wholesome.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is out on July 17 on Switch. However, we'll find out more tomorrow during a surprise Nintendo Treehouse live stream. In the meantime, here's (mostly) everything we know about Origami King at this point. Then, in a week or so, we find out wheth??er these folds are gold or tearable.

The post Princess Peach asks some real unnerving questions in Paper Mario: The Origami King’s intro appeared first on Destructoid.

Interest inCREASING?

May's surprise reveal of Paper Mario: The Origami King was met with some trepidation. Releasing in July, that first two-minute trailer didn't show enough to earn much confidence. Paper Mario missteps like Sticker Star are too fresh in too many minds.

Maybe this six-minute overview will win some hearts. Nintendo covers a lot of ground here, explaining Origami King's exploration, combat, companions, and more.

Let's take stock of everything in bullet points:

• The impetus for this quest is to find the ends of five streamers (not the Twitch kind) that have stretched out across the land. That is, somehow, how Mario plans to free Princess Peach's castle from King Olly's paper-clad stranglehold.
• The five streamers correlate to Origami King's five lands. They are: "a forest spring, an autumn mountain, a ninja-filled mansion, an underground sewer system, and a desert oasis."
• As we learned during the reveal, exploration is driven by unfolding the environment to find new paths and hidden secrets.
• I love that Toad Tower shooting a laser beam out of its eye at 1:10.
• At some point, Mario appears on a quiz show in front of an audience of Shy Guys. That's the kind of wholesome creative touch that wins me over.
• Olivia is Mario's main companion in Origami King. She's King Olly's brother and she's deadset on foiling his plans. Other companions mentioned are: Bobby the amnesiac Bob-omb, Professor Toad who cosplays as Indiana Jones, and Kamek the Koopa wizard.
• Finally, a proper combat overview. All battles take place on a grid of rings, with enemies each stationed in their own square. Before the fight starts, Mario has to rotate the rings so as to best align the enemies for efficient attacks. This stage is timed and is also limited to a set number of rotations. (Curiously, there's also a "Buy Time" mechanic.)
• The grouping of enemies will inform the kind of attacks you want to pick. For instance, a line of Goombas would best be taken out with a Super Jump that bounces straight on each one's head. But, a square grouping could be walloped with a hammer that doesn't reach as far but has a wider radius. Fireballs, Raccoon Tail, and POW Block are a few more Mario-centric attacks that are namedropped.
• Maybe the most ridiculous and incredible inclusion of all, boss fights are against everyday office supplies. Cower in fear at 12 Colored Pencils. Tremble at the very sight of the might Tape Dispenser. I'll be very disappointed if Milton's Swingline doesn't make a cameo.
• The ring-based combat system plays a different role in boss battles. Rather than lining up the enemy, it's used for Mario to navigate around the boss' attacks, putting him in position to target their weak points and launch his own offensive.
• Smash everything and there might be a Toad inside. Toads are Origami King's collectibles. That frying pan full of bacon and eggs is actually a Toad. 

Paper Mario: The Origami King releases o??n Switch on July 17. At least now we have some proper information.

The post All the little de?tails about Paper Mario: The Origami King are starti??ng to unfold appeared first on Destructoid.

If a termite gets hungry in this universe would it eat a rock

Ever since Bass shared his impressions on its Indiegogo demo, I've been looking forward to Bug Fables. Moonsprout Games' debut project is laser-focused on two of my biggest desires, a return to classic Paper Mario gameplay and colorful anthropomorphic insects that kick ass, but it's hard to not be cautious about crowdfunded games these days. Thankfully, it's shaping up to be a promising homage by all indications, including its latest trailer revealed at this ye??ar's BitSummit.

I could gush about everything this trailer does to pander to me, but the real juicy bit is the reveal that Bug Fables is coming to Switch and PS4, in addition to Steam. Seeing an indie project expand to wi??der horizons it good enough news by itsel??f, but bringing it to the Switch is an excellent move.

Even in the Paper Mario franchise itself, "Paper Mario-likes" are a tiny niche with an extremely passionate following. Bug Fables' most notable peers are Underhero and Scrap Story. The former of those is so obscure that we, unfortunately, don't have any front page article links to shoehorn into this paragraph. The latter is still so early in developme??nt we don't even know which platforms it's heading to.

Now Bug Fables is coming to the platform those fans are most likely to own today. With the current absence of a new Paper Mario game on the Switch -- let alone one without a controversial gameplay formula in lieu of the first two games' twist on turn-based RPGs -- Bug Fables just might be the closest thing to a Thousand-Year Door sequel we'll ever see. I have a great feeling about it, but we'll see whenever Bug Fables releases this year.

@PaperBugDev [Twitter]

The post Bug Fables is bringin??g paper RPG scrapping to Switch and PS4 this year appeared first on Destructoid.

And not only to teach me a lesson about Christmas

Crowdfunded games are a gamble. We’ve seen the likes of Mighty No. 9 go from extreme anticipation to an underwhelming launch. We've even seen games that fail to release altogether. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for projects that offer prototypes, demos, or other forms of early gameplay. It's nice to see evidence that work has already been put into the game, that it has a clear vision and that it’s heading in a direction I personally enjoy. Having tried Bug Fables’ demo, available on its Indiegogo campaign, I can safely file that game under the?? “??I’m excited” category.

See, Bugs Fables is the most Paper Mario a game has ever been since The Thousand-Year Door. Turn-based battles, platform??ing, quirky characters, cookin?g, it has it all.

One thing immediately struck me as I began playing Bug Fables. The visual effects are on point. The characters flip while moving just like you'd expect, houses come undone when entering just like you'd expect, transitions between screens are from lone platforms just like you'd expect. It's impressive, seeing how close the game gets to Paper Mario's vision, and its polish as well.

The gameplay felt like the original Paper Mario's more than its sequel. There's no Super Block by default (you need a medal for that), and I haven't encountered stylish commands either. Don't worry, this simple yet effective battle system still has a lot of charm. A few tweaks to the gameplay let Bug Fables stand on its own too, even in this early form. There are three characters in your party of roughly equal importance, instead of the main + partner system from Paper Mario. This puts more options into the player's hands every turn, both for positio?ning and move selection. The lack of jumping as an at?tack move also makes it more challenging to get the initiative on foes, which I appreciated.

Bug Fables looks a lot like Paper Mario and plays a lot like Paper Mario. Some may complain about that... But I personally think it’s a wonderful opportunity to give that game style some time in the limelight, considering The Thousand-Year Door released 13 years ago. In any case, I had a great t?ime.

Despite my praises, it’s still clear this isn't the final build of the game, and members of Moonsprout Games have their work cut out for them. Beyond their promise of delivering?? roughly eight time?s the amount of content in the demo in the final game, I also had a few issues with the controls that I hope will get fixed before the final game:

• The activated abilities in the overworld, as they are currently, need some work. They don't activate if you hold the button beyond a fraction of a second. This already causes problems with the timing required to use abilities on the environment and moving enemies. On top of that, you can't use an activated ability while the animation from a previous use is playing... Because these rules are so restrictive, I repeatedly found myself expecting a horn strike to come out while it never did.

• I find it a shame that you can't keep scrolling through menus in a direction when you keep a button pressed. It's a minor thing, but I notice that kind of stuff!

The game is currently funded 73% of the way. There's little doubt in my mind that it will get there in 17 days, even if it is only planned for PC so far. Yes, there’s work ahead of the developers after the game is funded, but my worries are minor compared to the delightful experience I had overall with Bug Fables. It definitely convinced me to ta??ke that gamble and pledge to the project myself.

The post The Bug Fables demo took me 17 years to the past appeared first on Destructoid.

Promoted from our Community Blogs!

[I think for a lot of gamers my age, Final Fantasy VII was the game that really introduced us to RPGs. Cedi, on the other hand, cut his teeth on our dear friend Mario's papertastic adventures and learned to love the genre as a result. Why is this blog being posted on Destructoid's Front Page? Because it's awesome. Also, because Cedi joined us for this month's Bloggers Wanted prompt! Tell us in the comments which game finally helped you to understand a new genre in gaming! - Wes]

RPGs are a fascinatin??g genre of games. Their biggest draws to fans involve a lot of reading, doing math, and sometimes bawling uncontrollably. They're things that many kids don’t like doing, but somehow, they've captivated large aud??iences of all ages. If you described RPGs like that to me decades ago, I would maybe have treated them like Brussels sprouts. And yet, as I said last Sunday, ?one particular game wo??n me over to this genre from an early age. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door lure??d me in with the platforming icon every kid knows, and I left the credits sequence having learned to love ?this genre. But Paper Mario, in all of its iterations, is very far from the standard RPG. So how did this game lure me into the genre as a ?whol??e?

I know this game is pretty much ancient at this point, but fair warning: I wi?ll be discussin?g TTYD story spoilers. If you're fine with spoilers, cool, but if you’ve never ?seen its story and you think that doesn’t matter in the slightest? Just gonna add that I felt the same until I played this game myself. I urge yo?u to play it if you can. It’s worth the experience points.

But before we dig into that, I should briefly explain my experiences with the only other RPG I played before TTYD, which was Pokémon Gold. What other RPG series were kids more likely to get into first? It’s a great game with a lot of writing and turn-based battles. The creature collecting and raising mechanics are deep and fun. And yet, I never really took much notice of that. I enjoyed the writing, but only in the same way as an average Saturday morning cartoon; just as an entertaining vehicle from one battle to another (though the postgame final boss was a climax even little Cedi understood the awesome impact of). Similarly, I didn’t bother training up other monsters because I didn’t want to spend that much time doing so, especially since my Typhlosion was strong enough to nuke every enemy trainer alone. Yes, I was one of those p?layers. I wasn’t excited by anything other than the creature collecting at this point, but I was acclimated into wh??at basically defines the genre.

Also, I used a Master Ball on a Doduo. That’s a solid indicato??r of how much I understood about the who??le thinking part of RPGs.

Then in the early 21st century came along a shiny new Nintendo system, and with it, a metric ton of games starring our favorite plumber. Dozens of new Mario games I was destined to rent and buy, but one of them didn’t have Mario as I knew him. Why was he flat? Why was he friends with a cute Goomba girl and silly Koopa dork? How come I never played the original Paper Mario on the Nintendo 64? “Who cares, it’s a Mario game, I gotta play it!” said little Cedi, as he enthusiastically inserted the disc into his GameCube. The back of the box told me it was going to be a very different type of Mario game, but I had already accepted that going into it. “It’s a lot like Pokémon but wit??hout the monster catching,&rd?quo; little Cedi guessed.

Little Cedi guessed wrong. And like any good te?acher, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was determin?ed to make him not just know the right answer, but understand it.

The gameplay was my first lesson. Pokémon taught me a few of the fundamentals; you take turns selecting actions, you can level grind to get stronger, and you want to exploit elemental weaknesses everywhere you can. That’s what I always did back in Gold, playing only with my starter and abusing the heck out of TMs. Much to little Cedi’s surprise, TTYD didn’t allow either of the latter two, at least not to the extent of ignoring other a??spects of the battle system.

You can grind, but levels don’t make everything s??tronger. You never gain attack or defense from leveling, and you can only choose one stat to increase every level. I was quickly forced to accept two very important facts about this RPG: You can’t level grind to instantly overpower every encounter, and you have to make choices that matter for your play style in the long term.

Sure, some similar stipulations regarding what you should and shouldn’t do exist in the positional/situational attacking mechanics. Your hammer can only hit the first grounded enemy, and your jump can’t hurt spiked enemies. But these were limitations to work around, not advantages to exploit. My party may have had much more HP, but the enemy had an advantage I mostly couldn’t turn to my own. Instead, I had to ask myself how I could use my skills and resources to overcome those disadvantages, or even create new opportunities. Jumping on Koopas flips them over and renders them defenseless, so I learned to prioritize them over less easily incapacitated foes. Hyper Goombas can charge to deal a crapton of damage, so I learned to either take them out pronto or shield up from their counterattack. Pink Fuzzies can suck FP to nuke you the following turn, so? I learned to not be stingy with my special moves against them. The game acclimated me towards understanding little tactics like that.

I never got really dee?p into strategies such as with Danger Mario builds, and I did?n’t need to. Paper Mario is still a simple and easy RPG. But I was actually strategizing in a sense. I was reacting to my foes’ actions, utilizing a wide array of abilities, relying on my party members, and buildi??ng a character who can do a lot but not everything. It was much more engaging than just spamming Earthquake on my overgrown fire mouse (no hard feelings Typhlosion ilu). I learned to love the element of making choices in gameplay, both in battle and to prepare for future battles.

By the time I finis??hed the fortress east of Petalburg, which taught me the vital importance of items in battle, I was getting the hang of the game’s basic mechanics. Then a bit later, I got my second party member, Koops. I liked Goombella and her tattling a lot already, but he brought his own interesting traits I would come to appreciate. They included a long-range first strike, the defensive capabilities of the Koopas I’ve fought up to this point, an AoE attack, and a quest to avenge ??his father and overcome his self-esteem issues.

“Wait, what? But&he?llip; this is a video game!” Little Cedi exclaimed. “People don’t ha?ve problems like that in video games! You just gotta have fun, beat the bad guys and save the world!”

Mrs. TTYD took a deep, long sigh, and tapped her chalk against the TV scree??n. M?idterms had begun.

Gradually, the chapters of this game dragged me into more deep and per?sonal plotlines. Koops had a heartfelt reunion with his father. Mario uncovered a conspiracy in the Glitz Pit with the aid of a vendetta-carrying secretary. One of my own enemies became my sworn ally after I consoled her from her sister’s abuse. A depressed sailor spent a moment in the adjacent room after I delivered him the late dying message of his wife. Despite the slapstick and on-point jokes keeping me laughing, this game was bold enough to dive into subject matter that was dark, serious, and mo??st of all, emotional.

I can ??feel the ??tears trying to come back right now.

I was beginning to see my partners and the cast members around me not just as party members and NPCs, but as characters and people. They h?ad personalities. They had goals. They had fears. They had roles to play. Even Mario kinda had his own role to play, depending on how I played up his multiple choice dialogues. I felt their relationships, their camaraderie, their grudges, their excitement, their depr??ession, their relief. The writing had pulled me into their story. I learned to love video games not just for gameplay, but for storytelling.

Sure, stories of similar, if not greater calibers exist somewhere in every genre these days. But a great story with great writing and great characters is considered the core of a great RPG, not an o?ptional extra. TTYD is the game which showed? me that, throu??gh a series that I never expected any such thing out of.

Mrs. TTYD felt like a cruel teacher at times. Her lessons challenged me. Her demonstrations crushed my unders??tanding of things. Her lectures broke my enthusiasm. But she didn’t do it just to make me suffer. She did it to help me understand something I should appreciate knowing in my future.

It might be a thousand years old, but this was the door that led me to another realm of gaming. I’m not sure where my appreciation for games would be today if it wasn’t for that. I’d eventually come to play Kingdom Hearts II for completely unrelated reasons, and I love that game in different but related ways. I never even knew that Kingdom Hearts was an RPG series until I picked it up. Who kno???ws, maybe destiny would have led me down this path sooner or later?

But I ain’t complaining. I played Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. What better gateway? into RPGs could I have asked for? Regardless of the future of the Paper Mario ??subseries, I’m simply glad that I had the opportunity to explore such a wonderful RPG.

As long as Paper Mario’s future st??ays away ?from the battle system used in Sticker Star and Color Splash. I might be le??ss glad if th??ey make a third game like that.

The post Schooled: How I learned to love RPGs appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome... to my lair!

The games industry, like the movie industry and apparently the television industry, is one that thrives on sequels. Just look at the list of upcoming games for 2017. You can barely swing a cat without hitting some follow-up. Some of these games look to improve upon the first entry, others exist solely to continue the story and some basically start from scratch, going back to the drawing board to give players something completely new. Every sequel has a chance of outshining the original, but let’s be honest: no sequel will ever shine a bright as Portal 2.

I didn’t play the original Portal until just before the release of the sequel. As a Mac owner, the game came free for me with the download of the Steam client. I fell hard for Portal, both figuratively and literally. I literally fell out of my chair in?? midst of celebrating my triumph over GLaDOS and hit my head on the floor. That brain injury did nothing to temper my anticipation for the follow-up.

There is always the worry a sequel will be a letdown, that our experiences with the original create unjustifiably high expectations for anything that follows it. Portal 2 took exactly 10 minutes for that worry, the fear of the overfamiliar, to ?melt away. It did exactly what I believe a good sequel should do:?? take what worked with the original, get rid of what didn’t, and make worthwhile additions.

It’s tough for me to say which addition Portal 2 is the best. The story, and yes stories can make video games better, helped build the world around Aperture Science and create motivation for its characters. New physics concepts intensified the puzzles standing between Chell and Wheatley, and the co-op mode provided some of the most fun I’ve had working together with a friend. Oh, and I can't forget the beautiful mod support for the game. All of this bundled created a package far more complete and engaging than the original. That’s why it’s a clear, inarguable fact that Portal 2 is the gold standard for sequels in ??this industr??y.

Chris Carter

I can't think of a bigger night and day jump than the Shenmue series. I was into the first one, but Shenmue II drew me in like no other game at the time. It came at a perfect era in my life when I was going through some big family troubles, and I would retreat to its incredible world constantly, just to be a part of it. Whether it was arm wrestling dudes in a hangar, playing arcade games, or bein?g a part time carny ("would you like to try a game of Lucky Hit?"), there was just so much more to do.

I also really connected with some of the monologues dealing with the martial arts principles. It sounds silly but I took some basic Tai Chi classes in the months following, and the game as a whole did an amazing job of chilling me out during that rough period. Imagine my surprise when I heard that Shenmue III wasn't h?appening, and that over a decade later, that it was back on.

Even if it doesn't deliver in the slightest though, I'll always have Shenmue II.

Peter Glagowski

There was a little confusion on my part for this question as CJ specifically mentioned the "second" entry in a series. This led to a discussion about whether the Capcom Vs. series has proper numbering and what not, but I also was just trying to figure out what constitutes a "second" game. Then it hit me; there is one game that is both the "second" entry and the absolute best of its franchise. That game is Star Fox 64.

While there were plenty of fans of Star Fox on SNES back when it released, even just a few years after its '93 release date the game felt old. It had awful perf??ormance and anything on the PlayStation made the game look positively archaic by comparison. It's one thing to be old, but it's another when newer 3D games just play better.

So it was a pretty huge deal with 64 launched and basically aped everyt?hing about the original game. I??t had a story that essentially retconned the first game, rebooting the series while also providing players with hidden paths, different difficulties based on those paths and a lightning fast frame rate. Oh, and rumble pak support, I guess.

Honestly, every other game in the Star Fox franchise hasn't topped 64 in terms of pacing, content or quality. Yeah, Zero might look HD and Assault has on-foot segments, but both of those games try to get away from the one thing that makes Star Fox work: tight controls and quick levels. Star Fox is an arcade shooter at its heart and nothing does it better than 64.

In a lot of ways, 64 may also be seen as the worst thing to happen to Star Fox since Nintendo can't get away from it. Every game that has followed it has been compared to the classic, but can you blame fans? Nintendo really did do everything right with this game and it's crazy how they keep trying to shoehorn in different concepts when they should just be refining the action. Really, don't let the series die with Zero, Nintendo!

Jonathan Holmes

When Peter says "This led to a discussion about whether the Capcom Vs. series has proper numbering and what not", what he means is "Like a raging, sugar mad baby, Holmes kept babbling about how Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 qualifies as the second game in the MvC series, despite my reminders about how smart, attractive people all agree that it's actually the fourth game in Capcom's larger superhero rave crossover franchise."&nbs??p;

I see Peter's point, I'm sticking to my guns. While X-Men Vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter had mostly recycled sprites and kept their respective rosters contained to specific franchises, Marvel Vs. Capcom opened things up to the entirety of two fictional universes. It felt like nothing I'd ever seen before. Putting company icons like Mega Man, Strider, Captain Commando, Morrigan together with oddballs like Jin from Cyberbots all in one game was a watershed moment for Capcom, and for video game crossovers in general. The fact that Venom and Onslaught from the Marvel Universe showed up too?? was... fine, but the real magic here came from seeing Capcom finally pull the?ir own Smash Bros. together. 

With the sequel, Capcom maxed out on the "anything goes school of martial arts" concept to a degree they may never be able to top. Mega Man and Strider were joined by Jill from Resident Evil (who attacks with semi-cute cartoon zombies), Tron from Mega Man Legends (along with curry rice loving Servebots?), a reinvention of the classic arcade character Son Son, and even all new characters like the swa??shbuckling Ruby Heart, the Latino cactus man Amingo, and final boss Abyss.

All that combined with a bizarre Synth Jazz soundtrack, beautiful graphics, triple tag teams, and a roster large enough to house two or three regular sized fighters made for pure pandemonium. Capcom had never been so confidently, brazenly manic, and from the looks of the Marvel Vs. Capcom series now, they probably never will be again. When it comes to sequels that go balls out, there's fewer bolder than Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. 

Tian Ma

Quake II takes the top spot for me. To say the original Quake made a splash is a massive understatement. That game was the standard by which first-person shooters were judged. Every shooter that came out wanted to be the definitive Quake-killer. Just the fact of it being a sequel to Quake made Quake II automatically significant. Following up Quake would be like following up Star Wars. So what did id Software end up releasing? Well, it turned out to be a mostly unrela??ted ga?me about killer cyborgs in space...

The thing is, Quake II didn't become one of my all-time favorites for being a great sequel or a great game. It was both those things, but more importantly, it defined the modern PC gaming experience. In an era when game engines were as important as the actual product, Quake II had the most technologically advanced one ever. Its built-in OpenGL support gave gamers a reason to invest in 3D accelerators and paved the way for 3DFX and Nvidia to become industry juggernauts. The Quake II engine (now called id Tech 2) was also highly moddable. Devoted fans could make the game nearly unrecognizable as they did with Action Quake II, or even add in ne??w game modes like capture the flag. Modding wasn't a new thing at the time, but id Software made the wise decision to embrace the modding ?scene instead of trying to shut it down.

Then there was the multiplayer. Though I had played plenty of Doom and Quake (and was probably way too young to be doing so), Quake II was the game that got me hooked on deathmatch. It only took one map to do so, and that was q2dm1: "The Edge." To me, it's as iconic as any FPS multiplayer map since - on the level of Counter-Strike's de_dust, Unreal Tournament's Facing Worlds, and Halo's Blood Gulch. Its design was so simple but played perfectly into what Quake II deathmatch was all about: aim, timi??ng, traversal, and that Megahealth.

I won't argue that Quake II is a better game than the others on this list, but I can't think of another one that was so influential in the nascence of modern PC gaming. It made technology, modding, and multiplayer integral parts of the experience. It was the reason I dreamed about dual Voodoo2 builds before I could drive. From the seeds Quake II planted, you got other iconic FPS cornerstones: Half-Life, Unreal, and of course Quake III.  If Quake II had flopped, I'm not sure anythin??g in the PC gaming landscape would be the way it is now.

ShadeOfLight

It turned out to be surprisingly difficult to name my favorite sequel, although Portal 2 is already a damn strong contender. Nintendo series usually only get really great at their third entry. Mario, Zelda, Metroid, arguably Pokémon, Pikmin; the number two tends to get lost in the mix at Nintendo. Then you get into the games that may or may not count as the "second" entry: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Mario 3D World, and some others as well. But after what seemed like a thous?and years, I found the perfect entry.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is the pinnacle of Mario RPGs, and one of my favorite RPGs ever made. While it is very different from traditional JRPGs, it easily stands with Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy VI in my Top 3 of all time.  

More so than even the original Paper Mario, The Thousand Year Door simply exudes 'fun'. It is incredibly colorful with some nice art direction, it has wonderfully written characters, and the batt??le system is more engaging than ever. All of this combined with a fairly brisk pace makes this a game that is a blast to play every single time. There's no game I've re-p??layed more than this one.

Whether it's beating a huge paper dragon with the sound of cricket noises, transforming into a paper airplane, playing a Super Mario Bros. level as Bowser, stomping a pirate ghost, or simply feeling the RAAAAWWWK,? this game is fun throughout.

And while the series has taken some twists and turns after this entry, I'll always find some time to come back to ??Rogueport. 

Josh Tolentino

Portal 2? Really? Come now. If we're talking overall influence on game design, it's Half-Life 2 we have to mention. Sure, it's not as influential as the original, all things considered, but the second step in Gordon Freeman's saga took things forward in virtually every way. Valve's follow-up to their seminal shooter brought physics puzzles, lengthy vehicle sections, and advanced the craft of first-person storytelling in the most significant fashion since Medal of Honor and Call of Duty built on Half-Life's pioneering steps. The Source Engine contin??ues to power some of the most popular gam??es around today.

And of course, let's not forget that Half-Life 2 was the Trojan Horse for Steam, which changed the way games are sold pretty much forever. It's no wonder that Valve has been so tight-lipped about how things are going with Half-Life 3, the sequel to this sequel. Could anything they do at this point possibly live up to the monolithic legacy of the franchise? Perhaps it's better that?? this saga be left unfinished.

Patrick Hancock

Man, I still remember buying the first God of War game. This was before I obsessively checked online for gaming news and reviews, and I had pretty much no idea about what to expect as I picked up the game on a whim. I went to my buddy's house with it (I'm not sure exactly why, but whatever) and we played through the first hour or so and were blown away. Imagine my surprise then when God of War 2 turned out to be better in just about every ??way.

The sequel cemented the series as one of the best of all time for me, even before the third came and tried to muck it up. God of War II just took everything I loved from ?the first game and turned it up to eleven. Bo?ss fights were more common and spectacular, there were new and interesting weapons to experiment with, and the puzzles just kept on coming. Plus, you can wear a fish suit and play as the Cod of War and that's just about the best thing ever.

Pixie

I'm someone who always likes to mock the notion of "proper sequels" requiring a number or being on a home platform. It tends to play into the "real games" nonsense. Developers didn’t even value the idea when I was growing up with NES, SNES, Game Boy and the Genesis. We had two different Super Mario Bros. 2 games and now there a "new" one. Final Fantasy II and III were really IV and VI. Final Fantasy Legend was the first SaGa game.

So when I'm thinking of the best direct sequel, I'm forced to question reality itself.  Kingdom Hearts II is chronologically the third game in the series. It's also not a good game at all, despite what anyone tells you. Chain of Memories, however, is th??e actual second game in the series and requires brain power ??to play, unlike its PS2 brethren.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha XIV vs. King Abaddon is the fourth game in the Devil Summoner spin-off series (the second game was Soul Hackers). If that game was second in anything, it's lengthy subtitles because its predecessor is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha XIV vs. The Soulless Army.  

Some of my favorite "2s" are the fourth and thirteenth entries to their respective franchises, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Final Fantasy X-2 (which released after FFXI, which is a proper Final Fantasy game I played for half a decade to verify its realness). I love them both for their gam??eplay, disruption of expectations and because they still trigger insecure fanboys who need their "badass" man card punched.

There's also Mega Man II - the Game Boy one, not the NES one. And Ninja Gaiden II, which is either the third or fourth Ninja Gaiden if we factor in the arcade original and Game Boy. I don't believe in the ones Team Ninja made and placed in the DoA universe, just like I don't believe in Devil May Cry 2.

There was DMC, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, DMC3, DMC4 and then that gritty reboot I? can only accept as canon if I listen to it in? Spanish.

Then there's The Goonies II, which is either the sequel to the arcade game, the movie or both. It's a shame it doesn’t get re-licenced for eShop because it's one of t??he first games I played that couldn't decide what genre it was in, meaning it likely influenced the work of Yoko Taro. People today would dub it a "Metroidvania," but it also had aspects of PC first person dungeon crawlers of the time.

You had to access new paths by ?smashing walls with hammers, finding keys to open vaults and helped mystical bald men in robes. Presumably, that had something to do with stopping? the Fratelli family of mobsters from finding pirate treasure, all while enjoying Cindi Lauper's "Good Enough" in 8-bit MIDI.

So Goonies II. Let's go with that. It's the l?east convolut?ed answer I have.

*****

I tried to think of something witty to end this with, but that description of The Goonies II pretty much broke my brain.

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Try out Pokemon, Paper Mario before the holidays

Nintendo didn't have many new games this holiday season, but the company is doing what it can with what it's got. This Sunday, shoppers at Best Buy stores will have the opportunity to try out some demos for two of the major games Nintendo shipped last month: Pokémon Sun and Moon, and Paper Mario: Color Splash. 

The demonstrations will run on December 11 from 10AM to 1PM local time, and there's a list of participating locations at the official site. Pokémon Sun and Moon have been phenomenally successful, so I'm not sure they need the help. On the other hand, Paper Mario could probably use the boost, even though it's excellent. Wii U titles are few and far?? between these days.

Nintendo Sunday Funday Demo Event at Best Buy [Nintendo]

The post Nintendo demos at Best Buy this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

Discount does not require Prime

Edit: Apparently, this deal also extends to the 3DS version of Mario Maker, Pokémon Sun and Moon, as well as the recent Paper Mario: Color Splash. The article originally stated that the?? discount stacks with Prime savings, that ?was incorrect.

The Wii U is dead. Long live the Wii U.

Although The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed repeatedly, Nintendo insists that it'll still come out on the Wii U next year. For anyone hoping to pick?? it up on Nintendo's current home console, Amazon has a pretty good deal going right now.

You can preorder Breath of the Wild for 15% off of its normal MSRP right now by following this link. This knocks the price from $60 down to $51. This discount does not stack with the 20% savings Amazon Prime members receive on all new games, but if you do have Prime you can preorder Breath of the Wild for as little as $47.99 before tax. 

This sounds like a pretty solid deal on what will probably be the Wii U's swan song, though Nintendo has confirmed that Breath of the Wild will also be available on the Switch. It's not clear whether ?this is a limited time promotion, so you may want to hurry if this deal piques your interest.

The post Zelda: Breath of the Wild 15% off at Amazon appeared first on Destructoid.

Paper Planes Drifter

What happens when you, loyal Toad, are a cog in a created world, existing only to abet the Hero (Mario, now paper) in their journey? And what happens when obsessive glitch masters like Stryder7x "l??og skip" to enter your neighborhood bef?ore the game's natural progression should allow?

Well, at least in the Japanese version of Paper Mario, th??e Toads ent?er a sort of existential crisis, as if you were exposing a Replicant that didn't know it was a machine. "This message should not appear," a Toad warns. "I'll be scared if it does..."

Another impotently cried ??out for the help of its masters: "You ??shouldn't be able to get here yet. If you did, it's a bug, so please get in contact."

Hey @NintendoAmerica just heads up

Translated: "You shouldn't be able to get here yet. If you did, it's a bug, so please get in contact." pic.twitter.com/uyAVfTKbnI

— Stryder7x (@Stryder7x) October 24, 2016

Unfortunately fo?r the Toad, its masters are no longer listening for their cries. God ??is dead.

The post Hidden,? 16-year-old Paper Mario messages expose the existential crisis of NPCs appeared first on Destructoid.

A cannonball of comedy

I need to apologize in advance for what you're about to read. I'm about to gush about a game. I'm going to gush hard. I'm going to gush about its graphics, about its music, about its humor and about all the improvements it made over Paper Mario: Sticker Star. I don't like to be the reviewer who just adulates games, but it's hard not to when ?y?ou have an experience that consistently puts a smile on your face.

Don't worry, I'm going to dig into the stuff I don't care for, but looking at my time with the game as a whole I have to say – to quote Carly Rae Jepsen – I really, really, really, really, really, really, like Paper Mario: Color Splash.

Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: October 7, 2016 (NA,EU) October 8, 2016 (AU) October 13, 2016 (Japan)
MSRP: $59.99

If you have seen the trailers for Paper Mario: Color Splash and thought it looked like another great RPG for the Wii U, I'm going to stop you right there. Despite making improvements to the battle system over Sticker Star, this game is still decidedly an adventure game. An adventure game with turn-based battles, sure, but an a?dventure game?? nonetheless. Nintendo refers to it as "action-adventure," but I'll argue it is at its best when it drops the action and focuses on the rich storytelling and puzzle solving aspects of the adventure genre.

That's right, I said "rich" storytelling. In one of the many improvements over the previous title, Color Splash tells an interesting story, with interesting characters doing interesting things. The overall plot of the game is pretty basic and quickly turns into your ?standard Mario story of the mustached man trying to save a princess from the big evil turtle. At this point, that plot is to be expected, but it wasn't what kept me glued to the game. I was far more interested in the little things, the individual stories and vignettes found throughout. Whether I was helping ghosts ?at a haunted hotel, cooking a steak until I got it just right, setting sail with a bunch of pirates looking for fame and fortune, or answering questions in an underwater game show, I was completely enchanted with each of these little acts found in each level of the game.

I was also laughing for most of it because the script here is hilarious?. Nearly every NPC present has a one-liner that cracked me up and the personalities of these characters are so diverse. Sure, they look the same because they're all just toads and Shy Guys, who I am happy to see play such a major role here, but when the writing is as on point as it is here, it doesn't matter what you look like. You could look like a paint can and still be the best character in the game. In fact, a paint can is the best character in the game. Huey, your Kersti-esque companion for this adventure, is amazing. He's overflowing with charisma, always quick with a joke, and not afraid to berate Mario, but when he does it's priceless. You can tell the folks at the Nintendo Treehouse had fun with this one, especially when you consider the 30 years worth of Mario material they call upon in the many references characters make.

It's not all comedy, though. There is also many poignant moments that somehow found a way to tug at my heart strings. Part of that is each scene was accented by the perfect music for the situation. Color Splash has one of the best and most varied soundtracks I've heard in some time. Sea chanties, country western, reimaginings of classic 8-bit tunes – it's all just wonderful. Even the repetitive battle track isn't that bad, but m?y absolute favorite?? is the music from Dark Bloo Inn, which has a soundtrack straight out of a Tim Burton film. Not the new, crappy Tim Burton films, but the amazing late 80s/early 90s Tim Burton films. I literally stopped playing because I didn't want any sound effects to get in the way of my enjoyment of the music.

Of course, it's not just a treat for the ears. Paper Mario: Color Splash is the best looking game I've ever played. It's so vibrant, so full of color and it genuinely looks li??ke you're playing in a real diorama. The game plays with color in fun ways, such as having the colors run on wet characters. Intelligent Systems uses the full power of the Wii U here to create the vivid landscapes it envisioned for this project, but perhaps the developers were too ambitious as I did notice multiple instances of slowdown. None of it was during the actual gameplay, so it didn't affect me, but it did lessen the beauty?? of this game ever so slightly.

The excellent aesthetics actually factor into how you play the game. The main objective of Color Splash is to restore color to Prism Island after an army of Shy Guys sucked the land dry. To do so, you need to collect the six paint stars that have been scattered throughout the land. You'll venture from level to level on an overworld map, and each level will have one or more mini paint stars you need to collect in order to find your way to the big paint stars, which are all guarded by a boss character. In most levels with multiple mini paint stars, they'll be spread out so you don't have to traverse the entire thing mor??e than once to get all of them. There are a few levels that annoyingly force you to do so, though. 

In each level, you'll spend your time exploring and battling with your deck of cards. Actually, that's not true. There are a few levels where I didn't have to fight a soul – wait, do Shy Guys have souls?&nbs??p;

Anyway, exploration here plays like past Paper Mario titles. You're a 2D character in a 3D world, armed with a hammer you can use to whack enemies, smack question mark boxes, or break down walls. You can also use your hammer to paint the scenery. There are hundreds of patches of white that need to be colored in, as well as dozens of Toads that have to be restored. Objects that yo??u can interact with can't be used until they are colored in. As you color the land, you'll drain the available paint in your hammer, but this can easily be restored as hitting nearly everything in the environments will net you a couple drops of paint.

There are many puzzles to be solved along your journey, most of which will utilize the touch screen cutout feature. Is there a spot on the map you can't reac?h? Make like Uncle Joey and cut it out. The cutout tool will not only help you reach every nook and cranny of each level, but will als??o allow you to advance past any portion of the story where you have to take one of your cards and apply it to the stage itself.

I can see the combat being the most divisive part of the game, yet again. Nintendo describes the turn-based battles as "puzzling," but they're not. If anything, you're just doing the same puzzle again and again. Color Splash switches out stickers from the last game for cards, but it plays roughly the same. Each battle starts with you selecting as many cards as you can from the touch screen, painting it if it's without color, and flicking the cards into battle. It's important to paint your cards because the less color there is, the less powerful your attack will be. F?rom there, just like any other Mario RPG, you have to time presses of the A button correctly to get the most out of every attack. 

The biggest complaint about the last game was that the was no point to fighting. Because stickers were preval?ent throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, there really was no point to doing all those battles just for coins. At first, I thought it would be the same here, but the rewards you receive for stomping and smashing the familiar crop of Mario baddies are actually useful. There are coins which you will need if you don't pay attention to directions as I found out the hard way, but you also get paint to refill your hammer, enemy cards that you can't buy at the card store, and Hammer Scraps that upgrade the paint capacity of your paint hammer. It's not XP, but skipping over inessential battles might leave you unable to paint your attack cards during fights you can't skip. 

Boss battles are largely the same as the last game. Throughout your journey, you'll find various Things, like a break dancing piggy bank or a Kaiju fire extinguisher. Some of these Things are the key to winning battles against the Bowser kids. That means if you miss the Thing you need, there's no way to beat the boss. It frustrated me in the last game, where I still thought I was playing an RPG. Here, I was prepared for it. I knew that I had to have that specific Thing card in my deck to take them down. If I didn't, I could run fro?m battle and go find it without seeing the Game Over screen. 

Using Thing cards in battle brings about the most vibrant set pieces found in the game, but I only used them sparingly. Part of the issue is you really never know just when you'll need one, either for a battle or to solve one of the many environment puzzles. You can prepare, there are hints you can find that will tell you the Thing you need to reach the next part of the game, but if you use that Thing in battle on purpose or by accident, as I did a few times when Kamek appeared and screwed with my deck, it means dragging Mario all the way back to Prism Plaza to buy a new Thing card or trekking to the spot where you originally found the Thing. Because Color Splash is absolutely littered with short lo??ading screens, long journies across the map was something I tried to avoid at all costs.

Adding to my issue with the cards is how they're laid out on the touch screen. You basically have just a straight line of cards that you have to scroll through until you find the one you want. It's a slow process that can make the battles drag on, especially when you have the maximum amount of cards in?? your deck. Would it have killed them to give us some folders here?

But that's it. That's the extent of my issues with this game, and for me, the positives far, far outweigh the negatives. If you didn't like Paper Mario: Sticker Star because it wasn't like the first two games in the series, I don't think you'll be satisfied here. For everyone else willing to give it a chance, Paper Mario: Color Splash is a charming journey that will delight your senses, your funny bone, and the part of your brain that houses your ??nostalgic feelings towards Nintendo.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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I'm sure you have a wide spectrum of opinions about this

One time I was at Disney's California Adventure, watching the World of Color light/water show. There was a giant Genie from Aladdin screaming "DO YOU LIKE BLUE?!" somewhat too enthusiastically, the excitement on his tongue sounding more like a knife being sharpened. That's the end of that memory. BUT while we're on the topic of colors, Miroku129 on NeoGAF spotted Nintendo trying to convince customers that if they liked third-person shooter/platformer Splatoon, then they should give the upcoming sidescrolling adventure Paper Mario: Color Splash&nbs?p;a chance. Because they're both colorfu?l, I guess?

That must be the basis of comparison for these two dissimilar games, because Nintendo makes a point of pointing it out twice. I can't argue with the memorable characters blurb, because I generally get a kick out of Paper Mario's dialogue and scenarios, nor can I deny that both games are on the Wii U (unless the NX is secretly going to be released next week??). All I know for sure is that it'll also make you "lol," because this is copy from the e??arly 00s.

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Uh-oh Spaghetti-O

If you're looking to pre-download Paper Mario: Color Splash to your Wii U, you're out of luck. Nintend??o has removed the pre-load page for the upcoming action-adventure game after it was discovered it was completely playable for those? who did.

Letsa go pic.twitter.com/sJzrfcADTf

— Donald Theriault (@DonaldMick) September 23, 2016

Somebody at Nintendo def fucked up. pic.twitter.com/ILoZoW48mJ

— gillythekid (@gillythekidd_) September 23, 2016

IT'S TRUEDIGITAL COPIES OF COLOR SPLASH CAN BE PLAYED RIGHT NOW DDMFKJDJFBF pic.twitter.com/We2Bed3M2a

— Alola Form Bidoof 🐻 (@Electivirus) September 23, 2016

We're still waiting for our review copy of this absolutely gorgeous looking game, but if you're in dire need of some impressions of Color Splash, I'm sure any of these people would be happy to give them to you. Paper Mario: Color Splash officially launches in? North America and Europe on O??ctober 7, Australia on October 8, and in Japan on October 13.

PAPER MARIO: COLOR SPLASH - NA PRE-LOAD??? TAKEN OFFLINE, PLAYERS ACCIDENTALLY PLAY IT EARLY [Go Nintendo]

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Looks like Sticker Star. Uh oh.

Nintendo released a new YouTube trailer for Paper Mario: Color Splash yesterday. The trailer begins with Mario receiving a mysterious letter, but once it's unfolded, he finds to his horror that it's actually ??a Toad retainer, drained of colo??r, folded up, and stuffed into an envelope! Of course, this requires investigation, so he leaves immediately to discover the letter's source.

Once the opening plot details are out of the way, the video goes in to describing some of the mechanics. These include smacking things with your hammer to restore their color so that they can be used, cutting away bits of the landscape using the Wii U GamePad, and shifting your perspective as in Super Paper Mario to make alternate paths visible.

The trailer then shifts to showing some of the battle mechanics used in the game. Troublingly, it looks a LOT like the unpopular battle system that was used in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. It appears that you'll use one-shot cards for every attack, and can power them up by coloring the pictures on them before flicking them at enemies. Real-world items that act as powerful summons will return as well, and the video shows a hammer, a fire extinguisher, a battery, a fan, and a Maneki Neko lucky cat statue being used in this way. Support ch??aracters do appear to make a return, as Mario is shown working with a Koopa to defeat a line of enemies.

Say what you will about the battle system, but the artwork in this game looks great. I was particularly impressed by a triple-thick corrugated chain chomp rolling down a hill at our hero. I'm probably in the minority when I say that I didn't hate Sticker Star, but can admit it was less enjoyable than most of the other Paper Mario games I've played. Hopefully, the card-based battling will feel different enough whe??n the game rel??eases on October 7.

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Nintendo at a games conference? Life is good again

Pokémon Sun and Moon will be demoed and Yo-kai Watch 2 is coming to Europe -- that's just two of many announced plans that Nintendo has detailed for its gamescom brief.

Here's a summary of what it has in sto????re (note: most of this information is for Europe).

• Splatoon Showdown
  The final four teams in the ESL Splatoon tournament will face off to determine the champion on the Beta Stage in Hall 9 on August 17 at 17:00 CEST. You can watch live at Twitch.tv/ESL.
• Splatoon Testfire
  Free online demo will be available via th?e eshop in Europe from August 18 until September 1.
• Nintendo Selects
  Four new games announced as Nintendo Selects: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World, and Mario Party 10. Nintendo Selects are popular games discounted, similar to the Greatest Hits system employed by Sony. These four will release on September 30.
• Paper Mario: Color Splash
  The first episode of a new video series?? is now available. 
• Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon
  The latest entries in the long-running monster-catching series will be played live on stage by Game Freak's Shigeki Morimoto. 
• New Nintendo 3DS XL colors
  Still don't have a 3DS? Want to add to your collection? From November 11, Pe??arl White, Orange + Black, and P?ink + White 3DS systems will be available for purchase.
• Nintendo 2DS bundles
  Two new bundles were announced for release on October 7. A blue Nintendo 2DS pre-installed with the original Yo-kai Watch as well as a pink 2DS pre-installed with Nintendo presents: New Style Boutique 2 – Fashion Forward (NA title: Style Savvy: Fashion Forward)
• Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Yo-kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls
  The next games in the massively popular (in Japan) franchise will be released in Europe in spring 2017 (will release in North America on ??September 30, 2016) 
• Mario Party: Star Rush
   New 3DS Mario Party will release in Europe on October 7, in Australia on October 8, and November 4 in North America. For the first time, the game that promises to have more strategy and features such as simultaneous turn-taking will be playable by fans.
• Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
   Speaking of games Japan goes nuts for, the remake of Dragon Quest VII will be shown, streamed, and playable. Dragon Quests fans should call in sick on September 16 in Europe and North America. September 17 for Australians.
• Indie titles
   A section of Nintendo's booth will be dedicated to indie games such as Runbow Pocket. Axiom Verge and new DLC tracks for FAST Racing NEO will be present.

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Promoted from our Community Blogs!

[TheBlondeBass' Bloggers Wanted entry concerns a series that is close to my heart: Paper Mario. The Mushroom Kingdom has never been more alive and more colorful. Much like the Koopa Bros., these games are the Coolest of Cool. ~ Shade]

It's no secret to anyone that I love Mario RPGs. Starting from Square Enix's Super Mario RPG on the SNES, these games have a unique blend of charm and dynamic gameplay, which really resonates with me. My favorite of all is Paper Mario, on the Nintendo 64. After getting a GameCube, I also got the chance to play the sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and fell in love all over again.

Years down the line, and a couple of unfortunate sequels later, I find myself drawn back to these titles again and again. Why exactly do I find them so enjoyable? Well, a lot of th??at comes?? from the fantastic world building.

Let's start with the original. I didn't get to play it on actual hardware for years, since our family skipped the PS1/N64 generation, but after seeing an ad for the game in an issue of Nintendo Power, I just knew I had to try the game out. I star??ted playing on a poorly coded N64 emulator as soon as I could, and despite the slowdown and graphical glitches I just kept on playing and having a hell of a time.

Before you even begin, it's obvious that Paper Mario follows a different format compared to your typical Mario game. Instead of a gameplay demo, it tells the player about the?? legend of the Star Rod. From the get-go, before any introduction to the main character or mechanics, the game instead puts focus on the world's lore, up until Bowser takes control of the story by stealing the Star Rod. 

Paper Mario is meant as a sequel to Super Mario RPG (even being titled Super Mario RPG 2 at first), but starts off completely differently. Instead of being thrown into the conflict like many Mario games, Paper Mario starts off with the calm before the storm.

While Bowser might have stolen a mystical artifact, you're nonetheless casually invited to a party at Peach's Castle (Luigi's also there). You can stroll around the castle and talk to everyone around at your owe pace, or you can just go see Princess Peach straight away. But starting you off with a couple rooms where the only interaction is talking to varied NPCs fits very well with the sort of game Paper Mario is. It's a game that's concerned with maki??ng the Mushroom Kingdom feel more fleshe??d out and cohesive compared to what we see in the rest of Mario's adventures.

You can even talk to Goombas, Koopas, and other staple Mushroom Kingdom creatures, rather than simply assume they're evil minions only good for a?? stompin'. Ain't that something!

The first character that joins Mario in his adventures is also particularly helpful in fleshing out th?e Mushroom Kingdom. Goombario, a big fan of Mario and Luigi, can provide information inside and outside of battle about other characters and the overworld. This allows for jokes or background information that would be hard to fit into regular conversations with the NPCs?.

The great thing is that this added depth to Mario's world and characters doesn't come at the expense of what we expect of the Mushroom Kingdom. The world is still filled with plains, creepy forests, large deserts, ghost houses and jungles, but it also has explorers trying to find mystical pyramids, Koopas that look strikingly like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (who also pretend to be Bowser), peaceful old ladies that love cooking, and helpful star spirits that help make wishes a reality. My favorite part of the game is a ghost town where the Boos are, ironically, terrorized by a huge invincible monster. The whole point of the chapter becomes to defeat that which cannot be hurt, a surprisingly tense and very exciting scenario for a Mario game.

Paper Mario decidedly feels like a Mario game, and yet the writing shows a hint of what the world is like behind the scenes. When I first played, one of the factors that drove me forward the most (outside of the excellent turn-based gameplay) is yearning to meet new characters, partners, and foes alike. Being able to play as Peach between chapters as she attempts to escape her castle-turned-prison is definitely one of the highlights as well. It's just refreshing to be able to see what happens in the world when Mario isn't around. All in all, Paper Mario was a delig??htful experience in world building for a franchise that's not known for its writing, one that left me hungry for more.

The sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, released four years after the original on the Nintendo ??GameCube. But unlike its predecessor, which brought additional depth to Mario and Peach's Mushroom Kingdom, this entry instead crafts a new world to discover and explore. At its center lies Rogueport, a crime-filled town built on the ashes of a lost city. At multiple points during the game, the parallels with the story of the N64 game are fairly obvious, with Princess Peach inviting you a letter to come meet her, or the grass-themed first level, which has a Koopa partner join you and ends with you fighting a boss in a castle. But that doesn't mean the world building in this title is in any way inferior or unoriginal.

Whenever The Thousand-Year Door comes close to Paper Mario, it always adds a nice twist to remind you of how different the two worlds really are. Tayce T., the Toad cook in Paper Mario, was a very nice old lady... but Zess T., in The Thousand-Year Door, is anything bu?t. She has a grumpy attitude and imme??diately dislikes our hero, echoing the general unpleasantness of Rogueport.

Rogueport itself is in a sorry state, and a lot of this is obvious by looking at the graffiti and thieves across the city. Super Mario Sunshine's Piantas return, but they too fit in with the darker, bleaker make-shift town. They run a gambling business and look strikingly like members of a criminal organization. A fighting tournament later on is shown to be rigged, preventing challengers from defeating the champ through unfair means. Compared to the first Paper Mario title, the world has a lot more sha?des of grey, which makes it stand on it?s own very well. 

A nice touch in the first two games is that the paper element is actually not immediately obvious to any of the characters. Multiple times in the story, an evil spirit curses Mario by giving him 'terrifying' paper abilities, which should have been obvious if the characters actually knew how their world worked. Being able to turn sideways is not rocket science, for example. Later, when using one of these curses to fold yourself into a paper boat, some non-playable Toads react. "Is he turning into paper?", they ask. The references to paper are barely there?? outside of these curses, which makes sense considering the paper aspect was barely a thing in the original title. Consistency and fun world-bending abilities in one strike, a nice feat!

This might just be personal opinion, but I believe that out of any Mario game, there's not an entry that manages world building quite as much as the first two Paper Mario titles.

Whether you're chasing down Bowser, or he's chasing you down himself, whether Luigi stays at home or goes on his adventures, whether you're looking up at the stars or down at the ruins of a lost civilization, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on all around you. And while the classic Paper Mario formula has been left aside for a while, I can only hope the spirit that lead into the fantastic world building in these games will live on ??in ?future titles.

The post World Building: A flat world full of depth appeared first on Destructoid.

I've always loved the Paper Mario series. Brilliant writing, turn-based combat with a fun twist, and tons of adorable characters all come together to create some pretty amazing experie???nces.

When I heard that the series was coming to the 3DS, I made a weird noise that probably resembled an LSD-fueled baboon orgy. With the exception of a Majora's Mask remake, it's?? probably the only game that would get me to buy a 3DS, and the only g?ame I'd need. Ever.

Oh... yeah, I have some screens for you. Maybe we can all make drugged monkey se??x sounds. Together.

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