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Super Paper Mario

by Evan Burchfield - May 11, 2006, 4:51 pm EDT
Total comments: 26

A Super Paper Mario demo at the Tokyo World Hobby Fair shows off this game's goods in a boss battle.

Last updated: 06/18/2006 by Michael "TYP" Cole



PGC reader torsodog recently uploaded a video of Super Paper

Mario from the Tokyo World Hobby Fair. The video features a playable boss battle and conveys more of the game's

mechanics and visual style.

As previously reported, the player can switch between a side-scrolling and 3D camera at will with R. The animation

accompanying this switch is a rectangle drawn around Mario by a mouse cursor. A depleting meter appears when in the 3D

view, suggesting a time limit on this secondary view. After jumping onto the lunging dragon Mario must fight along the

dragon's lengthy back. Tiny enemies appear on his back, which Mario can pick up and throw (Super Mario Bros. 2 style)

at the dragon's vulnerable antenna/horn by throwing his trailing partner like a boomerang. As the dragon takes damage

he takes evasive action by flying in a circle, forcing Mario to run to remain on screen.

Another video shows the player switching

between Bowser and Mario on-the-fly. Other interesting touches include objects drawn onto the screen (such as a door),

heart (hit) points and a score meter, and a menu of what appears to be battle items from the Paper Mario universe.

Super Paper Mario is set for an August 13 release in Japan, and will reach North American stores October 9th.



Last updated: 05/28/2006 by Evan Burchfield



Re-examining the press video and screenshots for Super Paper Mario, a few answers and a few more questions are unearthed.

Firstly, during the video, you can clearly see what is either a damage or experience point system being utilized. Whenever one of the three heroes attacks an enemy, the number "one" appears in the air. This could indicate the damage inflicted by Mario, and enemies with more health than "one" could appear later. This could also be an experience point system. Coins also appear from beaten enemies, further supporting the theory that items or services can be purchased, as in past Paper Mario games.

Visible in the press video and screenshots are two small, neon figures; one is obviously a butterfly, while the other is at times a flying bomb and at others apparently a fire flower. The best guess is that the butterfly is a sentient creature who carries items for our three heroes. Perhaps they will also aid in battle like in previous Paper Mario games, or offer advice a la Navi in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Their full usage and story significance should be revealed shortly.

Also seen in the video are two unique gameplay modes: one has Mario flying through space with a flamethrower, and the other has Mario walking and jumping on the left-hand wall, as though gravity has shifted to the left side of the screen. Combined with the giant 8-bit sprites, Super Paper Mario seems to offer a lot of diversity.

Finally, here is a screenshot comparison showing what the 3-D world looks like after switching from 2-D.

Typical 2-D:

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006: It's the original game!

Switched to 3-D:

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006: Test your depth perception!

2-D:

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006: That's a cool Koopa.

3-D:

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006: Now here is something different.

Once examined up close, it seems either your progression is impeded until you switch to 3-D, or by switching perspectives you can access secret areas and items.

Thanks to Scott and forum reader Vudu for the information.



Last updated: 05/11/2006 by Evan Burchfield



Super Paper Mario is sadly missing from the E3 show floor, and word is it’s not even behind closed doors, but that doesn’t prevent it from being one of the show’s most talked about titles. Everyone has gone mad for the screens and video, and though we’ve seen just as much as you, we do have a few extra details.

First, in basic detail, here's what we know: the game takes place in the Paper Mario universe and has a side-scrolling emphasis. There are scenes in the promotional video of Mario, Peach, and Bowser jumping around, collecting coins, and landing on baddies in a traditional way. It also seems that Mario can, at whim, change into Peach and maybe even Bowser. One scene in the video has Mario climbing a ladder and when he reaches the top, he turns into Peach and floats down with his umbrella. The best assumption is that these three characters will have separate paths through the game, in a manner similar to past Paper Mario games, and that eventually they will meet up and combine forces.

There are also a couple shots of Mario turning into a giant character, but with 8-bit graphics. This seems to play similar to the giant mode in New Super Mario Bros. Finally, it is clear that plot and even some RPG elements will play into the game. This shot shows what is obviously a cinema scene and perhaps the setup for the game's plot, while this shot shows Peach roaming around town. Looks like she can enter houses and talk to people; buying items is likely, but unconfirmed.

One of the biggest mysteries about the game is what the heck is up with the 3-D perspective? Word from Nintendo is that the game is a 2-D platformer that can switch to 3-D on the fly. With the press of a button during gameplay, the perspective will change and you’ll be on the same piece of land, just 3-D. The 3-D movement appears to be along the lines of Paper Mario games of the past, where left and right movement are more encouraged, while north and south are a bit more difficult. It’s not apparent why you would go to the 3-D perspective, or if it would only work in some areas. It also seems, from the screenshots, that when you go into the 3-D mode that you are limited to your immediate area. No jumping over chasms or navigating the entire level headfirst.

Nintendo decided to make this game for the heck of it, apparently. When asked whether Intelligent Systems was done with Paper Mario RPGs, Nintendo merely said, “We just make what looks fun. And Super Paper Mario is a lot of fun."

Talkback

Shin GallonMay 11, 2006

Words cannot describe how much I want this game. the trailer was phenominal.

trip1eXMay 11, 2006

I wonder if this will make it stateside or not.

IceColdMay 11, 2006

I'm sure it will..

CalibanMay 11, 2006

This game deserves alot of attention, just as much as any Wii game.

mantidorMay 11, 2006

"Nintendo decided to make this game for the heck of it, apparently."

I wish all devs were like that.



Hostile CreationMay 11, 2006

"I wonder if this will make it stateside or not."

Of course it will. It probably hardly needs any translating, either.

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusMay 11, 2006

Nintendo is localizing the game right now. The only chance for it to not come stateside is if Nintendo bankrupts before November.

wanderingMay 11, 2006

Quote

It’s not apparent why you would go to the 3-D perspective, or if it would only work in some areas. It also seems, from the screenshots, that when you go into the 3-D mode that you are limited to your immediate area. No jumping over chasms or navigating the entire level headfirst.

I'm going to guess this is a lot like when in, the Thousand Year Door, Mario turned sideways. Except now the camera shifts, too. Or something.

MarioMay 11, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: EvanTBurchfield
Nintendo is localizing the game right now. The only chance for it to not come stateside is if Nintendo bankrupts before November.

Fantastic news!

Hostile CreationMay 12, 2006

Nintendo is d00med.

RennyMay 12, 2006

Was it Spong that posted the rumor that "Mario 128" would be a 2D game that would switch to a 3D perspective? As noted in the Super Mario Galaxy thread , that game ultimately does bear some resemblence to the long-ago tech demo. It's interesting how the ebb and flow of ideas at Nintendo changes games and spawns new ones.

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusMay 12, 2006

Considering that Super Paper Mario is by Intelligent Systems, and Mario Galaxy looks a lot like what I've seen of Mario 128, I'm betting the two projects are unrelated.

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2006

Preview has been updated with the basics so that non-E3 followers can understand it. Bumping this thread just in case.

Quote

Originally posted by: EvanTBurchfield
Considering that Super Paper Mario is by Intelligent Systems, and Mario Galaxy looks a lot like what I've seen of Mario 128, I'm betting the two projects are unrelated.


Considering that Mario Galaxy is being made by the Jungle Beat Team, I wonder as to how much of a pedigree, if any, it shares with EAD's experiments towards Mario 128.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2006

The people to ask on that are TYP and StrikerObi, since they got to interview Takashi Tezuka.

IceColdMay 15, 2006

Quote

Considering that Mario Galaxy is being made by the Jungle Beat Team, I wonder as to how much of a pedigree, if any, it shares with EAD's experiments towards Mario 128.
Bill (?) just told me in the other thread that the Mario team from EAD moved to Tokyo EAD after Sunshine and are working on Galaxy. I'm assuming that this is true, so it's not really a new team..

RizeDavid Trammell, Staff AlumnusMay 16, 2006

I almost didn't look at this game because I had to force my way through paper mario 1 and I couldn't play PM2 for more than a few minutes. But this seems to be more of a platformer, like classic mario bros. with paper mario graphics and some twists and embellishments. sound fantastic

vuduMay 17, 2006

I was checking out the screenshots of this game and I just noticed something kind of cool.

10.jpg

1.jpg

These two shots appear to be the same location (just viewed differently). In the top picture it looks like the blocks/coins are all on the same plain, but when viewed from the 3D perspective, it's apparent they're not.

It could open up some very cool puzzle elements.

I don't know if people noticed, but both of those comparison shots are copies of levels from the original SMB (1-2 and 1-1).

Incidentally, this is similar to how I pictured SMB3 working back when I read about "going behind the level" by holding down while on top of the white blocks, but before I had a NES or understood technical limitations.

ShyGuyMay 28, 2006

What is up with the rainbow colored things floating around Mario? It looks like a butterfly and a bomb.

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusMay 28, 2006

ShyGuy - I put my best guess in the preview; I'd like to think that the forum members could find out or think up something more accurate.

Hostile CreationMay 29, 2006

There's also something that looks like a flower in the green area. It's following him, too, it's not landscape.
Presumably the butterfly is a helper of sorts (like Navi) and the other objects are items or something along those lines, probably something with a particular use.

breathofwaterJune 03, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: PGC NewsBot
New gameplay details gleaned from old screens and video


2-D: Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006: That's a cool Koopa.


3-D: Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006: Now here is something different.


Once examined up close, it seems either your progression is impeded until you switch to 3-D, or by switching perspectives you can access secret areas and items.


The whole switching between 2-D and 3-D to access different areas, solve puzzles and such seems like a good idea to me. Intelligent Systems has always done a good job utilizing creative systems like this and I can already imagine some of the ways they could use this to make the game more fun. Think of all the hidden paths and objects that could be hidden from view in a 2-D perspective. As much as I loved collecting all the items, upgrades, badges, etc. from past RPG based mario games; I think of how much more interesting and how many more secrets could be hidden with this type of perspective change and I can't help but think this could be the Paper Mario I've been waiting for. Not only does this game promise to bring back the classic side-scrolling Mario action but from the looks of it, it will stay true to the RPG roots of it's predecessors. My only wish is that the game is released soon so I to have something to play (other then my DS) until the Wii comes out.

nemo_83June 06, 2006

Mario32

you have to download this game, seriously, you have to, or I'm going to place this kitten in the microwave

cute_kitten.jpg










j/k. behold Mario's getting 3D powers in what could have been the Nintendo Playstation's launch spectacular (i think the camera controls with w, s, a, and d; and you run and jump with arrow keys).

KDR_11kJune 06, 2006

I'm going to place this kitten in the microwave

Get a webcam ready, I want to see that.

TrueNerdJune 18, 2006

Damn. This game just keeps sounding better and better. When's October? Four months?

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Super Paper Mario Box Art

Genre Adventure
Developer Intelligent Systems
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Super Paper Mario
Release Apr 09, 2007
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone
jpn: Super Paper Mario
Release Apr 19, 2007
PublisherNintendo
RatingAll Ages
eu: Super Paper Mario
Release Sep 14, 2007
PublisherNintendo
Rating3+
aus: Super Paper Mario
Release Sep 20, 2007
PublisherNintendo
RatingGeneral
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