Today's flattest game video: Super Paper Mario

by Zack Stern { Mar 16th 2007 at 12:00AM }

We fought through the GDC crowds to give you our impressions, and this GameTrailers interview about Super Paper Mario shows off the game's creative controls. While it's just one of the Wii's titles, here's hoping this April game brings showers to counter the perception of the Wii game drought.

Anticipate the rain -- and watch the video -- after the break.

Paper cutout Mario and friends image from Paper Forest and GotOrion.

Tags: drought, gdc07, hottest video, HottestVideo, super paper mario, SuperPaperMario

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Foe @ Mar 16th 2007 12:17AM

Wow. Looks amazing! And here I was, worried that I wasted $250 bucks on just a few days of fun with Wii Sports and not much else.

nabisco @ Mar 16th 2007 12:18AM

That really makes me want this game.

Greenmonkie @ Mar 16th 2007 12:21AM

I couldn't wait for this game before seeing this video, and now April seems even farther away! Hope what he's says about the length is true so we'll have something to tithe us over until Galaxy and Brawl.

Grog @ Mar 16th 2007 12:33AM

Hmm... this just moved up from "Rent to finish" to "Buy used." If it's really good and actually on the order of 50 hours of play, I might buy it new, but I find it hard to spend $50+ on a single player game these days.

Ken @ Mar 16th 2007 12:35AM

Woo! Looking good. I can't wait!

ZenGaijin @ Mar 16th 2007 12:37AM

Hmm, God of War 2 or this? I need to play my Wii more and my 360 gets constant love.

I'm thinking I'd have more fun with Mario plus I'd run through GoW in one or two sittings.

Zoob @ Mar 16th 2007 12:40AM

What Drought?

Seriously, it looks like Wii's getting at least one quality game every month this year. January gave us Wario Ware, February was SSX Blur (which I am in love with), This month we're getting Cooking Mama, Kororinpa, and Godfather, and then April brings us this wonderful gem.

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 12:45AM

Hm, this game comes out in 25 days. So I need to beat Sonic tonight or tomorrow morning, take it back, rent Tiger Woods for this week, rent or buy Kororinpa for next week, maybe rent SSX for the week after, and then play my friend's WarioWare for a few days until this comes out. Case closed.

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 12:53AM

Ooh, and I forgot about Cooking Mama, but my friend's getting that, so I'm sure he'll bring it over for some cook-offs for a cooldown period after all the Tiger Woods this week.

Thrawn @ Mar 16th 2007 12:56AM

Nice advertising. I wasn't sure before but I'm definitely getting this game now.

Non-biter @ Mar 16th 2007 12:56AM

Just finished Paper Mario for the Cube but never played the one for the 64. How was the 64 version?

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 1:10AM

Yeah I never played the N64 one either, but I'll buy it on the VC if it comes out by the time Super Paper Mario drops. Although I like their RPGs, I'm really looking forward to the full platformer (with a little RPG aftertaste) this is becoming.

Capt. Castellanos @ Mar 16th 2007 1:14AM

YAY!
i haven't played as bowser in a mario game since Super Mario RPG!
(excluding super smash)

glory of glories!

april ninth!

Nino @ Mar 16th 2007 1:27AM

Oh my GOD this looks incredible.

And the N64 game was the shit, at least I thought so. The levels are really creative and the music is pretty cool. Not as good as the cube one in some ways but in others I liked it just as much or better.

Borat @ Mar 16th 2007 1:28AM

C'mon it's a Mario platformer/RPG, how can you not want it?

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 1:29AM

I'm really hoping Nintendo starts to time their VC releases with their sequels. Paper Mario should come out a week or two before Super Paper Mario, Super Metroid should come out right before Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the OG Smash Bros. should come out right before Brawl, and SMB3 and THE LOST LEVELS (I want them so bad) should come out before Galaxy.

Non-biter @ Mar 16th 2007 1:37AM

It would kick ass if the Wii's VC service enabled at least some form of two way multiplayer for games originally developed for 2 players in mind and some comunity features like XBLA and what not. Even simple Excite Bike multiplayer would've been alright with me. Goldeneye 4 player grenade launcher/remote mines/tank matches/with heavy civillian casualties is what I dream about sometimes. Oh well,fuck it....

Wilbur @ Mar 16th 2007 1:44AM

Meh, im busy with God of War Two ... nothing like snapping Harpies in two. And, they delayed this for over a year so that they can add shake controls to it.. its clearly tacked on and adds nothing to the game. Lame.

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 1:57AM

Yeah, well God of War 2 was supposed to come out last year but they postponed it to add a sex minigame WITHOUT the waggle.

Squeek @ Mar 16th 2007 2:03AM

I really don't get why people think there's a drought either, but let's put that aside for now.

This will most definitely be my 8th Wii title. I was interested before, but this video sold me instantly (when I saw it two days ago on Kotaku >_>)

Cooking Mama is nice, but I don't see that as a $50 game... maybe $30 like its DS counterpart started at? I mean, Best Buy sells Cooking Mama (DS) for $10 now.

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 2:07AM

This will be my 9th Wii title, and I'm on the fence about Kororinpa, since it's $40, and I might be able to get it used for $35 a couple days later if somebody doesn't like it. So if I crack and buy Kororinpa to, then Super Paper Mario will be my 10th Wii title.

...I've got a problem.

Steve Robinson @ Mar 16th 2007 2:23AM

I bet this game will make the Wii even more hard to find.

Keif @ Mar 16th 2007 2:51AM

wheres OhJustSomeRandomGuy, i thought hed pop up and tell us how we are all wromng and no one likes mario anymore :)

shivr @ Mar 16th 2007 3:58AM

yey my 3rd wii title >3

I guess I'm one of those people that ruins 3rd party support for nintendo consoles >_>

MysticX @ Mar 16th 2007 4:19AM

I am not aware of any game drought....are you?

Besides this game will totally rock!

ShaleX @ Mar 16th 2007 7:36AM

I haven't really enjoyed a Super Mario game in almost 15 years. SMB 3 was the best of the series, Super Mario World was stillr ather cool. NSMB was a downgrade from SMB3... but mildly amuseing... and i can't get into 3D mario games at all.

This looks like another SMB1 nastalgia fest, neutering the game that has supposedly been the spiritual sucessor to one of the best SNES RPGs of all time. I'd rent it... but a game needs more then being a sequal to be interesting.. it has to be.. idunno... fun to play.

Jake @ Mar 16th 2007 8:09AM

People base the game drought concept on the fact that other than Zelda TP, a game available on GC, there isn't much on Wii with a high critical rating. But, critics are all hard core adult gamers. Games designed for kids and non-gamers may be enjoyable in ways they don't get.

The game looked kind of fun. The guy talking made the game sound better than it looked. I had to laugh when he said it was probably the best 2D game ever. lol, it isn't even out yet. I want to play the game, but would prefer straight 2D platforming. I so grew out of that writing style years ago and probably won't enjoy the story because of it, unfortunately.

But this has to be the best 2D gaming attempt in a very long time. I love how the characters spin and you can see how thin they are for a flash. It is like 2D in 3D. Pretty cool.

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 16th 2007 8:14AM

I would buy a Wii for this game.

Timbo @ Mar 16th 2007 8:37AM

This game is looking so amazing it is actually making me want to buy a Wii. Till now the Wii was something I went over to a friend's place to place Wii Sports and drunken Warioware on, but there's just something about this game that's really grabbed me. Time will tell whether I actually go through with it, but if any game on the horizon [i]does[/i] make me go buy a Wii, it'll be this.

Myke @ Mar 16th 2007 9:15AM

Woah Jack, think about what you're saying here... =)

Pawsie @ Mar 16th 2007 9:28AM

I'm a bit surprise, there's not many troll posts here over super paper mario :).. except comparing it with god of war. Or the fact the game was suppose to be on the Gamecube... though if it was, I don't think it would make the game any worst.

I can't wait for this game

Steve @ Mar 16th 2007 9:28AM

This is an example of the poor thinking behind the VC release schedule (I had to rain on this parade somehow). Interest in the Paper Mario games is higher than normal right now, so Nintendo ought to exploit that by placing Paper Mario 64, and even Super Mario RPG, on their VC store. From the nature of the posts in this thread I bet lots of people would buy one of those games after seeing this trailer. Placing it on the VC after Super Paper Mario is release wouldn't be as good because many gamers may want to move on to other games after beating this Wii title, especially since this looks to be the best Mario RPG ever.

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 16th 2007 9:29AM

That caught you by surprise Myke. Me and my girl would have a blast playing this game. Thats why I want it.

Myke @ Mar 16th 2007 9:34AM

Yeah Jack, I hear ya, that's actually one of the reasons I almost DON'T want to pick up this game on release day, me and the lady would probably fight over who gets to play it.....but I'll still own it day 1, hehehe.

Crono @ Mar 16th 2007 10:43AM

Holy crap, jack, Its a Christmas Miracle!

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 16th 2007 10:49AM

@ Crono

Its just in time for St. Patricks Day.

Down a couple green beers for me.

Vidikron @ Mar 16th 2007 10:59AM

This will definitely be my 2nd title for the Wii. Nothing beyond Zelda has held any interest for me so far, but this game looks great.

But I have to ask the rest of you, why are you guys so interested in Cooking Mama? That game just looks stupid to me. I mean... it's a cooking game. I'm sure it makes great use of the Wiimote, but so would a sewing game... and I don't want one of those either. I'm just totally mystified how a game like Cooking Mama is getting mentioned so often as a big name title.

VanGuardian1 @ Mar 16th 2007 11:05AM

I already put down a $5 preorder down on it when I went and picked up Tales of Legendia and Baten Kaitos Origins. Ain't no way I'm gonna miss a Paper Mario game. :)

2slick @ Mar 16th 2007 11:11AM

sh1tty looking paper characters FTW!

Squeek @ Mar 16th 2007 12:14PM

Vidikron, I like things that are unique. I bought Super Monkey Ball, and that's just rolling a monkey through a stage. I bought Trauma Center, and I'm not even remotely interested in being a surgeon. I bought Elebits, so now I have to grab a capture gun and fire on innocent bits of electricity running around?

Those who are interested have most likely played the DS version. There are a lot of DS games that make you wonder "why do people like this crap?!" until you play it. I mean, Phoenix Wright is a game where you act as a lawyer. I hate lawyers, really. But I love Phoenix Wright.

@Rubang, darn you for having more games than I...

Vidikron @ Mar 16th 2007 1:10PM

@40

It's definitely unique... I guess I just don't get the draw of a cooking game. Like I said, someone could make a sewing game that would likely make great use of the Wiimote and it too would be unique... but it wouldn't be something I would want to play either.

Maybe someone should starting working on such a game given that Cooking Mama appears to be popular :-)

steve @ Mar 16th 2007 2:33PM

Looks good! But I wonder why they never hire voice talents...

Crono @ Mar 16th 2007 3:33PM

1. Because 4 out of 5 times, the voice talent ruins the game.
2. No voices allows for your imagination to fill in what the voice would sound like, so each game is pseudo-personallized.
3. Sometimes its fun to read aloud the dialog (if your playing with someone) and make them sound like total rednecks. Always a good time.

Seriously though, voice talent in games is almost always bad. See Symphony of the Night, FFX, Tales of Symphonia. All bad voice acting.

jadenguy @ Mar 16th 2007 4:28PM

cooking mama is actually a good game, is the thing. and food has universal appeal. guys might not care if they could only wear blue jeans and ts for the rest of their lives, but tell them they can't get barbecue AND pizza AND nachos in their lives, and somebody's gonna feel the hurt. case in point, there is a food network and not a sewing network. plus i believe this is simultaneous competitive predictable mini games play. so it's something you can be better at in real-time through skill and not just dumb luck (stupid spear the food instead of squat).

on topic: that game is gonna be the next wii killer app. i guarantee. plus i do so hope luigi has his classic luigi jump.

Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 4:47PM

I haven't heard anything about Luigi in the game actually, at least not as a playable character. So far I've only heard of Mario, Peach, and Bowser. Luigi always gets left out. He needs his own platformer where he rescues Daisy or..... PAULINE. I want Pauline to make a comeback. Damn.

gst @ Mar 16th 2007 5:16PM

42-

Voice talents in Mario would just be wrong. At the very most, I would accept something like BanjoKazooie. Actually, that would be quite funny (if Mario just made noises that reflected his mood- lots of yahoo/yippees).

There is simply too much of a risk of the voice acting just being weird, and not in a good way. Every noise made by Mario has always been over-the-top ridiculous. Hell, he actually yells "umph" when he gets knocked down. I don't think there is a voice actor in existence who could capture the pure ridiculousness of Paper Mario dialogue while speaking in anything other than "wahoo" "yippee" and "ow".