Paper Mario to be folded into Virtual Console

by Justin McElroy { May 21st 2007 at 11:28AM }

It's a great time for people who can't get enough of beloved mascots that also happen to be two-dimensional. First we get Super Paper Mario last month, now a new issue of Nintendo Power -- which is really close friends with Nintendo -- is listing the N64's Paper Mario among its 'top picks' of upcoming Virtual Console games. We would have done that too if we had known it was coming! Cheaters.

Beyond our frustration at not knowing all the secrets of Shigeru Wonka's factory, we're just happy to see some fresh N64 releases coming to the VC. This would be just the fifth title from 64 since the Wii was launched last November.

Tags: nintendopower, papermario, virtualconsole, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ May 21st 2007 11:34AM

Where the Devil is Mischief Makers?! That's what *I* want to know!

Saneless @ May 21st 2007 11:36AM

Cool.. Great game for people who haven't played it. Honestly, it's just about my favorite hung over, lay on the couch, and just kill some time game I've ever played.

whosmav @ May 21st 2007 11:35AM

I just can't get into the Paper series. I've tried each one...and they put me to sleep. Maybe if Nin would finally spring for some voice acting.

But you what is hot? Godfather on the Wii! Throwing a mofo out into traffic is the shit.

Fernando Rocker @ May 21st 2007 11:40AM

I want Mischief Makers... a very good game.

sheppy @ May 21st 2007 11:46AM

Mischief Makers and Blast Corps... *drool*

CJC @ May 21st 2007 11:49AM

Isn't that "top picks" just a sort of wishlist? A wishlist which has no sway over actual releases? I hate to be a realist, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

P.S. Mischief Makers does indeed kick ass. More Treasure games on the VC, please!

Keif @ May 21st 2007 11:50AM

its not a matter of paying for voice acting, its the fact they dont want to give them voices. jesus christ, when will people get that its a design choice voice acting does not make a game better.

but hey all teh fanbots will be on here saying "omg wii cant even handlez voice"

hvnlysoldr @ May 21st 2007 11:52AM

My brother and I and even my sister liked that game. In fact I tried getting everything in shorter time thrice getting it to 24 hours.
Isn't that the same issue where they say the Smash Bros site update would be a daily blog by Sakurai? Fabio for Brawl.

Jack of No Trades @ May 21st 2007 12:06PM

My current favorite hung-over-kill-some-time-game is Oblivion. You sure can kill some time with that game lol

BPM @ May 21st 2007 12:10PM

Only reason I don't want Mischief Makers on VC is because I already own the original.

Still, if it does eventually come to VC, I highly encourage everyone who hasn't played it to download it right away. Great game.

And I have the original Paper Mario, as well. Great game, as well.

JodyAnthony @ May 21st 2007 12:14PM

my favorite hangover killer of the moment is chrono trigger. I find it amusing that I am playing the playstation version of a super nintendo game on a playstation portable. its like 3 crazy layers of chrono triggery goodness.

Antonio @ May 21st 2007 12:22PM

I find Paper Mario games mildly enjoyable while I'm playing them, but instantly forgettable once they're over. The GC Paper Mario did make me laugh a few times though.

D3stiny_Sm4sher @ May 21st 2007 3:17PM

Nintendo really ain't screwin' around the with VC lately, huh?

All of the 64 titles are top-hitters, aren't they?

This is one of the 64's best, to be sure. I'm so psyched--it's been years since I've played this one.

Jamie @ May 21st 2007 1:00PM

I'm sure this'll be considered 'too cool' to get a PAL release.

moominsean @ May 21st 2007 1:13PM

the first was great...all the follow-ups are a bit of a drag. super paper mario i can't even finish, i'm so bored with it. i'm at the last area and it's all so duuullll. the beginning of the game has all these neat ideas...then 30 hours later nothing ever changes, except for the backgrounds.

Bob @ May 21st 2007 1:31PM

i hate mario paper, its in my top 10 of bad games of all time

http://clubvaio.blogspot.com/

Soul @ May 21st 2007 1:38PM

Well, I got excited when they had Adventures of Link as a top pick in a previous issue. I'm still waiting.

Rory Gilmore @ May 21st 2007 2:19PM

#1, 4 and 5

Mischief Makers, what a crappy game. Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! I hated when the character said that, it was so annoying.

Its just a bad game all around.

wackychan @ May 21st 2007 2:23PM

"we're just happy to see some fresh N64 releases coming to the VC."

And what exactly is fresh about N64 games?

Dustin @ May 21st 2007 2:46PM

Yay, Paper Mario!

The 64 version was my favorite, and I will be ecstatic to see it come out on VC finally.

Neebs @ May 21st 2007 2:48PM

Thank !

Neebs @ May 21st 2007 2:49PM

^Apparently Joystiq thinks left bracket deity right bracket is valid html formatting

Tom @ May 21st 2007 3:44PM

"its a design choice voice acting does not make a game better"~Keif

Agreed, the Paper Mario series is one of a handful of games that actually benefits from NOT having any voice acting. However, Nintendo seems to make that "design choice" with most of their games, as in the case of Twilight Princess. Now that is a game that would be greatly improved from voice acting because 1) It's realistic, and 2) It's cinematic. When every character is mute the game feels claustrophobic. When confronted about this, Nintendo likes to confuse the issue by saying something to the effect of "Well, you wouldn't want to hear Link talk because he's supposed to be an extension the gamer and shouldn't have his own personality." But who said anything about Link talking? He doesn't say his own text, but everyone ELSE does. What's wrong with having all the other characters talk and have Link (the gamer) just listen?

chugger1992 @ May 21st 2007 4:00PM

Now we need SMRPG :D

zelder_man @ May 22nd 2007 11:26AM

@23

the zelda thing is always what i say, Link doesn't have to talk, good point.

Paper Mario = FTW111!!!!!!!!!!

Steve @ May 21st 2007 5:05PM

I agree with #23 Tom. Simply adding vocals to Twilight Princess would not have forced Link to speak. The only thing that would be affected would be that the other characters would have to refer to Link as "Link" instead of the name the player gives him. As far as I'm concerned, officially making his name "Link" within the game is long overdue.

Also long overdue is the use of vocalwork in games. When forced to read the text you often miss seeing what's going on with the video. Reading the text also eliminates the use of inflection. The real drawback is the habit of picking a terrible voice for a character. With the Mario games I'm in favor of anything that keeps his mouth shut!

I do think it's a business decision and not an artistic one. It's far more difficult to arrange the recording of dialog than it is to obtain the raw text, and Nintendo would have to do that for the dominate language of every market they sell to. Imagine how complicated it would be to manage a big franchise like the Mario Universe for one language and then multiple that workload for Japanese, Chinese, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swahili, etc... Fortunately for them the Zelda series will often reset itself with new individuals for Link and Zelda.

Nintendo's going to have to do this eventually, but I can understand their desire to drag their feet over this one.

BPM @ May 21st 2007 5:49PM

Hey, now. It's not like Nintendo completely avoids voice acting.

The N64 and GameCube Star Fox games were fully voiced.
(Though, it'd odd the DS one wasn't...)

And the N64 Pokémon Stadiums had that badass announcer!

And the Super Mario Sunshine had some voice acting, too. Not much, but there was some.