Paper Mario Color Splash

[sonicgirl313]

I watched and so far I'm not really liking what I'm seeing, the only thing that remotely interested me was the dragon and when the shyguys are rolling up the stage. I noticed the characters seem a lot more talkative this time and at first it gave me hope that maybe Boswer's sense of humor would return... *sigh* then Morton opened his mouth. Honestly I do not remember Morton being this extremely stupid in Paper Jam, he might as well be going "Me Mortan! Me better than stupid Koopa! Me Morton King of Koopas!" So while I have a feeling that Bowser will talk, I really don't think he'll retain the funny personality that I loved from the previous games.

[Zaysho]

2 hours ago, Forte-Metallix said:

2) Bowser has Shy Guys in his army in the Mario & Luigi games. (And one in Mario Party 9)

He also recruited them in the original Paper Mario.

 

You know, as I watched the footage today, I had two thoughts going through my head: For one, the game looks gorgeous, I love the look of the backgrounds and how they keep pushing the papery visuals to the point levels are put together from cardboard and construction paper. It's got this really neat dioramic look to it. The opening narration for the Treehouse demo was amusing, as well, I think I'd like seeing where the story could go...

But then I see the battle system and I'm just kinda turned off. Sean once explained the problems with Sticker Star's system to me and I had a hard time visualizing it, but as soon as I saw this in action... I got it. Part of me feels it's not a terrible idea, but the card system feels really tacked on and I don't see what it adds to the system as a whole. Most of the cards we see at the beginning are Mario's basic jumping and hammer attacks (with some power variations) and I'd worry I'd be screwed the moment I ran out of those. Perhaps had the cards been reserved for special attacks (like the Ice Mario) and even items, it'd be more interesting, and maybe even give players the chance to try out and build different decks or something, but not make even basic attacks expendable and finite. The battle system has me on the fence; in all likelihood I'll end up getting it out of curiosity, but will find myself getting tired of how the battles work before dropping it. Really not sure about this one, so I'll be interested in seeing the reviews.

[Chic]

I feel as if Paper Mario is going down the same road as Mario Party. The games are generally not that bad except for them botching the most vital gameplay aspect. For MP, that was the individual rather than group gameplay, and for this it's the actual battling. The graphics look amazing, but after 12 years or so I was really hoping they'd finally come out with a proper successor to the first two PM games.

[Sean]

This is definitely one of, if not the most gorgeous-looking Mario games to date, and I am glad to see that Nintendo's trend of spin-off titles utilizing real-life art mediums hasn't worn out its welcome one bit. The paper aesthetics have never looked better and the environments are beautiful, and I want to explore them and take everything in. This is exactly that burst of visual creativity I've come to expect from Nintendo in recent years.

Gameplay looks as irredeemably garbage as Sticker Star's was.

Fuck this game. Seriously. Just fuck it.

[Salamander]

I agree with everyone who thinks the aesthetics are gorgeous, and I thought the trailer looked surprisingly interesting... but I simply don't know if I can trust them after Sticker Star.  Well, I don't have a Wii U anyway, but if I did, I would definitely wait until it came out to hear what actual players had to say (rather than the reviewers who gave Sticker Star a free pass).

[Doctor MK]

True story: here's what Nintendo were up to while we were all complaining about Sticker Star

"...Problem, bro?"

I'm so torn because I want to love Color Splash, visually it looks freakin' gorgeous and the gameplay definitely does look like some improvement on Sticker Star, they're definitely taking advantage of having it back on a console to push bigger set pieces like the Shy Guys rolling up the ground and the big dragon from Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. Heck, even the overworld and glimmer of a slightly darker story gives me the vaguest TTYD vibes. But it just ain't the Paper Mario I grew up with and they can harp on about enemy cards and refilling your paint all you want, the lack of any true reward for battling is just wrong. If they're so intent on making it more of a action/adventure game rather than an RPG, why not take that stuff out all together and just make another Super Paper Mario? It just feels like they're trying to walk the line between what Paper Mario used to be and what they're trying to turn Paper Mario into. And the all-but-confirmation that Mario & Luigi is seen as the "proper" Mario RPG series now - despite coming after Paper Mario! - is pretty much the death knell for the series as we knew it.

Color Splash will forever just be known to me now as the illegitimate drunken love child from the Sticker Star wrap party, born out of false hope and misdirection. I only pray it's half-decent in the end.

[Potada]

Okay, so as someone who's never played a Paper Mario game and his only experience with them is LP's on the first two games and part of SS...this really does seem underwhelming. I'll parrot everyone else and say that this looks gorgeous. The fact they're playing up the paper motiff even more is really a good idea.

But, the fact they're still using mostly SS's battle system, along with making the cast mostly Toads just irks me. The first two games had such a diverse and colorful cast of characters (see what I did there?). I get that this did well in Japan, but you'd think they'd listen to fans outside of their country.

Or, maybe they did a little. Huey the paint bucket seems to have a little more personality compared to Kirsti at least, and I liked that little bit of Mario and Huey chillaxing. But most of the character in SS never had their own "voice" and I'm afraid the same will happen here, save maybe for Huey.

To go on a bit of a tangent, I've always thought SS's combat was interesting on paper (man, I'm on fire with these), but needed better execution. For instance, not having exp and levels could have been fine, if you at least made it so what you could buy with coins actually made an impact on gameplay. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, but I'll stop here. I could write a whole paper on my ideas to improve Sticker Star.

[Radiant Hero Ike]

I never played Sticker Star so I guess I'll just get this one.

Y'know, oddly enough, I'm starting to get bored of both Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi... I'm not sure why, but it seems to get repetitive really fast. I keep trying to play Paper Jam and then I drop it after 10 minutes. And I don't have any desire to go back and play the first two Paper Marios either (Super Paper Mario I still like, at least).

I dunno. I feel like I'll get bored of this one relatively fast too. Whatever novelty that was there when I was a kid and played those Paper games is gone, and even if they made another like TTYD, I don't think I'd enjoy it as much as I used to. It could just be that I'm RPG'd out, as I've been playing a lot, but... Eh.

[Milo]

The original GameXplain interview video with the developer has gone private, but it was later re-uploaded. So you can check it out here.

I just wanted to address this bit / clarification on why they have changed the series, as summed up by GameXplain's Ash on Twitter:

Quote

"PM has moved away from RPG elements because they have M&L and see that as "the" Mario RPG series now. They don't see the point in having both series as RPGs, so now M&L = RPGs and PM = weird/experimental stuff."

There's a lot about this I really disagree with, so I'll try to keep it organized.

Saying the Paper Mario is now an IP to be weird and experimental with doesn't make sense to me when you have people criticizing Sticker Star as being less diverse and unique with its storytelling and characters compared to the previous PM titles. And on a smaller note, they want to be experimental with Paper Mario...but Color Splash in terms of gameplay looks to be a incremental sequel of Sticker Star, with a retooled focus on paint instead of stars? That seems counter-intuitive to their intention.

Not that this preceding bit bothers me; because I think their way of "experimental", which in this case seems to be throwing out the original paradigm of Paper Mario games for something different (that has proven itself as not as well-received as the preceding titles from reviewers and especially fans), is a pretty poor way with going at it. Tossing out the original direction of a IP entirely and replacing it with something else for the sake of it has hardly, if ever, turned out well in the long term for a game series. Remaining brand recognition / goodwill can only keep a series afloat for so long until backlash really sets in and takes things south. Just ask Star Fox.

On another note, I don't agree with the implication that having two Mario RPGs was a redundant thing. From what I've read, the original Paper Mario games takes a very different RPG approach compared to the Mario & Luigi games (with Paper Mario focusing on overworlds and partners; and Mario and Luigi emphasizing the dynamic between the Mario Bros.). So it is not like both Mario RPGs were at odds with each other or were similar to the point of oversaturating/cannibalizing the market or their respective fanbases--far from it, actually.

Quote

If they're so intent on making it more of a action/adventure game rather than an RPG, why not take that stuff out all together and just make another Super Paper Mario? It just feels like they're trying to walk the line between what Paper Mario used to be and what they're trying to turn Paper Mario into. And the all-but-confirmation that Mario & Luigi is seen as the "proper" Mario RPG series now - despite coming after Paper Mario! - is pretty much the death knell for the series as we knew it.

Doctor MK makes an excellent point here too. They've cut out most of the previous RPG mechanics from the past games...but they still kept the battle system introduced in Sticker Star, which from what I've read, seems to be entirely counter-intuitive on how the player progresses through that title; and its return in Color Splash sticks out like a glaring sore thumb in what otherwise looks to be a interesting game. Why not cut out the battle system entirely and fight enemies in the overworlds instead? Why preserve the remaining RPG conventions when they've explicitly stated they don't want Paper Mario as an RPG series anymore?

It's very clear now that the current team in charge of the Paper Mario series wants to do something different, but they also refuse to drop any pretenses that what they're currently doing is no longer being a faithful continuation of what was already established. Why not just make a new Mario IP in the genre/style they want to, and simply set the Paper Mario brand aside.

It's just extremely baffling to me.

[Radiant Hero Ike]

https://mynintendonews.com/2016/06/16/nintendo-might-remaster-paper-mario-the-thousand-year-door-if-fans-are-vocal/

Well hey, they might remaster TTYD if we're vocal enough.

[Sean]

It's really disappointing how the Mario games were my absolute favorite RPGs ever made up to a point, and then after Bowser's Inside Story it's been nothing but one disappointment after another. It's not just the Paper Mario series that went to hell either - I thought Dream Team and Paper Jam were garbage, with the latter being the worst Mario RPG after Sticker Star itself. Even if Nintendo tells me to go play M&L instead, that subseries is in just as much a worthless state as PM is from my point of view.

[PC the Hedgehog]

5 hours ago, Sean said:

It's really disappointing how the Mario games were my absolute favorite RPGs ever made up to a point, and then after Bowser's Inside Story it's been nothing but one disappointment after another. It's not just the Paper Mario series that went to hell either - I thought Dream Team and Paper Jam were garbage, with the latter being the worst Mario RPG after Sticker Star itself. Even if Nintendo tells me to go play M&L instead, that subseries is in just as much a worthless state as PM is from my point of view.

Agreed almost 100%. I don't think any Mario and Luigi game is anywhere close to garbage, but they're sure as heck not nearly as good as they used to be. Such a shame that the future of neither series looks particularly bright.

They had a decent run, I suppose. 

[Sean]

I overexaggerate because there were still some good things about the last two M&L games. Paper Jam in particular has what is probably the most fun battle system in the series since Superstar Saga. But PJ and DT are my second and third least-liked Mario RPGs after Sticker Star.

[Dejimon11]

7 hours ago, Gambling Idol Luka said:

https://mynintendonews.com/2016/06/16/nintendo-might-remaster-paper-mario-the-thousand-year-door-if-fans-are-vocal/

Well hey, they might remaster TTYD if we're vocal enough.

I'd rather have a new game in the style of the first two game than a remastered. I think there is still so much untapped potential that they can do with the formula of the TTYD but if this is our chance to convince them that to get them that this is what people want from the franchise then by all means I'll buy it. 

[Soniman]

1 hour ago, PC the Hedgehog said:

Agreed almost 100%. I don't think any Mario and Luigi game is anywhere close to garbage, but they're sure as heck not nearly as good as they used to be. Such a shame that the future of neither series looks particularly bright.

They had a decent run, I suppose. 

Im not sure where the doom and gloom is comming from but last I checked Paper Jam scored well and got praise from most people (myself imcluded)  it's nowhere near anyyhing comparable to the state the Paper Mario series is in now with the fanbase 

[Forte-Metallix]

3 minutes ago, Soniman said:

Im not sure where the doom and gloom is comming from but last I checked Paper Jam scored well and got praise from most people (myself imcluded)  it's nowhere near anyyhing comparable to the state the Paper Mario series is in now with the fanbase 

Paper Jam, aesthetically, went down the same path as Paper Mario by removing all original characters (aside from the obligatory annoying helper character) and sticking to basic New Super Mario Bros. level tropes. (Grass, desert, beach, ice, etc.)

The only good thing coming out of this practice is that now main-universe Mario characters are making their RPG debuts, like King Boo and the Koopalings (They were in Superstar Saga, but Paper Jam was the first real Mario game to give them dialogue. We actually got to learn a few interesting things about their personalities, such as Ludwig only being the self-appointed leader, and Morton being strangely pragmatic) Now gimmie Wario and Waluigi, already!

[Soniman]

4 minutes ago, Forte-Metallix said:

Paper Jam, aesthetically, went down the same path as Paper Mario by removing all original characters (aside from the obligatory annoying helper character) and sticking to basic New Super Mario Bros. level tropes. (Grass, desert, beach, ice, etc.)

The only good thing coming out of this practice is that now main-universe Mario characters are making their RPG debuts, like King Boo and the Koopalings (They were in Superstar Saga, but Paper Jam was the first real Mario game to give them dialogue. We actually got to learn a few interesting things about their personalities, such as Ludwig only being the self-appointed leader, and Morton being strangely pragmatic) Now gimmie Wario and Waluigi, already!

I agree that the asthetics/world was by far the weakest part of the game and I was disappointed but the game was still fun,  the humor was snappy and on point as usual and the characters we do get are fleshed out and made charming (the aforementioned koopalings). 

Im just saying there's a difference between one aspect of a beloved RPG series faltering as opposed to Paper Mario where most aspects seem to have taken a hit either it's two most recent games 

[Salamander]

I think there's hope that the message is perhaps starting to filter through to Nintendo now that we really like original characters and settings and aren't okay with just being fed the exact same Mario characters over and over again.  At first it was just Sticker Star, and it seems like Paper Jam and certainly Colour Splash were conceived of before the full impact iof the blandness of S's approach to character and place had fed through from fans to developers.  Conversely, the Paper Jam Miiverse interview made it pretty clear to me that fan feedback about original characters and story elements was getting through to the developers at last.  Assuming that the new generic style hasn't been imposed top-down and that Nintendo isn't simply ignoring complaints about it, I think there's potential for the next M&L and Paper Mario to be a bit more original again.  Fingers crossed, anyway.

[Sonictrainer]

GameXplain has some new videos of the game.

 

 

 

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

2 minutes ago, Sonictrainer said:

GameXplain has some new videos of the game.

 

 

 

I am now even more hyped for this

[QuantumEdge]

That mansion brings some serious Luigi's Mansion overtones.  I approve.  As much as there's still some anti-hype for this, it's not stopping me from getting all the right, positive vibes for it.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

19 minutes ago, QuantumEdge said:

That mansion brings some serious Luigi's Mansion overtones.  I approve.  As much as there's still some anti-hype for this, it's not stopping me from getting all the right, positive vibes for it.

Even with minimal original characters, the overall atmosphere seems great, and you can even kill weak enemies instantly by jumping on them!

[Doctor MK]

New trailer - Rescue V, fearless colo(u)r defenders!

Nice to see some more character oozing out of this game. Looks leagues ahead of Sticker Star if nothing else.

[QuantumEdge]

This is exactly the sort of wacky, comedic gameplay charm I look for.  Would it be too much to ask to have a whole video series of these guys?  Anyway I really hope this is the instalment that brushes off all the hate Sticker Star threw onto the series. 

[Sonictrainer]

Another New Trailer