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Play some Paper Mario in Flash
What would Paper Mario be like if it had been made by a 13-year-old from Holland in a span of five months? That's not a rhetorical question; it would be like this Flash game. Lesjuh's Paper Mario World uses similar visuals to those in the Paper Mario series, but as of now it only contains one world. Even so, it's a fun way to kill some time, and should be enough to keep you occupied during those free moments at work.[Via Technabob]
Super Paper Mario Bros. DS (sort of)
Marcelo Perfetti and Martin Urrutia's production is an imaginative display of how a stylus-supported version of Super Mario Bros. would play on the Nintendo DS. This paper-powered approximation of the NES classic's first level even comes complete with a tinny version of the Overworld theme! That creative bit with the flag at the end is extra charming, snuck in with a wink.Why can't more kids use up their near-limitless amounts of free time to entertain us with these homemade picture shows? Now, if only they had gone the extra mile and flicked a lighter underneath the screen to burn in some fireworks ...
VC Friday: Zonked on paper
It's an odd pairing for the weekend for European gamers -- the punk-influenced Air Zonk and the classically adorable Paper Mario! What do they both have in common? A light-hearted approach to gaming and solid offerings for their respective genres. That's something we can get behind. Air Zonk -- Turbografx -- 600 Wii points Paper Mario -- Nintendo 64 -- 1000 Wii points
VC Tuesday: Singles week
No new multiplayer games on Japan's Virtual Console this week. It's a perfect week to sit in your apartment alone all day playing role-playing games. Now, if only that apartment didn't have to be located in Japan for us to take advantage.Normally, when an RPG shows up on the Virtual Console, it's big news. This week, Japan gets three, one of which is very big news indeed as the confluence of a good N64 game, an RPG, and a Mario game. Makai Hakkenden SHADA (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Shining Force (Mega Drive, 1 player, 700 Wii Points) Militia (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Mario Story (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1000 Wii Points)
Trade in your old ports for a new port
If you're lucky enough to have a Hastings store nearby, the entertainment retailer is offering to exchange your moth-eaten copies of Super Paper Mario or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for a waggle-fied edition of Resident Evil 4. They'll also accept Rainbow Six Vegas (360) and God of War II (PS2), but not without scowling at you first.According to the rest of Hastings's weekly ad, there's a buy-1-get-2nd-for-free sale on body jewelry, so be on the look out for that deal too! Put away the other two RE4 games you've already bought for previous platforms, throw on a shirt that shows off your belly-button-ringed midriff, and check past the post break for the full flyer.
Nin-bento makes us happy we have to eat food to live
A Livejournal group called "Bento Challenge," which is devoted to making festive Japanese-style lunches in recognizable shapes, is doing a "game characters" theme this week. And, as you may expect, that means a lot of Nintendo. In Soviet Russia Japan, you eat Kirby!We posted the Kirby because it's so adorable-- he's just SO HAPPY about being your lunch! But there is other stuff in the competition that must be seen to be believed, like a Paper Mario-style Bowser that is basically perfect. Forget waggling, devouring is the real Revolution.We spend too much time on unimportant aspects of our food, like flavor. We should really be paying more attention to how much like a Nintendo character our meals look.
Rumor alert: Pretty much everything you could think of
Hey, rumors are fun! We see two possibilities regarding this list of Wii games that "will be coming out" according to WiiYou.com. First: they scooped the entire world and got an exclusive look at a list of unannounced Wii games that nobody has heard anything at all about. Second, they didn't. We're looking at the list, and it seems to be about half educated guessing and half dreaming. Call us cynics, but we're going to wait for verification before we go put our money down on F-Zero or Metroid Xterme.Of course Sega Nerds latched on to the listing for Shadow the Hedgehog 2, but, in our minds, that's not the biggest news item on the list. We'd be more interested in hearing about the two Zelda games. Check after the post break for the full list.
Paper Mario pencilled into the VC release schedule
The N64 version of Paper Mario is soon to hit the Virtual Console, according to a recent magazine article.If you've just finished Super Paper Mario and are after some more dimension-shifting hyper-realism , then this is the place to get it. The 2001 classic is more of an RPG than its younger sibling, with turn based combat, so bear that in mind if you're thinking of shelling out the Wii points. No news on release dates as yet -- we'll keep you posted.
Today's most vulgar video: Old Grandma Hardcore plays Paper Mario
Comparing charging stations to excrement and digitized mushrooms to phalli, this is not your normal grandma. Nay, this is Old Grandma Hardcore, notorious for her biting tongue and predilection for profanity. And this is her giving her opinion of the latest Paper Mario for Nintendo Wii.Video embedded after the break. Given our description of OGHC's diction, it probably goes without saying that this clip is NSFW.
Readers pick best webcomic: brain fart
Some found it juvenile and immature, but Slackerz writer Scott Smith (who created the comic along with artist Scott Hepting) explained that his winning comic was inspired by actual events and that, yes, scribbling your 'a,' 'r,' and 't' can lead to some naughty results in Brain Age. Despite the objection by some, Smith's comic was overwhelmingly voted webcomic of the week.Second place went to Dueling Analogs and third place was claimed by Rooster Teeth in their first ever appearance on the wrapup. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week![Update: credit given to Hepting for drawing Slackerz comic.]
Does Super Paper Mario have future DS connectivity? No
Will Super Paper Mario add DS functionality in a future upgrade? Joystiq sister site Nintendo Wii Fanboy was sent the following picture where Mario is hanging around next to a paper-thin DS Lite while the text displays "Awaiting data upgrade ..."Before you start speculating as to how your DS Lite will be used in conjunction with the game, allow us to disappoint you. The DS Lite here, found in the kitchen on the first floor of Flipside, is just a recipe database that is upgraded every time you collect one of the 96 recipe cards found in the game. Wii Fanboy reader jeffoverweg also reminds us that Nintendo has been self-referential with its portable devices before: the Game Boy Horror in Luigi's Mansion, the use of the DS phat and GBA in Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, etc.If Nintendo were to add DS functionality with Super Paper Mario, there is no way they would have kept it a secret, especially not if it meant they could sell a few more DS units on connectivity alone. For those looking to link up their Nintendo hardware, you'll just have to wait for Pokemon.
Wii Warm Up: Reusing assets
The unreleased Gamecube Kirby looked to be running on the Super Smash Bros. Melee engine. Most of the character art in Super Paper Mario Iooks a whole lot like that of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and we don't think that's just consistency in style. Nintendo seems to be reusing art and code from previous games. The advantages of such a practice are obvious: reduced cost, quicker development cycles, and less need for debugging.But does it bother you to have a new game that isn't entirely new? Should Intelligent Systems have redrawn Mario for their new game? Or is there no reason to redo perfectly good work? What do you all think about the reuse of assets in new games?
GDC 07: Super Paper Mario impressions
Super Paper Mario might've been the happiest game at the Nintendo booth at GDC. This 2D/3D platformer features a lot of character and charm, something the Paper Mario series has been known for. This ex-Gamecube title gathered the largest crowds and lines at Nintendo's booth, and it's clear why: it's simply a lot of fun.You hold the Wii Remote sideways, in classic NES form. Because the game plays homage to the early 2D Mario platformers, the Wii Remote may actually be superior than the Gamecube controller for this game. The D-Pad obviously moves the character, while 1 and 2 allow you to do the basics, like Jump. The game's unique feature, dimension changing, comes through the use of the A button. By simply hitting A, the game world rotates, revealing depth to Mario's once flat world.Even without the dimension-shifting mechanic, Super Paper Mario would've been a fun and imaginative game. There are tons of environmental effects that take Mario to new, surprising places. Also, you'll finally be able to play as multiple characters, such as Peach. With her parasol in hand, you'll be able to go far distances, a la Super Mario Bros. 2. Also, although the game doesn't feature any significant Wii enhancements, it's nice to see the game running in widescreen and in 480p. The game might not feature any truly spectacular graphics, but the playful paper art style still looks great. Definitely keep an eye out for this one when it comes out in April.
Super Paper Mario GDC '07 impressions
If you only saw screenshots like the one above, you'd be forgiven for mistaking Super Paper Mario for an All-stars-style update of the original Super Mario Bros. When you see the 95 percent complete build on the GDC show floor, though, it's easy to see that the game is a true continuation of the Paper Mario series, with a few significant changes thrown in.Everything you remember from Intelligent Systems' two Paper Mario games is here -- the irreverent writing style, the smoothly animated flat characters set in a detailed polygonal world and the items and leveling structure will all be familiar to Paper Mario fans. The now-familiar Paper Mario sidekicks also return in the form of Pixls -- little hovering companions that can perform specialized functions like turning into bombs or grabbing nearby enemies.What's changed is how you interact with the enemies -- through platform-style jumps instead of turn-based battles. It's amazing how the lack of jarring, momentum-stealing battles every 30 seconds transforms the game into a more fluid and much more enjoyable experience.The other major change, as has already been shown in countless online videos, is the ability to switch between a 2D side-view and a 3D over the shoulder view with a tap of the A button. It's interesting to see the familiar 2D environments converted into sometimes-complex, layered 3D environments, though the puzzles that used this mechanic in the demo seemed pretty facile.The Wii's motion-sensitive controls allow for some occasional aerial acrobatics, but for the most part, the game brings back the simple run and jump control scheme of the NES Mario games with little embellishment. Which is just fine by us. Just because the Wii allows for motion-sensitive controls doesn't mean they should be shoehorned in when other, simpler controls work just as well or better.
Wii to get Super Paper Mario, lose DVD playback? [update 1]
IGN's Matt Casamassina is reporting that Super Paper Mario, currently planned for the GameCube, will come out for the Wii instead. The comment came in response to a question on the IGN Wii mailbag, along with a rather cryptic hint about "reading between the lines" of the rather direct statement that "Paper Mario will be headed to Wii and not GameCube."Super Paper Mario was one of the bright spots for GameCube owners in a largely 'Cube-free E3 for Nintendo. Since the game's announcement, there has been next to no additional information released, save a couple of leaked videos from Japan's World Hobby Fair. With that game's official release date of Oct. 9 quickly approaching and no Japanese release or additional information from Nintendo forthcoming, many sites have updated their projections for the game's release to Q4 '06 or even Q1 '07.In the same mailbag, Casamassina also points to a blog post where he speculates that the Wii will not ship with previously-announced DVD-playback. The feature is not mentioned on Nintendo's official spec sheet for the system, and the Nintendo big wigs refused to answer Casamassina's questions about the issue.We've put in a call to Nintendo for an official comment on these rumors, and we'll be sure to update once we hear back.[Update: A spokesperson for Nintendo has given the stock reply that they do not comment on rumors or speculation. However, Casamassina has reiterated to Joystiq that his statement was not pure speculation and was based on information he's heard from insider sources.]
