Battle Card (Paper Mario: Color Splash)

"Whatever...We've got cards, we've got paint...YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, MARIO!"

- Huey

Battle Cards are important elements in Paper Mario: Color Splash. They succeed Stickers from the game's predecessor and serve as Mario's main method of attacking. As such, there are a wide variety of cards that appear in the game, and can be found in blocks, or purchased from Prisma Cardware.

Variations
There are three different kinds of battle cards:


 * Basic - These cards are meant for attacking enemies, healing and defending Mario, and refilling the paint hammer.
 * Enemy - These cards summon enemies that attack for Mario and take hits for him.
 * Thing - These are obtained by finding things in the world and squeezing them into cards. They can then be used to deal big damage to enemies, solve a puzzle outside of battle, and weaken the Koopaling bosses with specific Thing Cards.

Basic Cards
There are 60 Basic Cards in the game pertaining to four categories: Worn-Out Basic Cards have a colored border with fine colored stripes on a white background, Normal Basic Cards have a checkered background with colored squares on a white background, Big Basic Cards have a checkered background with bigger colored squares on a background of a lighter color, and Mega or Huge Basic Cards have a striped radial background in which a striped colored slice is alternated with a striped slice of a lighter color, the stripes themselves alternating a stripe of a lighter color with a stripe of a more saturated color. There are also cards that allow to obtain the same effect up to five times, depending on the number of items in the card.

Enemy Cards
There are seventy Enemy Cards in the game, and most of them are occasionally dropped by enemies. The Kamek and Koopaling Cards can be obtained by beating the Rock Paper Wizard in Super Roshambo, and the Black Bowser's Castle Card is obtained after Mario defeats Bowser. When Mario uses an Enemy Card, the enemy that is pictured on the card is summoned. The summoned enemy attacks the enemies that are in battle with Mario, and it also takes hits for Mario. The enemy continues to help Mario until it is defeated or the battle is won. Only one enemy can be summoned at a time, and summoning another causes the first one to run away. If an Enemy Card is used against a boss, the enemy runs away, and Koopaling Enemy Cards cause normal enemies to run away when used.

Thing Cards
"Objects that are 3D are called Things. A Thing Card is what you get when you squeeze a Thing. When you use them, crazy things can happen."

- Huey

Only one of each Thing Card can be carried at a time, as well as a corresponding Replica Card. Replica Cards of previously obtained Thing Cards can be found in the courses, without requiring the Thing to be squeezed into the card first. Each Replica Card has an effect similar to the Thing Cards they are replicating, but adds a transparent "REPLICA" watermark in front of the animation and the card, as well as doing less damage. During the battles against the Koopalings, failing to use the mandatory Thing Card at the right time will result in the Koopaling instantly defeating Mario; if a Replica of the mandatory Thing Card is used, the Koopaling will nullify its effect.

Play Nintendo tips
A page on the Play Nintendo website offered tips for using Battle Cards.
 * ''Friend or foe? Mario keeps all sorts of clever cards up his sleeve in case of a battle. For instance, you can use an Enemy Card to summon an ally to stand by your side in a fight. Cool, huh? There’s just one problem: you never know if your new “ally” will turn against you! If you call on an ally, they’ll definitely hit your enemy…but they may come back and hit you, too. Ouch!
 * The right card—''Before you start throwing down Battle Cards, take a second to size up your enemy. Some enemies can’t be touched by certain cards, so it’d be kind of a waste to use that kind of card on them. For example, you can’t jump on a baddie who’s wearing a spiked hat if you don’t use an Iron Boot card!
 * Card Collection—''You can collect new Battle Cards as you play by hitting Question Blocks, winning battles, and painting colorless spots. You can use in-game coins to acquire Battle Cards and Thing Cards in Port Prisma, too. Players need the proper Thing Card to defeat a boss—and Thing Cards can only be used once—so it’s good to know there’s a place where you can try to find the one you need.
 * Mushroom Cards—''Not all cards are used for fighting, you know! Mushroom Cards, for example, can be used to replenish your health and paint meter. It’s not a bad idea to keep a Mushroom Card or two in your deck to help keep Mario strong during a tough battle.