The 'Shroom:Issue XXV
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| Issue XXV | April 11th, 2009 | About |
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Upcoming Games
by Corka ColaAlright, unfortunately there are no Mario video games comng out until 2010. Unless some of you want me to talk about what I found interesting on Game Stop's release list like the Mario Chess Set or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If something comes up, I will definitely update this due to the fact I've already reviwed the only two games for Mario this year! If you want an interesting upcoming game, June 6, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits comes out for PS2, PS3, XBOX360, and Wii. This will have the best of 4 early Guitar Heros combined! Among these are: "Through the Fire and Flames", "Barracuda", and "I Want Rock 'n Roll". Keep it here for the occasional update!
Fun Stuff
Z3r0 TW0 COULDN'T BE HERE IN TIME, SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR SECTION PM ME (TUCAYO) SO I INCLUDE IT HERE
Mystery Image
By User:Tucayo
ANSWER HERE
Hiding Koopa
By User:Tucayo
Answer over there
Find the Differences
Answer here! :D
Quiz
Well I realized just a few weeks ago that I didn’t make a quiz for last month. So for all you quiz readers who were disappointed, I’m very sorry and I’ve decided to make an extra long special quiz this month to make up for it. Questions: 1. True or False; Charles Martinet first voiced Mario’s voice in Super Mario 64. 2. What colors is the Ultra Hammer in Paper Mario? 3. How many karts are in Mario Kart DS 4. How many painting is Super Mario 64 can Mario jump into (paintings on walls only) 5. What happens when Tick-Tock-Clock is entered when the minute hand is on the 12? 6. How many points in a coin worth in Super Mario Bros. 7. In Super Mario World, name the secret level unlocked after beating the first Ghost House in Donut Plains. 8. How many Mario Parties were released for the N64? The GameCube? How about the Wii? 9. What is the first race track in Mario Kart 64? 10. What appears from a Blue “!” block in Super Mario 64? 11. In Super Mario 64, how many Goombas are in Bob-omb Battle Field? 12. What is the name of Luigi’s Final Smash? 13. In which world is the Blue “!” switch in Super Mario World located? 14. What year was Donkey Kong released? 15. What is the name of the black Luma in Super Mario Galaxy? Answers: 1. False; His voice debuted in 1995 in Mario’s FUNdamentals 2. Gold with a red stripe 3. 36 4. 10 5. All the clock functions stop 6. 10 points 7. Top Secret Area 8. 3 (N64), 4(NGC), 1(Wii) 9. Luigi Raceway 10. Vanish Cap 11. 10 12. Negative Zone 13. Forest of Illusion 14. 1981 15. Polaris.
I’m going to give you a lesson on MOTHER3’s history before we start this review. Now, don’t worry, it shouldn’t take long! ...Or maybe it will, because I have a tendency to talk a lot. OK, I’m just adding to it now, so I’ll shut up.
A long-awaited sequel, a game spent over a decade in the making: MOTHER3. It is the third and, possibly, final installment in the MOTHER series, released in 2006 for the GameBoy Advance. The MOTHER series is often recognized as one of the most abused gaming franchises in history. The reason? Well, after so much petitioning, begging and pleading, Nintendo didn’t listen. It’s a shame that something that had gained quite a fanbase was forced to learn how to deal with getting its hopes up on a regular basis.
MOTHER3 was first announced for the Nintendo 64 back in 1996/1997 or so. Fans were excited to see the MOTHER series take a step into the third-dimension. Unfortunately, the game kept getting pushed back and delayed over a course of years; and, eventually, it was cancelled. Well, maybe not cancelled, but rather, it was shelved. Itoi, the series creator, still had the game’s concept, story and characters in mind, but didn’t bother putting it to work. When a game has no fans, it doesn’t do well, but when it does, it’s the opposite effect. It just didn’t seem like now was the time.
Years later, in 2003, the game turned up again, but not with a big announcement or anything major. They had announced a compilation cartridge for the GameBoy Advance, titled MOTHER 1+2, that combined the two games onto one game. Many commercials were made for it, although one in particular had a strange message, as said by Mr. Saturn, on it: "We’re making MOTHER3 for GameBoy Advance, too!"
I can imagine the viewers jaw-dropping. Was it a prank? A joke? A lie? It was true! Around that time, Itoi and popular RPG-developer Brownie Brown picked up the game and began developing it for the GBA. And three years later, it released.
People still ask Nintendo of America regularly for an English version of it, but no word on an official translation as of now. However, thanks to Tomato and his team at STARMEN.NET, an English fan translation patch has been released.
Gameplay
The gameplay of MOTHER3 is nothing too new for MOTHER fans, but it has a lot to it that makes it unique. Probably the most heavily-mentioned change in the game’s format (and one of my favorite parts of it) is the Sound-Battle system. Basically, each enemy has its own distinct battle theme, and you can combo by pressing the A button to the beat. While it seems simple, it gives battles a lot more depth and strategy then just pressing the button after you hear a sound effect like in the previous two. It makes things less luck-based. Although, people with a bad sense of rhythm probably won’t get the advantage, but oh well. There are also some tools in the game that make this easier. Reprises of the same songs appear on some occasions, but often the tempo is messed around with; slowing down and speeding up.
My only complaint with the gameplay is that it’s a somewhat linear game. Not that many sidequests to complete, or extras to add to the replayability. But because the game is kind of like an entire "world" on its own, you can still explore every corner of it. You won’t be disappointed---there are so many things in it, signs to read and characters to talk to. The dialogue and humor, like the previous two games, is still very well written and can be either quite humorous, adding to the mood, or sad.
Graphics
If you read a review for MOTHER3’s prequel, EarthBound (aka MOTHER2 in Japan), most often the complaints will be that the game lacked graphical intensity. In fact, GamePro even said Dragon Quest on the NES had better graphics, and the enemies looked poorly drawn. While I disagree with them, I do agree that MOTHER3 has greatly improved upon that---look at the characters and their framerates. There are many, many sprites used simply for the different poses in the game, be them walking, running, talking, or poking a Hummingbird Egg (which, by the way, was a one-use animation). The graphical style of the game is pixelated, just like other GBA games, and it may even be unimpressive to the casual gamer who is spoiled by the DS’s advancements, which was released a little over a year from MOTHER3. The colors are vibrant and happy, similar to EarthBound, and all the settings look pleasant. While not graphically astounding at a quick glance, they are astounding in action.
Sound
The sounds in MOTHER3 are another one of my favorite parts. Everything just takes you in, into the game, into the scene. Hip-hop, jazz, el mariachi, and much, much more that I'm forgetting at the moment. It has everything. Better yet, the tunes all perfectly convey the emotion or theme they’re supposed to, like happiness, sadness, loss, grief, power, torment, and everything else. Many songs are just beautifully composed pieces, true amazement. And to think, there were only really two composers doing the sounds in this game. Many can even become contagiously catchy; it’s pretty sad when people who have never even played the game start humming the Pigmask Theme. And people were complaining about the GBA's sound quality... well, they've been righted!
Story
The story of the first MOTHER game was spectacular, EarthBound also has a pretty nice storyline, though nothing incredible. They both had something to do with saving the world, and the friends you’ve met in it. In fact, you start both game out naming you and your friends. What about MOTHER3? Well, things have been changed around a little. It’s focused more on Lucas and his family, and the mysterious group of soldiers called "The Pigmask Army" that have come to the island. They wreak havoc while Hinawa (the mother) and the kids are vacationing at Grandpa Alec’s, leaving their father, Flint, alone at the house. He receives a letter sent by Hinawa that they’ll meet up at the house around noon, but it’s already dark out. After some investigation, the kids have been found, but Hinawa was found dead. It was the cause of the Mecha-Drago; a mechanized creature that was once friendly, created by Pigmasks.
After several events, it becomes apparent Lucas and his team must pull the Seven Needles, glowing sticks that have been plugged into the earth. If he lifts all seven, the Dark Dragon, which is in control of everything on the earth, will destroy the world. The world must be renewed in a less evil image. A few RPG cliches, but otherwise, MOTHER3 has quite an excellent plot, one that reads out more like a story.
Contribution
While it is still a welcome edition to the series, it is very unique, and it breaks a lot of traditions set by the last games. But isn’t change a good thing? It mixes seriousness with humour quite well and evenly, which is just how the MOTHER series should handle the two subjects. It’s a well-rounded game that I strongly recommend for its great gameplay and music especially.
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Contribution: 10/10
OVERALL: 9.7/10
Near perfection.
[Insert catchy greeting here], I'm Jaffey, and this is Good Game, Bad Game. Where we play a good game, only to get dissapointed later. And i've got to be honest here, I'm running out of ideas. I'd guess that I've got one or two good ideas after this, but unless I could do something else (like make a top 10 list), I may have to go. Don't worry though, I'll come up with something. Anywho, today's topic is "innovation"......... what!?!? The main idea for this section is "two games that are sorta similar", i guess... Whatever, as technology has improved, so has the standard for video games. Some were great ideas that changed video games for years, while others wanted to be forgotten ASAP. So, let's review these pickle-dooks (in case you're wondering, I DO talk like this in real life).
Good Game:Super Mario 64
It's-a me! Jaffffey!.
Oh I freakin' LOVE this game! It's my favorite Mario... no... my favorite game of all time. I've played it since I was two, and loved it ever since. Little did I know, that this was one revolutionary game. I never really played the original Super Mario games when I was a kid, so I just thought all games were like this. But enough about me, let's talk about the game.
The story starts out like most Mario games do (and should). Bowser kidnaps the Princess and Mario needs to rescue her. Mario games really don't need to be more advanced than that. Unlike other games in the series, however, this game is in 3-D!!! You have more freedom than in other games, and there's so much more to do! When you defeat a certain objective in a level (defeat a boss, collect 8 red coins) you'll be rewarded with a power star. You need these stars in order to unlock doors lead to different levels. And after collecting a certain amount of stars, you'll fight probably one of the greatest villains ever..... Luigi! Nah, i was just kidding (if you did think I was seroius, i recommend finishing up 1st Grade). You battle Bowser, and BOY is it epic! You start off in a dark level, with numerous deadly traps. After surviving these, you use a pipe to reach th ultimate! Bowser's fun to fight, but the only thing better is the music! It could quite possibly be the coolest boss music ever! to defeat said Koopa King, you toss him by his tail into a bomb, or throw him off the field enough times. Which ever floats you're boat. You fight him 3 times, each harder than the last.
I could ramble on about the awesomeness of this game, but if you still don't understand how revolutionary this game is/was, then you obviously never played it. I recommend buying this game on virtual console as quickly as humanly possible, or faster! I recommend this game to anyone who likes to have fun!1
Bad Game:Hotel Mario
NO! Not the CD-i! IT BURNS!
Oh boy... We're in a load of crap now! If you've never experienced this game in any way shape or for, God really loves you. I do NOT understand how anyone thought this was a going to be a good game! It is HORRIBLE, in every definition of the word!
Anyway, let's look at why this game is a monstrosity to gamers everywhere. Well for starters, look at the title. Why would you make a hotel themed Mario game? Oh, maybe it's like a port of Sim City, but with Mario characters. If that were the fact, I would be one HAPPY gamer. Second, look what system it's on, The Phillip's CD-i, or as I like to call it, the bane of Mario's existence. This system was BAAAAAAAAAAAD! It mainly featured games that you'd find PBS making. As if that weren't bad enough, they had the balls to make terrible Mario and Zelda crossover games. The Zelda games were bad too, but this isn't the Zelda Wiki now, is it? It had a Cd disk drive, so it seemed like it would make for better gameplay overall. It apparently decided to instead do the exact opposite.
Enough with the obvious problems, let's get into gameplay. You start off with a triple threat of horrible gaming essentials rolled into a cutscene. The visuals look like a doodle I did while I was depressed, the music sounds like a broken synthesizer being jammed by a 2-year old, and the voice-acting, oh the VOICE-ACTING! Not only did they give Mario that stupid Brooklyn accent, but his voice constantly spikes (along with the rest of the music). As if that wasn't bad enough, they added Luigi in it too (miscellaneous sounds of violence) OKAY! OKAY! I know a lot of you like Luigi, but if anything, he makes the game worse. He adds even more ridiculous dialogue than Mario does. The plot doesn't lend itself too kindly either. Apparently Bowser has kidnapped Peach and... started a hotel chain? Wha-? How does that even REMOTELY make sense! But don't worry, there are BILLIONS of other things in this game to make you angry, you won't even think about the plot.
The gameplay is also a load of garbage. So what's the main goal of HOTEL Mario? You shut doors. wheeeeeeee. The game controls are ridiculous as well. But if you still want to play this game after all the crap that's been thrown at you, you DESERVE bad controls. By this point in the game, you can pretty much expect the rest off gameplay. The enemies are cheap and unimaginative, the gameplay music sounds like a dying cat, and you die fast. And that's all i have the patience to put up with in this game.
But that's not my biggest complaint! The biggest reason I hate this game would have to be the people on Youtube who thinks this stuff is funny if it's in their videos. It's not. It's 10x worse. If you still like playing good video games, stay FAR away from Hotel Mario! Laters!
Hey, got a Good suggestion for Good Game, Bad Game? Feel free to drop a line on my talk page. (just DON'T recommend Mario Kart Wii!)
Calendar of Events
by Corka ColaFeatured Articles for 4/11-5/9
4/11: Mario Kart series 4/18: Count Bleck 4/25: Baby Daisy 5/2: Baby Peach 5/9: Baby Mario
Release Calendar
5/4: New Play Control!: DK Jungle Beat
Other
MW 4th Anniversary on August 14, 5PM EST!! Please vote for your favorite of Mario!!
The 'Shroom:Issue XXV/Music Supplier
Interview
by YosharioI interviewed Son of Suns, trusted crat, and active contributor. Since he has been here for a while, I thought it would have been interesting to interview him.
Yoshario: Hey, SoS. It's Yoshario, under the name "Sushario", and it turns out I have the interview job for the shroom. Do you want to be interviewed?
Son of Suns: If you would like to interview me, that would be fine.
YS:All right, then. So, question 1: How did you find out about the MarioWiki?
SoS: Well, a few years ago, I started getting interested in the then somewhat new phenomenon of "wiki-ing." Being the dork that I am, Wikipedia became a significant resource to inform my various fan pursuits, such as video games and the Star Wars series. Now, through Wikipedia, I first stumbled upon Wookiepedia, the Star Wars wiki. I really wanted to contribute there, but soon discovered that almost everything I knew about Star Wars was already documented at the wiki. As such, I simply returned to reading articles at Wikipedia, while also supplementing my Star Wars knowledge through Wookiepedia. Eventually, while browsing through Mario related articles at Wikipedia, I found a link to the Super Mario Wiki. Naturally I followed the link to this site. I realized that this wiki could be a perfect match for me, unlike Wookiepedia, as the Super Mario Wiki was in dire need of new content and even basic upkeep. And so I decided to join up!
YS:Wow. And the MarioWiki looks very professional now, partially because of your great edits. Speaking of edits, what was your first edit and how did you feel when you made it?
SoS: Dang. Honestly I don't know what my first edit was off the top of my head (it has been some time after all). (checks) Okay. Apprently my first edit was to the Baby Mario article, when it was only about three paragraphs in length. I expanded the first paragraph a little bit, explaining some of the plot points of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island as they related to Baby Mario. (Looking back, I can see I made a mistake... Whoops!)
How did I feel? That's probably impossible for me to answer, especially since I have a really bad memory. But I would guess it felt like "taking my first step into a much larger world." The first edit is like a symbol of commitment to the wiki, and to providing knowledge about Mario to the entire world! It's a pretty big deal.
YS:K. Well, next question (and this probably doesn't apply to you are one of the wiki's first users), who welcomed you? Or at least posted thee first message on your talkpage?
SoS: Well, I was never really welcomed. We didn't have welcome templates back then and no one ever said "Hey! Welcome to the Mario Wiki!!" or anything like that. My first message was from a sysop at the time, DarkInsanity, who commented about some edits I apparently made to some Donkey Kong related articles. During the course of this particular conversation, he left two more messages, so I guess DarkInsanity was the one to "welcome" me. After that, we would consistently consult each other about the needs of the wiki.
DarkInsanity was an amazing user. He basically showed me the ropes when I first started out here, and later gave me advice when I was promoted to sysop. It's unfortunate that he does not contribute to the wiki any more (at least not regularly, because I do see his name pop up in recent edits from time to time, albeit rarely). The Super Mario Wiki would be a better place if he were to return.
YS: I actually heard of DarkInsanity once. Anyway for the next question, what would you say your biggest goal for the wiki is?
SoS: Hmmm...tough question. Well, my goal for the wiki as a whole is for it to be recognized as the greatest source of Mario knowledge on the internet. I want all of our articles to be informative, well-written, and even fun to read. When someone, anyone, wants to look up information about the Mario series, I want them to automatically think of the Super Mario Wiki. A little grandiose? Sure. But it’s one of the larger goals I am committed to.
Now my personal goal in relation to the wiki is to try to keep the website an open, friendly place, committed to the expansion of Mario knowledge in all its forms. In the past, I used to dream of a Mario Wiki I no longer had to work on; a database that was so complete and so perfect, there was no longer a need for editors. I tried to be a part of that process, writing and rewriting articles to fill in the gaps present at our site. Over time I realized this task of completing the database is impossible for one person to accomplish. There is simply too much to do. I doubt anyone has played every single Mario game and seen every cartoon and read every comic, etc. etc. So my personal goal is to help users new and old as they edit the wiki, encouraging quality contributions to the database. While I still want to write articles, I don't have the time necessary to consistently edit the website. Essentially, I want to keep users committed to fulfilling the dream of a complete Super Mario Wiki.
YS: Well, Mr. Son of Suns, its been an absolute pleasure to interview you. I hope one day my edits can be as good as yours. Seeya around the wiki!
YS: Also, I hope you don't mind me asking one last question for the interview: Are you really a communist as your avatar suggests?
SoS:Oh yes, most definitely.
Plumbers of the world, unite!
-- MANY DAYS LATER -----
Yoshario: :facepalm: I feel like an idiot. I lost the questions I PMed you for the interview. Could you possibly PM to me back? Thanks so much.
Son of Suns: I think there are all the messages:
Hey, SoS. It's Yoshario, under the name "Sushario", and it turns out I have the interview job for the shroom. Do you want to be interviewed?
All right, then. So, question 1: How did you find out about the MarioWiki?
Wow. And the MarioWiki looks very professional now, partially because of your great edits. Speaking of edits, what was your first edit and how did you feel when you made it?
K. Well, next question (and this probably doesn't apply to you are one of the wiki's first users), who welcomed you? Or at least posted thee first message on your talkpage?
I actually heard of DarkInsanity once. Anyway for the next question, what would you say your biggest goal for the wiki is?
Well, Mr. Son of Suns, its been an absolute pleasure to interview you. I hope one day my edits can be as good as yours. Seeya around the wiki!
Also, I hope you don't mind me asking one last question for the interview: Are you really a communist as your avatar suggests?
- facepalm:
I feel like an idiot. I lost the questions I PMed you for the interview. Could you possibly PM to me back? Thanks so much.
Fake News
Hail Ralphfan!
Fake TV
Match Game
Thanks to everyone who signed up for the Match Game! You will all be receiving updates, about two a week. You will all be given questions via your talk page and the forum (I'm posting it on both just in case). Private message me (on the forum) your answers by May 1st at 20:00 GMT (8 PM; just add or subtract the difference with your time zone). Do not give the answers to talk page; other contestants or the judges could see them and use them for cheating.
Contestants
Our contestants are:
Judges
Our judges are:
Backups
Our backups are:
Star Cup
The Star Cup's continuation date has been set to June 28th; stadium repairs are taking a long time (like you could do them faster!). We thank you for your patience.
Fake Games
- Mario Figure Skating (Rated E): Mario and Co.'s newest sport? Figure skating! In this crazy game, your favorite Mario characters participate in singles and doubles (gender-regardless; you could have Bowser skate with Wario (it's possible, watch "Blades of Glory"!)). Use items like Mushrooms to enhance your skaters (they're NOT steroids!) and throw items such as Bob-ombs, shells, and banana peels to mess up your opponents.
- Call of Duty 6: Mushroom Army vs. Koopa Troop (Rated M): The Mushroom Kingdom is under attack like never before: mercenaries are trying to kill everyone! Play as either side, or control one army and try to slaughter your friends over wi-fi!
Travel Guide
Are pineapples your favorite food? Do you like man-eating plants everywhere? If so, Isle Delfino is for you! Plus, you can get covered in goop and fight a giant squid! So, come to Isle Delfino with a 20% off travel pack from Noki Travel Agency today!
Fake Music
The hit country group, The Buzzy 5 are at it again! Their new single, Achy Breaky Shell, came out on Saturday, April 11th and is getting great reviews. Egg & Roeper said, "Whoever said country music is only for rednecks is downright wrong! Yippee-ai-addy-ai-ay!" Buy it at Koopa Records, but they're selling fast!
Obituaries
Swiggler died on Thursday, April 9th. His vim supply was stolen by homeless Toads, causing his death. While his death is a tragedy to some, it is making for great advances in Vimology. This is because it was previously believed that only Toads needed vim to survive.
Cooking Guide
Today, Dyllis will be teaching how to make a Dyllis Deluxe! Take it away, Dyllis!
You vill need:
- Vun Life Shroom
- Vun Golden Leaf (you could use other ingredients but these cost the least)
- Two Power Steaks
- Vun grill (at least 15" in diameter)
- Vun food processor
- Put grill on medium high.
- Grind up Golden Leaf in food processor.
- Sprinkle the leaf on top of the Life Shroom and grill for fifteen minutes to make a Shroom Steak.
- Grill a Power Steak for twelve minutes to make a Hamburger.
- Grill the Hamburger on top of the other Power Steak to get a Gorgeous Steak. You can stop here because the Shroom Steak replenishes 70 HP and the Gorgeous Steak 25, so you can actually revive more HP than you could with a Dyllis Deluxe.
- Grill the Shroom Steak and Gorgeous Steak together for twenty minutes to get a Dyllis Deluxe! Restores 90 HP!
Interview
Today we interview Toadsworth!
Ralphfan: First question: Not trying to be rude, but how old are you?
Toadsworth: Eh wot? Pip-pip! Well, if you must know, I'm 73 years, 231 days, 7 hours, 16 minutes, and 40 seconds at the tone. Beep!
Ralphfan: Do you consider yourself responsible for all of the Toads?
Toadsworth: Oh yes, I won't let anything happen to my darling little lambs.
An explosion is heard in the direction of Toad Town.
Ralphfan: I think that was Toad Town.
Toadsworth: So?
Ralphfan: Toads live there!
Toadsworth: What's a Toad?
Ralphfan: You have Alzheimer's!
Toadsworth: Where am I? What year is this? Did we win the Civil War?
FIN
Fake Sports
As you can see above, the Star Cup is under delay due to the Battle Dome's current state (it was hit by a tornado). Plus, there's real sports on (like the NHL playoffs which start on the 15th)!
Weather
The fight against global cooling is going well! Carbon emissions are up 15% from the last month!
FIGHT GLOBAL COOLING! NOW! The 'Shroom:Issue XXV/Beta Elements
Oh great I have to do the shroom again =(
This game is anther game that is based on a Paper Mario game.It's based on Super Paper Mario.It's called Paper Mario World.The game is presented by Old Grounds </bad joke>New Grounds.The gameplay is similar to Super Paper Mario.The music came from Paper Mario Super Mario Sunshine and other remixes.The difficulty is medium.Even after beating the boss there is more,the player must find the boss's mask (which is like 3 screens away).This game features a password where you can play the game "mirrored".
That is all for this month,Bye
I’m bach! This week I will be reviewing one of my favorite games, Paper Mario, the Thousand Year Door for the GameCube! I will be using a slightly different template for reviewing than my previous two reviews, as RPG’s often have different features. PLEASE post suggestions on what to do next month, what game to do, how to organize, ect. As of now, next month I will review either Super Mario World or Super Paper Mario. I am also open to suggestions. Let me save you the trouble of reading this review: BUY THIS GAME NOW!!!!!! Oh, apparently I will get fired if I don’t write a decent review. Okay…..
Let’s break this game down by each aspect: gameplay, diversity of enemies, diversity of characters, story, replay value, collectables, sound and graphics and secrets. Each of these categories is amazing for Paper Mario. Okay: gameplay. If you have downloaded or played the first Paper Mario, the gameplay is pretty much the same. But, many people haven’t so here we go! Okay, there are two areas: the field and the battlefield. The next paragraph will talk about the battlefield, so here is the field. On the field you will solve puzzles by using your abilities. Early in the game, you will be able to turn into a paper airplane. Later, you can turn as thin as paper. An example of a puzzle may be turning into a plane, flying across a gap, turning into paper, jumping on a spring, and seeing a pattern that you will have to memorize for later you will encounter enemies on the field, and touching them will start a battle.
In a battle, you will have a few options: jump, hammer, star power, items, run away. I’ll focus on the jump and hammer. With the jump, you always have the basic jump command. This can do a total of 2, 4, or 6 damage IF you pull it off. The same goes for the hammer. To pull it off correctly, though, you will have to master the action commands. For the jump, you will jump on the foe, and if you press the A button on the GameCube controller right BEFORE you jump on the enemy, you will pull of a second jump. You start with the basic boots which do 1 damage for each jump, and eventually get the super and ultra boots, that do 2 and 3 damage per jump, respectively.
Of course we won’t forget the hammer! The action command is quite different. When you select the hammer attack, you run up to the enemy and a gauge appears that has five stars, the last one has a cool little red circle around it. You hold the control stick to the left and release it when the circle is highlighted. This one only hits once, so if you don’t do the action command correctly, it does about half damage. Again, there is a regular, super, and ultra hammer, doing 2, 4, and 6 damage if you do it correctly.
I’m gonna skip to collectables, because they’re part of gameplay. Let’s start with….. *drum roll* BADGES! There are at least a hundred badges. Many badges give you a new type of attack: For example, using the power smash badge will let you use the power smash attack that uses 2 fp each time you attack (I’ll get to that) and costs 1 bp to equip (again, I’ll get to that!) but is a powerful attack that adds 2 power to your hammer. You can also get useless ones like the luigi badge? That makes Mario look like luigi and costs 0 bp. There are even ones that soup up your hp, fp, power, or defense, but cost about 5-7 bp per badge! To find badges, you may find one in a chest, box, or hidden area. There are also 3 shops that sell badges: The lovely howz of badges, which sells badges for around 100-200 coins apiece, the salesman charlatan, that sells useless badges for around 200 coins, and this weird jester guy who will buy badges for star pieces, which can be found in hidden panels that must be spin jumped on, or hidden in a little nook. The only thing more plentiful than badges are… items.
Items are numerous and have a lot of uses. For example, a mushroom will heal you by 5 hp, and honey syrup will replenish 5 fp. Of course there are better versions of these items. Also, there are attack items, like the fire flower that causes 3 points of damage to everyone on the field, or the ice storm that freezes everyone, making them immobile. You can get many items by cooking things to get enhanced items. For example, if you cook a mushroom, you get a shroom plate that heals 10 hp. This way you can get many items. Okay, onto bp, hp, and fp…
Let’s start with fp. You start off with 5 fp, and you need fp to use more powerful attacks. For example, a regular hammer attack uses 0 fp, a power smash attack uses 1 fp, but the quake hammer attack, that hits all enemies on the ground or ceiling, costs about 3 fp. I don’t think any attack uses more than 10 fp, and that attack heals you by about 20 hp. Let’s go on to hp while we’re talking about it. You start off with 10 hp and hp (heart points) is your health. You will lose a various amount of hp for each attack, ranging from 1 for a simple head bonk, to like 12-15 from a souped up earthquake thingy from one of the last bosses. Many items will heal you, as I mentioned above. If you lose all your hp, you faint and start from the last area you saved at. Bp is used to equip badges, and you start with 3 bp. Simple badges like the power smash use 1 bp, and elaborate badges like the hp up that increases your hp by 5, can cost 7 bp. If you unequip your badge, you get all your bp used for that badge back, so it is fun to customize yourself by equipping and unequiping your badges. You may have noticed that I said you start with so much hp, fp, or bp, so… how do you get more?
Each time you beat an enemy you get some star points. Once you get 100 star points, you level up! Each time you level up, you get to upgrade your hp, fp, or bp. Each time you upgrade fp or hp you get 5 more points. If you upgrade bp, you get 3 more bp. This way, you get to further customize Mario, so you can make him durable, use powerful attacks, or use a lot of good moves. I’m pretty sure I did a good job covering collectables and gameplay, so onto diversity of enemies.
This is a rpg, so there are many enemies. Each world has a dozen or so new enemies, and unlike the previous two games I covered, each world introduces new, interesting, and harder enemies. The first level has enemies such as goombas, that have 2 hp, and 1 attack, and later levels have enemies like dark boos that have about 8 hp and 4 attack. The bosses pose a challenge too, as none of them has less than about 30- 40 hp. Each boss has a different strategy, and you will need to consider when to heal, what moves to use to conserve fp, and what partner to use when. Yep, you have partners, so here are the basics of them.
This wouldn’t be Paper Mario without partners. Each partner has a ability that you can use on the field and moves in battle. For example, one of your partners, koops, a koopa, can duck into his shell and hit a faraway switch on the field, and can ram into enemies on the field. Your partners play heavily into puzzles, and also in boss battles, as mentioned above.
The story. Amazing. I won’t spoil it for you, but each level you learn a bit of the story, and at the last two levels it all comes together. Basically, without revealing much, Mario is at his house, and he receives a letter from peach. She says she is in a place called Rougeport, and attaches a map. Mario travels to Rougeport, and cannot find Peach. This doesn’t tell much, but trust me, the story is complicated, mysterious, and plays a big part in the game.
The sound is great for the game. There are many tracks; each level has a different sound, unlike many rpgs. I don’t know if Lerin has any of the songs on his issue, but every sound is good. The graphics are good, they don’t look blocky or choppy, but they aren’t amazing. Overall, it is kinda between 2 and 3-d, so it is smooth to look at, but nothing special.
There are many secrets in the game. There are hidden blocks with items that are very hard to find, and there are many items in rooms you overlooked. There is a secret partner, hidden badges, and just a lot of concealed things. The replay value is amazing; after you beat the game, you can find secrets, customize Mario, and many other things.
- Gameplay: 10/10
- Diversity of enemies: 9/10
- Diversity of characters: 10/10
- Story: 9/10
- Replay value: 10/10
- Collectables: 10/10
- Secrets: 10/10
- Sound/graphics: 9/10
Overall:10, A+ Overall without story: 10, A+
This game is amazing. Period. The things that really make this game great are the replay value, unlockables, and secrets. I really can’t say anything but, GET IT NOW!
***Tucayo has joined #Shroom
HI! everybody and welcome to the Director Notes! Im your merciful and tolerant director Tucayo! (-“Director?” you may think, -“Yes, Director”, -“Wasn’t Stooby the director”, -“Yes, he was”, -“So?”, -”He preferred to be the Sub”, -“Like Subway’s???”, -“NO THE SUB-DIRECTOR”, -“Oh, that’s different”, -“AAA YOU DISTRACT ME A LOT!!! BACK TO THE NOTES”)
Here are some news of your beloved newspaper:
New Writers
Lets give a warm welcome to those who hadn’t got anything better to do offered their time to write here:
- Mario304 in the Character Comparision
- Corka Cola writing Brawl Tactics
- And Yoshi301 doing the Classic Review
Other
- The Calendar of Events will now show the thing of the main Page’s calendar
to the pleasure of those calendar haters - You can now PM us your suggestions, complaints, etc., just click the small Contact Us link in your friendly shroomfooter and PM somebody who’ll answer in the next issue in a special section
- VERY IMPORTANT: AUGUST ISSUE WILL BE A SPECIAL ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY, PM ME ANY SUGGESTIONS
That’s all, hope you enjoyes this months issue.
Now lets close with a bad joke that only I will understand (Goes for a Laffy Taffy)
There: “Mississippi, how do you spell it?
A: I-T LOL :P
BYE!
***Tucayo has quit (Exit: The ‘Shroom Forever!)
Sub Director's Notes
Heyo, this is Stooben Rooben, your feared (am I?) colleague. I'm just here to say that I'm happy that Tucayo was willing to take over the paper for me. He's got the dedication it takes to do this job successfully, so give him a chance to prove it. Kudos to all the people who have kept up with the due dates; I hope to see you keep it up. :) -- Stooben Rooben (talk)