Paper Mario (series)
Encyclopedia
There have been a variety of Mario role-playing games released in the Mario series
' history. The first was Square
's Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
. This game has never received a direct sequel, although as it was the first game to put Mario into an RPG environment. The Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games are usually considered spiritual sequels. The next game was Paper Mario
, which was later followed by Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
and Super Paper Mario
, the latter being a platform game with role-playing elements — unlike earlier games in the series, which were role-playing games with platform elements. Another spiritual sequel was the handheld game Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
, which had a sequel called Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
, and a third installment called Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
/console role-playing game developed and published by Square
and Nintendo
. Nintendo first released the game on March 9, 1996 in Japan and on May 13, 1996 in North America. The game was released around 10 years later in Europe on Wii
's Virtual Console
on August 22, 2008. It came out on the North American Virtual Console on September 1, 2008.
In Super Mario RPG, Mario
, Bowser, Princess Toadstool, Mallow, and Geno fight as allies in the first console role-playing game (RPG) in the Mario series. It contains token similarities to many other Square role-playing games, such as Chrono Trigger
and the Final Fantasy
series, with a story and action-based gameplay based on the Super Mario Bros. series.
introduced "distinctive retro-style 2-D-looking paper-cutout characters", which GameAxis Unwired praised as "colorful". The four playable characters from the Paper Mario series are Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. Matt Casamassina of IGN
notes the main characters are "all fun to play for different reasons" and that the ease of moving between playable characters "is a plus since there are some well-designed puzzles that require you to use two or more of the heroes to continue forward."
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo 64
. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in Europe on October 5, 2001, and in North America on February 4, 2001. Paper Mario was re-released for Nintendo's Virtual Console
in 2007.
Paper Mario is set in the Mushroom Kingdom as the protagonist Mario
tries to rescue Princess Peach
from Bowser. To do so, he must locate seven "Star Spirits" to negate the effects of the captured Star Rod, which grants invincibility to Bowser. The player controls Mario and a number of partners to solve puzzles in the game's overworld
and defeat enemies in a turn-based battle system. The battles are unique in that the player can influence the effectiveness of attacks by performing required controller inputs known as action commands. Peach is also playable in particular parts of the game to complete stealth-based objectives.
Paper Mario is the first installment for the Paper Mario series and is the predecessor to the GameCube game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
. The game received a positive reaction from the media, attaining an aggregate score of 88% from Game Rankings
and 93% from Metacritic
. It was rated the 63rd best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power
s "Top 200 Games" list in 2006.
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo GameCube
. It was released in Japan
on July 22, 2004, in North America
on October 11, 2004, and in Europe
on November 12, 2004.
The Thousand-Year Door has some unique elements owing to its visual style. The graphics consist of a mixture of three-dimensional
environments and two-dimensional
characters who look as if they are made of paper
. At different points in the game, Mario is "cursed" with abilities that enable special moves in the overworld, all of which are based on the paper theme. Mario can fold into a boat or a paper airplane by standing on a special activation panel, and roll up into a scroll of paper or become paper-thin.
The game was well received by critics, with an average score of 88 percent from Game Rankings
. In general, critics praised the game's engaging plot and gameplay, but criticised it for not being a big progression from its predecessor. The Thousand-Year Door won the "Role Playing Game of the Year" award at the 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards.
/console role-playing game (RPG) developed by Intelligent Systems
and published by Nintendo
. Originally developed for the Nintendo GameCube
, it was released for the Wii
. The style of gameplay is a combination of the previous Paper Mario and Super Mario Bros.
games. Unlike the RPG-style gameplay of previous Paper Mario games, the game combines platform gameplay, RPG and puzzle elements. It is the third game in the Paper Mario series.
Super Paper Mario is an RPG
with Platforming elements. The player moves through a series of levels, where he explores various landscapes, fights enemies, and solves puzzles. The game is divided into 32 levels within eight chapters, where each chapter takes place in a unique location, or "dimension". The main objective is to collect the eight Pure Hearts, one in each chapter, which is used to gain access to the next. Each area is joined to a central hub, a town called Flipside.
The majority of gameplay is in 2D. Early in the game, Mario is given the ability to "flip" into 3D. By doing so, the perspective shifts and the 2D level rotates to reveal a hidden z-axis, placing Mario in a 3D environment. Flipping therefore allows the player to maneuver around obstacles impassable in the 2D perspective, or find items, enemies or varying landscapes only visible along the z-axis. Through the majority of the game, staying in the 3D perspective too long can deplete Mario's health. Players can also play as Peach, who can float in the air and use her umbrella as a shield, Bowser, who can breathe fire, and Luigi, who can perform a super jump. Players also collect Pixls that have various abilities during gameplay.
announced at the E3 2010 website for the Nintendo 3DS
handheld system, and the first installment of the Paper Mario series to be released on a handheld console. This Paper Mario entry is expected to return to the turn-based battling of its early predecessors.
and published by Nintendo
for the Game Boy Advance
in 2003. The game begins in the Mushroom Kingdom, but changes to the Beanbean Kingdom for the majority of the game as Mario
and Luigi
combat Cackletta, the central antagonist of the game. The quest begins when Cackletta, with the aid of her assistant Fawful, steals Princess Peach
's voice after adopting the guise of an ambassador from Beanbean Kingdom.
Although technically a role-playing game, it centers on a battle system different from that of traditional games of the genre, with emphasis on timing and more elaborate attacks. The game is whimsical in tone, with various in-game jokes and comical references to the heritage of the Mario series. Superstar Saga was generally well received by critics, and IGN
named it the twelfth best Game Boy Advance game of all time in their feature reflecting on the Game Boy Advance's lifespan.
, Luigi
, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi as they search for Princess Peach
, who has been abducted by an alien species known as the Shroobs. The gameplay centres on the co-operation between the quartet, who must use their specific qualities and skills to solve puzzles and thus progress through the game. Partners in Time features multiple role-playing game elements, but with a turn-based battle system focused on timing accuracy.
console in 2009. The story revolves around Bowser being given the ability to inhale anything into his body, which includes Mario and Luigi. The game includes new features, such as the ability to play as Bowser. He has his own special attacks using his various minions, and can grow huge during some boss battles which allows players to hold the DS sideways and use the touchscreen and microphone to do special commands. Unlike its prequel, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
, the game offers more use with the DS microphone and touchscreen. It was first released in Japan as Mario & Luigi RPG 3 on February 11, 2009 and was released in North America on September 14, 2009.
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
' history. The first was Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
's Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, often shortened and officially known in Japan as , is an action role-playing game developed by Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It was originally released on March 9, 1996 in Japan and on May 13,...
. This game has never received a direct sequel, although as it was the first game to put Mario into an RPG environment. The Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games are usually considered spiritual sequels. The next game was Paper Mario
Paper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001...
, which was later followed by Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Paper Mario 2, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
and Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario
is a platform style console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. Originally developed for the Nintendo GameCube, it was released for the Wii in 2007. The style of gameplay is a combination of the previous Paper Mario titles and Super Mario Bros. titles...
, the latter being a platform game with role-playing elements — unlike earlier games in the series, which were role-playing games with platform elements. Another spiritual sequel was the handheld game Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2003...
, which had a sequel called Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005. It is the second game in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game...
, and a third installment called Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, often shortened and officially known in Japan as Super Mario RPG, is a hybrid adventureAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
/console role-playing game developed and published by Square
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
and Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. Nintendo first released the game on March 9, 1996 in Japan and on May 13, 1996 in North America. The game was released around 10 years later in Europe on Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on August 22, 2008. It came out on the North American Virtual Console on September 1, 2008.
In Super Mario RPG, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, Bowser, Princess Toadstool, Mallow, and Geno fight as allies in the first console role-playing game (RPG) in the Mario series. It contains token similarities to many other Square role-playing games, such as Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
and the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series, with a story and action-based gameplay based on the Super Mario Bros. series.
Paper Mario series
Paper MarioPaper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001...
introduced "distinctive retro-style 2-D-looking paper-cutout characters", which GameAxis Unwired praised as "colorful". The four playable characters from the Paper Mario series are Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. Matt Casamassina of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
notes the main characters are "all fun to play for different reasons" and that the ease of moving between playable characters "is a plus since there are some well-designed puzzles that require you to use two or more of the heroes to continue forward."
Paper Mario
Paper Mario is a role-playing (RPG) video game developed by Intelligent SystemsIntelligent Systems
is a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in Europe on October 5, 2001, and in North America on February 4, 2001. Paper Mario was re-released for Nintendo's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in 2007.
Paper Mario is set in the Mushroom Kingdom as the protagonist Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
tries to rescue Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
from Bowser. To do so, he must locate seven "Star Spirits" to negate the effects of the captured Star Rod, which grants invincibility to Bowser. The player controls Mario and a number of partners to solve puzzles in the game's overworld
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
and defeat enemies in a turn-based battle system. The battles are unique in that the player can influence the effectiveness of attacks by performing required controller inputs known as action commands. Peach is also playable in particular parts of the game to complete stealth-based objectives.
Paper Mario is the first installment for the Paper Mario series and is the predecessor to the GameCube game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Paper Mario 2, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
. The game received a positive reaction from the media, attaining an aggregate score of 88% from Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
and 93% from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. It was rated the 63rd best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
s "Top 200 Games" list in 2006.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent SystemsIntelligent Systems
is a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
. It was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on July 22, 2004, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 11, 2004, and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on November 12, 2004.
The Thousand-Year Door has some unique elements owing to its visual style. The graphics consist of a mixture of three-dimensional
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
environments and two-dimensional
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
characters who look as if they are made of paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
. At different points in the game, Mario is "cursed" with abilities that enable special moves in the overworld, all of which are based on the paper theme. Mario can fold into a boat or a paper airplane by standing on a special activation panel, and roll up into a scroll of paper or become paper-thin.
The game was well received by critics, with an average score of 88 percent from Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
. In general, critics praised the game's engaging plot and gameplay, but criticised it for not being a big progression from its predecessor. The Thousand-Year Door won the "Role Playing Game of the Year" award at the 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards.
Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario is a platformPlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
/console role-playing game (RPG) developed by Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. Originally developed for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, it was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. The style of gameplay is a combination of the previous Paper Mario and Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
games. Unlike the RPG-style gameplay of previous Paper Mario games, the game combines platform gameplay, RPG and puzzle elements. It is the third game in the Paper Mario series.
Super Paper Mario is an RPG
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
with Platforming elements. The player moves through a series of levels, where he explores various landscapes, fights enemies, and solves puzzles. The game is divided into 32 levels within eight chapters, where each chapter takes place in a unique location, or "dimension". The main objective is to collect the eight Pure Hearts, one in each chapter, which is used to gain access to the next. Each area is joined to a central hub, a town called Flipside.
The majority of gameplay is in 2D. Early in the game, Mario is given the ability to "flip" into 3D. By doing so, the perspective shifts and the 2D level rotates to reveal a hidden z-axis, placing Mario in a 3D environment. Flipping therefore allows the player to maneuver around obstacles impassable in the 2D perspective, or find items, enemies or varying landscapes only visible along the z-axis. Through the majority of the game, staying in the 3D perspective too long can deplete Mario's health. Players can also play as Peach, who can float in the air and use her umbrella as a shield, Bowser, who can breathe fire, and Luigi, who can perform a super jump. Players also collect Pixls that have various abilities during gameplay.
Paper Mario 3DS
Paper Mario 3DS is an upcoming role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
announced at the E3 2010 website for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
handheld system, and the first installment of the Paper Mario series to be released on a handheld console. This Paper Mario entry is expected to return to the turn-based battling of its early predecessors.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDreamAlphaDream
is a Japanese video game development company founded in 2000 by Tetsuo Mizuno in: Tokyo, Japan. It was formerly known as Alpha Star. In partnership with Nintendo, it has produced software for the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in 2003. The game begins in the Mushroom Kingdom, but changes to the Beanbean Kingdom for the majority of the game as Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
combat Cackletta, the central antagonist of the game. The quest begins when Cackletta, with the aid of her assistant Fawful, steals Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
's voice after adopting the guise of an ambassador from Beanbean Kingdom.
Although technically a role-playing game, it centers on a battle system different from that of traditional games of the genre, with emphasis on timing and more elaborate attacks. The game is whimsical in tone, with various in-game jokes and comical references to the heritage of the Mario series. Superstar Saga was generally well received by critics, and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
named it the twelfth best Game Boy Advance game of all time in their feature reflecting on the Game Boy Advance's lifespan.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Although the sequel to Superstar Saga, the game's plot has little direct connection to that of its predecessor, with an emphasis on the time-travelling theme, which involves the protagonists travelling between the past and present of the Mushroom Kingdom. The adventure follows MarioMario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi as they search for Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
, who has been abducted by an alien species known as the Shroobs. The gameplay centres on the co-operation between the quartet, who must use their specific qualities and skills to solve puzzles and thus progress through the game. Partners in Time features multiple role-playing game elements, but with a turn-based battle system focused on timing accuracy.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a role-playing video game in the Mario & Luigi series, released on the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
console in 2009. The story revolves around Bowser being given the ability to inhale anything into his body, which includes Mario and Luigi. The game includes new features, such as the ability to play as Bowser. He has his own special attacks using his various minions, and can grow huge during some boss battles which allows players to hold the DS sideways and use the touchscreen and microphone to do special commands. Unlike its prequel, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005. It is the second game in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game...
, the game offers more use with the DS microphone and touchscreen. It was first released in Japan as Mario & Luigi RPG 3 on February 11, 2009 and was released in North America on September 14, 2009.