Topic: Paper Mario: Color Splash - OT

And that's why I played SMRPG with only Mario, Peach and Bowser.

Warning, exaggerated opinions incoming.

Super Mario RPG was probably my first in the genre shortly after it came out. A friend had rented the game or owned it. I don't remember exactly. However, at the time, Geno was awesome for no more than he looked cool. It was also very novel at the time to play as Bowser, especially with the Hurly Gloves. This game was more of a gateway drug than anything. I do agree that the plot isn't super complex now, but that's after 15+ years of playing different RPGs.

You know you haven't used your Wii U in quite a while when it takes you about ten seconds to realise you've been spamming the B button, waiting for Toad to continue talking...

Happens every time I play on my vita and then move to the 3ds.

I'm enjoying this game a lit.

But a question for UK residents over 30: does anyone else think the opening music is a dead ringer for the old 80's/90's Aquafresh advert jingle?

Got the game. Played just a little bit since I'm also in the middle of Lost Odyssey (seriously the greatest JRPG I've ever played in my life) and Dragon Quest VII, and Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D just released in English and that was a long, highly anticipated wait.

But I'm really liking Color Splash. The humor is absolutely on point, the mechanics feel responsive and the game is just bursting at the seems with color (which, given the name and all). But ya, I'm really liking it.

Alright, I'm one boss in, and gotta say I can give my opinion right now.

But I will preface this, with the same thing I preface anything I say about Super Smash Bros.. Just because it's not like that game you love doesn't mean that game you love has been erased. Thousand Year Door still exists, Color Splash has not removed it from existence. Please for the love of all that is holy recognise that fact.

Now onto my opinion. The writing is damn good. Witty, charming, bit meme heavy but it's very relaxed. It's a game that tells you it's here to have fun first and foremost, and that's cool with me. Graphically, despite graphics being unimportant to me as a consumer, it's pretty. Everything pops and stands out and despite being Colour Blind (Haha), I can distinguish everything. It's well put together. Music is also top notch stuff.

Mechanics are solid too. Exploring is fun, only had to scour for a few unpainted spots for 100% in levels, kind of wish I didn't have to retrace levels to get a second Mini Paint Star but that's no big deal to me. Painting stuff is easy and well utilised, cutting out areas is also neat, especially for secrets. Hammer Scraps acting as EXP is neat too. There have been times I have run out of a colour of paint, and you do have to adapt strategies around that at times, especially in a dungeon.

The way attacking works is a little odd, each card hits the next enemy, so if you don't kill enemy one with your first card, the second hits enemy two anyway. Some have effect ranges, others have multiple uses like Jump x3, so on so forth. Blocking is easier here than in Paper Mario (My only other "True" (Ugh, hate having to say that) Paper Mario reference point), and for that I'm thankful, as in that game the window for error was much smaller, and more damage pilled up faster. Action Commands for offense are good, I do mess up a few times, but it's responsive, so it's all on me just being me.

Cards are a common point of contention, and I can understand why. One time use items, with the paint adding strategy to how your turn goes. All out from the start, or build up based on the order of enemies in the field, it's how you want to play. I often find myself using unpainted cards to knock enemies from the air, and following up with something to wipe out the rest in one go. It's a neat way to make you think.
Battles net you more cards, new cards, EXP and coins. Coins can buy more cards, painted or otherwise, or Thing cards. Puzzle solving is easy, you can either buy Things from a store for use, and there is a nearby Toad to give not so subtle hints on any things you need coming up.

Despite having a world map, I'm going back and forth between levels a lot, as characters pop up across multiple areas, leading up the main dungeon at the end. It makes, despite the levels all being separate, a cohesive world, as everyone interacts with everyone else, it's just how you get to these areas that's different.

Overall, do I think the game is worth the £39.99 I threw down for it? Yeah. I'm having fun, and that's the main thing. Is it Paper Mario? Well, there's Paper, and there is a guy called Mario. As far as I am concerned that's accurate advertising. I don't care what the game is, as long as it's fun.

I'll clarify why I wrote what I did in the way I did above. I have a fear some people are going to be lynching me as per usual.

When I review a game, talk about a game, think about a game, I do just that. I think about A game. THE game. I look at it as a stand alone product, because ultimately that's what it is. It may be part of a series, franchise, or whatever your categorisation of choice may be, but it is a single game. There is nothing else to it, there is no "What it should be", or what it was, there is just what is there, and if what is there is appealing and fun.

I have a very hard time articulating thoughts, especially when it's justification. I hope you understand that I look at a product as itself, not as it's peers.

As one of the people who didnt enjoy sticker star as a result of the lack of story, some tough puzzles where you had to find an object and had no idea where it was and generic levels I had no intention of buying colour (can't spell it as color as am in UK) splash.

After reading the reviews from people that have enjoyed the game who didn't like sticker star I decided to buy color splash today as it does seem like a big improvement even if it isn't a return to the classic Paper Mario from the early-mid 2000s.

Have hardly used my Wii U this year so will be nice to play a Nintendo home console game again.

How is everyone finding Color Splash so far?

I'll get this game at some point and likely enjoy it (as I didn't even hate Sticker Star). Maybe enjoy it more than a lot of games I like!

But everything I said is still probably correct. And honestly, if you love this game, you should be angrier than most at Nintendo, because they have tried their best to make people automatically hate this game and not want to support it. Kinda like how I'm mad that Nintendo didn't do the best they could to explain how to effectively use Star Fox Zero's controls.

I am loving Color Splash. The game mechanics are fun and the world is gorgeous but as usual it is the humor that gets me into the RPG adventures in the mushroom kingdom. I've been posting so many screenshots on miiverse just cracking up at the random humor in this game. If this is the last big game before Zelda then I am so glad I got a game that makes me smile this much.

Also I'm not a Navi hater, but does anybody else think Huey is making fun of Navi and Fi? He has to be the most needy sidekick ever.

As someone who has never played a Paper Mario game, can someone try and persuade me to buy this game? I'm interested to know what the game is about, the kind of genre it follows, how the game mechanics work, and so on. From my own knowledge of the game, which is very little, I'm aware that it follows a linear story within a paper universe, and while the first few games had RPG elements, the later games moved away from that.

What else does the game involve and why should I want to play it?

@Ryu_Niiyama Besides the bit at the beginning where he reminds you three times about how you can summon him for help because he's lonely, I don't find him that much more verbose than any other Mario RPG sidekick who acts as his ''mouth''.

@meleebrawler Oh it is a set three times? Ok I must not have gotten to that part. I only played for like thirty minutes before I had to go to bed. But I remember thinking "Dude, do you mind? If I need your help I promise I'll call..."

@Portal_King Music and writing are good. Visually it looks very good as well. Haven't progressed far in the story, but it's so far a simple story to get the adventure going, and it works. There are some RPG elements, but I'd argue it's a bit of everything. An action-adventure puzzle RPG platformer. It blends all really well together though. I don't know why you should buy it, but it's only €40 and probably the last Wii U game, so there's that as well.

Anyway, about the specific game mechanics, you have a paint hammer as your main overworld weapon, and a regular hammer as well. You collect paint and use the hammer to paint places that are drained of colour, you're bringing the levels back to life essentially. Battles are RPG turn-based, they utilise cards. You find them, you can buy them and even sell them. Cards determine what attacks you use during battles, you can also summon enemies and use special attacks. Cards are a one-time use, and you need paint to power them up. The RPG elements comes from the fact that your level is essentially your paint meter. More battles equals more experience and a higher paint supply. Different enemies are immune to certain cards, whilst other are more effective. You know, all that standard stuff. Anyway, maybe watch a gameplay video if you want to see the game in action.

@BLPs as much as I love the game, I think you misunderstand why people are upset with the direction the series has taken. Yes, thousand year door is still here, but the sadness people feel is that they'll never get another paper Mario game like that one. They don't want a remake, they want a game with similar emphasis on heavy story and unique characters.
And can you blame them? Those proper rpg games were a precious and welcome change from the usual type of games Nintendo put out. And now we're being promised that the franchise will never go back to those relatively more unique characters and story.
But yes, the game is fun.

@Operative

It was more a preface to the comments i commonly see. Its fine wanting something akin to that game I cant find a copy of, but acting like its wiped from the Earth is a bit much. Though I think Melee fans are worse with that.

my main point was to review the title which I belive I did. It has problems but its a damn fun time. Is it a good Paper Mario game? Yeah. Is it a good TRUE Paper Mario game? I havent played em all and as such im not qualified to say.

Looks like paper? Check.

True Paper Mario game.

Triple-dipped on VC Super Metroid. Still waiting.

@DarthNocturnal If only it were that simple, right?