Second only to Super Mario 64, this was my favorite Mario game for the N64 and one of the last great games for the system. It also kickstarted the beloved Paper Mario franchise.
The story is pretty routine for Mario, but things are more serious this time. After stealing the Star Rod from Star Haven and imprisoning the 7 Star Spirits, Bowser lifts Peach's Castle high into the sky, captures Peach, and soundly defeats Mario. Narrowly surviving the encounter, Mario sets out on a big adventure to rescue the 7 Star Spirits, confront Bowser, rescue Peach, and save the Mushroom Kingdom before the Koopa King takes over.
As the title says, the game introduced a unique animation style. Mario and the other characters are represented as 2D sprites with flat paper-like depths, yet they inhabit a world with a 3D environments, buildings, and other objects. This brilliant mix gave the game a distinct story book like setting and was a nice callback to Marios origins as a 2D platforming character. You not only play as Mario, but Peach as well in between chapters as she assists the hero despite her captivity.
Like Super Mario RPG for the SNES, the game contained many RPG elements, like leveling up with Star Points, learning new moves, using or purchasing items with coins, equipping badges that grant Mario special abilities, and turn based battles, which can start with Mario or his enemy striking first.
You'll fight a wide variety of familiar enemies, like Goombas, Koopas, Shy Guys, Pirahna Plants, and others. The battles against enemies and bosses are pretty easy, though the later bosses, like Huff n' Puff, Crystal King, and Bowser himself, require strategy and patience to defeat.
Assisting Mario throughout his travels are 8 different party members with their own abilities you can use inside and outside of battle, like Koopers shell attack to hit switches, or Bombetta blowing holes in walls. As typical for RPGs, there's plenty of side activities, like collecting star pieces to trade for badges, levelling up your party members, doing favors for Koopa Koot, fighting in a dojo, and delivering letters. There's plenty to do for completionist gamers.
The music is outstanding, thanks to prolific game composer, Yuka Tsujiyoko. The game had a diverse range of music from bright and cheery, like the hub world theme of Toad Town and the tranquil Koopa Village, to darker and more dangerous, like Tubba Blubba's castle, Mt. Lava Lava, and Bowsers castle. The boss themes were the most notable, like the TMNT-esque music of the Koopa Bros., Lava Pirahna's theme shifting from ominous to wild, and the tense yet awesome final showdown with Bowser including guitar riffs and organ notes.
Even today, the game is playable and fun, especially for fans of Paper Mario games curious about how this franchise started. So, try it on the Nintendo Switch if you're interested.
