What a relief. Simply based on references to the series and requests for playable statuses, I knew Cackletta was the main villain and that Bowser played a different role from his usual kidnapping escapades. Yet when I saw the story unfold in the introduction, I couldn’t help but grow a great interest in these new characters, as well as the classic ones I have known for years. There is something about the way the game is presented and the dialogue that is spoken that has me very intrigued.
Speaking of dialogue, how about the story in general? Peach herself is not whisked away to some foreign land, but in an interesting twist, her voice is. Something always has to get kidnapped, but this is something I want to keep watching develop. Judging off the main villain’s name, I would assume Cakletta is looking to change something in herself, perhaps her wretched voice. Reminds me of Gruntilda from Banjo-Kazooie who needed Tooty to transform herself. As I have been on nostalgia crave all week, this is definitely something worth mentioning.
What I’m loving even more is the fact that these characters have even more personality than their counterparts in the Paper Mario series. While I do find the characters from Paper Mario games more on the humorous side, the characters in Superstar Saga are giving more reasons to care about them, and this helps me see them more as individuals and not a character of a certain group or species. Luigi retains his cowardly traits and Mario is shown to be the adventurous type who would run out in his undies in the name of saving the princess. Bowser, is great in his lines and brings that comedic style we remember from the Paper Mario games. And the last thing I needed was Peach screaming for help, so the explosive vocabulary is a welcomed change.
For my first log, I played through the tutorial and through the events that take place on the Koopa Cruiser. I have fought Bowser in the castle, as well as Fawful on the Koppa Cruiser, and the last thing I did was save in what appears to be the purple Beanbean Kingdom. My question at the moment is whether or not we will see anymore of the Mushroom Kingdom and if we will stay in the wacky and abnormal Beanbean Kingdom for the rest of the game. Perhaps this something I need, as one of the greatest motivating factors to play through this series was the fact that games like Paper Mario: Sticker Star and New Super Mario Bros. U were sticking it way too close to the common Mushroom Kingdom themes. Anyone else feel the same way?
I have always loved the battle and RPG aspects of the Paper Mario series, and I feel that what I have played so far is an improvement over what is featured in the Paper Mario games. Instead of a partner, Mario and Luigi work together to take down enemies. It’s a simple concept, but what I have played so far has shown me that it adds a nice change up that is giving me a fair bit of challenge in the battle scenes. Even outside the battle, using Mario on the A button and using Luigi on the B button is proving to show that plenty of innovative and engaging are sure to come, both in and out of the battle. Action commands, dodge attacks, and counterattacks feel like they are much harder to come by, and I’m definitely glad to see this as they became way too easy to perform in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Then again, I’m just getting used to the battle system and this can easily change.
I’ll wrap up the log by expressing that I’m really enjoying what I am playing. It’s fresh and a much needed change of pace for the Mario series, and I can only imagine that it gets better from here. I’m playing the game for the first time nearly ten years after its original release date, so it will be really interesting to see what future Mario titles have borrowed from Superstar Saga. Before I close, I thought I would ask some questions and see what you guys think. How does the Superstar Saga compare to Paper Mario in terms of gameplay and characters? What was your first impression when you played through the introduction?
I look forward to seeing what you guys have to say in the comments, but I’m a little wary that I might run into a spoiler. If you are including any spoilers, please mark your comment as such! Thanks!