Super Paper Mario

About Super Paper Mario

Super Paper Mario (スーパーペーパーマリオ, Sūpā Pēpā Mario?) is a platform/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 titles and Super Mario Bros. titles. Unlike the RPG-style gameplay of previous Paper Mario games, the game combines platforming gameplay, RPG and puzzle elements. It is the third game in the Paper Mario series.

Super Paper Mario is a platformer with role-playing 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 manuever around obstacles impassable in the 2D perspective, or find items, enemies or varying landscapes only visible along the z-axis. However, staying in the 3D perspective too long depletes Mario's health.