Kramer Stephenson

I am not a troll, and yes I have played the original and thousand year door. Both laid the foundation for the franchise and drew upon all of our expectations. To those who are expecting a true return to the original format, it is not that. The returned companions, and whatnot, but the combat is much more complex. Get the puzzle right, it feels too easy. Get it wrong, you are in for a few turns of punishment. Yes you can add time to your turn via coins or equipment, but as you get so many coins even early on, it is manageable. It’s a game that makes you think. The overworld exploration is fun, finding roads and generally searching for collectibles is another touch that some will like some won’t. To those throwing shade, what would a new entry to a franchise be without some diversity? The flaws with the last two entries are mostly gone. The fact that special weapons have limited durability? It makes up for having only a few select options based on BP, and you can stock up ahead of time, allowing you to face many situations without having to constantly rearrange badges. Best of all, and speaking from the heart here, the paper Mario franchise was never meant to be super serious. Nintendo is, in a sense, parodying itself. Therefore, the combat won’t always be the most difficult and the tongue-in-cheek dialogue and cheeky references make this a charming game. Case in point: a toad claiming to have gotten proficient at climbing walls, as long as it’s not raining? Breath of the wild reference if I’ve ever seen one. Haters gonna hate, but as I’m playing further, this is a welcome addition to the franchise. I find myself equally frustrated with solving the combat puzzles while also often grinning or even openly laughing with some of the diologue. Is it worth full price? As I haven’t completed it yet, I can’t say, though as I am enjoying effectively the first two worlds, it is a game worth playing.