Video Games

Super Paper Mario

B

For Nintendo Wii

Rated for all ages. $49

PAPER CHASE: Gamers like to talk about whether a game is a "two-dimensional side-scroller," for example, or a "3D platformer." Super Paper Mario takes these terms literally. Most of the time, you're playing as an actual two-dimensional, paper-thin Mario. All the enemies, buildings and surroundings are equally svelte, giving the game an appearance of a comic book come alive. But you can also flip into a 3D view, so that instead of watching Mario run from one side of the screen to the other, you're looking over your character's shoulder as he zooms down a corridor. It's an interesting trick, and the role-playing aspects make combat a little more interesting than standard Mario fare.

GET ME REWRITE: Because Super Paper Mario has some role-playing-game aspirations, you have to sit through an annoying amount of story and exposition that can't be skipped. Super Paper Mario also suffers a little by comparison to traditional, run-and-bounce Mario games. For example, you can't sprint in Paper , which leaves you feeling like you're stuck in molasses. Also, the game looks pretty bad. It's bright and colorful but kind of crude, and when you're in 3D, it looks like an N64 game.

BOTTOM LINE: Super Paper Mario is fun. But it's not much of a challenge, and the game makes only minimal use of the Wiimote's motion-sensing capabilities. Still, it should tide Mario fans over until the next real Mario game, Super Mario Galaxy.

Victor Godinez