As is the case in almost any Mario game, Princess Peach has once again managed to stir up trouble. This time around she has discovered a mysterious treasure map and she needs Mario to help locate the treasure. Our hero finds himself traveling to the town of Rogueport to meet up with the princess. Of course by the time he arrives Peach has disappeared and no one knows what has become of her. To find Peach, Mario must unlock the mysteries of the Thousand-Year Door by locating all seven Crystal Stars. Along his way he’ll meet up with many unique characters and some of them will even join him on his quest. At the start of the game a small female Goomba, named Goombella, sets out on the journey at Mario’s side.

For those of you that have played Paper Mario before, the sequel plays very similarly. A big part of the game takes place battling enemies in a turn-based RPG environment. Both Mario and his current sidekick take turns jumping, hammering, and using special moves against familiar foes like Koopa Troopas, Goombas, and other baddies from the Mario universe. More damage can be doled out by effectively pressing the correct button at a critical moment during an attack. For example, when Mario stomps on an enemy, if you press the “A” button at the exact moment he makes contact, he’ll get an extra stomp, effectively doubling his attack power. Some attacks use the analog stick, where timing is essential as well. Each of Mario’s partners has his or her own set of special moves. Luckily, they can be switched out on the fly if need be. To keep players alert, other wacky events will unfold during the course of a battle. As players battle on stage, the audience will grow or shrink depending on how special moves are being utilized. Every now and then a member of the crowd will throw a helpful item on stage or throw some trash at Mario, thus causing him damage. Strong attacks can sometimes bring the stage’s background scenery crashing down on the enemies and Mario, causing more unexpected damage. After each battle Mario will receive Star Points. For every 100 collected, Mario gets to go up a level in experience. The game allows you to increase Hit Points (health), Fire Points (magic), or Badge Points (special attributes). Badges of all kinds will be hidden throughout the game. In order to wear them, Mario must have enough Badge Points to do so. Some badges will give Mario new moves, increase his defenses, and much more.

The original Paper Mario had the flat paper characters and storybook look to it, but didn’t really extend itself much past the visual impact. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door uses the fact that the characters are paper to create some really fun play mechanics. Throughout the game Mario will learn new moves to gain access to areas once out of reach. He’ll be able to fold himself up into a paper airplane to cross vast areas. He’ll also be able to turn himself sideways so he’s a thin sheet of paper, allowing him to enter prison cells and fall through storm drains. The backgrounds are paper as well, so there are some awesome moments where the screen will peel away to reveal hidden areas.

With progressive scan support and the power of the GameCube, Paper Mario looks fantastic. There are some really tripped-out backgrounds and the game always has a fresh look to it. The music is standard Mario. There are a few catchy tunes, but nothing noteworthy. The game plays perfectly and there are some puzzles throughout the game that should stump most gamers out there. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a cleverly designed RPG aimed at gamers of all ages. Some of the story is a bit contrived and the game may give players a bit of “been there, done that”, but it’s a very fun game to play through. There are enough twists in the story and surprises to be seen to keep Mario fans playing until the very end. Those gamers looking for a fun RPG without all the complexities of a Final Fantasy or Tales of Symphonia should definitely give Paper Mario a try.