Exploring the Switch's Nintendo Classics #4

Been a while since I last did one of these as well! It took me this long because, in-between reviews of other games, I could hardly find the time to play stuff from the Nintendo Classics service; however, I think I’ve found a system that could help me with that.

Before I start this article, I guess I might take this introduction to explain a thing or two: For starters, all I have is the classic Switch, not the sequel console released in 2025. As a result, while I do try to go through the games available on Nintendo Classics, I do not have access to the GameCube games that were announced for the Switch 2 exclusively. This also extends to whichever games on other consoles require a mouse to play, like Mario Paint. (Not that there are many of those.)

In the same vein, Nintendo began releasing Virtual Boy titles to the service in February 2026. I am very tempted to try these as well, and since many of these are short, they will fit perfectly in articles like the one here. However, I am told that they will work much better with a headset currently on sale. I do think I will be better off playing those games with the necessary equipment! Therefore, I’ll skip these for now and put them on the backburner. It’s not like I’ve got a shortage of Nintendo Classics games to cover anyway!

I was in a bit of a hurry to get this article ready for publication, so instead of waiting to have enough entries from just one console, here you have a pot-pourri of games from almost all the consoles that are part of the service. And just like my other collections, any progress is better than nothing!

Enjoy!

The NES

That is, indeed, baseball.

Baseball: I’m still not done with sport games! This game was one more of the console’s launch titles, and is about as straightforward as can be for an 8bit representation of the sport. Pitcher pitches, batter hits the ball, team on the field hurries to get the ball and throw it while the batter runs around the diamond. I’ll admit that I know little about baseball (most of my gaming experience with baseball is… Mario Super Sluggers). And this game explains very little, so I know the basics of the sport, but I was left to figure out the controls on my own. I did poorly at this one. While I can say there’s a few NES sports games I would come back to, this isn’t one of them. I can still appreciate that its release at the console’s launch helped further boost the NES’s popularity in North America.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Part 2)

Adult Link’s quest continues (and ends) today. Part 1 is here.

You know, if I had been that committed to sparkle motion, I could have posted Part 1 seven years ago and Part 2 today, and have both parts interact in some ways with each other. ….Unfortunately, I would have had to have thought of that back in 2016. Too late!

The next medallions

Darunia called his own Goron kid the same name you called
Link on the main menu.

Time to drop the hammer.

Much like the Forest Temple, the first dungeons in the Hyrule visited by adult Link have elements similar to the ones he visited as a child. We visit the Gorons again in order to enter Death Mountain. Most of them have been captured and taken to the Fire Temple within the volcano’s crater, to be eaten by the mountain’s resident fire dragon Volvagia. In order to navigate the temple without burning to death, Link needs a fire-resistant tunic, which is given to him by Darunia’s son. (How the tunic protects him when his legs are still bare, that’s never explained.) Darunia himself is in the dungeon as well, trying to rescue his people.

C'm'ere, Volvagia. I have a hammer and your head looks
like a nail right now.

In this rescue mission, Link frees the Gorons one at a time, always getting a new key with each. Great concept. This eventually takes him to the high point, where he gets a special tool, the Megaton Hammer, which lets him smash down rusty switches and, of course, beat the boss. Link has to play whack-a-mole against the fire dragon Volvagia, smack its head real good with the Megaton Hammer in order to slash at it with the sword. It was a tough fight for me, until I figured out the pattern eventually.

The fire, then the ice... Man, all these temperature changes
are gonna give Link a nasty cold.

Next up is the Water Temple, hidden underneath Lake Hylia. We need a special song taught by Sheik to teleport to it, as one path is blocked by a fence and the other path, accessible from the Zoras’ domain, is frozen solid. So are most Zoras themselves, really. In fact, before we can access this major dungeon, we have to go through an ice-themed dungeon in order to obtain Iron Boots, which allow Link to walk underwater. The place has a gimmick that involves burning away mysterious red ice using blue fire that can be kept into bottles. The blue fire is also needed in the Zoras’ domain to free the King, also encased in that ice; and the King, as thanks, gives Link a blue tunic allowing him to breathe underwater.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Part 1)

More of me fighting my phobia of hype aversion! Yaay! It’ll be fun! And what a massive game it is that I’m covering today. One of the Titans of gaming. Needless to say, I’m a little worried.

From 8-bit open world to modern open world.

In the world of video games, few franchises have such a long and storied legacy as The Legend of Zelda, one of the most beloved adventure series out there. Present since March 1986, the adventures of Link and his quests that usually involve rescuing Princess Zelda and kicking Ganon and/or Ganondorf’s teeth in have been a part of the pantheon of the Greats. Few games in the series have been treated as outright terrible, and those that have… well, I’ve never owned a CD-I console, so I don’t need to worry! Indeed, aside from the occasional mechanic introduced in a somewhat clunky manner (the finicky Wiimote controls in Skyward Sword being one oft-cited example), what we get when buying a TLoZ title is generally a strong product, offering solid gameplay backed by an enthralling story.

I’ve already covered a few titles in the series so far: I grew up with A Link to the Past, which I’ve owned on both SNES and Virtual Console (Wii), and that title is also frequently in fans’ Top 5 when it comes to ranking the games. Slightly lower on many lists but still an impressive title in its own right, Twilight Princess was covered in the early days of this blog. Today’s game, though, tends to top most of those hypothetical “Best of Zelda” lists, sometimes in a heated competition with a more modern entry in the series, Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch.

THE defining entry in the franchise: Ocarina of Time, released originally for the Nintendo 64 on November 23rd, 1998 in North America, with a remake available with stereoscopic 3D published for the Nintendo 3DS on June 19, 2011. The latter is the version I’m playing today. Maybe if I had hurried I would've finished this review to coincide with the release of Tears of the Kingdom...

I might take a little less time discussing the story, as though I’m actually discovering it now as I play the game, I assume most people know the main beats.

The fairyless Kokiri

The young Link is the only Kokiri, a group of elf-like people of the forest, without a fairy. He is plagued by nightmares of a man on horseback over a Hyrule on fire. One day, the protector of the forest, the Great Deku Elder, sends Navi, a little fairy, to retrieve Link and send him on a quest. The other Kokiris rejoice in seeing Link with a fairy, but he has no time to waste. He finds a sword and purchases a shield to go on his way, and leaves to meet the Elder.

Okay, okay, sheesh! Give me a minute!
I've got seven years to save the world...
P.S. Screenshots here come from the playthrough done by
Gamer's Little Playground.

Navi is useful as a living crosshair.
As an expositor, not so much.

The mustachioed tree explains to the young hero that it has been struck with a mysterious ill by a man on horseback. It asks Link to venture into it and defeat that ill. This is the first dungeon, and as is tradition for the series, feels very much like a tutorial showing the ropes and what to expect afterwards. You get your first projectile weapon (a slingshot and Deku Seeds) and the first enemies that you must defeat using those, including this dungeon’s boss, Gohma, a giant spider. It needs to be stunned with them before it can be wounded with the sword. Puzzles-wise, most here involve collecting wooden sticks from the monster plants, lighting them on fire and burning spider webs to open paths.

The Great Deku Tree is indeed a much better
expositor. Alas, he's not portable.

After defeating Gohma, Link gets the ever-present Heart Containers, adding one full heart to his life, and is teleported back outside the Great Deku Tree. The elder thus explains the mythos to him, about the three goddesses (Din, Nayru and Farore) who each had a hand in creating the world of Hyrule (the land, order, and life) and a trait (Power, Wisdom and Courage); and upon their departure, each one left behind a triangle containing the very essence of that trait. The three, put together, form the Triforce. The man on horseback, who seeks such might, must be stopped. The Deku Tree entrusts Link with the item it refused to hand over to the dark warrior, Kokiri’s Emerald, one of three spiritual stones that our hero will need to collect. The old tree tells Link, in its last breaths, to go see the Princess of Destiny… Zelda, at Hyrule Castle. Link leaves, obtaining the Fairy Ocarina from his best friend Saria on the bridge going to the outside world.

Search for the red stone

Man, those guards are bad at their job.

Hyrule Field is huge, and was an impressive sight when this game originally came out in 1998. Nowadays, it feels barren and empty. There’s a lot of places to go, but heading there takes a while. Seeing the skeletons pop out from the ground at night must’ve been scary at the time. Our first stop is the Castle Town Market, which leads to Hyrule Castle. Unfortunately, the royal guards are everywhere and will throw Link out on sight, so we go through a proto-stealth segment to reach the castle and, afterwards, the garden in which we meet Princess Zelda.

After she explains more lore regarding the Temple of Time (also accessible from Castle Town) and how it ties with the Triforce, she shows Link the man she feels is after the mighty artefact: Ganondorf, whose look screams “I am evil, don’t trust me”, yet the King seems to think this is a genteel, dapper fella! She asks Link to collect the other two spiritual stones, which will open the sacred realm. Link is then taken out of the castle by Impa, who trusts the Princess’s instinct and, as a bonus, teaches Link Zelda’s lullaby for his ocarina.

I arrived as fast as I could, but there was a middle-aged guy
blocking the way. Took a while to wake him up.

Dude's got some sick moves.

After a detour by Kokiri Forest to also learn Saria’s song, this quest takes us to Kakariko Village, next door to the castle. By showing proof that we’re on a quest, we have a guard open the path towards Goron Village, up in the mountains. The entrance to the second dungeon, Dodongo’s Cavern, is blocked by rocks, so we need to go through the Village. The Gorons are troubled because their source of food is in the Cavern. Wait; they eat rocks, and they can’t eat the rocks blocking the way? Whatever. The Gorons’ leader, at first grumpy, has his spirits lifted by hearing Saria’s song and gives Link a power glove that lets him pick up and throw Bomb Flowers.

Some Lizalfos in there, too.

Thanks to a Bomb Flower located higher on the mountains, we blast the dungeon’s blockade away and go in. Bombs and lava together in the same place sounds like a recipe for disaster. This time around, both the Deku seeds and the bombs are necessary. Bombs? Yeah, we find a bag to carry them. Turns out it’s better to use them against the boss, the King Dodongo, than the Bomb Flowers in his arena. Upon the giant beast’s defeat, we are yet again taken out of the dungeon, thanked by an authority (the leader of the Gorons, in this case), and given another spiritual stone. If things keep going this fast, I’ll be home before dinner!

How ‘bout that blue stone, now?

King of the Zoras: Large, in charge, and fishy.

Our third plot trinket is found in the domain of the Zoras. This opens a fair few number of new zones, including Lake Hylia, in which we find a message in a bottle. Ruto, the princess of the Zoras, is trapped inside Jabu-Jabu, a large yet peaceful creature living in their domain. This is enough to get Link to meet Jabu-Jabu on order of the King of the Zoras. Activities here involve fishing or diving for Rupees (which, for the latter, earns Link an upgrade allowing him to hold his breath longer, and dive deeper, as a result).

Not a particularly pleasant place.
Not a particularly pleasant company, either.

We bring a fish to Jabu-Jabu and get sucked in. Just the thought that we’ll actually be swimming in dirty belly water… Yuck! This third dungeon is peculiar in that we not only rescue Ruto, but also end up carrying her around, because Missus does not want to get out. Missus wants to be lifted and taken to various parts of the dungeon, where she’ll be used as a stone for pressure plate puzzles. Want a cushion for that royal entitled bum too, Missus? This is how we find out that a parasite has taken control of Jabu-Jabu, and Link needs to kill it. This involves killing the parasite’s tentacles, which are electrified; we find a boomerang to deal with that.

Nothing quite like beating up a parasite!
Though usually it's figurative, not literal.

Per Zelda tradition, the boomerang is mandatory to beat the mini-boss, Big Octo, which was a lot more bothersome to me than the actual boss, Barinade. If only Ruto wasn’t complaining the whole time, too! People like that character? She’s unbearable! On the plus side, we find the Zora’s Sapphire, which is what Ruto was also looking for within the beast, claiming it to be an item she would only give to her future husband. Well, she’s fallen in love with the hero who saved her, so I guess that counts. Well, too bad! We got a world to save here!

Link returns to Hyrule Castle only to see Impa fleeing with Zelda on horseback, with Zelda tossing an item in the moat. Following next is Ganondorf, who asks Link if he saw the two galloping away. He leaves, and Link retrieves the item; it’s the Ocarina of Time, a magical instrument! Sorry Saria, looks like I got a better musical instrument from someone else. With the item comes a vision of Zelda teaching Link the Song of Time.

Hero of Time

The ancient legend, the sword in the stone... Fun fact, in some
alternate language editions, the Master Sword IS mistakenly
labeled with the name Excalibur.

This new song opens the Temple of Time’s secret room, containing the Master Sword. Link grabs the sword, is engulfed in light… and in comes the silhouette of Ganondorf, thanking him. Turns out, this was the worst thing to do, as it also opened the door to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce is hidden, allowing the Gerudo to walk in and achieve his evil goals!

I am old enough? I don't feel it!
I lost seven years of my goddarn life!

When Link comes to his senses, he’s in a room of the Temple of Light, inside the Sacred Realm, where a sage named Rauru is talking to him. Discussing Link’s screw-up, Rauru explains that there is still a way to stop Ganondorf – Link must find the other six sages and rescue them, and they in turn will seal Ganondorf away. There’s only one problem; he is too short to wield the Master Sword, the only weapon that cdould defeat this evil. As a result, time has jumped forward seven years. Link is no longer a scrawny ten years old Kokiri kid, he’s now a scrawny seventeen year old with enough force to actually use the magical sword. Those seven years, however, gave Ganondorf plenty of time to corrupt the land. This will make finding the Sages difficult.

Yeah, I'm aware. Thanks for telling me where they are, though!
The other guy in the temple forgot to tell me. Also, you look
really familiar for some reason.

After this discussion, when Link comes to in the Temple of Time, he encounters a mysterious ninja by the name of Sheik. I don’t need to say who this is, do I? It’s one of those open secrets of gaming, like Samus Aran’s identity under the armor. If you’ve played a Smash Bros game past the first, you already know. Some would say that the 3DS version hides the twist even less, since it’s so well-known. The ninja instructs Link on the location of the five temples he must free from evil in order to awaken the sages, and that he should first look in Kokiri Forest for a girl he knows… However, Sheik instructs him to seek some items in Kakariko Village beforehand, which he’ll need to even enter the temple.

An aside before we resume the quest

It took me a moment to get in the “groove”, so to speak, but now I’m sold, this game is fun. Really, the one downside is that since it’s on the Nintendo 3DS with its short battery life, the game is to be played in short spurts. Thankfully, you can always save when pressing Start, though you’ll respawn on restart depending on where you are. Hyrule as child Link? In your Kokiri home. Hyrule as an adult? In the Temple of Time. If you save in a dungeon, you’ll respawn at that dungeon’s entrance, so you don’t have to do the whole trek back to resume the exploration-, combat- and puzzle-heavy areas that dungeons already are.

Bonus, the Ocarina is always accessible.

I seldom played the original Ocarina of Time on an N64, but it feels to me as though the bottom screen’s functions in this version help make the game a little less of a headache, at least when we reach a point where we switch items in/out of our main buttons regularly. Here, A and B are used to attack with the sword and do acrobatics, X and Y are used for items set to those buttons like, say, the bombs or bow or whichever else, and there are two extra buttons on the touch screen for quick-access inventory items. I’ve always felt from personal experience with my GBA SP and prior DSes that the L and R buttons on handheld consoles were weaker and more prone to breaking, so I was worried in a game like OoT where targeting is frequent and necessary (with L), but there is an option in the menu to change how targeting works; by holding the button down or by just pressing it once.

Adult Link refuses to use Young Link's little toys,
even though some would save him some
headaches. Similarly, most tools found as Adult
Link are too big or heavy for Young Link to use.

On the plus side, a field this big means we get to ride Epona.

While I’ve always loved playing games for this blog, this first time into Ocarina of Time, I’m kind of speeding through because it’s taking me so long to write the review, and it’s unfortunate. The deeper into it I go, the more I realize the greatest quality of Zelda games; exploration shouldn’t be rushed, especially in these big worlds. I had already played through Twilight Princess before reporting on it, way back in 2014. And I grew up playing A Link to the Past, so covering it was no issue. I was well-acquainted with both games before writing about them. But with Ocarina of Time? I feel like I’m missing out on a lot of stuff. Further reading into the game reveals so many interesting elements, especially in regards to exploring both “eras” and how they interact… I intend to beat this game to properly report on it, but I can definitely see myself replaying through it someday at a slower pace in order to catch up on what I've missed.

Oh, and that “3D” part in the title? Well, like most titles on the 3DS, you can toggle on/off the stereoscopic 3D in the top screen, but, much like most games from the console, I just play it without the function. It’s distracting. Especially while discovering a game for the first time. I mean, the effect is cool, I won’t knock the console for that – but not my thing, as far as gaming is involved.

New temples as an adult

Waking up in the Temple of Time to see the lively Market
infested with ReDeads... that's a huge shock.
I hate this future, I want my money back.

Stupid wolves, always in the way of dungeons!
....Okay, they're the first ones I see, but whatever.

Five temples to find across the land? Sure. We can do that. The Hookshot, obtained in the Kakariko Village graveyard, is needed to even enter the Forest Temple in search for the second Sage. And what a trip that temple is. A bad trip, I would dare say. At least we get the bow and arrows out of it. The temple is made more difficult in that we have to find and defeat the four Poe Sisters, whose lights are needed to call an elevator towards the floor where the boss resides. My enduring memory of this dungeon is the presence of Stalfos, skeletal knights with shields and some actual knightly tactics in combat… as well as a room in which three have to be defeated. Yeah, we’re in the tougher part alright; this game isn’t pulling punches anymore.

These knights are a real pain in the ass.
No joke here, they just are. I freaking hate them.

Painting Traveller VS Hylian Sniper with Bow.

Anyhow, with the boss’s key in hand and the four Poes beaten, we step down towards the end of this cursed dungeon and fight the boss, Phantom Ganon, a ghostly Ganondorf on horseback who attacks by coming out of paintings, and who must be sniped with the bow (or, like in my case, if you run out, there’s also the Hookshot). In the second half, the phantom ditches the horse for a Zelda classic: A wizard playing tennis with balls of energy against a Link equipped with the Master Sword, and being noticeably worse than the hero at parring the shots. Ganondorf isn’t joining Wimbledon anytime soon.

With Phantom Ganon defeated, Link rescues the second Sage, who happens to be… Saria! And she gives him the second medallion. We also get some additional reveals that Link is not actually a Kokiri but a Hylian, explaining why he grew up while all the Kokiris, Saria included, remained children, elves of the forest that they are.

Guess I should expect other people I've known as a kid
to turn out to be Sages, then. ....Malon, maybe?

Well, I know what to expect now. The quest is on!

…Let’s continue this in Part 2, shall we?

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Coming from Rayman 1 to Rayman 2 is like seeing night turn to day. Rayman 1 is much more colorful and pretty to look at with its detailed sprite art and environments, sure. However, Rayman 2 was not only done in 3D, but also with the experience gained from the first, so it’s a very different beast. This one doesn't feel like a commercialized version of devs challenging each other with the hardest stages they could make.

Globox and the Teensies are some of the new
additions to the series that stick around for the
remainder of it.

It’s also a game with a lot more focus on story and building the world of the Glade of Dreams, though in an unexpected turn of events it would end up ditching almost everything from the original game in favor of new characters, items and locations. This would mark a recurring issue of the Rayman franchise, a sort of identity crisis where few things stick around between installments, making it difficult to set a canon (and a tone) for the series. Rayman origins tried to paste everything together, but more work ought to be done about that.

Rayman 2 was first released on October 22nd for Nintendo 64 and PC in Europe, then on the 31st in the U.S., with further releases on DreamCast and PlayStation in 2000, and more ports down the line for PS2, Game Boy Color, Nintendo DS, 3DS and iOS. I have seen the game be played previously, on an N64; so it’s my first time really playing through it, albeit on PC. Let’s see what this game is like.

Paper Mario (Part 5)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5

Let’s storm this castle!

Chapter 8: A Star-Powered Showdown! (Continued)

Past the room with the possible encounter with three Anti Guys, we face more puzzles and enemies. Dry Bones, Koopatrols, and of course the Magikoopas, who become more common. This dungeon has already been pretty long overall, so the final segments start to feel rather samey. This ends with an encounter with a third Bowser door, one that forces Mario to battle a team of enemies he hasn’t seen in a while: The Koopa Bros.!

How the Heck did you get up here? ...IN SPACE?

With such a talent to adapt and improve, Jr.
Troopa could be a fantastic ally. Yet, "Nope;
Gonna be a bully and antagonize a hero."

But wait, what’s that? They get quickly whacked away? Yep. They’re defeated by none other than Little Shit, who decided he wanted a final battle. In this one, the eggshelled Koopa will switch between his various forms, forcing Mario and Co. to adapt to the situation. He still winds up being fairly weak, seeing as by this point you likely have a counter for every form he’ll take and every attack he’ll use. The fight winds up being a tad disappointing. Then again, seems like it worked and this little bully learned his lesson, ‘cause we never saw him in a Mario game again.

Pah! Good riddance!

Past that door is the top of Bowser’s Castle. And, on it, Peach’s Castle. The next couple screens are nothing more than Mario wandering the empty halls towards the higher floors. You can even find some helpful items outside and inside her castle.

Won't be the last time that Peach's Castle,
of all places, serves as the theater of the
final confrontation.

Paper Mario (Part 4)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5

This adventure isn’t quite concluding just yet, so we have time for another aside.

What To Do In The Mushroom Kingdom: A Tourist’s Video Guide, Pt. 2

*Tape resumes* …You’re still here? What the ever-flying dickens are you doing here visiting the kingdom while Bowser has the Star Rod and has eliminated everyone’s wishes and everybody’s feeling down and- I’m fine. I swear! I’m fine. Perfectly fine. So, you may be wondering what else there is to do in our great, beautiful Kingdom. Well, I have some answers!

Yum!

Tayce T.’s Gastronomy Stop: When everything seems bleak, a nice meal will raise your spirits! That’s the specialty of Tayce T., a wonderful grandma Toad who can whip up something nice out of, well, almost everything you can find on your travels. She can cook with only one “ingredient” per se at first, and will usually give back better items as a result. Bring a mushroom that restores 5 HP, and get in return a friend shroom that restores 6 HP as well as 2 FP! Whatever that's supposed to mean... Once she retrieves that cookbook that she seems to lose all the time, she can make even better recipes with two items instead of one, leading to even better healing items for your journey. Worst case scenario, you bring up incompatible items and you’ll receive a Mistake, which can be sold for money! Tayce T. is the best. Too bad she can’t cook something to insta-whoop Bowser’s spiky bum. But, speaking of our lovely elders…

Oh great, what is he gonna ask for this time...

Helping the elderly: When the Mushroom Kingdom isn’t in grave danger (so, roughly three days out of every month), people like to help each other. You could lend a hand, too! One of our most enduring elders, Koopa Koot down at Koopa Village, always needs aid with something. Go by! We’re seriously sick of dealing with the guy. He always has some requests to make, to the point where you’ve gotta wonder if he’s not trying to abuse of everyone’s niceness. He also pays like a miser… well, sometimes he hands out Star Pieces, so there’s that. Also, he keeps losing everything. It’s time we put that old windbag in the retirement home. Other than that, you can also…

Paper Mario (Part 3)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5

Now that we’re technically halfway into the adventure, with far more to discuss, I figured it was time to do an aside.

What To Do In The Mushroom Kingdom: A Tourist’s Video Guide, Pt. 1

Heeey~ so it’s your first time visiting the Kingdom? No? But it just doesn’t feel the same? I getcha. Our landmass changes a lot every couple years, even the Toads keep getting lost. Places disappear, new ones appear. This guide’s gonna be outdated by the next Mario game. But since you’re here now, visiting, I figured you’d like to know some of the stuff you can find currently, and what sort of fun you can get up to. Oh, just ignore the giant clown car in the sky with two castles stacked on top like a bad wedding cake, it’s no biggie.

One of those shops has a rather... uh...
aggressive marketing campaign.

Badges: What would be a tourism visit without some badges that say “Hey, I’ve been there!”? Well, fear not, we’ve got you covered. Across the land you can find a wide, wide variety of badges (our most recent number says 80) to equip to yourself. Some will add a jingle to your actions, changing the normal FX you’d get from doing something. Several of them will also greatly help you out if you want to see more of the Kingdom, as it can be a pretty dangerous place at times! Like now...

You will find most of these in the wild, but they’re also sold in at least two shops: One in Toad Town, the other on the upper floor of the fortune teller Merluvlee’s place near Shooting Star Summit. That one uses a special currency called Star Pieces, I’ll get back to that in a moment. We’ve yet to think of something to give to a daring soul that somehow finds all the existing badges, so “catching them all” isn’t necessary – but the more you have, the more options you’ve got to brave the wilderness!

These? Oh, that's just the ones pinned to my
red shirt. I got 50 more in the collection.

Paper Mario (Part 2)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5

Continuing from Part 1, we’re about to jump into…

Chapter 2: The Mystery of Dry, Dry Ruins

Hey, it's Mario who does the stomping here!

Mario returns to Toad Town, now accompanied by Goombario, Kooper and Bombette. You know, I’ve always seen parties of characters in turn-based combat RPGs as teams that would probably be awesome to watch in situations where they’re not bound by turn-based mechanics. With Mario as the leader, and everyone contributing their abilities, they could be an unstoppable team of heroes! Alas, that’s not how it works.

Oh yeah, and on the way back, they encounter Jr. Troopa again. The little shit has learned a new skill, where he becomes impervious to some attacks by hiding in his shell. Ah, I hate that kid. I vote to nickname him Little Shit for the remainder of the review. Anyone opposes the motion? No? That’s settled. He IS a nasty little bully, I consider the nickname appropriate.

Alright, time to gear up before we go out to
find our next Spirit.

Paper Mario (Part 1)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5

This one had been a long time coming, waiting in my Wii’s memory. Well, now is the day. Anniversary review!

The Mario franchise has had an interesting history with RPGs. The first was Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, co-created by Square-Enix, famous for the Final Fantasy series. There were plans for a sequel with the same collaboration, only for much of it to split when the new RPG took a decidedly different direction. Plans up to that point were changed heavily to appeal more to younger players, with a cute art style and tweaks to the game’s system and its overall difficulty, while also containing enough options for more experienced players. After all, they know about timed hits.

Also, only in a Square-Enix game
would you see this sort of enemy.

And what a world! It's gonna be all
different by the next game.

And so, Paper Mario was born, a world of paper and cardboard and crafts that became the world of multiple RPGs. The first two are pretty straightforward (but paper-based mechanics didn’t really make an appearance until the sequel, The Thousand-Year Door). The next ones experimented a lot. I already covered Super Paper Mario on this blog. I’ve yet to play any of the others (Sticker Star, Color Splash and Origami King).

Even then, the peculiar system of Paper Mario helps it feel different from everything else that’s out there in the genre. Instead of controlling an entire party, it’s Mario + one party member. XP is replaced by a system of Star Points. Instead of being able to equip all sorts of armor and weapons, Mario can choose among various Badges he finds in the world, with greater upgrades coming with the plot. All of these will be discussed in greater detail in due time.

How about we cover this game’s story so I can discuss some of its details?

Intro

Bowser. Big, bad brute. Can instantly master
the Star Rod.

The intro before the title screen explains the mythos of this game: Up in a place called Star Haven lives a race of Star people who have the ability to grant wishes, in great part thanks to the Star Rod, an artefact made with ancient magic and used by the seven Star Spirits. Unfortunately for them, one day, Bowser, his second-in-command Kammy Koopa, and their forces break in, steal the Rod, and capture the Spirits into cards.

The game starts as Mario and Luigi receive a letter from Princess Peach inviting them to a party at her castle. They go, and Mario heads directly towards Peach’s quarters. She is, of course overjoyed at seeing her hero! However, the earth shakes suddenly and both feel themselves being risen. To their shock, Bowser’s Castle sprouts out of the ground underneath Peach’s Castle, itself on top of a giant Koopa Clown Car, and all are brought into space.

I heard you like castles so I put a castle
under your castle.

To this day, I still have no idea how or why Bowser's Castle was underneath Peach's Castle, with that Clown Car beneath all that for good measure. You can go "Star Rod, reality warping, whatever" but even there, it feels too crazy to be possible. There's no way that could have possibly been there. So... portal? Magic is the only explanation I can see.

Damage result: 0. Yeah... we're not able to
hurt Bowser when he's powered up.

Bowser shows up to kidnap the Princess and Mario valiantly defends her, but shortly into their fight Bowser reveals the Star Rod. Bowser wishes to become invincible, and through the rod’s power, it happens. Bowser subsequently outmatches Mario and knocks him out, then tosses him out the window.

You know we’re in for a Hell of a ride when an RPG starts with the bad guy winning, especially someone with such a poor win/loss record like Bowser.

Prologue

Looks like there are some advantages to
wearing such an iconic style.

If nobody's blocking the path, I should
get there easily.

Mario is found in a clearing and taken to a nearby inn. During his dream, he gets a message from Eldstar, the Elder of the Star Spirits, asking him to make his way to Shooting Star Summit so that they can better explain the situation to him and how he could stop Bowser. Mario then awakens, and leaves the inn to see that he was rescued by a family of friendly Goombas. As Mario tries to leave the village, Kammy Koopa appears and blocks the only exit with a giant block. Gee, I wonder what we should do… We should just jump over it. Mario isn’t the ex-Jumpman for nothing! Or even better: Crawl around it carefully. That’s doable, right?

Are you sure your main occupation
doesn't actually start with a B, Kammy?

Hammer it will be, because I don't have a
belt on me at the moment.

Nope! To leave, Mario must fetch a hammer from the Goomba family’s grandpa. Unfortunately, he’s far down the cliff, where he fell while repairing the family home’s back patio. The patio fell with him. So we find the hammer, but surprise! As Mario tries to leave back to the village with Goompa, he runs into Jr. Troopa, a little bully of a Koopa still in his baby turtle eggshell. Like that makes him look threatening or something. Get out of my way, you little shit.

After getting rid of Jr. Troopa, Mario comes back to the village, hammer in hand. He also hears that Goombario, one Goomba of the village, has been practicing to be a hero – and decides to tag along on what seems to be a big adventure! Great, I gotta take care of a Goomba kid now… Okay, fair, he’s actually a capable combatant with his Headbonk attack, and his Tattle ability gives information on places visited and enemies encountered, so he can be pretty useful.

Buddies with a Goomba. It'll never not
feel weird for Mario the stomp champion.

An aside on Paper Mario mechanics

Eventually, you get plenty of options to adapt
against any possibility.

In this game, Mario can choose among 8 party members that he gains throughout the story; he can only have one by his side, in the overworld or in battle. In both instances, they’re useful: On top of having attacks during fights (some of which can inflict status effects), they also have uses during exploration, to open paths or to find new stuff. Once you get a new party member, you can guarantee that their ability will be needed very soon to progress.

Another awesome element is that you can look for 16 Super Blocks hidden around that world, and each block gives you the option to upgrade one party member, which can be done twice for each. The first attack known by each of them requires no Flower Points to use (Flower Points, or FP, are Mario’s equivalent to magic points or a mana bar), but attacks gained with upgrades do. Also of note is that only Mario has an HP bar, meaning that if he loses, the entire team loses. However, while uncommon, it is possible for his allies to be attacked, in which case they’ll be KO’d for a few turns, meaning Mario will be alone to defend himself.

Even more options to face any eventuality.

We also learn about Badges, which I discussed earlier, but I’ll give more details here. Badges give Mario some perks either in the world or in battle; some can be new special moves (such as a more powerful stomp) or give a battle advantage (like making enemies miss at random when Mario’s Heart Points, or HP, are down to 5 or lower). Each badge requires Badge Points (BP) to equip, a value that can be increased whenever Mario goes up a level, which allows him to equip better badges over time. Combat moves that are gained through badges require Flower Points.

Paper Mario: A game in which getting 31 EXP
points is considered a lot.

Lastly, EXP here has been replaced by Star Points, or SP. That’s a lot of points to keep track of, huh? Mario levels up at each 100 Star Points collected, and upon leveling up, you can choose to increase either Mario’s HP, FP or BP. Mario’s growth stops at Level 27. Also, as he gets stronger, weaker enemies start giving out less SP, to the point where most enemies stop giving out SP upon defeat once Mario has a level high enough. Note that Mario's attack and defense don't increase as you level up; they increase through items found throughout the adventure.

In short: A number of clever twists on the usual RPG fare, although it does have a lot of similarities with what’s been done before, some of which it attempts to hide under new names.

Prologue (continued)

That's one big Goomba.
I'll need my big stompy boots.

On the road back to Toad Town, Mario and Goombario run into a blue Goomba and a red Goomba who don’t pose much of a threat. They flee upon defeat, going to a miniature castle belonging to the Goomba King. A nice first proper boss battle here. Following this, the party arrives at Toad Town and can see what remains of the field where Peach’s Castle once stood proud. Shooting Star Summit is only a stone’s throw from the town, so Mario climbs the mountain and gets to talk with the Spirits, who only have a little bit of time to explain their situation: As they are powerful enough together to weaken the Star Rod, Bowser made sure to capture and scatter them across the land. Their power must be restored before they can do anything to help. The transmission ends before they can say any more.

"I'm gonna grant wishes! ...someday."

One element I like about this game is that it also follows Princess Peach’s side of the story. In fact, we cut to her as she’s visited by her captors, whom she refuses to address with anything but spite. Upon wishing for help, she’s visited by a kid star named Twink, whose wish-granting abilities are still too limited to do anything in that field. Therefore, she instead asks Twink to deliver a present, the Lucky Star, to Mario, along with a message that she’s fine. The star child goes and does that.

The Lucky Star is a pendant that allows Mario and his allies to perform action commands, meaning that with good timing they can inflict more damage with an attack. Similar mechanics were seen in Super Mario RPG. Since we only get action commands now, it makes the prologue surprisingly slow and bland, with little intensity to the battles since you cannot turn the tides of turn-based combat through skill. All you could do so far was play your turn and let things play out. There was no way to inflict more damage through a single attack, or save an HP of health, with a well-timed button press. Action commands are a very welcome addition.

Chapter 1: Storming the Koopa Bros.’ Fortress

Mario needs to head west, but four bizarre, dark Toads are blocking the way. The plumber seeks help with Merlon, the local wizard (who also can help guide our hero, and the player, if they don’t know where to go next), and the wizard dispels the disguises and reveals the Koopa Bros. These Teenage Fighter Ninja Koopas used to be cool, but they became arrogant and nasty after joining Bowser’s forces. Mario gives chase, but eventually runs into a chasm with no visible bridge. Well… there’s a switch to make one appear, but it’s on the other side.

Mario the hero, recovering Koopa shells
one at a time.

Those Fuzzies aren't gonna last long.

Mario thus makes a detour to Koopa Village, which he finds invaded by Fuzzies, who stole the shells of the village’s Koopa population. This includes the blue shell of Kooper, a (frankly adorable) Koopa with a nice bandana around his neck. Mario deals with the Fuzzies and returns everyone’s shells, and in thanks Kooper decides to join Mario on the adventure. When he’s the “equipped” ally, Kooper in his shell form can be whacked by Mario's hammer to strike targets, even ones on the other side of pits. Also your first ally to have a move that hits multiple opponents (in this case, ground enemies).

Sure enough, Kooper’s ability lets Mario hit the switch and summon the bridge to the Koopa Bros.’ fortress. Koopa Village was home to two Bob-Ombs that fled from the fortress when the Bros. became nasty after their promotion, and this excursion gives credence to the bombs’ claims. The four idiots even imprisoned a couple of Bob-Ombs! It’s among them that Mario meets Bombette, a pink Bob-Omb who can explode on command, and she joins the team after they free her from the fortress prison, using her ability to blast a wall open.

...You're a bomb. All you do is asplode.
You didn't think to asplode??!?

These Koopas ought to go back to eating pizza.

Yet again, the new team member’s ability allows them to break through (heh) and make their way around, reaching areas that were inaccessible previously. Mario and Co. eventually confront the Koopa Bros., whose first idea is to hide in a fake Bowser to scare the heroes. That one gets destroyed, so they resort to fighting the plumber head-on instead. Which, of course, leads to them losing. This battle, by the way, is a lot of fun, and it encourages the player to use everything they’ve collected so far to take out the four overconfident Koopas. This allows the team to free Eldstar, the first Star Spirit, who now lends his power to them.

Metal Gear Princess?

From this point on, Mario can access one more option during battle: Star Powers. Gained from the Star Spirits rescued, those consume Star Points, represented by a gauge on the battle HUD that fills a bit on each turn, and which Mario can fill more using an ability called Focus. Eldstar’s ability is Refresh, which replenishes Mario’s HP and FP by 5.

The scene with Peach that follows this is the first time she’s properly playable in this game. In an attempt to escape, Peach looks for a secret passageway. She finds one and escapes with Twink, and finds herself in a room where Bowser keeps his diary. Upon reading it, she learns that the second Star Spirit is hidden in Dry Dry Desert. That’s when Bowser shows up, and promptly gets her confined to her room again. Peach then tells Twink to relay the message to Mario…

Alright, I think I can stop this here. This will be continued in Part 2.